I struggled to get into Soul Reaver initially. I wouldn't say I was wrong to, either. There's a lot of issues, and most stay for all of the game. The combat isn't terrible in theory but since you're almost always fighting vampires, who are immortal, you will have to pick them up and throw them into something that kills them (water, fire, spikes, etc), which is sluggish, unresponsive and very difficult to do while their friend is clawing your face in. There's some ways to mitigate that, such as remaining at full health to use the Soul Reaver or just bringing a spear into the fight, but they aren't always reliable, and overall the gimmick ends up making basically all fights a drag whenever it isn't just negated by one of the above.
Really though, I could get past that. I could also get past the block puzzles, which I honestly ended up enjoying a bit, and the platforming, which kinda sucked but I had save states so who cares. I was mostly confused by the exploration, and I think fairly so. Soul Reaver is an impressively open-ended game, and while you're always given vague directions on what to do next, they're difficult to interpret: the world is big, teleport points are infrequent and most damningly there is no map, which means I really barely had any idea where I was going for most of it. There were even whole completely optional areas, which while extremely impressive kept confusing me even more because I kept wandering around them without realizing that they weren't where I was supposed to be. Eventually, though, Soul Reaver began to click. The puzzles and exploration of the dungeons all fell into place, the bosses, while of mixed quality, were all at least interesting, and I started to get a hang of the game's structure. I'd say that the latter half of the game was definitely the most fun I had with it, overall.
That initial reaction, I think, is what most players will have, and that's a shame because under that layer of poor communication and confusion lack of direction lays a rather well-made 3D Metroidvania, not something you'd see often in this generation, or the next, really. Raziel constantly acquires new powers and the world expands as a result, which is quite great because every level's different atmosphere is absolutely Soul Reaver's greatest strength. The adaptive music (absent from the PC version, for some reason) is extremely well-realized, shifting between different instruments and vibes when Raziel enters a fight or switches to and from the spirit world. Unfortunately, exploration is somewhat discouraged by the awful combat and a complete lack of a map (I can make do without one in games with simple or extremely memorable layouts, but Soul Reaver doesn't really fit either description), which meant that I still mostly just made a beeline to the end, with the occasional help of a guide.
The story is perhaps a bit in the background compared to Blood Omen, unfortunately there isn't as much dialogue, and Raziel doesn't do the Kain thing of commenting at length about every single location he enters and ability he gets (which I loved), but I think he's still a great protagonist, maybe not quite as charismatic but very very fascinating, and I loved it every time he did speak. The final confrontation between him and Kain is great, but without getting into spoilers, I have to admit that the story doesn't really ever feel like it's... getting anywhere? Blood Omen had one hell of a climax, a pretty drawn-out one too. Soul Reaver just ends, and with a cliffhanger at that. Still, I had a good time. I would say that it's probably not worth it to play this game if you're not interested in the LoK series as a whole, which I am, but personally, I had a pretty good time, and am definitely looking forward to playing the next game, Soul Reaver 2.
Really though, I could get past that. I could also get past the block puzzles, which I honestly ended up enjoying a bit, and the platforming, which kinda sucked but I had save states so who cares. I was mostly confused by the exploration, and I think fairly so. Soul Reaver is an impressively open-ended game, and while you're always given vague directions on what to do next, they're difficult to interpret: the world is big, teleport points are infrequent and most damningly there is no map, which means I really barely had any idea where I was going for most of it. There were even whole completely optional areas, which while extremely impressive kept confusing me even more because I kept wandering around them without realizing that they weren't where I was supposed to be. Eventually, though, Soul Reaver began to click. The puzzles and exploration of the dungeons all fell into place, the bosses, while of mixed quality, were all at least interesting, and I started to get a hang of the game's structure. I'd say that the latter half of the game was definitely the most fun I had with it, overall.
That initial reaction, I think, is what most players will have, and that's a shame because under that layer of poor communication and confusion lack of direction lays a rather well-made 3D Metroidvania, not something you'd see often in this generation, or the next, really. Raziel constantly acquires new powers and the world expands as a result, which is quite great because every level's different atmosphere is absolutely Soul Reaver's greatest strength. The adaptive music (absent from the PC version, for some reason) is extremely well-realized, shifting between different instruments and vibes when Raziel enters a fight or switches to and from the spirit world. Unfortunately, exploration is somewhat discouraged by the awful combat and a complete lack of a map (I can make do without one in games with simple or extremely memorable layouts, but Soul Reaver doesn't really fit either description), which meant that I still mostly just made a beeline to the end, with the occasional help of a guide.
The story is perhaps a bit in the background compared to Blood Omen, unfortunately there isn't as much dialogue, and Raziel doesn't do the Kain thing of commenting at length about every single location he enters and ability he gets (which I loved), but I think he's still a great protagonist, maybe not quite as charismatic but very very fascinating, and I loved it every time he did speak. The final confrontation between him and Kain is great, but without getting into spoilers, I have to admit that the story doesn't really ever feel like it's... getting anywhere? Blood Omen had one hell of a climax, a pretty drawn-out one too. Soul Reaver just ends, and with a cliffhanger at that. Still, I had a good time. I would say that it's probably not worth it to play this game if you're not interested in the LoK series as a whole, which I am, but personally, I had a pretty good time, and am definitely looking forward to playing the next game, Soul Reaver 2.
