Blasphemous

Excellent game, but it's silly seeing people calling it a Metroidvania when there's so little mandatory ability gating (none for the base ending). Even Enrique Cabeza has said it isn't one.

Returning to this after many years and disliking it initially. Man was I wrong, this is great

i love the pixel art so much but I've attempted to play it twice and I can't get into it. i think its cause the movement and combat feels so limiting in the worst ways. is the second game better? should I pick that one up?

man i just really wish i likes this, probably the game i feel this way the strongest

but it just feels so directionless, it's a subpar metroidvania and a subpar soulslike. at least the artstyle is gorgeous, to the point it almost tricks me into liking this game.

feels like a straight plagiarism of dark souls, which can probably be said about 90% of skill-based games nowadays, but its not just in gameplay here. the dialogue, setting, and themes feel just like it too

I'm early on in the game, so thats just off of first impression, but yeah

Just finished it, loved it. The atmosphere and art direction are top notch, and it's the first soulslike I've ever played where it felt like the story and lore were truly central to the game, and not just an excuse (even if a very good one) for gameplay. The way the game handles sin, religion, authority, it's fantastic. And while there are some obvious similarities to Dark Souls, it quickly becomes clear that Blasphemous is its own beast, in the same way that early Pink Floyd and Animal Collective are both psychedelia, but you wouldn't accuse the latter of plagiarism.