Blasphemous (video game)

Creative director Enrique Cabeza has cited the religious art and iconography of Seville, Spain as a major influence on Blasphemous' story and design.[3] Cabeza has also pointed to Spanish painters such as Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Francisco Goya, Jusepe de Ribera, Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán, particularly noting significant inspiration from Goya's A Procession of Flagellants.[3]

A foul curse has fallen upon the land of Cvstodia and all its inhabitants – it is known simply as "The Miracle".[4] The game is set in a land of religion and superstition, with multiple influences from Christianity.

The protagonist of the game is The Penitent One – a sole survivor of the massacre of the "Silent Sorrow". He wears a mask and helmet that consists of a crown of thorns and a capirote. The Penitent One wields a sword that has simple slashing attacks, and can also dodge and parry attacks. Certain special abilities can be acquired throughout the game that aid the player in navigating the map in addition to fighting enemies. While the player has a short healthbar, recovery items are available in the form of "Biliary Flasks", which can be refilled when the player visits certain checkpoints in the game. Progress is also saved, with the player reviving at these checkpoints when their healthbar is emptied. When visiting these checkpoints, the player's health is completely refilled, but all enemies previously slain, excluding bosses, will repopulate in the game.

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic NS: 76/100[5] PC: 77/100[6] PS4: 78/100[7] XONE: 82/100[8] Review scores Publication Score 4Players 82%[9] Destructoid NS: 8/10[10] GameSpot PC: 7/10[11] Hardcore Gamer XONE: 4/5[12] IGN NS: 7/10[13] Jeuxvideo.com 16/20[14] Nintendo Life NS: [15] Nintendo World Report NS: 5/10[16] PC Games 9/10[17] VideoGamer.com PS4: 7/10[18]

Blasphemous received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[5][6][7][8]

The game won the awards for "Best Spanish Development" and "Indie Game of the Year" at the 2019 Titanium Awards, where it was also nominated for "Best Art".[19][20]