Based on how little discussion there is aroundBlasphemous 2since its reveal, it is clear that The Game Kitchen’s dark fantasy Metroidvania is on a lower rung in terms of discoverability and fame.Blasphemousis certainly known by the Metroidvania fandom that is also married to the Soulslike fandom, shaping it into an action-platformer with FromSoftware’s inspired take on world-building and environmental storytelling. However, becauseSoulslikes and Metroidvaniasare still having their heyday, the market has been oversaturated with them.
Blasphemous 2could potentially fall victim to how muddy the discourse around its subgenres is in gaming’s current cultural climate, and its release date was perhaps the last opportunity it had to separate itself distinguishably and give it time to breathe. BecauseHollow Knight: Silksongis still inching further from fans’ hopes and dreams,Blasphemous 2was poised to be a perfect balm for them in late summer. It may be deeply ironic and disappointing to hear, then, thatBlasphemous 2’s official release date lands it a single day before the launch ofFromSoftware’sArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.
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Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubiconis not a Soulslikeand can therefore deliver gameplay that fans may find refreshing to see from FromSoftware.Blasphemous 2is not competing against it in that sense, but rather in the sense that it is almost assuredly going to be eclipsed by FromSoftware itself and its next big release.
If anything, fans might be more curious than ever to experienceArmored Core 6and see what FromSoftware has been able to achieve with it. FromSoftware is the developer who conceived the premise and formula of Soulslikes after all, and that has earned its goodwill that may be reflected in every game release it has from now on.
Elden Ringsurely guaranteed that the developer’s quality and creativity are unmatched, andArmored Corecould now be representative of features and concepts that make it a franchise worthy of fans’ attention moving forward. Either way, The Game Kitchen now has to endure an unenviable launch window that puts it nearly toe-to-toe with FromSoftware.Blasphemous 2could be absolutely sensational as a sequel that improves upon its predecessor greatly, but ifArmored Core 6is met with the same anticipation asElden Ringit might be difficult forBlasphemousto earn its own glory.
The end of 2023 is now packed with a ton of anticipated game releases, and it’s likely a struggle for most fans to wade through them in an attempt to make time for each.Lords of the Fallenhas the potential to be eclipsed byAlan Wake 2, for example, whileAlan Wake 2has the potential to be eclipsed byMarvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Blasphemous 2needs to match the standards ofElden Ringor its 2D Metroidvania counterparts, and if it fails to do so it is possible that the end of summer leading intoStarfield’s release in early fall could smother it and sweep it under a rug. This would be disappointing, though, since it looks like an incredibly promising sequel.
Otherwise, its fanbase could help uplift it regardless of its poorly timed release and help to support it as a wonderful Metroidvania if it is able to meet that quality. Nonetheless, fans have a packed end of August and the fall will be comparably backed up with exciting games, meaning that backlogs may be replenished and give fans something to play before or after each game drops anyhow.
Blasphemous 2launches on July 27, 2025, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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