This review contains spoilers
Have you ever experienced the feeling when encountering a new piece of media, might that be a book, movie, music, game... that you feel from the very beggining that it was made for you? That you realize from square one that this is going to be something that caters to your tastes all the way through? Something that impacts you deeply for a long time or even the rest of your life? There have been many games for me that had done this, the top five you can see on my profile, but Soul Reaver is probably one of the more special and personal ones to me and the only reason is not there is because I can't decide which of the other five should I exchange it with.
God there's just... so many things that I want to say about this game and it'll still feel like it whouldn't be enough.
I still remember vividly the first time many years ago booting up the game and seeing the intro cutscene, which I highly recommend the person reading this to do on YouTube, and being completely enamoured with everything. The music that scales up as the cutscene goes, the character design that is just SO late 90's/early 2000's horror-esque, the narration which is just so epic and catched my full attention immediately, the scenery that has these warm hues that contrast with the tension of the entire thing, the moment Raziel is thrown to the lake of the dead bein during a warm orange sunset, it ending with the tentacle mass that is the room of the Elder God, and the Elder God itself claiming that "you are worthy" after experiencing centuries of torture. Nothing compares to me.
Since we are talking about "worthy", Raziel is such an interesting character to me. If you don't know the full extent of the lore it doesn't impact you as much but the game makes a great job on being very clear that Raziel has a very important role on the bigger scale of Nosgoth's destiny, the imagery of him being a doomed messiah, how when he falls at the beggining or glides his model reminds me of an angel (the credits have art that reflect this as well), his mission of saving the land tie him with destroying his previous master but at the same time discovering the truth of himself and his brothers only to kill them, and how in a way he is mirroring what Kain did and suffered centuries ago. Is so tragic, so compelling, so well written.
And the writting, man the writting. Not just on the intro but throught all the game, something made by people who know how to write and WANT to write a story, want to write the dialogues of these characters like an epic tale unfolding in front of you. Don't want to sound like an old person being all "back in my day things were better", but I don't like how something like this is not as common anymore, maybe because in current times it whould be seen as too edgy or
pretentious? I don't like the way how current writting is full of ironic banter towards the craft, stuff like this feels so cool and genuine and rich. I mean, even the tutorial is narrated that way, and I adore the way the characters talk.
Quick mention here for the music, which I think is stellar and that every single track is amazing and very unique, who whould've thought that an indie electro pop band could do such a banger OST for such a grimmy looking game?
The world of Nosgoth might be dying, but it also feels like it was lived in. The entire map is so full of details that enhance this, mural paintings, decorations, exquisite architecture, all of it inspired by multiple cultures but implemented so masterfully that it feels like something new, a unique set of lands with their own customs and beliefs. All of this with a strong gothic influence of the time, plus the nice color palletes it has, it does feel very vampiric to me.
And speaking of the enviroments, they are fantastic for platforming, not sure what it is but even when climbable places can be kind of obvious sometimes, the architecture of certain buildings makes it feel like it was not intentional. I mean this as like, the programmers saw real life buldings and modeled the in game ones based on how climbable they looked, like it was natural. And the gliding ability opens the space so much, exploring can be so fun.
And speaking of exploring, some people claim this to be the first "3D Metroidvania" but it doesn't have the RPG elements that truly defines those games (leveling up, different equipments, stats, etc), so I feel like this is more closer to "the first 3D Metroid like", and what an exceptionally good game it is at that, the use of 3D spaces is phenomenal for exploring, puzzles, platforming, and so on.
And the main mechanic, the biggest thing for when it comes to playability. Changing between the spirit and material realm not only serves the narrative cohesively, but is basically having two maps on one. The already massive world map can be re explored at any time on a twisted and cold new look and to explore a new geometry with new platforms or places that open up to explore or solve puzzles, AND which also serves as a way to replenish your health or to catch up with souls that might've escaped you on the physical realm.
Ah, also the soul mechanic is so cool? If you don't feed on an enemy soul it can fade into the spirit realm and turn into a stronger enemy? Or if you didn't destroy the body of the defeated enemy it can turn it back to life? Genius.
This is a game that I've noticed, is not very talked about despite being so innovating on many aspects for it's time, in so many things that even with this long ass review I barely scratched the surface of it, the few people that know and finished this game will tell you how good it is, how many new things it did right, then why isn't it remembered as much as the other classics?
This is where the few hiccups Soul Reaver has pop up, you start to notice areas way too big being used only to guard a single glyph. Glyphs whose power is not really that useful once you unlock the fire or light one, how at the end of the game it feels like a rushed series of puzzles, how the human citadel has no bigger purpose, how it seems like there's a brother missing, how the ending (which looks super cool I love that last cutscene) is a cliffhanger. And then if you look into it you find out that massive parts of the game had to be cut. Areas that connected everything together further, characters completely scrapped with story and mechanics so unique as well, deleted from existence so late in development that their lines were even translated into every language the game was avaliable at, how the glyphs were going to serve to solve more complex puzzles, how there was supposed to be an ending.
