Okay. So...Blasphemous.
It's been a while since I finished the game (seeing both endings) and I wanted to talk about the final boss a bit before moving on.
The final boss is, of course, the game's version of 'God', or more specifically, the being that has (possibly) been mistaken for 'God'. Because the game is a statement on the concept of faith, suffering for one's beliefs as a way of proving their conviction and, thus, passing the test the divine being has put to them. It's never clear whether or not such strident dedication to a higher being is worth the effort or if the belief structure of Blasphemous is a fraudulent cycle doomed to perpetual regurgitation. As with Dark Souls, you're facing a powerful being at the end that may, or may not, be exactly what it claims to be. Because of this, you never know if what you're doing is the 'final test' of your faith, if you're liberating a world long steeped in the misconception of its own faith based suffering or if you're the ultimate heretic.
Of course, because you've killed so many of the Miracle's minions along the way, you're excommunicated, branded a heretic and doomed to an eternity of suffering for your transgressions. But are you the sinner...or is the Miracle? It's never made clear what the truth is about the religion of Blasphemous, and as one's faith is based on one's own beliefs and experiences, it's only fitting that the unknowable almighty is a subject open to interpretation. It's a pretty interesting feat to tell a story that embraces its spiritual theme so wholly but at the same time is asking more questions than providing more answers. Wise, because in the end...nobody knows the truth of things.
What we do know about the final enemy is that once the fight is over, a two stage affair where the first half is an easy rush-down which can be accomplished within a minute if you've spent any time at all strengthening your character, and the second fight is almost like a bullet hell shooter because while it is a Metroidvania style boss, it fills the screen with so many projectiles that you really can't stop moving and most of its attacks will punish you severely for failure. Even when you're at max health and defense as I was. To make things more interesting, a satellite opponent (a floating sword) must be struck three times before the boss can even be damaged and this thing will actively run away from you so you will have to punish after it misses an attack.
There are two endings, a bad one where you're unable to 'do the thing' that frees the world from its cycle of torment, leaving the land without a being to worship. Although that makes me wonder if that even qualifies as a 'bad' ending, given that 'God' in this world didn't really do anything for his congregation except for make their lives miserable. The 'good' ending requires you to visit a number of locations with a key item equipped first, which primes it so that once the boss is dead, you can ascend to your ultimate destiny. Which is the exact same fate as the first woman to worship the Miracle; impaled on a sword, petrified and turned into an effigy to be worshipped and, thus, resume the cycle. What isn't known is whether or not the world gets better because of this and whether or not your character has a divine influence that they can exert on the world. There's a 'MCU' style post credits scene that teases a sequel, however, so even the 'good' ending isn't so cut and dry.
So...should you buy Blasphemous?
Well, my opinion stays the same as it did when I started playing. If you like games like Symphony of the Night, Dark Souls and Diablo, I believe you'll really find a lot to like about Blasphemous.
As you've seen from my running commentary on this game, I firmly believe that Game Kitchen has built a thoroughly provocative world that neither challenges nor supports the idea of undying faith but somehow, almost impossibly, tells a story that simultaneously asks both questions. And the environments, object design and lore do nothing but enhance this incredibly well constructed premise.
The gameplay is taxing at times, and not always in the good way. The combat is really not that complex, and unlike Dark Souls doesn't offer variety with significantly different character builds to make up for it. You can equip different spells and items to alter how your character performs, and that is a great deal of fun, but it's just easier to just dodge or parry and then punish. This doesn't mean the combat is bad. It just feels as though maybe their grasp exceeded their reach and they were a bit too ambitious here.
Some of the platforming is brilliant, while some of it is just patently unfair. It's also glitchy, as your Guilt doesn't always respawn in easy places to recover. At other times I found myself falling into spiked pits only to survive and run through unharmed. The game could have used some additional QA to make sure these things didn't happen. By now, I'm sure they've received the reports and are working on a patch. At least, I would hope they are.
The exploration and sprite art are, at times, breathtaking. A few times, I felt I was on top of the world as I stared out over mountain sized glacial statues of weeping nuns. The profound sadness of those backdrops stripped any sense of accomplishment, surely another test of my mortal faith in this all too impermanent existence. If one can climb the highest peaks and be reminded of the vast suffering that the world itself is enduring, what good is a feat even so praiseworthy as fighting through hordes of monsters to reach the literal highest peak attainable?
This is where the game shines. It's narrative isn't extrinsic. It isn't a separate component of the game. It is an intrinsically designed element of the game play itself, interactive and personal and, therefore, engrossing. Blasphemous, as a game, stripped of its themes and the expressions of such, is 'good'. Somewhere above 'passable' but not reaching the lofty heights of 'great'.
But when you couple its competent, if sometimes frustrating, mechanics with its brilliantly executed tone, theme and narrative, I truly believe that I can safely call Blasphemous a 'great' game. Definitely worth 25 bucks if you like non linear platformers with hack and slash action and RPG character progression elements.
8.75 out of 10
