Game crossovers are nothing new, but they are super interesting affairs, allowing for fans of multiple games and genres to bear witness to some development magic. That’s exactly what is happening in Blasphemous, and as part of a new free update we see the integration of Miriam from Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
Blasphemous from Team17 and The Game Kitchen receives a free update on February 18th and the highlight of the new additions comes in the form of a crossover with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – a game which in itself has seen previous crossovers Kingdom: Two Crowns. It is here where we see 505 Games and Artplay’s gothic mix drop into the Blasphemous world, seeing Miriam seeking the help of The Pertinent One.
The new mission that unfolds comes about via the free ‘Strife and Ruin’ update, and this in itself will roll out to Blasphemous players on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC on Feb 18th.
Tasked with helping Miriam return to her world, through the Strife and Ruin update players must complete a series of platforming challenges and collect shards to repair her portal home. The world is however filled with traps that force the player to hone their precision platforming abilities. Pass the test and you’ll be able to help Miriam return to her world and have a super special reward bestowed upon them.
That’s not all though and Strife and Ruin also introduces Boss Rush Mode, which becomes available after completing the main storyline. As you would expect, this ramps up the challenge to new heights, featuring courses containing a selection of bosses that players take on using any of their save files. Each run is assigned a score – based on a variety of factors – with medals available for the toughest of Penitents.
If that all sounds good, then you’re going to love the next inclusion. A Demake Area has also been added that pays homage to classic 8-bit platformers. Providing a linear experience and played inside an arcade cabinet that is hidden in a secret location on Cvstodia, this provides Blasphemous with reimagined visuals to match the retro style. Core mechanics will change to suit the classic style as well, seeing The Penitent One striving to gather five golden skulls and attempting to defeat a new boss to reap the rewards. And then in continuing this new retro theme, The Game Kitchen has also included several new render modes, emulating older TV effects that can be applied throughout the entire standard game.
Honestly, if you haven’t yet played Blasphemous on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC yet then the arrival of the new free Strife and Ruin update, the time seems perfect. You can grab the base game from the usual digital stores – the Xbox Store being our favourite – right now.
Let us know if you’ll be dropping in to the madness. The comments are below the latest trailer.
