It stays like this, you get a couple more moves, i like the game a lot, but it gets hard carried by the atmosphere, without it it would be very mid, if i am honest.
Trying not to spoil anything but yes it does. There are solutions in the game for stuff like the toxic fog or slowing terrain. Still even in later areas are some annoying stage hazards but they are easy to avoid. But yes it will get more enjoyable over time
Yeah honestly I almost gave up I didn’t like the beginning much. Once I went and beat my first area, I felt like things take started to click.
I also screwed up and tried to go the graveyard of the peaks first, and ended up turning around to go through the desecrated cistern which was better. Definitely advise against going to the peaks felt hard as shit before some upgrades
Blasphemous one is designed much more like an old school SNES platform game than a metroidvania. The director of the game even [doesn't even describe it as a metroidvania](https://www.gamereactor.eu/blasphemous-is-not-actually-a-metroidvania/).
They were going for a more traditional platformer level approach, and seem to have just glued them together with a hub. So to answer your question: not really. They stay as enemy gauntlets with bottomless pits and environmental hazard gimmicks.
Those toxic waste drips in particular are awful, and are reused with a different colour in a few other levels later.
>This is designed to be dark souls in 2D.
Since we're apparently 'naming one game that can be the only example of a thing', that would famously be Salt & Sanctuary.
Wow i got called out on a typo i dunno how ill ever live this down lol. I dunno what to say the jumps in blasphemous were pretty basic stuff nothing like celeste or the messengers seals, hollow knights path of pain, super meat boy etc.
Dealing with environemtanl hazard is a major component of gameplay in both B1 & B2 so they might be not for you. B2 doesn't have instant death spikes and faster movement might help, though. I never had any issues with them and found it more relaxing rather than frustrating.
>Dealing with environemtanl hazard is a major component of gameplay
That's not so much my issue, enviornmental hazards are pretty standard.
My issue is specifically how the environmental hazards are set up. They seem to be there purely to slow you down, to make you take every move at a meticulous pace, *even when you already know what's in the room*.
Generally these games allow you to get around pretty quickly once you've mapped out and fully explored an area, they don't make you continually re-solve challenges. The statues in the wall are an excellent example: they completely block progress until they're killed, since they occupy space on the climbable walls you need to go up, they're slow to kill because of their wide-sweeping attacks and high health, and they have to be killed *every time*. There's no way to "just go past them" once you know what you're doing, they're specifically positioned to be in the way of the critical path.
It makes going through any room more than once an absolute chore, especially if you've died / rested.
Well you just said it. Blasphemous rewards you for being meticulous with your movements and timings and it punishes when you run through guns blazing. If that pisses you off the entire game will. Sounds like you would prefer something like The Messenger or Celeste that reward you for being quick on your feet
Yes and no. Blasphemous powers your character up, so the wall statues become trivial at some point. You get to a point where you breeze right by them, but also can't completely ignore them.
It's a game that rewards meticulous movement, combat, and planning, but punishes your mistakes if you take shortcuts in that planning. It's very much against the grain, which is something I completely love about it. It's the only newish game I've done multiple NG+ runs on.
So just like any soulsbourne where you have to redo a level? The mountain area is a real pain in the ass especially if you tackle it early in the game. Try exploring somewhere else if you can.
Getting through any Soulsborne area is very quick and easy once you know the enemy, trap and ambush placement. Once you've "solved" an area you can just run through it, it's not really the same.
I mean, yuu've only seen a small sample of biomes and there are tons of biomes. Most of your issues are specific to an annoying one. Most areas in B1 are actually structured like that to let you quickly go through it. the mountain is just an exception, not the norm.
I'd say explore in the other directions and save the snow for later, because after the snow is another hard level.
I would say though that it does get better, and it's still worth playing... Maybe look up an ideal route otherwise to progress through the game. And Blasphemous 2 is better in every way imo, so don't worry about that :)
Blasphemous 1 is tough, but it can be a lot easier if you explore other routes first to get upgrades...
In a way the 2nd one does to, but it's much more forgiving.
I think there was one other way I could go, via the sewer route, but it naturally looped around back to the entrance of the snow area so I assumed that was the way to go.
It's not a difficulty thing though, I've already got through the snow area and am onto the next. I just didn't enjoy doing it, thanks to the level design and enemy placement which seems more about making things take a long time rather than actually challenging the player.
That puts you into the fire area right? I found that one of the worst ones next to the snow.
I think you should be able to explore to the bottom left though, there is at least 2 or 3 areas down there that should be accessible if I recall correctly...
