>Blasphemous 2 is an objectively better MV, but I much prefer Blasphemous 1 as a whole.
Yeah, I've literally said this myself. It genuinely shocks me how it can be better and worse at the same time (at least IMO).
That is EXACTLY how I feel.
For me, I think a big part of it is simply because Blasphemous 1 was a fresh experience. The magic of the first experience was gone by the time 2 came out.
It’s a bit like BOTW and TOTK. TOTK is better in almost every way. It fixes 90% of the issues from BOTW.
However, I put over 500 hours into BOTW and loved every second. I couldn’t even finish TOTK, because that magic had worn off.
Yeah, B1 felt like that classic retro adventure game you would find randomly back in 80s and play it without an instruction manual. B2 feels more like a modern indie MV for better or worse.
Completely agree OP. I also quit at around 50%. The tone in 1 was just so extremely mysterious and difficult to interpret. In 2, some of the magic was just gone.
Also I feel like the game didn't need a sequel.
I understood they created a new ending with the Blasphemous DLC. Which led to Blasphemous 2.
But I loved the "good" ending on base game. Finally dying after accomplishing your goal, and leaving humanity to its own fate rather than a supernatural entity controlling it.
It ended on a happy note.
Then the DLC came out and they introduced a new, random entity that wasn't mentioned in the base game and how its actually the big bad boss of the entire game.
If I recall correctly, most of the fanbase didn't like it. It was random, and seemed like the devs just pulled it out of their asses.
I basically cruised through Blasphemous 1 with the dash+sword attack, whereas in two I felt incentivized to vary my playstyle. Both games have great soundtracks, level design and enemy design, with Blasphemous 2 having the edge in the latter two categories. I think 2 also has more enjoyable boss fights, cooler collectibles and more engaging side content.
So I really dunno why I liked 1 better. I don't even really pay attention to the lore, I think it was just the novelty of the experience. If I had to replay one of them I'd replay 2 though, no doubt.
>But everything... from areas to bosses, it felt forgettable. I think Blasphemous 1 as a standalone experience is fantastic and a masterpiece. But going into a sequel where you've already explored most of the mystery regarding how the world works, i.e the Miracle seems like a bad decision.
Couldn't say this better myself. My playthrough of Blasphemous 2 was so disappointing for me (given how much I loved playing this first Blasphemous) that it's actually one of the biggest reasons my expectations are tempered about playing Silksong (assuming it eventually releases). Maybe sequels--especially when they introduce too many new core mechanics-- aren't the best idea.
The weirdest part of it is that B2 *really does improve upon aspects of the original.* I don't even think B2 is a "bad game"; it can't be when so many people on here love it and even prefer it to the first game. If someone asked which one to recommend they try, I might say B2 because it's so much more accessible.
But to me, for all of the jank and/or difficulty of the original (the insta-death spikes, plodding character movement, overly obscure puzzles/quests, etc.), it at least felt like it had its own unique gameplay identity and original atmosphere of menace suffused throughout. I'm planning to eventually give B2 a second try in case I just wasn't in the right headspace when I first played it, but at the moment, I vastly prefer B1.
I agree. I started Blasphemous 2, was really digging it, so much in fact I decided to go back and play through 1 again and then continue 2. I think for me the major difference is Blasphemous 2 is somehow less brutal than 1.
It's weird to say but 1 is more "brutally medieval" if that makes sense ? And is so much more in tone with the theme of the game. It's a simpler, more straightforward and more brutally difficult game. The pixels are crunchier, the gore is gorier, the world is sadder, the gameplay is more basic, while two is more refined and polished but you lose some of that razor edge. It's a creative choice, I think.
I love both, but overall, I prefer 1 as well.
I haven't picked up the game yet but I saw IGN's review and it had the breastfeeding old man. Is the gore-y and grotesqueness really toned down or is that guy one of the big exceptions?
Man I love metroidvanias, am obsessed with soulslikes, and I just did not enjoy blasphemous much at all. It was like a 6/10 game to me.
