The short version
Both games are pixel-art Metroidvanias soaked in Spanish Catholic body horror. The sequel, released in 2023, keeps the tone but rebuilds the things players found punishing for the wrong reasons.
- Blasphemous 1 (2019): one sword (the Mea Culpa), deliberate combat, insta-death spikes, and quests hidden behind obscure steps. Harsher, more opaque, shorter (~14 hours).
- Blasphemous 2 (2023): three weapons, double jump and air dash, spikes that no longer kill instantly, and a map that opens up more fairly. Longer main path (~16.5 hours) with sharper, more varied bosses.
What Blasphemous 2 adds
| Blasphemous 1 | Blasphemous 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Release | 2019 | 2023 (PS4/Xbox One Nov 2023) |
| Weapons | One — the Mea Culpa | Three: Veredicto (censer flail), Sarmiento & Centella (rapiers), Ruego al Alba (sword) |
| Movement | Jump, slide, thrust | Adds double jump, air dash, wall-cling |
| Weapon as key | No | Each weapon breaks/opens different paths (walls, mirrors, red barriers) |
| Build system | Sword Hearts (passive, costly) | Altarpiece of Favors (offence/utility figures, Resonances) |
| Spikes | Instant death | No longer instant death |
| Tone | Oppressive, mysterious | Same gore, slightly more readable story |
The three weapons are not just combat styles. Veredicto breaks stone walls, Sarmiento & Centella teleport through mirrors, and Ruego al Alba slashes red flesh barriers — so your weapon choice gates exploration, exactly like a Metroidvania ability.
Which one should you play
- Start with Blasphemous 2 if you want the modern experience: smoother controls, clearer progression, and bosses that reward pattern reading without pixel-perfect platforming traps.
- Play Blasphemous 1 first if you want the purest, most severe pilgrimage and care about the story order — the sequel picks up right after the Wounds of Eventide ending.
- Play both if you like the aesthetic; the first game’s liturgical lore and the sequel’s refined combat complement each other.
Most players new to the series are pointed at the sequel now, then circle back to the original for the fuller narrative context.
Related guides
- Blasphemous Endings — the three endings, including the Wounds of Eventide true ending that sets up the sequel.
- Beginner Guide — starting out in Cvstodia.
- Blasphemous vs Hollow Knight — how the series compares to the genre benchmark.