Stop the 'prophetic birth of a new miracle child' in this deeply weird Metroidvania
The 2019 Metroidvania Blasphemous is a "great, oppressive experience," we said in our 70% review, despite our criticism of its depth and variety. And soon it will have a sequel, as revealed by developer The Game Kitchen at the recent Indie World Showcase. In Blasphemous 2 The Penitent One is awakened from his final rest "and thrust back into the endless cycle of life, death, and resurrection."
For those following the Blasphemous narrative, the new game will take place after the Wounds of Eventide update to the first game, and will see the return of the supernatural entity known as The Miracle. That forces the Penitent One to embark upon a new journey through a strange world in an effort to "stop the prophetic birth of a new miracle child."
In practical terms, that means Blasphemous 2 will offer a non-linear world filled with "enchantingly grotesque landscapes," deadly traps, and "savage combat" with "brutal executions and expanded combos [that] provide new and devastating ways to rain destruction on the abominations that await." Players will be able to customize and upgrade their skills, while the addition of unique new weapons will enable a range of combat tactics.
"There is no wrong turn to take," The Game Kitchen said. "Only scores to settle."
That certainly sounds ominous, if perhaps a bit vague, and it takes a while for the trailer to get past the relatively generic jump-and-slash gameplay. But then it all starts to get a little weird.
Let's take a minute to appreciate some of these tableaus:
I'm not much of a Metroidvania man but I did very much enjoy The Game Kitchen's retro point-and-click adventure The Last Door, a Lovecraft-style jaunt through Victorian England that did some remarkably spooky stuff with sharp storytelling and chunky visuals. I don't imagine that Blasphemous 2 will allow for a similar style of slow-burn horror, but there's definitely some potential for weirdness here and I hope the developers can pull it off.
A release date for Blasphemous 2 hasn't been announced yet, but it's expected out later this year.