Developer: Crystal Dynamics Platform: PSX / PC / DC Release: Aug 16, 1999. Genre: Adventure / Action / Platformer Disks: 1 (342Mb)
Great opening scene! watch now
Story
Set in a gothic atmosphere, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, narrates the story of Raziel, a once lieutenant vampire, struggling through the lands of Nosgoth, fighting against his own blood, looking for vengeance. The target? Kain. Once a leader, but now a betrayer, Kain sentenced Raziel to die in the Lake of the Dead for evolving before him.
The Lake of the Dead is a endless pit of swirling water. Because vampires are immortal by nature, the lake acts as an eternal pain for any vampire thrown into it. This is the fate of our anti-hero Raziel.
Vampires + Water = Menthos + Coke
Unknown to all vampires, below Nosgoth The Elder God lives. This Gods controls the fate of souls that leave the land, to follow a path of reincarnation and to keep the world moving. Because of vampire supremacy due to Kain's ruling and because vampires are immortal, the souls cannot leave Nosgoth to complete their cycle. This is Nosgoth's demise.
To fix this, The Elder God saves Raziel from the bottomless pit before his body is fully consumed and sets him on the mission of killing Kain. Raziel is now on the way to get his vengeance.
Over one thousand years have passed though and things have changed. His skin is burnt to the bone and beyond, his jaw is missing and he has a reminder of what used to be his wings on his back; things do not look good. Raziel no longer eats blood, but souls. Kind of like a reverse extreme make over.
Om nom nom souls
Gameplay
One of the key elements of Soul Reaver is the existence of two realms: the material one and the spectral one. On the spectral realm, enemies are weaker, water behaves like air and many things behave in a different way. Some things though, require Raziel to have a physical form. To change from the spectral realm to the material one, Raziel must be full health and stand on certain insignias. The material plane holds more impediments though. Harder enemies (mainly vampires), water (a reminiscent vampire weakness) and many other things. Switching from the material to the spectral has no requirements, it can be done with a menu, or by depleting our health. Staying in our physical form is harder too: health is slowly drained from us, and we will need to feed on souls to stay "alive". Enemy blows also deplete our energy of course, taking us one step closer to becoming wraiths.
The game uses this two plane play to keep Raziel from entering certain areas before he gets new abilities. For example, when the game beings, if Raziel falls into a pool full of water he will die (switch to the spectral plane) and he will need to climb his way up using a ladder or platforms; later on he can swim.
Puzzles make great use of this too. Blocks must be moved while on physical form, ledges and columns change shape and form on each plane. An unreachable ledge with a regular jump might turn to be of a shorter distance in the other plane.
Combat is pretty simple. It revolves around pushing the only attack button Raziel has. Raziel can also lock the camera on a cerain enemy and dodge attacks. If our enemy is human or spectral he will die after a number of hits.
AAAAAAAAAAA!!!! a ghost!!!
If our enemy is a vampire though, after being hit around some he will stand dizzy in a "finish him" pose. This is when you get creative, you look around and look for ways to kill a vampire. a spike in the wall? Lift his body and throw him against it so he gets impaled. A torch on the wall? pick it and light your enemy on fire. To put it in Raziel's words:
I knew my opponents' weaknesses, having suffered them myself. Physical wounds are fleeting - a vampire's immortal flesh begins to close as soon as it is cleaved. Vampires need only fear those wounds that impale, or inflame. Water scorches like acid, and fledglings are devastated by sunlight's touch... I would have to modify my tactics to suit my foes.
We don't need no water, let the motherfucker burn ♫ Burn motherfucker burn~
Raziel can also wield weapons he finds in the game to finish his enemies off with the addition of a spectral weapon that we will gain later on (our Soul Reaver).
Design
Even though it's not officially divided by chapters, after getting to the end of each region, you will fight one of your vampire brothers. Each one of them has a certain weakness and a way of defeating him. After you are done with them, you will get special abilities to explore new regions of Nosgoth.
Sorry, I can't make a joke with just water
Level design is very good. If somebody told me Soul Reaver is based on a book I would believe them. Everything is gothic looking but regions are different from each other. The amount of detail considering it's a game from '99 is outstanding.
Not the best attacking angle
The music is fitting, slow and thumping, reminding us of how everything is dead and at the verge of extinction. Music changes during combats, bosses, or depending if we are on open areas or inside a sanctuary. It adds to the whole atmosphere.
