A mysterious knight wakes up on a pile of dead men, dressed like him, massacred by an unknown force. The first living thing he encounters tries to cruch him with a candlestick, and after killing it, he's thrown out into a world of despair. That's the premise of Blasphemous, and dear lord is it effective at pulling the player in. After that amazing beginning, I was hooked, and the game didn't let me down once.
Now, as much as I love this game, I can't say it's the most original out there. It's a souls-like metroidvania about a silent knight traversing a ruined kingdom. It's a concept that's been done a million times, but I think I can say with some certainty that NEVER has it been done this well. There is so much to love here that listing it all would take forever. All the typical game stuff is flawless: The controls are fluid and engaging, while also having some weight behind them to make each action feel meaningful. The graphics are gorgeous, it's one of the best looking games I've ever played. The world design is great, each area feels unique and interesting, and the map feels like a world that has been lived in, rather than a few disconnected levels as is the case in other games. The enemies are all simple to deal with once you learn their pattern, but they all feel satisfying to kill, which is in large thanks to another strong element: The sound design. Every slash of the sword, every hit from an enemy, every little mechanical tinker, it's all implemented so well. No sounds are annoying, and they allow for a very smooth listening experience. The bosses are all fun as well (maybe with one exception), and the difficulty curve is just the right level of steepness. The score is also fantastic, each track is so atmospheric and creepy, it's delightful.
I'm always a fan of games where the lore isn't shoved down the player's throat, but rather serves as a reward for exploring and piecing together different bits of information. Souls-like games often do this, and once again, Blasphemous delivers. The world is so interesting, it feels lived it, it feels like a place with history, and with an abundance of interesting characters to interact with or read about. The strong religious nature of Cvstodia means that the game always carries this miserable vibe, which is very enjoyable, to me at least. The lore presented in each item description, and the different people you learn about from the collectibles, is what makes this game so fascinating to me.
Blasphemous is not only an extremely wellmade game, with great production values and gameplay, but it's also a very interesting game to think about and explore, and it's very fun to piece together different fates. Needless to say, it's my all-time favorite indie game, and one of my favorite games in general. Good stuff.
