Blasphemous

Sorrowful be thy heart, Penitent One

First of all, let me say that this is a great game- it’s fun and perfectly crafted. Great graphics, sound, controls, balanced and fair levels, interesting and varied enemies, etc. That said, playing Blasphemous is as engaging as reading a literary classic. It’s fascinating how this treatise of philosophy doubles as a visual poem set to a backdrop of music of the highest caliber, designed to perfectly capture the scene and help further the immersion. Every aspect of this game has been thought out; every item has a memorable story, every location is captivating, even the characters stats have some philosophical meaning. And the collective experience adds to a sum far greater than any of these parts. The land is called Custodia, as in custody; this is essentially purgatory. All its residents carry the full weight of their past. And the hero undergoes a terrifying journey of penance with the goal of seeking a release from sin and eventually redemption. There is no actual evil mastermind, evil is internal and manifests as punishment. This game uses the hero's journey narrative as an archetype in itself; perfectly justified with the full weight of Andalusian culture behind it. The violence comes from its inquisition heritage, where the punishment that The Penitent One unleashes on his foes is part of their collective penitence. The voice acting is absolutely breath taking especially in Spanish. It’s done with impeccable taste and perfectly suited for the occasion by extremely talented voice actors. Blasphemous animations also have the most gorgeous pixel art that I’ve ever seen. They somehow emulate the feel of Gothic crystal-work warped by the passing of centuries. Unfortunately the colossal effort must have been unsustainable and we have more conventional (yet still tasteful) animation later. In short, I can’t recommend this game enough if any of these aspects interests you, and probably even if they don’t.

Simply beautifull

The more you play the easier it gets. It has a very graphic and bloody art style so if you are not into that please stay away. I am 5 hours in and I am enjoying it immensely.

I already played over 100% of the Game and still haven't unlocked everything. Recommended for everyone who likes challenging Platforming mixed with interesting Lore and gory Fights.