Blasphemous Torrent is an action game developed by The Game Kitchen and published by Team17. Drenched in creepy style, Blasphemous leaves a great first impression. Its detailed combat animations, a strong commitment to twisted religious images, and an unpretentious hero who regularly slams vials of blood against his metal helmet with a caproate style are unquestionably impressive. However, style doesn’t always result in substance. As another Metroidvania with a Dark Souls twist, Blasphemous is a fun journey into a harsh world partially spoiled by some awkward mechanics and boredom.
With a title like Blasphemous, it’s no surprise that everything is marked with harsh religious images. Disturbing cathedrals, screaming nuns, rosary beads, and thorns — Blasphemous uses Christianity as its foundation for a world covered in chaos. Your silent hero is assigned the task of reaching the Cradle of Affliction, a penance that takes him to the Mother of Mothers. If all that sounds strangely mysterious, that’s because Blasphemous Torrent Magnet thrives on being puzzling. The writing tends to be a bit fancy, a series of riddle-like instructions given by a character named Deogracias, the observer of the Grievous Miracle.
Each area on the extensive map has a mostly unique group of foes wandering the halls. There are some duplicates and reskins, but generally, the enemies at least look different. The snow-covered mountains have ghouls that pop up beneath the icy surface and wall sculptures that reach out to swipe at you with their hands. The library showcases floating heads and worn-out men tossing weighty tomes your way. The convent accommodates various villains wearing religious clothing, including one who swings an elaborate metal container.
Combat is mostly a responsive experience, often turning into an engaging but automated game of pursuit and evasion as you rush in, land a few blows with your reliable long sword, and then either parry or dodge incoming attacks. Parries are especially satisfying, leading to a brief slowdown in time and a devastating counterattack – though the window to successfully parry feels a bit too forgiving, taking away some of the satisfaction.
Finisher opportunities arise (seemingly randomly) from time to time too, resulting in elaborate, brutal animations in which the Penitent One uses either his sword or an enemy’s weapon to perform an over-the-top execution.
A spooky and unsettling action-platformer, Blasphemous Torrent has a creepy atmosphere, beautiful pixel art, and detailed animations that always impress. The combat can be satisfying, but relies too much on memorization, making retracing steps through its non-linear world eventually become dull. While the visual variety at least keeps things looking fresh, unnecessary and poorly implemented upgrade mechanics prevent Blasphemous from having the depth seen in many other games in the genre. It’s still a fun Metroidvania, just not a very memorable one.
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Blasphemous Torrent System Requirements
- OS: Windows 7/8/10/11 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core2 Duo E8400
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 260
- Storage: 4 GB available space
