Blasphemous, developer The Game Kitchen’s excellent 2D take on the Souls-like Metroidvania formula, is getting a sizeable chunk of free DLC on 4th August, introducing the likes of a New Game Plus mode, new story content, and more.
Blasphemous, which released last September, follows the tribulations of a pointy hatted fellow with a barbed-wire sword known as The Penitent One. His journey leads players across the accursed kingdom of Cvstodia, a desolate, but also lavishly presented – Blasphemous’ art is frequently stunning – world of dark religious iconography, monsters, and encroaching madness.
It’s all very Dark Souls in both tone and basic mechanics – expect the equivalent of rejuvenatory, world-resetting rest points and the like – but it features some wonderfully satisfying combat and exploration as players slowly unlock new areas of the labyrinthine kingdom, as well as some unforgettable imagery, and some genuinely intriguing lore.
Blasphemous: The Stir of Dawn | Free DLC Trailer! Watch on YouTube
Blasphemous might not do anything particularly revelatory, but I had a grand old time with it last year, so a whole bunch of free is entirely alright by me. And according to publisher Team 17’s DLC announcement post, there’s plenty to look forward to in the game’s imminent update – which is titled Stir of Dawn – even if more granular details are still to come.