Maybe I should have read the reviews? I got it on sale so no big whoop. In any case the story and setting are far too good for what the game is otherwise, which is a convoluted mystical rugby sort of thing. Or is it lacrosse? I don't know how to describe it. Kudos to SuperGiant for finding a way to resolve conflicts in-game without any killing, even if the Rites seem a bit violent with all the banishing. Sadly the core game loop is just not that satisfying. I turned difficulty down to low (because why bother with the higher difficulty settings) to neuter the AI as much as possible, which admittedly didn't do much vs normal difficulty. Also one gets the impression that you're meant to lose every now and then. In any case, Bastion and Transistor felt more fun to play. For whatever that's worth.
Warning: if you dislike horror/gore-themed violence centering on religious iconography, you may not like this game. You may also want to avoid it if you're struggling with depression and considering self-harm, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THAT IN BLASPHEMOUS. Blasphemous is heavily derivative of another game. If you like that sort of thing and want more of it, you may give this one a 4/5 due to its comparatively-poor execution. Not to say that Blasphemous is awful. It isn't. Plot: The Miracle could just as easily come from some other game. If you've played both games you'll know what I mean. Otherwise you're just another silent protagonist with no identity. No attempt is made to explore your own character's background at any point. Getting an ending that isn't terrible requires you to jump through a lot of hoops and probably to read some guides. Gameplay: Controls seem deliberately laggy. Even with vsync off and a gaming monitor, the game makes you feel like you're dealing with input lag, but only for certain commands. Platforming gets worse as the game goes along. Controls are never as clean or as responsive as they are in the game they're clearly imitating here. The melee combo system is woefully underutilized since enemies are designed to punish you for attempting full combos. Graphics/Sound: Solid pixel art and decent-to-good music. Obsessed with gore and self-mutilation, though. Design/Misc: You could map most of this game's features onto one particular popular Metroidvania and get a near 100% fit. This game breaks very little new ground. To make matters worse, the upgrade curve is terrible. Most of your critical upgrades come in the last 20% of the game. I beat the game without two major movement upgrade items that unlock a lot of loot. Summary: If you really liked a certain game from 2017, you may enjoy this one as it tides you over while waiting for a proper sequel. It's not as good, though.