I feel it is a bit unfair thinking of what it coul've have been, when the game as it is is amazing and I love it, but I can't help but wonder had the vision been fulfilled could Soul Reaver be remembered as the innovative classic that I feel it deserves to be remembered as? I think that there are some rumors about a possible remake or reboot but idk, it is a good chance to implement everything back but I feel part of the game's essence was due to the time it came out in, but who knows, it still has a lot of stuff going for that I haven't seen other games try...
Back then when I played this on my Dreamcast (which is the port I recommend the most, it runs better and looks better, I think the PC version is based off this one too) I never could go that far, the console was an used gift and lacked a memory card, so no saving for me. And yet every day I whould repeat the same cutscene and the same tutorial with the same joy, and every day I whould try to go a bit further, which was hard since I liked the maps so much that I whould explore the same places over and over. With the years I lost the console and the game, but it remained a fond memory of my childhood. Untill now, when I could finish it for the first time (only lacking the 100% because I missed a heath upgrade somewhere...), and I don't know if you could call this nostalgia, sometimes you like something as a kid and when you grow up not anymore or you experience it further and the magic wears off. But for me, for this game, it was that feeling of wonder the entire time, with every new thing that I avoyded spoilers of for years I loved it all the way, every aspect still caters to my tastes and for what I tend to look for in media.
Please give this game a chance.
Somehow it feels like it was made for me, and that it was waiting for me all these years, is such a feeling of satisfaction to finally give this story (some sort of) closure and truly give it the title of one of my favorite games of all time.
God there's just... so many things that I want to say about this game and it'll still feel like it whouldn't be enough.
I still remember vividly the first time many years ago booting up the game and seeing the intro cutscene, which I highly recommend the person reading this to do on YouTube, and being completely enamoured with everything. The music that scales up as the cutscene goes, the character design that is just SO late 90's/early 2000's horror-esque, the narration which is just so epic and catched my full attention immediately, the scenery that has these warm hues that contrast with the tension of the entire thing, the moment Raziel is thrown to the lake of the dead bein during a warm orange sunset, it ending with the tentacle mass that is the room of the Elder God, and the Elder God itself claiming that "you are worthy" after experiencing centuries of torture. Nothing compares to me.
Since we are talking about "worthy", Raziel is such an interesting character to me. If you don't know the full extent of the lore it doesn't impact you as much but the game makes a great job on being very clear that Raziel has a very important role on the bigger scale of Nosgoth's destiny, the imagery of him being a doomed messiah, how when he falls at the beggining or glides his model reminds me of an angel (the credits have art that reflect this as well), his mission of saving the land tie him with destroying his previous master but at the same time discovering the truth of himself and his brothers only to kill them, and how in a way he is mirroring what Kain did and suffered centuries ago. Is so tragic, so compelling, so well written.
And the writting, man the writting. Not just on the intro but throught all the game, something made by people who know how to write and WANT to write a story, want to write the dialogues of these characters like an epic tale unfolding in front of you. Don't want to sound like an old person being all "back in my day things were better", but I don't like how something like this is not as common anymore, maybe because in current times it whould be seen as too edgy or
pretentious? I don't like the way how current writting is full of ironic banter towards the craft, stuff like this feels so cool and genuine and rich. I mean, even the tutorial is narrated that way, and I adore the way the characters talk.
Quick mention here for the music, which I think is stellar and that every single track is amazing and very unique, who whould've thought that an indie electro pop band could do such a banger OST for such a grimmy looking game?
The world of Nosgoth might be dying, but it also feels like it was lived in. The entire map is so full of details that enhance this, mural paintings, decorations, exquisite architecture, all of it inspired by multiple cultures but implemented so masterfully that it feels like something new, a unique set of lands with their own customs and beliefs. All of this with a strong gothic influence of the time, plus the nice color palletes it has, it does feel very vampiric to me.
And speaking of the enviroments, they are fantastic for platforming, not sure what it is but even when climbable places can be kind of obvious sometimes, the architecture of certain buildings makes it feel like it was not intentional. I mean this as like, the programmers saw real life buldings and modeled the in game ones based on how climbable they looked, like it was natural. And the gliding ability opens the space so much, exploring can be so fun.
And speaking of exploring, some people claim this to be the first "3D Metroidvania" but it doesn't have the RPG elements that truly defines those games (leveling up, different equipments, stats, etc), so I feel like this is more closer to "the first 3D Metroid like", and what an exceptionally good game it is at that, the use of 3D spaces is phenomenal for exploring, puzzles, platforming, and so on.
And the main mechanic, the biggest thing for when it comes to playability. Changing between the spirit and material realm not only serves the narrative cohesively, but is basically having two maps on one. The already massive world map can be re explored at any time on a twisted and cold new look and to explore a new geometry with new platforms or places that open up to explore or solve puzzles, AND which also serves as a way to replenish your health or to catch up with souls that might've escaped you on the physical realm.
Ah, also the soul mechanic is so cool? If you don't feed on an enemy soul it can fade into the spirit realm and turn into a stronger enemy? Or if you didn't destroy the body of the defeated enemy it can turn it back to life? Genius.
This is a game that I've noticed, is not very talked about despite being so innovating on many aspects for it's time, in so many things that even with this long ass review I barely scratched the surface of it, the few people that know and finished this game will tell you how good it is, how many new things it did right, then why isn't it remembered as much as the other classics?
