Grisly metroidvania Blasphemous got a huge free update today
It's called Stir Of Dawn and has added New Game+ as well as loads of other goodies
New storylines, new bosses, new NPCs, New Game+, new areas and even a new dog you can pet are what await you today in Blasphemous, because the Stir Of Dawn DLC has arrived. The Game Kitchen's excellent gothic metroidvania has absolutely tons of new stuff to get your hands on today, and it's all part of a free update that's available to download right now.
Blasphemous' New Game+ has a few extra challenges for you to face, should you choose to accept them. For starters, NG+ is called True Torment Mode, and increases all enemy attack damage. You'll be able to do more damage to them in return, however, and you'll start this playthrough with all the helpful stuff you collected from your first fun, so you'll have a slight one-up on those baddies.
If you fancy pushing yourself even further, when you first go into NG+ you'll now have the option to take on a Penitence. There are three to choose from, each acting as modifiers for various abilities and attributes. The Penitence Of The Unwavering Faith, for example, will make your melee attacks half as effective, and will reduce your fervour stocks every time you take damage. However, it will make your fervour regenerate over time, so you'll need to adjust your play style to make the build work. There are even more modifiers on the other two Penitences, which you can check out for yourself right here.
On top of that, there are a bunch of new bosses and NPCs you'll meet on the Stir Of Dawn questline. You can see a few of them in your first playthrough, though it's worth noting that the Stir Of Dawn is a NG+ thing, so you'll have to complete the game once to meet most of these newbies.
This really is a massive update. Here's just a few more bullet points from publisher Team17's post to give you an idea of what else is in store:
- Updated voice acting, including a full Spanish language option
- New side quests and areas to discover
- New Executions & Counter/Charge attack execution activation mechanic
- Revamped map system with more fast travel locations
- New items, animations and level art reworks
- Balance changes including: Buffed Prayers, Rosary Bead & Sword Heart updates plus enemy tweaks
Oh, and before I forget the most important part - you can pet a dog in Blasphemous now!
The Stir Of Dawn DLC is out on Steam right now, and the devs say they "hope to have news on the release date for GOG soon". It's also available on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One though, if that's more your style.
List Goblin Brendan reckons Blasphemous has one of the most extravagant lines of dialogue in a game, and he thinks it's one of the best games like Dark Souls, too. Full of opinions, that guy.