Review : Blasphemous

The road was quite long and particularly difficult. It is at the end of more than 25 hours of games that the grand finale of Blasphemous finally deigns to reveal itself before my eyes. Totally unnoticed by my own person, despite intensive communication, from the publisher Team 17, this game developed by the Spanish independent studio The Game Kitchen is presented in the form of yet another Metroid ersatz. A concept worn and eroded by many studios that have not necessarily been original until now. Ignorant by my care, this title has however aroused my curiosity through the praise expressed by various streamers and other editors of specialized press. It's been a long time since I've tackled this particular type of game. However, I have made an exception for this work which turns out to be a very pleasant surprise.

Christ-punk

A game with a horrific tendency, with a hint of Dark-Fantasy, Blasphemous puts us in the shoes of a penitent, wearing his sword Mea Culpa, evolving on the devastated lands of Orthodoxia. A typical town of the Spanish medieval era, this one seems to be under a curse caused by God's wrath. The Miracle, the object of desire of a presumably corrupt clergy, is in the hands of a malicious entity, spreading a scourge that corrupts all forms of life. Thus, various diseases spread among the local population, revealing their share of deformities as well as aberrations of nature, with the aim of tormenting the poor souls residing in this cursed place.

Sick, this game is certainly so. Because we are talking about religious fanaticism, atonement through suffering and torture. The only salvation is death through stages close to nihilism. Blasphemous, clearly does not do lace and will offer a very graphic experience that emphasizes the organic side of these martyrs. In Gothic architecture, reminding us of these ancient religious buildings, the title proposes an artistic direction of excellent workmanship, giving pride of place to pixel art.

The technical limitations imposed by the developers (16 colors that can be displayed simultaneously max), reminding us of the good years of 16-bit computers such as the Atari ST or the Amiga 500, bring a dark and oppressive atmosphere to each area encountered during our journey. Special mention to the bosses, all of whom have a Dantean staging and an aesthetic that arouses disgust. Beyond this visual feast, the addition of a soundtrack composed by Carlos Viola makes it a point of honour to amplify the occult and uneasy side of this universe. Everything is gathered here so that the player is fully immersed in this dark world, ravaged by the greed of a supreme authority.

Risk of joystick breakage !

If you are a lover of difficulty and challenge, you will be delighted to learn that Blasphemous offers a major challenge, to such an extent that it will not be uncommon to protest, controller in hand, in the face of the frustration that some rather difficult passages may cause. The memorization of the patterns of certain enemies or platform phases will be a precious ally throughout your adventure.

Gameplay can sometimes be uncompromising, even very demanding in various aspects. Because there is no question here of stuffing everything up, but rather of developing certain strategies in order to get rid of different phases which, at first sight, seem insurmountable. Nevertheless, we can deplore the too few backup points, but also the too infrequent teleportation zones that multiply the Die and Retry side of the title. Overall, the level design is worked on, the game is absolutely not linear, by adding quests and the exploration aspect, making the strength of this kind of game, remains very free.

In short, Blasphemous is a surprising track that perfectly combines atmosphere, artistic prowess and gaming experience. Difficult yes, but not insurmountable, the game is a real outlet for all fans of the genre. This one deserves your full attention. Its many qualities make it a tenor of the genre and probably a classic over the coming years.