This is where the few hiccups Soul Reaver has pop up, you start to notice areas way too big being used only to guard a single glyph. Glyphs whose power is not really that useful once you unlock the fire or light one, how at the end of the game it feels like a rushed series of puzzles, how the human citadel has no bigger purpose, how it seems like there's a brother missing, how the ending (which looks super cool I love that last cutscene) is a cliffhanger. And then if you look into it you find out that massive parts of the game had to be cut. Areas that connected everything together further, characters completely scrapped with story and mechanics so unique as well, deleted from existence so late in development that their lines were even translated into every language the game was avaliable at, how the glyphs were going to serve to solve more complex puzzles, how there was supposed to be an ending.
I feel it is a bit unfair thinking of what it coul've have been, when the game as it is is amazing and I love it, but I can't help but wonder had the vision been fulfilled could Soul Reaver be remembered as the innovative classic that I feel it deserves to be remembered as? I think that there are some rumors about a possible remake or reboot but idk, it is a good chance to implement everything back but I feel part of the game's essence was due to the time it came out in, but who knows, it still has a lot of stuff going for that I haven't seen other games try...
Back then when I played this on my Dreamcast (which is the port I recommend the most, it runs better and looks better, I think the PC version is based off this one too) I never could go that far, the console was an used gift and lacked a memory card, so no saving for me. And yet every day I whould repeat the same cutscene and the same tutorial with the same joy, and every day I whould try to go a bit further, which was hard since I liked the maps so much that I whould explore the same places over and over. With the years I lost the console and the game, but it remained a fond memory of my childhood. Untill now, when I could finish it for the first time (only lacking the 100% because I missed a heath upgrade somewhere...), and I don't know if you could call this nostalgia, sometimes you like something as a kid and when you grow up not anymore or you experience it further and the magic wears off. But for me, for this game, it was that feeling of wonder the entire time, with every new thing that I avoyded spoilers of for years I loved it all the way, every aspect still caters to my tastes and for what I tend to look for in media.
Please give this game a chance.
Somehow it feels like it was made for me, and that it was waiting for me all these years, is such a feeling of satisfaction to finally give this story (some sort of) closure and truly give it the title of one of my favorite games of all time.
The definition of 3D MetroidVania.
I remember thinking I was cool and edgy for playing this game as a kid, and as an adult I am cool and edgy.
Game's alright I guess.
Game's alright I guess.
Might be the most Late 90s video game of all time, as it draws mechanical inspiration from dozens of its competitors but changes the variables by being Siiiiiick Bro. An adventure game to listen to the Blade soundtrack to.
"Mom, can we get The Legend of Zelda?"
"We have The Legend of Zelda at home."
The Legend of Zelda at home:
"We have The Legend of Zelda at home."
The Legend of Zelda at home:
No es difícil entender por que este juego es referenciado como un clásico de culto.
Juntar el mundo de fantasía oscura de blood omen y mezclarlo con ideas del misticismo, tener de antagonista al anterior protagonista,la mera mecánica de cambiar de plano y que el mapa pese a no ser tan grande como otros titulos de la época que cada mazmorra este interconectada con otras era algo increíblemente novedoso, y demuestran mucha ambición por este titulo.
Lastima que muchas de estas cosas no fueran Bien ejecutadas.
Empezando por la mecánica de cambiar de mundos pese a lo orgulloso que se siente el equipo desarrollador respecto a la misma, esta solo se siente medianamente aprovechada a partir de la tercera mazmorra, en las primeras 2 solo sirven para pasar por rejas o en ciertas ocasiones. Hablando de Mazmorras, las primeras 2 son fácilmente la peor parte del juego, y la que demuestran la mayoría de problemas del mismo.
Los puzzles en su mayoria son muy poco intuitivos como puede ser la primera vez que nos enteramos que el cambiar de mundo ciertos objetos se detienen como en la segunda mazmorra con el pilar, o el hecho de que podemos interactuar con otras cosas aparte de interruptores y puertas como las calderas también de la segunda mazmorra(y lo peor es que luego para continuar por la misma debes cerrarlas después LMAO), y la mayoría de estas nunca vuelven a aparecer, y las que si son casi iguales al primer ejemplo.
en el caso opuesto tenemos a las cajas, las cuales de hecho tienen un uso bastante complejo en el que no solo es encimar o empujar, sino que también puedes rotarlos subirlas a lugares altos y hasta empujarlas con la magia de tiro, y se que me queje anteriormente de que varias ideas anteriores eran poco aprovechadas, pero ah decir verdad en este caso me hubiese gustado que fueran menos, en las primeras Mazmorras al menos, ya que al no tener la Soul Reaver con nosotros el tiempo que tenemos en el mundo material es poco, y tampoco ayuda que durante las mismas nos llueven enemigos, alargando de manera fea estas secciones del juego.
Y por ultimo tendríamos a los jefes, que son increíblemente fáciles en el buen sentido.
Son intuitivos pero no llevan su mecánica mas allá de su idea básica
Espero que la secuela arregle varios de estos problemas
Juntar el mundo de fantasía oscura de blood omen y mezclarlo con ideas del misticismo, tener de antagonista al anterior protagonista,la mera mecánica de cambiar de plano y que el mapa pese a no ser tan grande como otros titulos de la época que cada mazmorra este interconectada con otras era algo increíblemente novedoso, y demuestran mucha ambición por este titulo.