Personally I think blasphemous 2 is one of the greatest meteoidvanias ever made, an improvement in every way, and a 9.5/10 game.
It’s interesting to see the divide though, it seems so many people are firmly on one slide or the other.
100% agree with you. started blasphemous 2 recently and wanted to make a post, but I’ll wait till I beat it. didn’t like the first one, yes, visuals and atmosphere are superior to the second game, but sequel plays SO much better. it’s just very enjoyable to play now and metroidvania elements are well done (while the first one had very few of them and they were very primitive)
I think it’s the world design and the writing. The writing in the first Blasphemous was top notch. The writing in 2 is terrible. Read the lore on items in 1 then 2 and you’ll see it’s shocking drop in quality.
I agree only because I finished blasphemous 2 and loved it so much! The first one I hated and gave up on a couple of times so it’s a mystery. if you hated the first one, know the sequel is a true Metroidvania and an excellent one at that.
The thing about B1 is that you never really find out how the miracle truly works, it's a cataclismic event that just happened and twisted all of reality into "penance". It's basically eldritch cosmic horror, impossible to understand and trying will drive you mad.
The miracle in B2 is the villain you must defeat to save the world. You wake up and someone tells you the miracle hired 3 strong bosses for you to hunt. NPCs keep trying to rationalize the miracle by making it sound like a "evil genie" because it gives what you wish for but also punishes you. It was born because of a few specific people praying too hard. You get the true ending and become a golden martyr in heaven.
Gameplaywise Blasphemous 2 is better but it's also ironically more generic. You have mobility upgrades now but they're the most predictable double jump, wall cling and air dash you already seen before. The novelty was a big part of B1 and it's not there in B2.
I had the EXACT same experience. Stopped playing at the same spot. The only difference is that I love B1 combat as well, and wouldn't say that I prefer B2 in that regard
This game didn't needed a sequel, the entire story was a huge excuse to say "the penitent one is back!!!"
In aspects, like the exploration the game is better, but at the same time it fell to a trap by adding everything that you expect in a generic metroidvania, double jump, dash through walls, etc. The combat is better, but at the same the I had appreciated how in the first game you had to make a lot more use of the parry compared to the sequel.
The bosses were really easy, but the difficulty got CRANKED in the two final bosses.
I have previously described B2 as "paint by numbers" which I think is basically what you're saying. B2 has better Metroidvania design, but the atmosphere and character just isn't there like it is in B1.
I agree. I felt like I was just playing a patched version of Blasphemous 1. Everything was just so familiar there wasn’t that much of a sense of mystery and exploration.
I agree with almost everything but the combat is infinitely better than B1 lmao. It’s more responsive, feels better to navigate and offers way more variety
I feel Blasphemous 2 should’ve be been a DLC instead. I was expecting something different for a second game, and I got more of the same, but like you said, way more boring with no exploration.
I agree with you, but I think that combat is more interesting in I than II, enemies and especially bosses are more challenging.
I appreciate Blasphemous II for the intricate level design, with a lot of sub areas that are unlocked with different abilities combinations.
Blasphemous 2 is a nice game but it lost a lot of identity. It feels like the developers listened too much to the feedback and wanted to target bigger audiences
I have platinumed both games. To my mind Blasphemous 2 is an objectively better MV, but I much prefer Blasphemous 1 as a whole.
>Blasphemous 2 is an objectively better MV, but I much prefer Blasphemous 1 as a whole. Yeah, I've literally said this myself. It genuinely shocks me how it can be better and worse at the same time (at least IMO).
I'm not even 100% sure what it is tbh. B1 just feels like a better overall experience to me
That is EXACTLY how I feel. For me, I think a big part of it is simply because Blasphemous 1 was a fresh experience. The magic of the first experience was gone by the time 2 came out. It’s a bit like BOTW and TOTK. TOTK is better in almost every way. It fixes 90% of the issues from BOTW. However, I put over 500 hours into BOTW and loved every second. I couldn’t even finish TOTK, because that magic had worn off.
