While there are some quirks lost in translation, the remake of Link's Awakening is a perfectly fine way to experience the original. The streamlined item management and seamless overworld go a long way to make this a more brisk experience - which could be worse depending on who you ask! Its remade visuals may not be for everyone, but I think they fit the surreal vibe of the game quite nicely, even if I think they could have went weirder with them. By far this game's biggest flaw is the shaky framerate and constantly flickering lighting.

Perhaps for me, who has beaten Link's Awakening DX multiple times, it was an experience that, at times, made me homesick. And I think many people who have played this game first, would feel the same way if they jumped ship to the Gameboy original.

Blasphemous is a gorgeous game. Its interconnected world is conveyed wonderfully. The abstract, isometric fast-travel map can be effortlessly read after uncovering most of the major areas - which really speaks to how well Blasphemous acquaints you with its many landmarks through engaging gameplay. Many areas are designed in such a way where you’re introduced to a few new elements, and those elements are iterated upon in later screens - usually incorporating some other elements and enemies from earlier areas, which can interact with the new stuff in cool ways. The shockwaves of a certain enemy causes you to fall from the wooden boards you stick your sword into; scythes swing as a grotesque beast and army of golden dolls slowly chip away at you - there’s a very excellent “complexity-curve” in most areas. Combat in general is woven through these areas in such a great way - at first my expectations made me play this game as though it was Hollow Knight, but I later realized how to properly fight enemies, and its environments became increasingly complex tests of awareness, planning, and timing - with the later screens of each area being excellent tests of what you’ve learned. It’s also impressive how each new area ramps up the challenge, each foreign setting feels like a war of attrition until the very end, and once you’ve thrown down some ladders of opened up some shortcuts in the area, they become easier to trek through - rewarding!!! The fantastic design of many of these areas are often lost on me whenever I have to make multiple treks through them, however.

There’s virtually zero things that change about your movement, and if you’re inclined to trek through some of these areas upwards of three times, it really wears on you. And you will be inclined - lots of interesting-looking areas and crevices are blocked off by some arbitrary requirement and it sucked being gated from them for so long. Blasphemous’ metroidvania structure often works to its detriment in this regard. I think if it were to lean into a more linear, challenge-based design, where its side-content is less upgrade-reliant, or the upgrades required for side-content were less obtuse to find, it’d be all the better for it. In my playthrough, I spent several hours combing the map to find a single upgrade that allowed me to explore more. Its lack of direction makes mentally mapping the world a rewarding experience, but lot of its side-content is highly frustrating to seek out. I don’t think this is a necessary concession to make - I think there could have been a better middle-ground. Instead, around the halfway point, these problems rear their head as the map balloons in size, certain unreachable areas from hours ago continue to taunt you knowing you’ve missed something crucial. My ideal Blasphemous “level” is structured similarly to its own Graveyard of the Peaks, Jondo, or Mourning and Havoc, linear affairs that test your awareness and combat. I just wish it was easier to figure things out on my own. I was still in awe from Blasphemous’ surprising second half, even if its increased breadth detracted just a bit from what I enjoyed so much from the earlier hours.

Part of why I enjoyed this second-half so much, and part of why I like this game in the first place, is its setting. So many locations and characters are LITERALLY stunning, I mean like, stunning, I had to stop and just look at them. Grotesque and painful imagery; gory and impactful animations; and some ginormous, colourful setpieces - all make Blasphemous stand out. Many areas are as emotionally potent as they are mechanically. The game is not at all afraid to show you an interesting character or vista or mechanic and then move on without ever bringing them back, a decision I love. Although boss fights lean the most into this kind of emotional, gross imagery, they suffer in my mind from often being large. Too often does a fight in this game feel unlike a fight, and more like a bullet-hell minigame, which works for other games and their tones, but not here I think. Though, these boss fights are absolutely not bad, some are among my favourite fights in the game, I just tend to prefer the more duel-like fights, of which there are still plenty. Plenty of fights are a great test of skill as well, I love fights that feel like fights.

Guilt-ridden imagery twists around every part of Blasphemous. While I’d be a fool to try and explain the nuances of these themes, there’s plenty of opportunity to dive into its greater lore through some item descriptions, which I found cumbersome to read as I kept acquiring more over time, but occasional looking at the descriptions of my more personal mementos gave me some wonder. It also provides a lot of interesting mythology, each area of the early game does a good job of setting expectations for the end-of-area boss fight. Blasphemous has a really consistent theme of “guilt,” which weaves itself through each major arc of the narrative. Its story is not easily understood, but its easily felt, if that makes sense.

Overall, Blasphemous is a game I’m amazed more than I’m frustrated with, and while I think I see clear area for improvement, I’m glad to have finally seen it through its entirety.