As a side-scrolling Soulsborne platformer, Blasphemous definitely has some competition in his genre, but it stands its own ground with its unique setting and aesthetics. While i consider its gameplay to be worse than Hollow Knight, it is by no means bad, and i happily admit that every hour i've spent on this game was one hour that has been well spent.

Graphics

The setting's primarily inspired by catholic asceticism. Self-Mortification features heavily both graphically as well as narratively. The visuals that are depicted are often grotesque and repugnant, yet the art and conveyance of said imagery has an uncanny beauty, resulting in a terrifyingly appropriate aesthetic to compliment the setting.

Story

Storywise the game does a decent job of explaining itself, which is unusual for many Soulsborne games. Characters tend to speak plainly, defining their purpose and propositioning the aid of the main character in a relatively straightforward fashion. In turn, the story makes sense, and it is nothing if not unique.

Gameplay

Blasphemous has high quality in terms of gameplay. While it may be quite a bit slower than others of its ilk, the game still feels smooth and responsive. Some very useful mechanics are hidden behind hard-to-reach collectibles, which may be enjoyable for some people, but missing out on them severely handicaps the martial capacities of your character. As a primary feature in Soulsborne games, a mention goes out to the boss-fights: they are generally very enjoyable, providing good challenge as well as interesting visuals.

Audio

Before i played the game, i already liked blasphemous' music. The game did not diminish that in the slightest. In terms of sound, everything makes sense, and does a good job to enhance the game's atmosphere.

Bugs

Unfortunately, the game did have two bugs for me. Opening steam's overlay made the game crash, and twice, i got stuck in a death loop, forcing me to restart the game.

Verdict

I would rate Blasphemous as worse than Hollow Knight, because its gameplay is worse and Hollow Knight did not have bugs. However, Blasphemous trumps Salt & Sanctuary: The gameplay, while not as varied, had a better feeling to it, and both storywise and aesthetically, it outshines its competitor. Recent reviews give it a 93%, which it well deserves.

The creators recently released a free DLC for the game, with 5 new bosses. Definitely a plus, as it is an indication that the game is not dead, and new content is being added, further increasing the value of their product.