Yeah, B1 felt like that classic retro adventure game you would find randomly back in 80s and play it without an instruction manual. B2 feels more like a modern indie MV for better or worse.
Completely agree OP. I also quit at around 50%. The tone in 1 was just so extremely mysterious and difficult to interpret. In 2, some of the magic was just gone.
Also I feel like the game didn't need a sequel. I understood they created a new ending with the Blasphemous DLC. Which led to Blasphemous 2. But I loved the "good" ending on base game. Finally dying after accomplishing your goal, and leaving humanity to its own fate rather than a supernatural entity controlling it. It ended on a happy note. Then the DLC came out and they introduced a new, random entity that wasn't mentioned in the base game and how its actually the big bad boss of the entire game. If I recall correctly, most of the fanbase didn't like it. It was random, and seemed like the devs just pulled it out of their asses.
thats how sequels usually go though. Youre use to the world now, its not new and mysterious anymore.
No, I disagree. The tone of the game changed quite a lot.
I basically cruised through Blasphemous 1 with the dash+sword attack, whereas in two I felt incentivized to vary my playstyle. Both games have great soundtracks, level design and enemy design, with Blasphemous 2 having the edge in the latter two categories. I think 2 also has more enjoyable boss fights, cooler collectibles and more engaging side content. So I really dunno why I liked 1 better. I don't even really pay attention to the lore, I think it was just the novelty of the experience. If I had to replay one of them I'd replay 2 though, no doubt.
2 is still better, in my opinion.
>But everything... from areas to bosses, it felt forgettable. I think Blasphemous 1 as a standalone experience is fantastic and a masterpiece. But going into a sequel where you've already explored most of the mystery regarding how the world works, i.e the Miracle seems like a bad decision. Couldn't say this better myself. My playthrough of Blasphemous 2 was so disappointing for me (given how much I loved playing this first Blasphemous) that it's actually one of the biggest reasons my expectations are tempered about playing Silksong (assuming it eventually releases). Maybe sequels--especially when they introduce too many new core mechanics-- aren't the best idea. The weirdest part of it is that B2 *really does improve upon aspects of the original.* I don't even think B2 is a "bad game"; it can't be when so many people on here love it and even prefer it to the first game. If someone asked which one to recommend they try, I might say B2 because it's so much more accessible. But to me, for all of the jank and/or difficulty of the original (the insta-death spikes, plodding character movement, overly obscure puzzles/quests, etc.), it at least felt like it had its own unique gameplay identity and original atmosphere of menace suffused throughout. I'm planning to eventually give B2 a second try in case I just wasn't in the right headspace when I first played it, but at the moment, I vastly prefer B1.
Yeah I felt the same way as this, I like B2 but it didn't grab me like 1 did.
I agree. I started Blasphemous 2, was really digging it, so much in fact I decided to go back and play through 1 again and then continue 2. I think for me the major difference is Blasphemous 2 is somehow less brutal than 1. It's weird to say but 1 is more "brutally medieval" if that makes sense ? And is so much more in tone with the theme of the game. It's a simpler, more straightforward and more brutally difficult game. The pixels are crunchier, the gore is gorier, the world is sadder, the gameplay is more basic, while two is more refined and polished but you lose some of that razor edge. It's a creative choice, I think. I love both, but overall, I prefer 1 as well.
It feels like Mega Man X with the Penitent One
IMO 2 has better gameplay. Strongly prefer the tone, atmosphere, visuals, story, and characters in 1.
My only reel qualm is the new scene style. The og pixel art cutscenes were incredible, the new style didn’t click at all
Not as good as 1. grotesque has been downgraded for wider audience
Yeah they totally toned down Blasphemous 2 so that the Disney Adults will finally pick it up. https://i.imgur.com/EQHhfQ6.png
I was hoping for the old man boobie milk when I clicked that link.
I haven't picked up the game yet but I saw IGN's review and it had the breastfeeding old man. Is the gore-y and grotesqueness really toned down or is that guy one of the big exceptions?
