Blasphemous II

IGN

Travis Northup·Aug 17, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Blasphemous 2 is an orthodox Metroidvania with style, creepy bosses, and a gloriously gross return to Cvstodia.

GameSpot

Richard Wakeling·Aug 17, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

With robust combat, improved traversal, and a return to the series' surreal art style and fascinating world-building, Blasphemous 2 is a triumphant sequel.

Polygon

Paulo Kawanishi·Aug 17, 2023

Critic—

Agreement—

In the end, Blasphemous 2 is a strong union of narrative and function. Its gloomy world is full of nooks and crannies to explore, and its inhabitants have compelling stories to tell. Its boss fights — arguably the biggest piece of twine — may be frayed, but the slick mechanics and biting themes more than make up for any weakness in the braid.

Game Informer

Brian Shea·Aug 17, 2023

Critic87.5/100

Agreement—

At several points in my lengthy journey through the Gothic delight that is Blasphemous 2, I worried the monstrous foe in front of me would spell an end to my journey. But without these frequent frustrations, the triumphs wouldn’t be as great. Blasphemous 2 takes inspiration from those that came before it, but by intertwining a gorgeous art style, enticing exploration, and rewarding combat, it rises above the horde of Castlevania-inspired action titles.

GamesRadar+

Joe Donnelly·Aug 17, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

"Easily the game's crowning features, Blasphemous 2's blockbuster boss showdowns are spectacular affairs, sometimes bizarre and always brutal."

Push Square

Simon Fitzgerald·Aug 17, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Blasphemous 2 takes the foundations of its well-received predecessor and builds upon it in all the right ways. Tweaking combat to make it faster, smoother, and more accurate, removing insta-death scenarios to make platforming more manageable, and packing the game full to the brim with secrets and collectibles. The great attention to detail in the presentation and high level of polish make Blasphemous 2 a delightfully memorable experience that players will look back on fondly for years to come.

Nintendo Life

PJ O'Reilly·Aug 17, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Blasphemous 2 sticks with the exquisitely dark and gory style of its predecessor whilst building on the core combat and improving upon the platforming we saw the first time around. The Game Kitchen could have served us up more of the same and we'd have been perfectly happy. However, they've made meaningful upgrades here, with deeper and more satisfying combat and three upgradable weapon sets that combine perfectly with environmental puzzling that feels more cohesive and fluid overall. The Penitent One's return to Cvstodia is an absolute banger.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Matt Cox·Aug 17, 2023

Critic—

Agreement—

A fittingly punishing mashup of Metroidvania and Dark Souls, with lovely animations of many not-so-lovely things. Just make sure you actively track down the Chalice woman, and other hidden quality of life boosters.