I love Blasphemous, but it occupies a weird space where I can't point to many aspects of the game that I specifically adore. It's a finely crafted experience that is far better than the sum of its parts, so to say I was excited to see what they had in store for the sequel would be an understatement. And yet, as much as I enjoyed Blasphemous II, there were aspects of the experience that just didn't sit quite right with me.
The first thing you'll notice is the quality of the cutscenes. They're certainly not bad here, but the ones in the original were beautiful. I figured they'd cut costs on the cutscenes as there would be many more this time around, likely with a stronger focus on narrative. And yet, this wasn't the case. The story as a whole was even more confusing than its predecessor, leaving me with little interest in what was happening in the plot. I probably missed things, but I had no idea who anyone I was fighting actually WAS during the latter half of the game. These were just entities I had to kill, and while the first game wasn't exactly great in this regard, I feel as if it towed that line much better.
While the aesthetics and music differ very little from Blasphemous (which means they're still excellent), there are some huge departures in how the game plays. For starters, you have three different weapons to choose in the beginning, the other two heing unlocked later. Each one has a distinct feel and found their niche at one point or another. The additional mechanics are generally fun to manage and switching on the fly, for both combat and platforming, was incredibly smooth. Each one has a secondary 'field' effect too, acting as powerups that open up the world little by little. This made the start of the game consistently exhilarating, as your suite of tools is increasing at a rapid pace. This has an unfortunate knock on effect with latter half, which feels largely stagnant and lacking in identity. You get generic Metroidvania abilities such as a double jump and air dash which, while game-changing, are a tad derivative. The final upgrade comes along far too soon and adds very little, being a context-sensitive action that changes nothing about your core moveset.
Everything here works, but the pacing is so strange. You barrel through the game, partially due to how close important events are and how much easier the game is than its predecessor. While that game wasn't exactly brutal, Blasphemous II was a breeze in comparison. Bosses were inventive but since many attacks posed little threat, I didn't feel as if the more unique designs were able to shine.
On top of everything above, there were tons of little things that bugged me. The one example I like to use is how you often end up inside enemies after parrying their attacks, meaning you take damage after the riposte. It'd a mild annoyance, but on top of the many (admittedly tiny) bugs I ran into also, it demonstrated to me a lack of polish. I'm aware the original didn't launch in an entirely favourable state either, but I played after all the updates and had very few issues. Overall, I did really enjoy my time in Blasphemous II, but it lacks much of an identity that will no doubt make it an experience I'm unlikely to look back on often.
The first thing you'll notice is the quality of the cutscenes. They're certainly not bad here, but the ones in the original were beautiful. I figured they'd cut costs on the cutscenes as there would be many more this time around, likely with a stronger focus on narrative. And yet, this wasn't the case. The story as a whole was even more confusing than its predecessor, leaving me with little interest in what was happening in the plot. I probably missed things, but I had no idea who anyone I was fighting actually WAS during the latter half of the game. These were just entities I had to kill, and while the first game wasn't exactly great in this regard, I feel as if it towed that line much better.
While the aesthetics and music differ very little from Blasphemous (which means they're still excellent), there are some huge departures in how the game plays. For starters, you have three different weapons to choose in the beginning, the other two heing unlocked later. Each one has a distinct feel and found their niche at one point or another. The additional mechanics are generally fun to manage and switching on the fly, for both combat and platforming, was incredibly smooth. Each one has a secondary 'field' effect too, acting as powerups that open up the world little by little. This made the start of the game consistently exhilarating, as your suite of tools is increasing at a rapid pace. This has an unfortunate knock on effect with latter half, which feels largely stagnant and lacking in identity. You get generic Metroidvania abilities such as a double jump and air dash which, while game-changing, are a tad derivative. The final upgrade comes along far too soon and adds very little, being a context-sensitive action that changes nothing about your core moveset.
Everything here works, but the pacing is so strange. You barrel through the game, partially due to how close important events are and how much easier the game is than its predecessor. While that game wasn't exactly brutal, Blasphemous II was a breeze in comparison. Bosses were inventive but since many attacks posed little threat, I didn't feel as if the more unique designs were able to shine.
On top of everything above, there were tons of little things that bugged me. The one example I like to use is how you often end up inside enemies after parrying their attacks, meaning you take damage after the riposte. It'd a mild annoyance, but on top of the many (admittedly tiny) bugs I ran into also, it demonstrated to me a lack of polish. I'm aware the original didn't launch in an entirely favourable state either, but I played after all the updates and had very few issues. Overall, I did really enjoy my time in Blasphemous II, but it lacks much of an identity that will no doubt make it an experience I'm unlikely to look back on often.