10 Best Dark Souls Games That AREN'T Dark Souls
2. Blasphemous
Blasphemous is a 2D Metroidvania.
The setting and story of Blasphemous is inspired by Catholic religious art and iconography, specifically from Seville, Spain. Francisco de Goya’s painting, A Procession of Flagellants, has been cited by the developers as a particular influence and even a quick glance at that picture will reveal the basis for many of Blasphemous’s character designs.
These influences prove fertile ground for the hideous cast of enemies you’ll face throughout the adventure; Blasphemous really does excel at weird and disturbing monster designs, best exemplified by the grotesque bosses you’ll face.
The game can also be astonishingly violent: once enemies are sufficiently weakened, they can be executed in wincingly brutal fashion reminiscent of a Mortal Kombat fatality.
Mechanically the game will be instantly familiar to any Dark Souls veteran: the game features an equivalent to Estus flasks for healing which must be carefully rationed if you’re to survive long enough to reach the next checkpoint. There is both a parry and dodge roll too. Instead of a gear and levelling system, character customisation is achieved through unlocking perks and equipping stat-boosting relics.
Overall, Blasphemous does an excellent job of creating a world as equally grim and hostile as FromSoftware’s games, but it manages to do it in a way that feels fresh and new.