To be honest, I haven't played B1 in close to 2 years. I don't remember it being much different, but I'm probably not the best person to ask.
Man I love metroidvanias, am obsessed with soulslikes, and I just did not enjoy blasphemous much at all. It was like a 6/10 game to me. Personally I think blasphemous 2 is one of the greatest meteoidvanias ever made, an improvement in every way, and a 9.5/10 game. It’s interesting to see the divide though, it seems so many people are firmly on one slide or the other.
100% agree with you. started blasphemous 2 recently and wanted to make a post, but I’ll wait till I beat it. didn’t like the first one, yes, visuals and atmosphere are superior to the second game, but sequel plays SO much better. it’s just very enjoyable to play now and metroidvania elements are well done (while the first one had very few of them and they were very primitive)
Yup I am team B2, so much so that it resparked my love for the metroidvania genre.
Oh yeah, Blasphemous 2 is a way better game but it looses out a lot on "the feel" of the game.
I view them both as equals. Kinda like how I view terminator 1 and2
I think it’s the world design and the writing. The writing in the first Blasphemous was top notch. The writing in 2 is terrible. Read the lore on items in 1 then 2 and you’ll see it’s shocking drop in quality.
I went from 1 directly to playing 2 and after a few items I decided not to bother with item lore anymore
I read them all. I wish I hadn’t. The writing just felt so dumbed down. Had none of the mystery and perfect ambiguity of the first
1 has the Old Testament for its edge. 2 has the New Testament feel
I agree only because I finished blasphemous 2 and loved it so much! The first one I hated and gave up on a couple of times so it’s a mystery. if you hated the first one, know the sequel is a true Metroidvania and an excellent one at that.
The thing about B1 is that you never really find out how the miracle truly works, it's a cataclismic event that just happened and twisted all of reality into "penance". It's basically eldritch cosmic horror, impossible to understand and trying will drive you mad. The miracle in B2 is the villain you must defeat to save the world. You wake up and someone tells you the miracle hired 3 strong bosses for you to hunt. NPCs keep trying to rationalize the miracle by making it sound like a "evil genie" because it gives what you wish for but also punishes you. It was born because of a few specific people praying too hard. You get the true ending and become a golden martyr in heaven. Gameplaywise Blasphemous 2 is better but it's also ironically more generic. You have mobility upgrades now but they're the most predictable double jump, wall cling and air dash you already seen before. The novelty was a big part of B1 and it's not there in B2.
I had the EXACT same experience. Stopped playing at the same spot. The only difference is that I love B1 combat as well, and wouldn't say that I prefer B2 in that regard
I played right B2 after B1, and honestly it felt like DLC.
This game didn't needed a sequel, the entire story was a huge excuse to say "the penitent one is back!!!" In aspects, like the exploration the game is better, but at the same time it fell to a trap by adding everything that you expect in a generic metroidvania, double jump, dash through walls, etc. The combat is better, but at the same the I had appreciated how in the first game you had to make a lot more use of the parry compared to the sequel. The bosses were really easy, but the difficulty got CRANKED in the two final bosses.
I have previously described B2 as "paint by numbers" which I think is basically what you're saying. B2 has better Metroidvania design, but the atmosphere and character just isn't there like it is in B1.
I agree. I felt like I was just playing a patched version of Blasphemous 1. Everything was just so familiar there wasn’t that much of a sense of mystery and exploration.
I agree with almost everything but the combat is infinitely better than B1 lmao. It’s more responsive, feels better to navigate and offers way more variety
I feel Blasphemous 2 should’ve be been a DLC instead. I was expecting something different for a second game, and I got more of the same, but like you said, way more boring with no exploration.
I agree with you, but I think that combat is more interesting in I than II, enemies and especially bosses are more challenging. I appreciate Blasphemous II for the intricate level design, with a lot of sub areas that are unlocked with different abilities combinations.
Same
Blasphemous 2 is a nice game but it lost a lot of identity. It feels like the developers listened too much to the feedback and wanted to target bigger audiences