Blasphemous

Blasphemous (2019) is a running, jumping and fighting game set in a horrific world of corrupted catholicism and unnerving contorted characters. You explore, upgrade your abilities, and execute the hordes of enemies that stand between you and your quest to break eternal damnation. Like other Metrovania games, it combines exploration and combat, but with a peculiar heavy-metal-tinged blood-bathed narrative.

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You are the only survivor of a bloody massacre. Now trapped in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, you must free the world from its cycle of violence and fear. You traverse the nightmarish world of twisted religion to uncover its secrets. Along with well-timed jumps you use weapon combos to kill and execute enemies. The twist is that when you die you become weaker through lost items and must decide whether to return to retrieve these things or press on without them.

As you progress you locate relics, rosary beads and prayers that extend your powers and abilities. But the world itself also poses a challenge with traps and dead-ends, only giving up its secrets as you gain the powers to get to hard-to-reach areas. Along the way, you find tormented souls who offer you aid for completing their quests. The combat is tight but well-balanced and has a parry mechanic that doesn't require over-the-top reflexes.

The result is a game that leans on its horrifying visuals and dark story to create a mature experience. But this isn't only gratuitous violence. Those with the stomach and ability to progress its non-linear adventure, are rewarded with a surprisingly deep story about the mysteries of its dark world.

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Our examiner, Oli Hawkins, first checked Blasphemous 7 months ago. It was re-examined by Ellen Robertson and updated 7 days ago.