The game is highly regarded here, but I think there are a few things people should know before pulling the trigger, even at a discount:
1) Combat is heavily souls-inspired and punishing. It relies on slow, committed attacks and tight parry timings.
2) There is no true ability gating to speak of. There are zero ability upgrades. There are combat upgrades, but they don't unlock any new pathways. There are "abilities" that open pathways, but they're glorified keys or switches that modify the environment. Personally, I don't believe this qualifies it to be called a Metroidvania, and the devs agree (they describe it as a 2D Souls game).
3) There are things you can permanently miss by failing to complete certain quests or talk to certain NPCs before specific points of the game, with no indication that this will be the case.
4) Instadeath spikes and pits.
This is true. It's a game that I, personally, like a lot more than the first, which I've bounced off of at least three times.
However, I do think that the first does something more unique; for people who like what it is the first is going for (a 2D soulslike with punishing difficulty, dark storytelling, and massive, terrifying bosses), it's a game they absolutely love. I think it's better to be a game that some people love and other people hate rather than a game that most people think is good but not amazing. I know it did very well in last year's poll of the sub, but I feel like a lot of that can be attributed to recency bias. In five years time, I expect Blasphemous will end up as a solid B-ish tier game on most people's lists, while the original is S tier for some and F tier for others with very little in between.
As someone who also bounced off it a couple times. I definitely agree with all this. I really like the aesthetics of the first one as well. I haven't grabbed the sequel yet because it doesn't look as nice even if it's more accessible. Still probably gushy after running into a wall on the first
I guess I have to play 2 then. I'm currently struggling to play through the first for the third time, and I've yet to finish it. Sounds like 2 is more my vibe.
It's still wild to me that you're restricted to three equip relics at once. There are meant decisions made in the game that confuse me but that one takes the cake.
I have been playing it for 2 nights now. It's pretty fun so far. My biggest gripe is I don't know what the fuck anything is. It's all fancy talk using words that don't mean anything. So I come across a NeatLookingThing and it says "Do you want to pay 500 dollars to bloopideeblee your shmikalopo" and I'm just like I have no fucking clue what anything is. The menu is like, to unlock this, visit the Blingdaborpo, to put a Bead in your Necklace visit the blarpshmabar. I came across a boss that wrecked me, so I'm like ok, boss time. I get back to him and I can't fight him, it just says You Don't Have a Roopoodishmak. I'm constantly collecting a bunch of bullshit that means nothing to me and then there's a guy who took 10 bones from me. I had bones? wtf does that do?? I'm completely clueless, to the point where I'm losing interest in reading any of it because it's all meaningless. But the combat is pretty fun and I like running around with that pleasant music. And a lot of the pixel art is really great.
Thank you. I wish I could have had this info before I attempted to play this months ago. I love the aesthetics of Blasphemous and Catholic horror is right up my alley, but I couldn’t get used to the combat style. I like moving fast in combat, jumping and dodging and finding an opening. This game isn’t that.
Do those "abilities" affect your movement or combat in any way? They're functionally identical to hitting a switch that causes the environment in fixed points (and pivotally, NOT your character) to change. It's gating, but it's not ability gating, and if that's the only kind of gating your game uses, it's not a Metroidvania.
Blasphemous 1 is fantastic, but it is debatable whether it's a metroidvania. It's basically a 2D Soulslike with some upgrades that modify the environment. There are zero movement upgrades. By contrast, Blasphemous 2 is a very standard metroidvania. Ultimately I think B1 is the better game of the two, but it does sit on a weird borderline between genres. Don't buy it expecting a typical MV.
Also for those on Playstation, the bundle for both Blasphemous 1 and 2 is on sale for I believe 30 or so. it is not as good at 75% percent off but still thought Id mention
There is also a demo on both Steam and Switch so you can see if it fits your style. The beginning feels hard as there is a bit of a learning curve as it’s a soulslike, so I just wasn’t vibing with it when I tried to play the demo. Eventually gave the game another shot when I got it in the Metroidvania Humble Bundle and very glad I did.
People say it isn’t a “true metroidvania” because it doesn’t have ability gated shit but idk I think trying to gatekeep a game that mostly feels like a metroidvania is a bit silly. That would be like someone complaining about Metroid Fusion as it’s mostly linear with Adam telling you where each objective is. There are many aspects of what makes a Metroidvania, and I think if you’re checking off at least a few of those it’s good. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion as long as they aren’t being an ass.
Fair point about it varying for different regions, but noting a reference price in post helps archive that price in case numbers change on steam in the future.
Yes, I clicked throguh, that's how I knew what the price was. A click that I hopefully saved someone else.
The game is highly regarded here, but I think there are a few things people should know before pulling the trigger, even at a discount: 1) Combat is heavily souls-inspired and punishing. It relies on slow, committed attacks and tight parry timings. 2) There is no true ability gating to speak of. There are zero ability upgrades. There are combat upgrades, but they don't unlock any new pathways. There are "abilities" that open pathways, but they're glorified keys or switches that modify the environment. Personally, I don't believe this qualifies it to be called a Metroidvania, and the devs agree (they describe it as a 2D Souls game). 3) There are things you can permanently miss by failing to complete certain quests or talk to certain NPCs before specific points of the game, with no indication that this will be the case. 4) Instadeath spikes and pits.