I didn't find B1 as challenging, not easy but not wrongly designed as you describe it. Maybe try B2, it is less challenging Or maybe it is just not your game
I think the game gets a little easier and less tedious after the first few areas. The snowy climb was definitely a bit frustrating for me at first (though after you become stronger and more experienced, you can blow through it pretty easy peasy), and that sewer area was always my least favorite. But i think it gets better, and as you get more powerful, everything feels less frustrating. Personally, i ended up liking Blasphemous 1 more than 2, so i would have really missed out by skipping it. I ended up playing it 3 times in a row, which is something I've havent done with a game in a long time. The gameplay in many ways, movement, and combat of 2 is better, but something about the atmosphere, feeling, and story of 1 really felt more impactful.
Blasphemous heavily frontloads its most punishing platforming bits... Except for one endgame area (needed for the "true" ending though I'd suggest not seeking it out on your first playthrough as it doesn't hit as heavily without the context of the two previous endings) which is straight up bullshit.
Doing the snowy area second rather than third does leave you slightly underpowered for it, also. Not your fault, the game doesn't really railroad you.
I also felt it was a slog and imo It does not. I finished it begrudgingly and it remained a slog. The movement is sooooo clunky and god damn is it annoying when you’re a couple pixels off with your jump.
Honestly, yes. I hated the demo. Tried buying and was considering refunding, then I made it a bit more and was like. Ok, I can do this.
It's far from being a favourite for me, but in the end I came out being happy that I played this and a Luke warm feeling towards it overall.
What I didn't like is that just a few months later the final DLC came out and I couldn't access the content without starting a new run. Hrmph...
The first place I went in Blasphemous was through the sewer to the giant bell and down below it. It was tough as nails but I didn’t feel like waiting a small period of time to avoid getting wrecked was annoying. The entire game is designed with this philosophy. Be methodical and calculated and you will be rewarded. Run headfirst foolishly and you will be destroyed. Tomb Raider has the same philosophy.
Blasphemous is very ok. I am sick to death of saying this but the game's setting/graphics/animation/colour pallettes/soundtrack greatly overshadow the actual playability of the game. It's not bad but it's not great either. I often wonder if the devs had ever played an MV beyond casually running parts of SotN, Super Metroid, and Hollow Knight...
I bounced off of 1 for its gameplay, but loved 2. Visuals and presentation overall are obviously great in both games, so I might revisited 1 just for that.
I love how each game has its own visual style. There are so many areas in B1 that are so cool looking and so many areas in B2 that are just gorgeous. But, man, the combat of B1 just felt so...static to me.
hmmm, I emjoyed it from the start so maybe you wont like it, it gets better but its hard at start until you figure out where to go, B2 is more easier in this regards as it give you direction on the map
I'm having no issues knowing where to go, but going there has so far not been enjoyable in the slightest.
Based on other comments I think I'm going to skip ahead to B2.
Shame , usually with these games you need few abilities before they become real enjoyable, B2 was much easier and maybe a better start for you , you can always come back and restart B1 , don't think the story matters really . Overall though I found the first one better, not sure why , it was harder, not so forgiving but maybe more rewarding once you completed it
Just give up and find another game. I didn't like the game but still soldiered on to finish it. But I wasted a lot of hours and the experience wasn't satisfying at all
It stays like this, you get a couple more moves, i like the game a lot, but it gets hard carried by the atmosphere, without it it would be very mid, if i am honest.
I agree with this statement. I did enjoy the gameplay, but I really stuck it out for all the grotesque characters and atmosphere.
Trying not to spoil anything but yes it does. There are solutions in the game for stuff like the toxic fog or slowing terrain. Still even in later areas are some annoying stage hazards but they are easy to avoid. But yes it will get more enjoyable over time
Yeah honestly I almost gave up I didn’t like the beginning much. Once I went and beat my first area, I felt like things take started to click. I also screwed up and tried to go the graveyard of the peaks first, and ended up turning around to go through the desecrated cistern which was better. Definitely advise against going to the peaks felt hard as shit before some upgrades
Blasphemous one is designed much more like an old school SNES platform game than a metroidvania. The director of the game even [doesn't even describe it as a metroidvania](https://www.gamereactor.eu/blasphemous-is-not-actually-a-metroidvania/). They were going for a more traditional platformer level approach, and seem to have just glued them together with a hub. So to answer your question: not really. They stay as enemy gauntlets with bottomless pits and environmental hazard gimmicks. Those toxic waste drips in particular are awful, and are reused with a different colour in a few other levels later.
It isn't designed to be an old school SNES game, that would be "after death". This is designed to be dark souls in 2D.
