One of my favorite games of 2023 was the excellent sequel to an already wonderful metroidvania from The Game Kitchen studio. Blasphemous 2 It has excellent gameplay, perfect art, a mysterious story, great soundtrack and that is why I say that the DLC My fault “more of the same” is not an insult, it is a great compliment.
This downloadable content adds two new areas to the game, but the mission that will lead us to recover the iconic weapon from the first game has us chasing a mud woman named Hilaria throughout the map, taking us to discover new rooms, enemies and challenges in areas already known.
Among the new enemies we also find a new type of objects that will dominate all the scenarios we encounter: amphorae that—when hit—will make certain platforms appear and disappear. This will force us to perfect the art of punching in the air before performing a double jump or aerial boost. We can also find a new hidden ability, the broken step. This will allow us to walk on new platforms that otherwise break as soon as we set foot on them. Lastly, there is a new type of thorns that can only be pierced using one of the Mea Culpa sword’s special moves. In combination, these three new elements create excellent jumping challenges that require a good level of skill from players.
The first of the two new DLC zones Blasphemous 2 is called icy rest and takes us to a field of snow that hides an abandoned convent. The second is a new area between the towers called Eternal vigil. The truth is that I was a little disappointed with these scenarios. Their playable design is excellent, but visually they are not so striking. With the exception of specific rooms like the one where we fought a giant nun, they are too similar to other areas we already knew. The music that accompanies them is excellent – as can be expected from the great composer Carlos Viola – but I didn’t find it as striking as that of the base game.
I al so feel like it relies too much on the new rooms and connections added to areas like Bramble Choir and Low Tide Daedalus. Although the design of these expansions is very good and creates new shortcuts on the map, having to go through places that are so visually familiar to access the best parts of the new content is not so pleasant.
All for an old sword
Until now I have been very hard on My faultbut the truth is that these problems take a backseat because is DLC by Blasphemous 2 gives us more Blasphemous 2 and that’s great. The combat is still excellent, the enemies are more varied, and there are many more secrets to discover.
The two new bosses are also very good. The first is a giant nun that is visually striking and requires us to move with great precision. The other is a very strong and fast warrior that we must face a couple of times. It is not so striking in its design, but it will make us suffer if we want to defeat it. Fortunately it is not as difficult as Eviterno.
But the highlight of the DLC is the return of the Mea Culpa sword. Its special moves are very similar to Prayer of Dawn, but with excellent additions such as a projectile, the ability to pass through thorns, and a powerful ‘activation’.
Mea Culpa also gives us the possibility of getting the third ending of the game. This and the mysteries hidden behind Brother Asterion give fans enough material to analyze the lore of this saga to keep them busy for a long time.
Is the Mea Culpa DLC worth it? Blasphemous 2?
Although I really enjoyed the new content—especially the platforming challenges and the fights against the two new bosses—the truth is that this DLC left me wanting more. The new areas are not so special and the Mea Culpa is mechanically very similar to another weapon we already had. I also feel that it is not very well implemented with the development of the base game and can “interrupt” the story of the confrontation against the Brotherhood.
But if you are completists or simply want “more Blasphemous 2«You should buy this one without a doubt. It may be more of the same, but it’s more of a very good thing. It is also an excellent excuse to accompany the penitent for another three or four hours.
This review is made using a digital copy of the Blasphemous 2 ‘Mea culpa’ DLC for PC via Steam provided by Team17. This game will also be available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X|S and Nintendo Switch starting October 31, 2024.
