Last played on: July 2020.
My verdict is at the bottom.
Read the full review, with pictures[raggartsreviews.com]
Nowadays, few games are created with a religious undertone. The big craze over Satanism from the 80s and early 90s is long gone and so it was a surprise to see Blasphemous pop up in 2019. The game, as its name implies, is filled with religious iconography, themes and inspiration.This is a place set on a downward spiral, which creates a dark, bleak world, filled with despair, pain and suffering, devotion and hopelessness. This, in turn, creates an atmosphere that permeates the whole game, from the first minute of play - where the main character, the Penitent One, wakes up in a mass grave of sorts - to the alternate endings and the main credits.
The sinuous story centers around the Penitent One as well as the Miracle. In the world of Cvstodia sin and guilt physically manifest and so people spend their whole life repenting. The Penitent One’s quest throughout the game, for example, is his penance. Since there is non-linear progression, you can beat a given boss or choose to explore a certain area before another, which makes the story, such as it is, hard to follow. Still, I found the world of Cvstodia and its religion interesting and read all the tidbits of information I could find while playing.
The music is the one area where Blasphemous unfortunately felt disappointing. I was so hyped for the game because everyone kept telling me the music was extraordinary. When present - there are areas with no music whatsoever - it is almost always ethereal, low-key or atmospheric. I understand that it contributes to the particular vibe of the game; to me though it is simply not extraordinary. It is by no means bad music; Carlos Viola did an excellent job composing (and playing?) the different tracks for the different regions and fights. And there’s some really good guitar strings sprinkled throughout. My opinion of the music is that it is just not that memorable. This is probably because I had really high hopes for the soundtrack. The game was praised for its music and the Steam Store listing has the “Great Soundtrack” tag - one of the reasons, in addition to personal recommendations, I decided to play the game in the first place. I did not find myself humming melodies from the game or listening to the soundtrack while doing chores. Your mileage may vary, maybe I’m the one with eclectic music tastes.
Blasphemous is a well-made, and you should play it if you like metroidvanias, 2D platformers in general or religious-themed games. It is by no means exceptional.
The challenge! As well as the Penitent One’s costume (that hat!) and his healing ability through blood.
It’s hard to put my finger on it. I think it might be the depressive feeling permeating the game and the game’s world. Everything and everyone is so sad, it was hard to feel like I achieved something of importance, even after beating a tough boss or even finishing the game.
Buy it in a bundle, or on sale if you listened to the soundtrack and liked it.

[b]Last played on: July 2020.[/b] [i]My verdict is at the bottom.[/i] [url=https://raggartsreviews.com/reviews/blasphemous/]Read the full review, with pictures[/url] [h2]Is this 1989?[/h2] Nowadays, few games are created with a religious undertone. The big craze over Satanism from the 80s and early 90s is long gone and so it was a surprise to see Blasphemous pop up in 2019. The game, as its name implies, is filled with religious iconography, themes and inspiration.This is a place set on a downward spiral, which creates a dark, bleak world, filled with despair, pain and suffering, devotion and hopelessness. This, in turn, creates an atmosphere that permeates the whole game, from the first minute of play - where the main character, the Penitent One, wakes up in a mass grave of sorts - to the alternate endings and the main credits. [h2]There’s no U in Cvstodia[/h2] The sinuous story centers around the Penitent One as well as the Miracle. In the world of Cvstodia sin and guilt physically manifest and so people spend their whole life repenting. The Penitent One’s quest throughout the game, for example, is his penance. Since there is non-linear progression, you can beat a given boss or choose to explore a certain area before another, which makes the story, such as it is, hard to follow. Still, I found the world of Cvstodia and its religion interesting and read all the tidbits of information I could find while playing. [h2]Beautiful instrumental guitar, but maybe a bit sad?[/h2] The music is the one area where Blasphemous unfortunately felt disappointing. I was so hyped for the game because everyone kept telling me the music was extraordinary. When present - there are areas with no music whatsoever - it is almost always ethereal, low-key or atmospheric. I understand that it contributes to the particular vibe of the game; to me though it is simply not extraordinary. It is by no means bad music; Carlos Viola did an excellent job composing (and playing?) the different tracks for the different regions and fights. And there’s some really good guitar strings sprinkled throughout. My opinion of the music is that it is just not that memorable. This is probably because I had really high hopes for the soundtrack. The game was praised for its music and the Steam Store listing has the “Great Soundtrack” tag - one of the reasons, in addition to personal recommendations, I decided to play the game in the first place. I did not find myself humming melodies from the game or listening to the soundtrack while doing chores. Your mileage may vary, maybe I’m the one with eclectic music tastes. [h2]Verdict[/h2] Blasphemous is a well-made, and you should play it if you like metroidvanias, 2D platformers in general or religious-themed games. It is by no means exceptional. [h3]What I liked most about the game[/h3] The challenge! As well as the Penitent One’s costume (that hat!) and his healing ability through blood. [h3]What I liked the least about the game[/h3] It’s hard to put my finger on it. I think it might be the depressive feeling permeating the game and the game’s world. Everything and everyone is so sad, it was hard to feel like I achieved something of importance, even after beating a tough boss or even finishing the game. [h3]Should I buy[/h3] Buy it in a bundle, or on sale if you listened to the soundtrack and liked it.