Lastima que muchas de estas cosas no fueran Bien ejecutadas.
Empezando por la mecánica de cambiar de mundos pese a lo orgulloso que se siente el equipo desarrollador respecto a la misma, esta solo se siente medianamente aprovechada a partir de la tercera mazmorra, en las primeras 2 solo sirven para pasar por rejas o en ciertas ocasiones. Hablando de Mazmorras, las primeras 2 son fácilmente la peor parte del juego, y la que demuestran la mayoría de problemas del mismo.
Los puzzles en su mayoria son muy poco intuitivos como puede ser la primera vez que nos enteramos que el cambiar de mundo ciertos objetos se detienen como en la segunda mazmorra con el pilar, o el hecho de que podemos interactuar con otras cosas aparte de interruptores y puertas como las calderas también de la segunda mazmorra(y lo peor es que luego para continuar por la misma debes cerrarlas después LMAO), y la mayoría de estas nunca vuelven a aparecer, y las que si son casi iguales al primer ejemplo.
en el caso opuesto tenemos a las cajas, las cuales de hecho tienen un uso bastante complejo en el que no solo es encimar o empujar, sino que también puedes rotarlos subirlas a lugares altos y hasta empujarlas con la magia de tiro, y se que me queje anteriormente de que varias ideas anteriores eran poco aprovechadas, pero ah decir verdad en este caso me hubiese gustado que fueran menos, en las primeras Mazmorras al menos, ya que al no tener la Soul Reaver con nosotros el tiempo que tenemos en el mundo material es poco, y tampoco ayuda que durante las mismas nos llueven enemigos, alargando de manera fea estas secciones del juego.
Y por ultimo tendríamos a los jefes, que son increíblemente fáciles en el buen sentido.
Son intuitivos pero no llevan su mecánica mas allá de su idea básica
Espero que la secuela arregle varios de estos problemas
pobre raziel...
Some people want a remake of this. Don't! The Ps1 graphics are perfect. This game is perfect.
This review contains spoilers
"Use your hatred to reave their souls... I can make it possible. Become my soul reaver, my angel of death...".
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is one of those titles that in many ways was ahead of its time and was left to join the maelstrom of cult classic games with a devoted following, but nothing beyond as far as the mainstream is concerned. Which I find unfair, because Soul Reaver is, to this day, a key example of what I would classify as writing excellence.
Now admittedly, the entire franchise is (minus one, Blood Omen 2, but that’s another story), but Soul Reaver is when the franchise found its footing, where things start to kick into high gear. It is perhaps the most well-known one for a reason, as well as the fan favorite.
You play as Raziel, a vampire lord serving the deified Kain, he himself a legendary vampire that has sired Raziel and five other vampire lords and ushered in a new age of despair in the lands of Nosgoth. During the millenia of Kain’s rule, things have functioned in the following way: Kain would grow in power, his vampiric body would evolve, and his followers would follow suit. The game starts with Raziel breaking this cycle however, showcasing a new set of wings to his vampiric comrades. As a reward, our man Raziel gets the best someone could wish for: punishment for suprassing his leader on the evolutionary scale, his wings forcefully removed and his dying body thrown into a swirling, watery abyss.
So yeah things could’ve gone better, but for poor Raziel they somehow get worse, as he suffers the acidic effects of water on his vampiric flesh for centuries, finally reaching the bottom of this seemingly bottomless lake a blue, jawless carcass, being awaken by an eldritch monstrosity known as the Elder God, who know pushes Raziel to work for him and do his bidding.
And thus our journey begins. Soul Reaver’s gameplay feels like a cross between Tomb Raider’s platforming and Ocarina of Time’s exploration. That may sound more exciting than it is, the gameplay really is okay but not like, groundbreaking. Combat revolves around damaging enemies enough times for them to be stunned and eventually executed in a variety of different ways (burning, impaling, exposure to the sun…). It’s relatively basic stuff, but it does it’s job well enough. Platforming is the same, focused on box puzzles, backtracking, later on swimming, relatively basic stuff, even for the time.
The gameplay is tool in order to bring you from story beat to story beat, really. While not awful, it will not be what you remember Soul Reaver for; the presentation, music and especially the writing and performances. The game looks great, with each character having very memorable designs and even more memorable performances. Everyone brings their A-game for this one, delivering Amy Henning’s Shakesperian writing with gusto. This is one of the aspects that has aged the best out of this game (and really, the franchise as a whole), making it a timeless experience. Raziel’s squabbels with his former comrades (now deformed beasts that have left their corrupted sides take the best of them) are written fantastically, making even someone who only see for the duration of a boss fight an interesting and deep character with its own motives.
At the centre of this lies Raziel, a man that is as sympathetic as he is, for lack of finer terms, an incredibly sassy bitch: the lack of a lower jaw doesn’t stop him at any point to make his mind known, and if when he isn’t busy judging a character’s moral standpoint, he is actively mocking them in the cattiest way possible, all while still remaining on a Shakesperian edge.