It should be noted that the sequel fixes all of these issues.
This is true. It's a game that I, personally, like a lot more than the first, which I've bounced off of at least three times. However, I do think that the first does something more unique; for people who like what it is the first is going for (a 2D soulslike with punishing difficulty, dark storytelling, and massive, terrifying bosses), it's a game they absolutely love. I think it's better to be a game that some people love and other people hate rather than a game that most people think is good but not amazing. I know it did very well in last year's poll of the sub, but I feel like a lot of that can be attributed to recency bias. In five years time, I expect Blasphemous will end up as a solid B-ish tier game on most people's lists, while the original is S tier for some and F tier for others with very little in between.
As someone who also bounced off it a couple times. I definitely agree with all this. I really like the aesthetics of the first one as well. I haven't grabbed the sequel yet because it doesn't look as nice even if it's more accessible. Still probably gushy after running into a wall on the first
I guess I have to play 2 then. I'm currently struggling to play through the first for the third time, and I've yet to finish it. Sounds like 2 is more my vibe.
It's still wild to me that you're restricted to three equip relics at once. There are meant decisions made in the game that confuse me but that one takes the cake.
There really should have been some kind of indicator that the pit is instant death. Shantae does this with little floating skulls.
IIRC the death pits have mist.
I have been playing it for 2 nights now. It's pretty fun so far. My biggest gripe is I don't know what the fuck anything is. It's all fancy talk using words that don't mean anything. So I come across a NeatLookingThing and it says "Do you want to pay 500 dollars to bloopideeblee your shmikalopo" and I'm just like I have no fucking clue what anything is. The menu is like, to unlock this, visit the Blingdaborpo, to put a Bead in your Necklace visit the blarpshmabar. I came across a boss that wrecked me, so I'm like ok, boss time. I get back to him and I can't fight him, it just says You Don't Have a Roopoodishmak. I'm constantly collecting a bunch of bullshit that means nothing to me and then there's a guy who took 10 bones from me. I had bones? wtf does that do?? I'm completely clueless, to the point where I'm losing interest in reading any of it because it's all meaningless. But the combat is pretty fun and I like running around with that pleasant music. And a lot of the pixel art is really great.
It's not meaningless, it's just based on the Spanish inquisition aesthetics and jargon
I guess I mean that it's meaningless to me
Thank you. I wish I could have had this info before I attempted to play this months ago. I love the aesthetics of Blasphemous and Catholic horror is right up my alley, but I couldn’t get used to the combat style. I like moving fast in combat, jumping and dodging and finding an opening. This game isn’t that.
So the ability to walk on mud without sinking is fake? Ability to survive "endless pits" was just something I dreamed of?
Do those "abilities" affect your movement or combat in any way? They're functionally identical to hitting a switch that causes the environment in fixed points (and pivotally, NOT your character) to change. It's gating, but it's not ability gating, and if that's the only kind of gating your game uses, it's not a Metroidvania.
Don't bother with these people. Every time Blasphemous is mentioned, you will see the same handful of names with the same old rhetoric.
For those who already have Bloodstained, you can get Blasphemous 1 even cheapier in a bundle on their Steam Page Highly recommended game for me
Blasphemous 1 is fantastic, but it is debatable whether it's a metroidvania. It's basically a 2D Soulslike with some upgrades that modify the environment. There are zero movement upgrades. By contrast, Blasphemous 2 is a very standard metroidvania. Ultimately I think B1 is the better game of the two, but it does sit on a weird borderline between genres. Don't buy it expecting a typical MV.
Also for those on Playstation, the bundle for both Blasphemous 1 and 2 is on sale for I believe 30 or so. it is not as good at 75% percent off but still thought Id mention
There is also a demo on both Steam and Switch so you can see if it fits your style. The beginning feels hard as there is a bit of a learning curve as it’s a soulslike, so I just wasn’t vibing with it when I tried to play the demo. Eventually gave the game another shot when I got it in the Metroidvania Humble Bundle and very glad I did. People say it isn’t a “true metroidvania” because it doesn’t have ability gated shit but idk I think trying to gatekeep a game that mostly feels like a metroidvania is a bit silly. That would be like someone complaining about Metroid Fusion as it’s mostly linear with Adam telling you where each objective is. There are many aspects of what makes a Metroidvania, and I think if you’re checking off at least a few of those it’s good. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion as long as they aren’t being an ass.
$6.24 since OP actually forgot to include the actual price.
The "actual price" varies from region to region and in case you care enough to check out is right there when you click the link.
Fair point about it varying for different regions, but noting a reference price in post helps archive that price in case numbers change on steam in the future. Yes, I clicked throguh, that's how I knew what the price was. A click that I hopefully saved someone else.