Review of "Blasphemous II": a macabre and excellent video game

( Spanish) – The Penitent returns to face the Miracle again. That synopsis is enough to understand how mystical, macabre and evocative the video game “Blasphemous II” is, the long-awaited sequel created by the Spanish development studio The Game Kitchen. A studio that became a reference in the independent scene after the launch of the first installment, “Blasphemous”, in 2019.

A first installment that existed thanks to the fact that it was financed in a micro-patronage campaign by fans and that was a success for using a known playable formula (being a metroidvania or non-linear action and platform game that seeks to be challenging) , but which stood out for its outstanding artistic style and an original setting rarely used in this art: using references from Andalusian and Spanish culture mixed with the gloom of religion and visceral violence to create a mysterious and brutal atmosphere. The sequel started with the challenge of improving what came before and surprising again. The result is a work that continues to exude personality, that improves and polishes the shortcomings of the first installment and that is capable of facing the best of the genre.

What differentiated the first installment of “Blasphemous” was its art and, precisely, all the art and culture from which it drew to create a medieval fantasy world full of elements inspired by the native culture of Andalusia, in Spain, its folklore. , legends and religions. All of this twisted to the macabre to create images and sequences that are shocking like few others thanks to a detailed pixel-art artistic design and a well-crafted soundtrack full of traditional sounds. A bet that imbued the title with personality that could be glimpsed just by seeing the protagonist: a penitent, like those seen at Holy Week in Andalusia, armed and ready to face dark beings.

The creative director of Blasphemous I and II, Enrique Cabeza, already told en Español in an interview that “Andalusia is a very rich thing, full of wealth of all kinds. We are used to seeing American or Japanese culture with feudal Japan. We are very used to seeing more classic medieval fantasy. As a small studio, we have to make our way in an industry that is extremely competitive.”

For this second installment, that personality is still present and is designed with a unique taste and style. It’s not just the what, but the how. There are characters, settings and enemies with outstanding designs that create a unique setting. Those who do not know this culture will be surprised. To the connoisseur it will evoke a synesthetic experience. It is impossible to forget moments like touring a Nasrid palace clearly inspired by the Alhambra in Granada, talking to a cadaverous mantilla, the confrontation with a sharpener that emits the classic sound that anyone can hear in the mornings on many streets in Spain or the confrontations against a kind of scarlet-robed slug-bishops.

Despite how twisted and macabre everything is, the nightmare world of “Blasphemous II” is one that is enjoyable. And a good part of this is because of how the narrative of the title has been enhanced. Beyond what all these confrontations and dialogues with the main characters convey, there are now many more objects to obtain and each of them has context or lore descriptions that provide stories of specific characters and the world of Cvstodia. High quality texts that contribute to immersion in its world and stories. Added to this is a greater number of high-quality animated cinematic sequences that appear interspersed at key moments in the story that better explain what is happening.

Before the launch of “Blasphemous II”, the creative director of the title told en Español that for this second installment, in terms of playability, they were looking for the purity of the metroidvania genre, something they have successfully achieved. The first “Blasphemous” was a notable title in terms of playability in which there was a lack of possibilities and a certain inexperience was noticeable. However, in this second installment these problems have been solved and the playable possibilities have been expanded intelligently. The game is now more streamlined and polished. The movement is more fluid, there are new impulse or dash mechanics in the air and collisions feel more precise.

The big news is that now the protagonist, Penitente, has an arsenal of three weapons. Each one has its own way of hitting and unique and fundamental mechanics to explore and advance throughout the stage. There is a saber, a kind of combination between a rapier and a dagger, and a censer that amounts to a two-handed mace. Using one or the other is completely different. While the first two allow the enemy’s attacks to be stopped, the third, the censer, does not allow it. The latter hits much harder, but involves having to dodge using other techniques or sacrificing life to be able to hit. In addition, songs and psalms return, which work like magic, and the attributes of the weapons as well as those of the character can be improved to create combinations suitable for each play style.

And focusing the style of play with certain attributes and some weapons or others can be key because “Blasphemous II” is once again a challenging title thanks to a magnificent level design and battles against final bosses that have improved in variety and design and that can become real challenges.

Everything in “Blasphemous II” denotes experience and cunning on the part of The Game Kitchen after having understood their first work to dominate the genre with the second. Leveraging the best they already had, they have created a new and better independent action platform title that brims with personality. Defeat demonic beings while castanets play and then learn the story of a seller hidden in the shadows of an Andalusian patio for a terrible sin he committed. If the first “Blasphemous” was an act of faith, “Blasphemous II” is the sacrament of confirmation of The Game Kitchen as a studio in a state of grace.