WhileBlasphemous 2 was one of my favorite Metroidvanias of 2023, I’ll admit, it was a bit daunting to return to its sprawling map after over a year of not playing it. Much like the original game, theMea CulpaDLC provides no hand-holding for the player as far as where to go, how to begin, and whether or not the newly unexplored areas of the map were actually new areas or spots I happened to miss during my first playthrough. The first hour ofMea Culpahad me scratching my head, wondering if I mistakenly forgot to activate the DLC, until finally stumbling into one of its two new biomes. Though, the feeling of relief would only last so long until I’d find myself lost again.
This was, essentially, the predominant pattern throughout the 5-8 hours spent playing the new DLC.Mea Culpaintroduces two new biomes and an assortment of new enemies who populate them, two new bosses, and the return of the Penitent One’s original weapon – the Mea Culpa.
Forgiveness and Stuff
Blasphemous 2’s cryptic plot remains the driving force of its mysterious world, and, as I mentioned in my original review, it wasn’t any clearer while playingMea Culpa. Something, something, the Miracle, something, something, hey, that guy’s sword has a body inside it. As much as I adore the atmosphere of Cvstodia, I gave up trying to decipher the meaning behind it all. That’s totally on me, though – I should have paid more attention. Those enveloped in the Penitent One’s story, however, can look forward to an alternate ending after finishingMea Culpa.
The DLC and the freeTrue Tormentupdate that launched alongside it tasked me with scouring through their new areas and backtracking through older ones in search of Mud People who, after speaking with them, would give me Mud Keys that would dissolve upon use. The obvious signs of progression-gated obstacles typical in any Metroivania were there – like impenetrable thorns that blocked passageways and glass platforms that would instantly shatter by the touch.
The former, solved by obtaining the Mea Culpa, provided a new way to sprinkle in more platforming challenges into an already platforming-dense game. The latter, however, seemed more like an excuse to introduce a problem that didn’t need to exist. Outside of a couple of areas, the Broken Step ability felt utterly forgettable and nothing more than a glorified lock and key. Neither newly-added abilities were as present as I’d prefer them to be, however, as the underwhelming final boss ofMea Culpanever forced me to utilize them in any way. However, I can’t deny that wielding the Mea Culpa once again was a treat, even if it ultimately felt like an extended Ruega al Alba.
Mea Culpaadds a decent chunk of what made me love my original playthrough of Blasphemous 2—its gorgeous, artistic atmosphere, nine haunting new tracks to its soundtrack, more platforming puzzles, and even more visceral combat. While I may not have enjoyed the DLC’s final boss as much as it wanted me to, the continuous gauntlets of enemies kept me on my toes and satiated my lust for its meaty combat.
While Ithink all Blasphemous 2 fans should own theMea CulpaDLC, I can’t shake the feeling that it might have served betteras an addition to the freeTrue Tormentupdate. Conversely, maybe thefree update’s contents would have justifiedMea Culpa’spricehad they been packaged with it instead. Who knows, I just play video games. Either way, I’m happy for any excuse to dawn the Penitent One’s pointy helm and jump back into the world of Cvstodia.
Matt Vatankhah
Matt’s writing career began when he joined Prima Games in 2022. As Managing Editor, he tries to make sure everything you read looks as pretty as possible. He’s had a passion for video games all of his life and really loves Final Fantasy, retro FPS, roguelikes, and metroidvanias. He will absolutely stomp you in Tetris.
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