What really stands out is voice acting, even though few are the characters that speak. Remember these are Gods and Vampire lords and they speak as such. The Elder God acts as a narrator through some parts of the game and his eloquence while speaking adds another layer of mysticism to the plot.
Being an anti-hero is hard too
The only problems are see with Soul Reaver is the camera sometimes and the story being linear, though the latter one is just a consequence of how the game must work to fit the story. The game going by logic should have no re-playability, but I have finished it 3 times or so.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is an excellent game you should play if you like any sort of adventure or platform games. It's also has a real vampire story, not like that twilight faggotry :3
Yay
Intriguing plot.
Excellent scenario and character design.
Entertaining puzzles.
Eloquent dialogues and superb voice acting.
Nay
Some problems with the camera in some jumps.
Linear Story
Last edit: 2009-01-13 10:40:20
TeamLiquid CJ Entusman #1 (PM to become an Entusman) • Newest member: asl-ninja
ilovezil United States. January 13 2009 07:12. Posts 3572
Awesome game. Everyone should play this game now. I remember loving this, I just wish I could find my disc. And, just curious but what's so wrong with linear gameplay? I know adding nonlinear makes it more adventurous in some regards, but I still don't think that there's anything so negative about a game being linear.
IntoTheWow Argentina. January 13 2009 08:43. Posts 25193
I just mentioned as something people would find as an "Issue" though i did say its because of the story. Linear story doesnt matter if the plot is well developed, i agree : ]
TeamLiquid CJ Entusman #1 (PM to become an Entusman) • Newest member: asl-ninja
PePe QuiCoSE Argentina. January 13 2009 08:54. Posts 1203
Got this for the dc, great game, though I would've liked spending less time on puzzles (carryover from tomb-raider, how many times do I have to push/flip this damn box) and more time shattering vampires and other monstrosities with the soul reaver. Contains a number of optional quests/tricks too.
Awesome review~
ShadowDrgn United States. January 13 2009 10:29. Posts 1123
The original Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain game was great too, although the controls were clunky and the game was too difficult because of it. I don't know how well it stands up to the test of time because I haven't played it since the 90's, but I remember Kain's narration being extremely good for an early PSX game.
IntoTheWow Argentina. January 13 2009 10:38. Posts 25193
the points in your "yay" section are sum it up well. even with the game being linear the nature of the puzzles and the design of some areas really did make it feel like you were exploring i found.
raziel was such a beast!
another great review, now vagrant story! :D
~
Nyovne Netherlands. January 13 2009 22:21. Posts 4292
Sick writeup again agu, god I played this game to death with one of my friends along with MSG :D.
For remember, that in the end, some are born to live, others born to die. I belong to those last, born to burn, born to cry. For I shall remain alone... forsaken.
PePe QuiCoSE Argentina. January 14 2009 01:37. Posts 1203
On January 13 2009 10:29 ShadowDrgn wrote: The original Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain game was great too, although the controls were clunky and the game was too difficult because of it. I don't know how well it stands up to the test of time because I haven't played it since the 90's, but I remember Kain's narration being extremely good for an early PSX game.
I have played it and i don't really remember of having hard controls. Neither do i remember the game being hard (maybe you were young when you played it?). What i do remember is being a bit pissed when you had to travel half the map to check something (even with bats) or be sure you didn't miss any hallway or else you would though that you were stuck.
Ethenielle Norway. January 14 2009 01:37. Posts 683
IntoTheWow Argentina. January 13 2009 06:55. Posts 25193![[image loading]](http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k255/IntoTheWow/GWP/Legacy_Of_Kain-_Sould_Reaver_Cover.jpg)
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ilovezil United States. January 13 2009 07:12. Posts 3572
NeverGG 
Korea (South). January 13 2009 07:55. Posts 3798
indecision Germany. January 13 2009 08:28. Posts 684
CFDragon United States. January 13 2009 08:40. Posts 282
PePe QuiCoSE Argentina. January 13 2009 08:54. Posts 1203
riotjune January 13 2009 10:13. Posts 179
ShadowDrgn United States. January 13 2009 10:29. Posts 1123
Lachrymose Australia. January 13 2009 14:54. Posts 265
Nyovne Netherlands. January 13 2009 22:21. Posts 4292
Ethenielle Norway. January 14 2009 01:37. Posts 683
keep up the good work 