Acting as a foil is the titular Kain, the de facto protagonist of the entire franchise, though here he takes the role of antagonist, being a now clearly demented and egolomaniac being with some hidden agenda that doesn’t become clearer (key word being clearer, not clear) until later on in the sequels. Kain’s a powerful villain on a surface level, having defiled the corpses of the holy order of the Sarafans (from which Raziel and his bretheren were transformed into vampires, something that was removed from their memory) and actively destroyed the world of Nosgoth by refusing to sacrifice his life in order to keep the Pillars of Nosgoth, gigantic structures that keep balance to the land, intact, something that lead to the eventual wasteland we are tasked with exploring.
Raziel’s quest is one driven by his disgust of what his vampiric brethren have become, and then one against vampire-kind in general; a man against his own nature following the whims of a lord that is clearly using him, but from which he has no real way to unshackle himself. Raziel continues serving the Elder God only because, for the time being, their objectives are the same. Free will is something that will become a core component of Raziel’s story as the series moves on, but the seeds are sown here.
While every character is written sublimely and is visually striking and memorable, if they are fought, they aren’t always engaging, as bosses are mostly puzzles that require less fighting and more environmental exploration to deal with them (one boss flat-out requires you to run away from them, as they are invincible). Similarly, the spells that you obtain from them are varied in terms of usefulness; in typical Zelda fashion, some spells/items obtained after a dungeon are more usefull in most situations than in others, but all kinda share the same fate of just being “there”. A projectile, an AoE spell, the ability to climb and swim…all of these are useful but none really makes you crazy to use them. The one exception is the famed Soul Reaver itself, Kain’s sword that Raziel obtains after his first encounter with his lord post-punishment. Raz’s Reaver takes a spectral form that is only usable when Raziel is at full health and deals excellent damage.
One ability that always remains a constant is Raziel’s ability to shift between dimensions, the corporeal and ethereal. A lot of dungeon puzzles are built on the differences the world experiences between these two dimensions, a unique mechanic that takes a while to get accustomed to (sometimes the path forward is obvious, such as a gate being able to be passed through only in the spectral realm, but other times it’s stuff like realizing how the actual level geometry changes between dimensions).
By the end you have more questions than answers, as Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ends on a cliffhanger, but in rare fashion, it actually manages to make it earned. Raziel’s journey is one that leaves you wanting more, and more is what we will get. If that isn’t a testament to the game’s spectacular writing, I don’t know what is.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is one of those titles that in many ways was ahead of its time and was left to join the maelstrom of cult classic games with a devoted following, but nothing beyond as far as the mainstream is concerned. Which I find unfair, because Soul Reaver is, to this day, a key example of what I would classify as writing excellence.
Now admittedly, the entire franchise is (minus one, Blood Omen 2, but that’s another story), but Soul Reaver is when the franchise found its footing, where things start to kick into high gear. It is perhaps the most well-known one for a reason, as well as the fan favorite.
You play as Raziel, a vampire lord serving the deified Kain, he himself a legendary vampire that has sired Raziel and five other vampire lords and ushered in a new age of despair in the lands of Nosgoth. During the millenia of Kain’s rule, things have functioned in the following way: Kain would grow in power, his vampiric body would evolve, and his followers would follow suit. The game starts with Raziel breaking this cycle however, showcasing a new set of wings to his vampiric comrades. As a reward, our man Raziel gets the best someone could wish for: punishment for suprassing his leader on the evolutionary scale, his wings forcefully removed and his dying body thrown into a swirling, watery abyss.
So yeah things could’ve gone better, but for poor Raziel they somehow get worse, as he suffers the acidic effects of water on his vampiric flesh for centuries, finally reaching the bottom of this seemingly bottomless lake a blue, jawless carcass, being awaken by an eldritch monstrosity known as the Elder God, who know pushes Raziel to work for him and do his bidding.
And thus our journey begins. Soul Reaver’s gameplay feels like a cross between Tomb Raider’s platforming and Ocarina of Time’s exploration. That may sound more exciting than it is, the gameplay really is okay but not like, groundbreaking. Combat revolves around damaging enemies enough times for them to be stunned and eventually executed in a variety of different ways (burning, impaling, exposure to the sun…). It’s relatively basic stuff, but it does it’s job well enough. Platforming is the same, focused on box puzzles, backtracking, later on swimming, relatively basic stuff, even for the time.
The gameplay is tool in order to bring you from story beat to story beat, really. While not awful, it will not be what you remember Soul Reaver for; the presentation, music and especially the writing and performances. The game looks great, with each character having very memorable designs and even more memorable performances. Everyone brings their A-game for this one, delivering Amy Henning’s Shakesperian writing with gusto. This is one of the aspects that has aged the best out of this game (and really, the franchise as a whole), making it a timeless experience. Raziel’s squabbels with his former comrades (now deformed beasts that have left their corrupted sides take the best of them) are written fantastically, making even someone who only see for the duration of a boss fight an interesting and deep character with its own motives.
At the centre of this lies Raziel, a man that is as sympathetic as he is, for lack of finer terms, an incredibly sassy bitch: the lack of a lower jaw doesn’t stop him at any point to make his mind known, and if when he isn’t busy judging a character’s moral standpoint, he is actively mocking them in the cattiest way possible, all while still remaining on a Shakesperian edge.
