Blasphemous 2 (NSP, XCI) ROM + v1.0.4 Update

Blasphemous 2 After being awakened in an unfamiliar land and forcibly removed from his resting place, The Penitent One is forced to endure an endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth. He must navigate this treacherous new world, uncover its ancient secrets, and face countless grotesque enemies and titanic bosses who seek to return him to the grave.

This game is a side-scrolling Metroidvania video game developed by The Game Kitchen and published by Team17. A sequel to Blasphemous (2019), the game was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S in August 2023 and for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2023.

The game received generally positive reviews upon release. This is the story of Blasphemous 2, which continues from the Wounds of Eventide update of the first game, where the Heart in the Sky prophesied the return of The Miracle and the birth of a new miracle child.

The journey through this eerie and gothic world is non-linear, with the player free to explore and discover at their own pace. Each turn presents new challenges, and survival depends on one’s skill and determination to succeed. Combat is savage and unrelenting, with The Penitent One using a variety of new weapons to unleash a variety of brutal and deadly attacks.

Customization is also key, allowing players to enhance their skills and weapons to better suit their playstyle. The game’s intense and grandiose boss battles will push players to their limits, testing their skills and determination. But with persistence and a bit of luck, victory is always within reach.

The world of Blasphemous 2 is deep and full of secrets, with a diverse cast of NPCs offering aid, requests, or challenging missions to obtain valuable items. Exploring and discovering the game’s many stories and myths will lead to a greater understanding of this strange new world. In the end, one thing is certain: The Penitent One’s penance never ends.

GAMEPLAY

Like its predecessor, Blasphemous 2 is a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania action-adventure game. Players assume control of the Penitent One, a silent knight who must embark on a new adventure in a new kingdom to prevent the rebirth of a curse named “The Miracle”. The story of the game is set after the “Wounds Of Eventide” update of the original game.

As with previous games in the series, the world in the game is filled with deadly traps, difficult platform sequences, hostile enemies, and boss characters, though players will also encounter other non-playable characters who will either offer aid to the player or send them on side quests.

The game introduces several new weapons, with each having its reach, speed, special abilities, and skill tree. The weapons in the game include the War Censer, which deals powerful but slow attacks, Rapier and Dagger, a dual-wielding weapon that deals rapid damage, and the Praying Blade, a versatile weapon that blends the strength of both weapons.

These weapons are also useful for traversal, aiding players in discovering new paths and solving puzzles. The abilities of the protagonist can also be customized. Players can equip up to five “rosary beads”, which provide passive bonuses to the player, and two active spells (known as prayers) in the game. Players can also collect statues that provide small bonuses by themselves, and more significant buffs when they are placed together in certain combinations.

SETTING AND CHARACTERS

Set many years after the Wounds of Eventide ended, worship for the Miracle had declined after the death of the High Wills and Escribar, and for a time, Cvstodia experienced an age without gods or the Miracle’s influence. However, pain and suffering remained in the world, and people eventually began praying for a greater power to relieve their suffering, allowing the Miracle to return. Eventually, the Miracle gathered enough power to create a massive heart in the sky to birth a new child.

To protect the heart, the Miracle resurrected its most loyal followers, the Archconfraternity led by the very first Penitent, Eviterno. Afterward, Crisanta attempted to put a stop to Miracle’s plans by slaying the child before it could be born, but she was thwarted and killed by Eviterno. Meanwhile, Deogracias took charge of the Penitent One’s coffin and guarded it until his death. The Miracle’s return also served to resurrect the Penitent One, forcing him to continue his penance.

SYNOPSIS

After resurrecting and obtaining a new weapon to replace the Mea Culpa, the Penitent One encounters an angelic woman named Anunciada, who instructs him to destroy the Miracle’s new child and prevent the Miracle from returning. To do this, the Penitent One must collect the Three Regrets, which will open a path for the Penitent One to reach the heart in the sky. With a new mission, the Penitent One proceeds to travel across Cvstodia again, collecting the Three Regrets as well as eliminating all of the members of the Archconfraternity. As the Penitent One collects the Three Regrets and uncovers more information, he eventually learns that the Miracle was able to return thanks to answering the prayers of a devout husband and wife, who fervently prayed for a child despite the wife being barren.

What resulted was a miraculous immaculate conception, but the birth instead created the disfigured Witness and released a plague that killed the wife and many others. However, the Miracle’s goals were achieved as the inhabitants of Cvstodia rediscovered its existence. The Penitent One also encounters the spirit of the Witness, who explains that his role is to observe and narrate the events of the story. Finally, the Penitent One manages to reach the top of the City of the Blessed Name, where he confronts and defeats Eviterno. However, he is too late to stop the child, the Incarnate Devotion, from being born. The Incarnate Devotion is initially confused about what its purpose is, but attacks the Penitent One, seeing it as a test. The Penitent One eventually defeats the Incarnate Devotion, leading to one of two endings:

• In the game’s default ending, the Incarnate Devotion realizes the pain it experienced battling the Penitent One was meant to be its baptism, and it merges with the mortally wounded Penitent One to complete its transformation, heralding the age of the Second Psalm and the return of the Miracle.
• If the player completes several optional boss fights and quests and obtains the Incense of the Envoys item, then the Incarnate Devotion realizes that the pain it experienced is the embodiment of Cvstodia’s rejection of the Miracle, and it voluntarily dies, ending the threat of the Miracle forever. Anunciada rewards the Penitent One by carrying his spirit to the afterlife, where his deceased companions are waiting for him, and the Witness concludes that the Penitent One’s penitence is complete.