Blasphemous 2’s Biggest Change Can’t Be Walked Back Now

Highlights

• Blasphemous 2 excels in its portrayal of dark fantasy Catholicism, offering a rich tapestry of lore.
• The game introduces new starting weapon options, each with its own unique combat style and environmental interactions.
• The inclusion of player choice in weapon selection adds exciting RPG mechanics and potential for diverse builds in future installments.

Blasphemous 2 may not have had the seismic impact that Elden Ring did lately, but expecting as much from a direct sequel to an indie game was always going to lead to disappointment. Instead, the only viable comparison would be to its predecessor, the original Blasphemous, in seeing how well the sequel iterated on what had come before it. Blasphemous 2’s dark fantasy Catholicism is still a high point and excels in illustrating a rich tapestry of lore, and yet the sequel’s gameplay is where it features some monumental changes—one of which The Game Kitchen might feel obligated to double down on in a Blasphemous 3.

The Penitent One’s Mea Culpa is Superb as Blasphemous’ Main Weapon

Blasphemous only having a default, upgradeable sword isn’t that big of an oddity. Many games of a similar ilk have left their protagonist avatars with a default weapon that could be iconic in its own right and, when as aesthetically and narratively neat as the effigial and barbed Mea Culpa, that can be a huge boon.

Of course,

Blasphemous
allows the Penitent One to cast prayers
as well—some of which are considerably overpowered against bosses who spam projectiles—but the Mea Culpa remains a fantastic sword that never gives players a reason to want it swapped out for something else throughout the game.

In this way, Blasphemous shares common ground with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice as Wolf relies on his default katana. That said, Blasphemous 2 was right to expand its armament options and lean more heavily into the RPG elements that its FromSoftware inspirations are largely known for. That includes a wider range of weapons players can equip that is not only diverse in combat but also serves to make Blasphemous 2’s environmental puzzles and platforming more dynamic.

Blasphemous 2’s Starting Weapon Choice is Too Good to Not Return

Blasphemous 2’s Ruego Al Alba, Veredicto, and Sarmiento and Centella Offer a Wealth of Gameplay Options

Blasphemous 2
abandons the Mea Culpa for narrative reasons and instead gives players the choice between one of three starting weapons as the sequel begins:
Ruego Al Alba, Veredicto, and Sarmiento and Centella
as a sword, flail, and daggers option, respectively.

The former is a standard sword that is most comparable to the Mea Culpa and is a great starting choice for its familiarity; the second, the game’s most unique weapon, is a heavy flail that dishes out tons of damage at mid-range and is perfect for players who enjoy strength builds and ‘bonking’ enemies; and the latter is a pair of daggers that implement a speedy ferocity. Each is also crucial in platforming with its own way of interacting with the environment, and players will eventually need to retrieve the other two weapons that they didn’t choose in the beginning.

Therefore, while one can be used primarily in combat based on player preference, all three are required to progress. Blasphemous 3 wouldn’t necessarily need to double the number of weapons available, though this choice goes a long way in helping players decide what kind of build they’d like to start with.

More builds in a third Blasphemous would only be a cherry on top now and hopefully The Game Kitchen will have creative weapon types cooked up in its back pocket for future installments. Going back to a singular default weapon might not be wholly egregious, and yet Blasphemous 2’s light experimentation with player choice could be the debut of some truly exciting RPG mechanics, especially when it comes to giving the Penitent One a certain build or traversal option.