Blasphemous: Stir of Dawn brings a host of unholy content – for free!

Remember the brilliance of Blasphemous? Well, Team17 and The Game Kitchen are back and pushing out a whole host of new unholy content to the game. And the best thing about it? It’s all free.

Blasphemous released back in September 2019 on Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC to rave reviews. In fact, our very own words told of a strange and engaging world, deeply satisfying gameplay and fantastic enemies and bosses. And those elements came together to ensure it took home a rather nifty 4/5 review score. 

Things are looking like moving on past that though as the Stir of Dawn update brings about a New Game+ mode, a fresh new storyline and Three Penitences to the action platformer. And yes, all of that comes about for free.

Available right now on all formats, Blasphemous: Stir of Dawn brings about an introduction of New Torment, unlocking a new story branch that sees players journey to defeat the five Amanecidas, since Laudes – an ancient creation of the Miracle – has been awoken to challenge The Penitent One. You should however also expect to find new items and executions to utilise, fresh areas to battle through, a new map system, updated voiceovers (including that of full Spanish VO), and other significant tweaks to the gameplay.

Further still though, those embarking on the New Torment mode can choose from one of Three Penitences, each of which drastically change the gameplay experience:

• Unwavering Faith is aimed at players who want to use magic, featuring regenerating fervour to execute special moves – which is lost when hit – and sword damage being slashed in half;
• Bleeding Heart introduces a more classic gaming experience, featuring a set of stocks instead of a lifebar (to which everything deals one stock of damage), with enemies also respawning when entering rooms;
• True Guilt is a Penitence that sees players lose maximum fervour when they die, at which point Tears of Atonement – the in-game ‘currency’ – are placed in a fragment. If another death is encountered before the fragment is retrieved, those Tears are lost for good. On top of all this flasks cannot be used to recover; instead they grant The Penitent One fervour.

Sold? You will be once you check out the main Blasphemous: Stir of Dawn features:

• Experience a new level of torment: Those who have completed the main campaign can take on a higher level of difficulty as part of the ‘New Game+’ New Torment mode, which also includes the brand new story content that all players are receiving
• Greater variety of gameplay options: Three different playstyles are available in New Torment through the all-new Penitence system, which offers tantalising rewards for those that can handle the handicaps that come with them
• Overcome new challenging bosses: Go forth on a journey to defeat the five Amanecidas, encountering new characters including Jibrael and Nacimiento along the way
• Be more brutal: The counterattack mechanic has been improved and seven new executions have been added, keeping combat impactful
• A more balanced Blasphemous: Enemies have been adjusted, new animations added, and players can now even pet the dog
• Get around Cvstodia in new ways: Travel is made easier for The Penitent One with further additions like a new map system and more warp points.

You can grab the base game of Blasphemous from your favourite digital store right now. Once you’ve got it in place, the new goodies from the Stir of Dawn free update will automagically become yours.