Based on how little discussion there is around Blasphemous 2 since its reveal, it is clear that The Game Kitchen’s dark fantasy Metroidvania is on a lower rung in terms of discoverability and fame. Blasphemous is 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, because Soulslikes and Metroidvanias are still having their heyday, the market has been oversaturated with them.
Blasphemous 2 could 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. Because Hollow Knight: Silksong is still inching further from fans’ hopes and dreams, Blasphemous 2 was poised to be a perfect balm for them in late summer. It may be deeply ironic and disappointing to hear, then, that Blasphemous 2’s official release date lands it a single day before the launch of FromSoftware’s Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.
Blasphemous 2 is Going Head-to-Head with Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is not a Soulslike and can therefore deliver gameplay that fans may find refreshing to see from FromSoftware. Blasphemous 2 is 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 experience Armored Core 6 and 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 Ring surely guaranteed that the developer’s quality and creativity are unmatched, and Armored Core could 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 2 could be absolutely sensational as a sequel that improves upon its predecessor greatly, but if Armored Core 6 is met with the same anticipation as Elden Ring it might be difficult for Blasphemous to 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 Fallen has the potential to be eclipsed by Alan Wake 2, for example, while Alan Wake 2 has the potential to be eclipsed by Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Blasphemous 2 needs to match the standards of Elden Ring or its 2D Metroidvania counterparts, and if it fails to do so it is possible that the end of summer leading into Starfield’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 2 launches on August 24, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.