Blasphemous is a game that manages to stir up a stir wherever it happens . Its style and development as metroidvania , a genre much loved by the gaming community and that is as entertaining as it is attractive when done well , its very interesting narrative structure and its peculiar design made it a guaranteed bet practically since its announcement in 2017.
Probably because of that undeniable religious element that the game has, both in its aesthetics and in its world or in its history, it is impossible for us not to curl the loop and look for the easy metaphor with the Christian faith . We have tried Blasphemous , we have enjoyed it and we have suffered it. For this reason, even if only to be contrary to San Pedro, we are going to tell you our experience through three statements about the new title of TheGameKitchen . All this before the rooster crows a second time.
Yes, it’s a metroidvania that lives up to its name
A metroidvania is a video game genre characterized by its powerful element of exploration on a map that is discovered as one progresses or, in many cases, as the character’s abilities allow him to advance . It owes its name to the classics Metroid and Castlevania , which conquered audiences with their varied platforms, combat and items and defined the genre itself .
If we were to make a list of all the elements that a metroidvania should have, Blasphemous would pass it very well since it perfectly complies with the theory that includes it in the genre . But TheGameKitchen’s title goes a bit further because it doesn’t just look like a metroidvania but it feels like one.
Removing some little control problem that, we suppose, will be fixed with the first updates , the gameplay of Blasphemous is comfortable both in combat and when jumping from platform to platform. In the first, the key to success will be in the player’s reflexes when hitting, stopping or dodging at the exact moment and controlling all the enemies that attack us at the same time (each one with their own pattern to memorize) or the not very numerous but complicated final bosses that will appear. In the mountebank section, falls will be common but as we become familiar with the Penitent’s movements we will save many awkward and embarrassing deaths . Warning: holding onto stairs can be a real challenge.
The study wanted to incorporate an RPG outline by allowing some customization in the Penitent without having to check statistics, levels and classes . The player will choose which beads he wants to hang on his rosary, the core of his sword or the relics that he will carry with him and each of these will vary parameters of the Penitent such as health, fervor or the damage he receives or causes.
Now, with all this that we have just said in mind, does Blasphemous reach the level of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night , maximum exponent of the metroidvanias ? That must be judged by each one. Blasphemous drinks directly from Symphony of the Night , takes its elements and uses them according to his own criteria, updating some and keeping others intact. We consider that this comparison must be understood not as two rivals competing with each other, but as a son who sees his father (his predecessor) as an inspiration and role model.
Yes, history is worth getting into
In Blasphemous there is no long introduction, there is no background to put you in a situation or books or characters whose sole purpose is for the player to find out what is happening around them. We do find a kind of guide (our particular Virgil) who briefly indicates the direction in which we must advance and encourages us at a couple of remote points in the game. Taking that away, we are alone.
And do we really say that a story that is not told is worthwhile? Well yes, it deserves it a lot. The title provides the player with enough details to create a mental scheme so that their journey through Custody is not a simple maelstrom of blood and dust, but it also hides the rest of the story in the objects that are found or in the conversations that can be kept with the poor souls who will come out to meet us. It is up to the player to delve into the plot and spend time and effort putting together the pieces that will ultimately shape the Blasphemous story.
Lore , a term that refers to the set of characters, stories and information that make up the universe of a video game and how they are presented to the player, unequivocally recalls the narrative tone of the Dark Souls , which in part have served as inspiration for Blasphemous . We could even say that it is an extrapolation of the iceberg theory used by Hemingway by which his texts had much more than what was written.
Yes, the visuals are wonderful
Super-high-quality graphics and motion capture and facial expressions have become an almost inseparable element of AAA video games (and credit for it). Still, titles whose graphics were made up of pixel art have remained in business and have even seen a small resurgence in recent years. Perhaps it is due to a combination of nostalgia for those games from the 80s and early 90s that we enjoy so much or because the construction of detailed scenes and characters from a careful distribution of colored pixels is a work that is still appreciated . It hardly matters, the thing is that pixel art is more alive than ever and Blasphemous is a good proof of that.
The extra funding that TheGameKitchen got through Kickstarter allowed them, in addition to lengthening the story and giving it the final quality we have found, to improve the animations and take them one step further . Described as a handmade pixel art, the Sevillian team has used their city’s folklore and religious iconography to build a series of creatures and places with which those who have visited Andalusia will feel familiar but possessing a unique personality.
From the hood and the thorny sword of the Penitent to the varied enemies and powerful final bosses , the inhabitants of Blasphemous are the reflection of the cruel and corrupt world that they have been called upon to live (as if Easter were celebrated in the universe of Dark Souls ) . Custodia becomes the ideal setting to experience the Calvary of the Penitent and each place has its own details, unique characteristics and secrets that add depth to the experience and manage to break the “two-dimensionality” by introducing the player to the world they are traveling .
“Quiquiriquí”, sang the rooster
TheGameKitchen has managed to create an entertaining experience, which is enjoyed and savored as it progresses while it makes the player go through bad drinks. Perhaps seeking a greater identification with the Penitent, the feeling one gets from playing Blasphemous is that the challenges it poses and the frustration it provokes are rewarded if one perseveres .
Blasphemous is not the work of a large company of international renown and scope, it has not been developed by a team of hundreds of people and it does not have photorealistic graphics that make us doubt what is reality and what is the video game. Blasphemous is the project of a small and simple studio that believes in what it does, the fruit of the joint work of developers committed to their idea and the support of a community willing to bet on quality. Praise Blasphemous .
