Spanish studio The Game Kitchen's 2019 Metroidvania releaseBlasphemous is a 2D Soulslike action-platformer that gained instant renown for its stunning pixel art and heavy metal aesthetic. The blood-drenched world of Cvslodia is filled with fascinating creature designs, many of which draw from pseudo-Roman Catholic iconography. Players assume the role of a silent warrior known only as The Penitent One, who embarks on a pilgrimage searching for a sacred relic called the Cradle of Affliction.
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Throughout their journey, players will collect items that strengthen The Penitent One's abilities, including prayers, relics, rosary beads, and hearts for the sword Mea Culpa. However, they will also collect experience which is then used to unlock and upgrade abilities at Mea Culpa Shrines. Some of these abilities are only useful in certain cases, while others are indispensable in conquering the perils of Cvslodia.
7 Wrath Of The Twisted One (Cost: 15,000)
The Penitent One's equivalent of a charged attack, this ability is activated by holding the attack button until the Mea Culpa flashes with light, at which point the sword is fully powered up. The resulting swing also releases a wave in front of the player that damages anything in its path.
While Wrath of the Twisted One can take a good bite out of a boss' health bar, and the added range can help with clearing crowds, the long windup required to get the attack off leaves the player wide open to taking a lot of damage, making it too risk-heavy to be regularly useful in most situations.
Wrath Of The Twisted One is the fully upgraded form of:
- Sinful Wrath (Cost: 500)
- Holy Wrath (Cost: 8,000)
6 Azure Cyclone (Cost: 11,000)
A combo finisher activated by pressing Down+Attack following a 3-hit combo, Azure Cyclone is a spinning attack that damages enemies on all sides of The Penitent One. Given that Blasphemous is a 2D game, that only covers behind and in front of the player.
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On the rare occasion that an enemy ends up behind the player following their combo, Azure Cyclone can come in handy. There are nonetheless more versatile combo finishers at the player's disposal, making this ability a lower priority to unlock.
5 Ascending Edge (Cost: 7,000)
One of those more versatile combo finishers is Ascending Edge, performed by pressing Up+Attack following a 3-hit combo. This finisher launches The Penitent One up through the air, damaging any enemies gathered above the player.
There are several flying creatures located throughout Cvslodia, and oftentimes they will appear in tandem with melee enemies, resulting in the player facing attacks from multiple directions. Ascending Edge can level the playing field against these types of encounters if timed correctly, allowing the player to dispatch enemies in front and above with a single combo.
4 Bleeding Miracle (Cost: 20,000)
The only exclusively ranged attack at The Penitent One's disposal, Bleeding Miracle consumes Fervor (a resource also used to cast prayers) and releases a projectile that causes an explosion at the furthest point of its trajectory. While its use in combat can be finicky, Bleeding Miracle is crucial to freeing Children of Moonlight, the name for a group of cherubs trapped in glass cages who can be found throughout Cvslodia.
Breaking the Children of Moonlight out of their captivity progresses the side quest of Jocinero, an NPC who players will encounter about midway through their journey. Rescuing 20 of the 38 Children rewards the player with a relic called the Linen of Gold Thread, which is essential for anyone attempting to reach 100% completion.
Bleeding Miracle is the fully upgraded form of:
- Fervorous Blood (Cost: 2,000)
- Sacred Blood (Cost: 7,000)
3 Consecration (Cost: 13,000)
A classic plunging attack, Consecration puts its own spin on the idea by activating a column of damaging light in the area where The Penitent One lands.
Many of the locations in Blasphemous are designed with some element of verticality involved, making this ability useful in a variety of situations, including a few boss fights. It also does a ton of damage and can one-shot a number of enemies that players will face, particularly in the first few areas of the game. This makes it especially valuable when initially engaging enemies, allowing players to drop in from above and clear out a few creatures before they have a chance to retaliate.
Consecration is the fully upgraded form of:
- Weight of Sin (Cost: 500)
- Weight of Justice (Cost: 2,700)
2 Last Words (Cost: 2,000)
The combo finisher that players will end up using most often, Last Words adds a more damaging fourth attack to the end of The Penitent One's standard 3-hit combo. All it requires is pressing the attack button a fourth time, making it the easiest of the combo finishers to execute, and the added damage is self-explanatory in its value.
Unlocking this ability early will only help players on their long journey, and extending the attack animation with a fourth swing makes a huge difference when facing bosses who only have a short window in which they take damage.
1 Sacred Onslaught (Cost: 9,000)
Blasphemous' dash attack is without a doubt the game's most dangerous ability. Pressing attack at the end of a dodge causes The Penitent One to lunge forward, increasing the range of both their attack and their dodge.
The added invincibility frames can be a lifesaver in almost any fight, and the attack's range can cover one side of the screen to the other. Add to that the wave which emits from the Mea Culpa and damages any enemies above or below the attack, and there are very few creatures in the game capable of avoiding a hit from Sacred Onslaught. The only downside is that, if used carelessly, the attack can carry the player right off the edge of a platform, but it's a small price to pay for the numerous advantages it provides.
Sacred Onslaught is the fully upgraded form of:
- Sacred Thrust (Cost: 1,500)
- Sacred Lunge (Cost: 2,300)