True Torment mode is the New Game Plus function in Blasphemous introduced in The Stir of Dawn update. Blasphemous 2 also includes a True Torment mode.
After beating the game on any ending, the player may trigger True Torment mode on their already-completed save file with the "Ascend" function from the save file menu. This process is irreversible, and it begins a new playthrough.
Blasphemous[]
Inventory[]
Retained items:
- All prayers
- All relics
- All rosary beads (except the Immaculate Bead)
- All hearts (except the Apodictic Heart of Mea Culpa)
- All abilities unlocked from Mea Culpa Altars
What will be reset:
- All Collectibles
- All bile flask upgrades
- All fervour upgrades
- All health upgrades
- All rosary knot upgrades
- All progress for quests, bosses, general exploration, and key items
All kept items are replaced with 
500 Tears of Atonement upon finding them in the overworld.
Upon ascending a save file, the Penitent One will receive the Petrified Bell in order to access a new NPC, Jibrael in Petrous.
All enemies also become significantly stronger, taking and dealing more damage than a normal run. They also reward 20% extra Tears of Atonement.
Penitence[]
In True Torment Mode, before you fight the Warden of the Silent Sorrow at the beginning of the game, you are given the option of picking between one of three Penitences, which make the game more challenging in different ways in addition to the increased health and damage from enemies. The save file will be marked with the current active Penitence, and completed Penitences have their symbols colored in gold.
The reward for completing NG+ on each Penitence for the first time is a unique skin and a Rosary Bead that gives you some of the perks of the Penitence. These are awarded after defeating the final boss and seeing any of the game's endings. If you took a Penitence, you can return to the Altar to abandon it, but doing so prevents you from taking any further Penitences until you re-Ascend the file, and locks you out of the Penitence's completion reward (unless you already have it).
You can also opt not to take a Penitence at all and proceed through the game as normal, but you will not be able to take a Penitence for the rest of the playthrough.
Penitence of a Bleeding Heart[]
-Your skin is torn, only your will keeps you going. Every attack that you receive makes you lose one life orb.
-Your sacred equipment is affected by the Miracle. Bile Flasks regenerate several orbs over time, but suffering damage stops this process.
-Your enemies are unrelenting. They will respawn Every time you come back to an area.
- Rather than a continuous bar, your health is segmented into orbs. Taking a hit, regardless of strength, will deplete one life orb. The Penitent One starts with three life orbs. Each HP upgrade, regardless of magnitude, gives the Penitent One one extra life orb.
- Bile Flasks, regardless of strength, will restore one life orb immediately, and then slowly fill up the remaining empty life orbs over time. Taking any damage will halt the regeneration. Upgrading your flasks with Nacimiento will increase the speed of the regeneration.
- Any healing from other effects will restore one life orb, though you may require multiple instance of "small" healing triggers to fully restore one life orb.
- Defense-modifying effects (both increase or decrease) will have no effect in this mode.
- Awards the Reliquary of the Suffering Heart on completion, which enables a slow health regen after using a Flask which expires once you take damage.
Penitence of the Unwavering Faith[]
-Your sword arm weakens, Mea Culpa attacks are half as effective.
-Your mind is stronger, your determination an endless supply of fervour. Fervour regenerates over time.
-Pain makes you lose concentration. The damage suffered reduces your fervour stocks.
- While melee attacks are half as strong, the ranged attack from the Mea Culpa is not affected by this modifier.
- Fervour regeneration is fast enough to effectively use the Mea Culpa's ranged attack (if unlocked) almost indefinitely.
- Awards the Reliquary of the Fervent Heart on completion, which gives passive Fervour regeneration while equipped.
Penitence of the True Guilt[]
-Failure is unacceptable. Upon death, all your Tears of Atonement are placed on the Guilt fragment.
-Regret overcomes you. Your Guilt Level reaches the maximum once you fall in battle.
-Nothing can ease your pain. Bile Flasks will not heal you, refilling your Fervour instead.
- Whenever you die, you lose all your Tears of Atonement until you reclaim your Guilt Fragment. If you die again before being able to reclaim the Guilt Fragment, you lose all the Tears of Atonement tied to the previous Fragment as that will disappear.
- Expiating your Guilt at a Confessor Statue or the Albero Church will also let you regain your Tears of Atonement.
- If you've equipped the Immaculate Bead (before it transforms into Weight of True Guilt), however, you won't gain any Guilt on death, but you won't get to reclaim your lost Tears.
- You hit the maximum Fervour penalty of half your usual maximum after reviving from death.
- Although Bile Flasks cannot heal you, you can still heal using other means, like striking enemies while under the effects of Saeta Dolorosa, or by destroying items while equipped with the Painted Wood Bead. The Reliquary of the Suffering Heart will still provide health regen after using a Bile Flask.
- Awards the Reliquary of the Sorrowful Heart on completion, which makes your Bile Flasks replenish Fervour instead of health while equipped.
Blasphemous 2[]
In Blasphemous 2's True Torment mode, game difficulty is increased, and the following are retained from the original save file:
- Weapons (including, if obtained, the one from the DLC)
- Upgrades
- Obtained altarpiece figures (ONLY if this setting is turned on at the difficultly selection menu when starting the game)
- Rosary beads
- Prayers
The following items are lost:
- Quest items
- Movement abilities
- Tears of Atonement
- Certain chant prayers
Domines[]
At the start of True Torment, there is a selection of Domines (modifiers) to make the playthrough even more challenging, and will give more rewards the more Domines selected, You can deselect any domines after they have been chosen, but you can't select/re-select any Domines after you have pressed "apply". Domines include:
Ultimate Torment:
Your penance starts again. You will lose all obtained items, weapons and upgrades from your previous playthrough. This challenge cannot be disabled
Final Judgement:
Enemies will be more challenging. Falling into chasms and thorns will lead to instant death.
Vow of Poverty
Fervour and rosary beads upgrades will remain locked.
Spilled Blood
Your health bar will be replaced by life orbs.
Chalice of Guilt
When you die, you will drop a single Guilt Fragment that will contain half of the Tears of Atonement and experience obtained.
Ascension of Penance
Any hit you receive will increase your Guilt. In exchange, your attacks will be more powerful when you are free from guilt.
Peace for the Remorseful
Enemies will reappear if you leave and then return to their room. In exchange, you will have additional ressistence to all elements.
Barefoot Procession
Any hit you receive will deplete your fervour bar. In exchange, fervour gains will increase.
Endless Thirst
You will gain less experience in combat and will collect fewer Marks of Martyrdom. In exchange, the Alterpiece of Favors will be completely unlocked from the start.
Notes[]
- During Spilled Blood, damages are no longer tied to just one orb in Blasphemous 2, meaning that unlike in the first game, high damages would still caused loss of multiple life orbs.
- Besamanos and Sagrario will refuse to interact with Penitent One should he takes up Vow of Poverty.
- Ultimate Torment also affects NG+ rewards.
- In order to get all six NG+ rewards, it is advised to select Domines until the skull image is adorned with crown, indicating maximum threshold required has been achieved.