Acting as a foil is the titular Kain, the de facto protagonist of the entire franchise, though here he takes the role of antagonist, being a now clearly demented and egolomaniac being with some hidden agenda that doesn’t become clearer (key word being clearer, not clear) until later on in the sequels. Kain’s a powerful villain on a surface level, having defiled the corpses of the holy order of the Sarafans (from which Raziel and his bretheren were transformed into vampires, something that was removed from their memory) and actively destroyed the world of Nosgoth by refusing to sacrifice his life in order to keep the Pillars of Nosgoth, gigantic structures that keep balance to the land, intact, something that lead to the eventual wasteland we are tasked with exploring.
Raziel’s quest is one driven by his disgust of what his vampiric brethren have become, and then one against vampire-kind in general; a man against his own nature following the whims of a lord that is clearly using him, but from which he has no real way to unshackle himself. Raziel continues serving the Elder God only because, for the time being, their objectives are the same. Free will is something that will become a core component of Raziel’s story as the series moves on, but the seeds are sown here.
While every character is written sublimely and is visually striking and memorable, if they are fought, they aren’t always engaging, as bosses are mostly puzzles that require less fighting and more environmental exploration to deal with them (one boss flat-out requires you to run away from them, as they are invincible). Similarly, the spells that you obtain from them are varied in terms of usefulness; in typical Zelda fashion, some spells/items obtained after a dungeon are more usefull in most situations than in others, but all kinda share the same fate of just being “there”. A projectile, an AoE spell, the ability to climb and swim…all of these are useful but none really makes you crazy to use them. The one exception is the famed Soul Reaver itself, Kain’s sword that Raziel obtains after his first encounter with his lord post-punishment. Raz’s Reaver takes a spectral form that is only usable when Raziel is at full health and deals excellent damage.
One ability that always remains a constant is Raziel’s ability to shift between dimensions, the corporeal and ethereal. A lot of dungeon puzzles are built on the differences the world experiences between these two dimensions, a unique mechanic that takes a while to get accustomed to (sometimes the path forward is obvious, such as a gate being able to be passed through only in the spectral realm, but other times it’s stuff like realizing how the actual level geometry changes between dimensions).
By the end you have more questions than answers, as Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ends on a cliffhanger, but in rare fashion, it actually manages to make it earned. Raziel’s journey is one that leaves you wanting more, and more is what we will get. If that isn’t a testament to the game’s spectacular writing, I don’t know what is.
Yine herkesin çok sevdiği ama benim bir türlü alışamadığım seri. Zamanı değiştirme mekaniği çok iyiydi ama hiçbir zaman kendini yenilikçi hissettirmedi. Şuanda da oynanmaz, geçmişte bir kez oynanıp bitirilebilirdi.
Has one of the strongest world-building, acting & aesthetics that I've seen in any game. Unfortunately actually playing through it sucks.
Combat is far too sluggish, the block puzzles are underwhelming & the lack of direction all show how poorly aged this game is. It would benefit from a well-made remake...
Combat is far too sluggish, the block puzzles are underwhelming & the lack of direction all show how poorly aged this game is. It would benefit from a well-made remake...
This game desperately needs a reboot, a remake, something to revive it. What an amazing story.
This review contains spoilers
haha boxes
If I have to push one more box I'm going to puke.
Amazing game. The Windows port butchers this though, play on something else
This game change my views in videogame, and my life. The story is exquisite, the narration and voice acting top notch for the time of release. The music is really great and the gameplay is interesting, i really like the mechanic of change from spiritual plane to real world. Kain is a great villain and really like is new design. Raziel is iconic. 5/5 game i really recommend.
Technical showcase for the system with dynamic loading. A bit simplistic in terms of gameplay but everything around it (visuals/audio) help hold it all together.
If replaying Blood Omen was bittersweet, this was an emotional roller coaster. I started out as enthusiastic about it as I had been during my first playthrough, but as it went on my heart slowly started to sink.
"Were the controls really this fucked when I played it all those years ago," I asked myself.
"Was the camera this unresponsive?"
"Were the jumping and combat this awkward?"
"An open-ended adventure game with no map? What is this, fucking Simon's Quest?"
"WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO, GAME?"
Then around the three-quarter mark when all the cool moves are unlocked and you're free to explore the splendidly dour land of Nosgoth, draped in its oppressive atmosphere backed by a sublimely moody soundtrack, we were so fucking back.
I can't bring myself to hate this game, even with all its egregious shortcomings. It's just too brilliantly presented with too many great ideas that, despite not always reaching their full (or sometimes even half of) their potential, are so commendable, especially for its time. It's "soul" in its purest, most distilled form, no pun intended.
"Were the controls really this fucked when I played it all those years ago," I asked myself.
"Was the camera this unresponsive?"
"Were the jumping and combat this awkward?"
"An open-ended adventure game with no map? What is this, fucking Simon's Quest?"
"WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO, GAME?"
Then around the three-quarter mark when all the cool moves are unlocked and you're free to explore the splendidly dour land of Nosgoth, draped in its oppressive atmosphere backed by a sublimely moody soundtrack, we were so fucking back.