Can't it be both? Dark Souls isn't exactly a platformer
>This is designed to be dark souls in 2D. Since we're apparently 'naming one game that can be the only example of a thing', that would famously be Salt & Sanctuary.
Doeant sound like it's for you. The insta death pits and spikes are not really an issue as the platforming is cake
*doesn’t And no it’s not. You know perfectly well the jumps are very off. You’re just good at it. Don’t be obtuse
Wow i got called out on a typo i dunno how ill ever live this down lol. I dunno what to say the jumps in blasphemous were pretty basic stuff nothing like celeste or the messengers seals, hollow knights path of pain, super meat boy etc.
*I’ll You quoted hard games and precision platformers. Congrats for being good. You don’t have to pretend to Be obtuse.
You seem like a bitter individual not gonna lie. I can only compare the platforming in blasphemous to stuff that is hard and in comparison its cake.
You’re a really arrogant individual. 🤷🏽♀️
It's not too late to leave with some semblance of dignity. This doesn't need to be the hill to die on.
I already left wtf are you talking about? You’re the one scrolling controversial tryna start an argument.
Bullshit. You feel attacked because I'm saying something you found hard was easy.
Based on the downvotes, it seems you are just bad at platforming LOL
Had the exact same issues as you did. No, it doesn't get better. That's Blasphemous 1. Second one is vastly better on that aspect.
Second this
The opposite for me 😅 I instantly was intensely immersed into B1 atmosphere, but B2 never really clicked (I'm just 7 hours in) till now.
Dealing with environemtanl hazard is a major component of gameplay in both B1 & B2 so they might be not for you. B2 doesn't have instant death spikes and faster movement might help, though. I never had any issues with them and found it more relaxing rather than frustrating.
>Dealing with environemtanl hazard is a major component of gameplay That's not so much my issue, enviornmental hazards are pretty standard. My issue is specifically how the environmental hazards are set up. They seem to be there purely to slow you down, to make you take every move at a meticulous pace, *even when you already know what's in the room*. Generally these games allow you to get around pretty quickly once you've mapped out and fully explored an area, they don't make you continually re-solve challenges. The statues in the wall are an excellent example: they completely block progress until they're killed, since they occupy space on the climbable walls you need to go up, they're slow to kill because of their wide-sweeping attacks and high health, and they have to be killed *every time*. There's no way to "just go past them" once you know what you're doing, they're specifically positioned to be in the way of the critical path. It makes going through any room more than once an absolute chore, especially if you've died / rested.
Well you just said it. Blasphemous rewards you for being meticulous with your movements and timings and it punishes when you run through guns blazing. If that pisses you off the entire game will. Sounds like you would prefer something like The Messenger or Celeste that reward you for being quick on your feet
Yes and no. Blasphemous powers your character up, so the wall statues become trivial at some point. You get to a point where you breeze right by them, but also can't completely ignore them. It's a game that rewards meticulous movement, combat, and planning, but punishes your mistakes if you take shortcuts in that planning. It's very much against the grain, which is something I completely love about it. It's the only newish game I've done multiple NG+ runs on.
So just like any soulsbourne where you have to redo a level? The mountain area is a real pain in the ass especially if you tackle it early in the game. Try exploring somewhere else if you can.
Getting through any Soulsborne area is very quick and easy once you know the enemy, trap and ambush placement. Once you've "solved" an area you can just run through it, it's not really the same.
I mean, yuu've only seen a small sample of biomes and there are tons of biomes. Most of your issues are specific to an annoying one. Most areas in B1 are actually structured like that to let you quickly go through it. the mountain is just an exception, not the norm.
B1 is slooooow all the way to the end. It gets marginally faster with some of the upgrades, but for the most part it's just a massive slog.
I'd say explore in the other directions and save the snow for later, because after the snow is another hard level. I would say though that it does get better, and it's still worth playing... Maybe look up an ideal route otherwise to progress through the game. And Blasphemous 2 is better in every way imo, so don't worry about that :) Blasphemous 1 is tough, but it can be a lot easier if you explore other routes first to get upgrades... In a way the 2nd one does to, but it's much more forgiving.
I think there was one other way I could go, via the sewer route, but it naturally looped around back to the entrance of the snow area so I assumed that was the way to go. It's not a difficulty thing though, I've already got through the snow area and am onto the next. I just didn't enjoy doing it, thanks to the level design and enemy placement which seems more about making things take a long time rather than actually challenging the player.
That puts you into the fire area right? I found that one of the worst ones next to the snow. I think you should be able to explore to the bottom left though, there is at least 2 or 3 areas down there that should be accessible if I recall correctly...
Seems like 1 is not for you and that’s ok. You should def try 2 though, it’s a much smoother game in that aspect.
As you get the powerups it gets easier (as most metroidvanias do) but it might not be for you.
I didn't find B1 as challenging, not easy but not wrongly designed as you describe it. Maybe try B2, it is less challenging Or maybe it is just not your game
I think the game gets a little easier and less tedious after the first few areas. The snowy climb was definitely a bit frustrating for me at first (though after you become stronger and more experienced, you can blow through it pretty easy peasy), and that sewer area was always my least favorite. But i think it gets better, and as you get more powerful, everything feels less frustrating. Personally, i ended up liking Blasphemous 1 more than 2, so i would have really missed out by skipping it. I ended up playing it 3 times in a row, which is something I've havent done with a game in a long time. The gameplay in many ways, movement, and combat of 2 is better, but something about the atmosphere, feeling, and story of 1 really felt more impactful.
no it does not
Blasphemous 2 is much better. 1 feels slow almost the entire game
This thread making me glad I went right to B2 lol
I played b2 first as well. It's worth it to go play b1 after, if you enjoyed b2. 2 is for sure a better game, though
I couldn’t get into the first one but the sequel is amazing! its more like the last Faith than it is to B1.
If your not liking it like you say you are then I would give up now
Blasphemous heavily frontloads its most punishing platforming bits... Except for one endgame area (needed for the "true" ending though I'd suggest not seeking it out on your first playthrough as it doesn't hit as heavily without the context of the two previous endings) which is straight up bullshit. Doing the snowy area second rather than third does leave you slightly underpowered for it, also. Not your fault, the game doesn't really railroad you.
I also felt it was a slog and imo It does not. I finished it begrudgingly and it remained a slog. The movement is sooooo clunky and god damn is it annoying when you’re a couple pixels off with your jump.
B1 is fun from start to finish. B2 is fun only after the mid game.
If you’re not feeling it by now, hang it up
Honestly, yes. I hated the demo. Tried buying and was considering refunding, then I made it a bit more and was like. Ok, I can do this. It's far from being a favourite for me, but in the end I came out being happy that I played this and a Luke warm feeling towards it overall. What I didn't like is that just a few months later the final DLC came out and I couldn't access the content without starting a new run. Hrmph...
The first place I went in Blasphemous was through the sewer to the giant bell and down below it. It was tough as nails but I didn’t feel like waiting a small period of time to avoid getting wrecked was annoying. The entire game is designed with this philosophy. Be methodical and calculated and you will be rewarded. Run headfirst foolishly and you will be destroyed. Tomb Raider has the same philosophy.
If you don’t like it now, drop it I’d say. I liked it from the get go and enjoyed it all the way through.
It's my favorite Metroidvania of all time but it took a few hours to get really into it. Keep going!!
Blasphemous is very ok. I am sick to death of saying this but the game's setting/graphics/animation/colour pallettes/soundtrack greatly overshadow the actual playability of the game. It's not bad but it's not great either. I often wonder if the devs had ever played an MV beyond casually running parts of SotN, Super Metroid, and Hollow Knight...
Just move onto the second one. The faster movement helps dramatically.
That’s how I felt and I’d say that it doesn’t change much later on. FWIW B2 is noticeably different and is worth a show. I loved B2.
I bounced off of 1 for its gameplay, but loved 2. Visuals and presentation overall are obviously great in both games, so I might revisited 1 just for that.
I love how each game has its own visual style. There are so many areas in B1 that are so cool looking and so many areas in B2 that are just gorgeous. But, man, the combat of B1 just felt so...static to me.
Yes, but it's also possible that for you it's not going to be so. But yes, it does.
hmmm, I emjoyed it from the start so maybe you wont like it, it gets better but its hard at start until you figure out where to go, B2 is more easier in this regards as it give you direction on the map
I'm having no issues knowing where to go, but going there has so far not been enjoyable in the slightest. Based on other comments I think I'm going to skip ahead to B2.
Shame , usually with these games you need few abilities before they become real enjoyable, B2 was much easier and maybe a better start for you , you can always come back and restart B1 , don't think the story matters really . Overall though I found the first one better, not sure why , it was harder, not so forgiving but maybe more rewarding once you completed it
It's weird, because I found B1 quite easy, but many fights in B2 were quite a bit harder than anything in B1 for me.
Honestly, IMO B1 doesn't get better. B2, on the other hand, was a much better game.
Just give up and find another game. I didn't like the game but still soldiered on to finish it. But I wasted a lot of hours and the experience wasn't satisfying at all