I can't bring myself to hate this game, even with all its egregious shortcomings. It's just too brilliantly presented with too many great ideas that, despite not always reaching their full (or sometimes even half of) their potential, are so commendable, especially for its time. It's "soul" in its purest, most distilled form, no pun intended.
Thank you Square Enix for selling of Crystal Dynamics to Embracer Group. Now you wont be able to ruin this franchise with nfts.
This is Goth Zelda (positive).
If any game is screaming for a remake it's this one.
As a little kid who was just randomly trying PS1 games, this was my Demon's Souls.
The dark atmosphere, the lack of explanation, the crypticness of progression ... I never quite got far in this game, but it was so damn cool. Throwing enemies into spikes, picking up weapons and piercing through foes, the banging soundtrack on top of it ... It all resulted in a short, but intense time that I never forgot after over 20 years. It seemed like everything was possible in this and that there was this epic adventure ahead of me that I never quite got to.
Finally having played and completed it now almost feels wrong. It's a really good action adventure with some creative bosses and a rewarding story (if you played Legacy of Kain) but it also erased all the mystique surrounding this game for me and the constant box pushing even makes it look a little silly, lol.
There's lots to love in this game, but the lack of direction and sometimes frustrating jumping drags it down. It probably would've been more fun if it was more fighting and less puzzle solving oddly enough. Even all of the bosses are puzzles. Some really neat ones though. The teleporter mechanic and realm changing is still pretty damn impressive!
The dark atmosphere, the lack of explanation, the crypticness of progression ... I never quite got far in this game, but it was so damn cool. Throwing enemies into spikes, picking up weapons and piercing through foes, the banging soundtrack on top of it ... It all resulted in a short, but intense time that I never forgot after over 20 years. It seemed like everything was possible in this and that there was this epic adventure ahead of me that I never quite got to.
Finally having played and completed it now almost feels wrong. It's a really good action adventure with some creative bosses and a rewarding story (if you played Legacy of Kain) but it also erased all the mystique surrounding this game for me and the constant box pushing even makes it look a little silly, lol.
There's lots to love in this game, but the lack of direction and sometimes frustrating jumping drags it down. It probably would've been more fun if it was more fighting and less puzzle solving oddly enough. Even all of the bosses are puzzles. Some really neat ones though. The teleporter mechanic and realm changing is still pretty damn impressive!
Esperando o remake soulslike
De la saga legacy of kain, los soul reaver parece ser los más reconocidos y con más cariño. Viendo lo que me trajo este juego, no sé que pase con los demás, pero diría que es fue un viaje interesante, atmosférico y con una narrativa interesante.
El dilema recae en sus sistemas y niveles. Véase trata de traducir un metroidvania al mundo 3D, curiosamente es de los creadores de tomb Rider, y este juego almenos en su movimiento se queda a medias entre un plataformeo fluido y uno mas realista, hay dilemas como que aveces llendo adelante en pequeñas plataformas probóca que aveces no se agarre o que te resvales callendote por el otro lado, haciéndolo un tanto molesto, igualmente no es un problema el resto del juego debido a que es funcional, a diferencia del combate o el sistema de cambio de realidad, siendo bastante tosco y necesitando si o si de objetos en el mundo material, aunque es más liviano en el mundo spiritual, en este sobretodo cuando consigues la espada en torno al 20% de la campaña, pero de resto sin algo donde finiquitar un enemigo, realmente solo es tiempo muerto sin mucha sustancia, lo cual se ve en el mundo espirituale, ya que la mayoría de veces es solo tedio de traspasar paredes o simplemente buscar rellenar la vida para volver a lo material, aveces es útil para cambiar perspectivas de objetos o zonas, pero la mayoría de ocaciones no aporta absolutamente nada, salvo por el hecho de ser una segunda oportunidad ya que si te matan en ese mundo spiritu, se acabó, cosa que no pasa con el material (aparte de que el juego no está muy hecho para el combate contra más de un enemigos y la mayoría de veces ponen 2 mínimo).
Otro dilema recae en el diseño de mundo y puzzles, aveces hay puzzles interesantes, tanto de plataformas como de perspectivas, pero la gran mayoría de masmorras recaen en el mismo tipo de, mover cajas, lo cual es medio cansino al repetirse tanto, aunque tiene cierta profundidad al poder jugar con las perspectivas ya que piden que encajen los dibujos, almenos lo hacen más interesante aunque igualmente reiterativo.
El diseño visual, musical y artistico está muy bien, aunque por la duración y el hecho de tener que encontrar las cosas como metroidvania, puede llegar a ser repetitivo si no usas guía, y vaya, el juego no es capaz de señalizar las cosas adecuadamente, debido a que muchos lugares se suelen estructurar de manera extraña, haciéndolo muy confuso, sobretodo con las especificaciones de su época haciendo las cosas medio borrosas (lo jugué en emulador de PSX, quisas otra versión sea más sencillo) haciendo que la duracion se extienda, y siendo un juego a diferencia de un plataformero 2d, que es más rápido, o juegos posteriores en 3d que al ser más fluidos no es tanto dilema, aquí si afecta más de lo debido, o almenos así lo siento yo (aparte de que no se si pasa en la original o en todas las versiones, pero e notado bajadas de rendimiento importantes, almenos en el duckstation).
En fin, es un juego que espero en la segunda entrega, mejore los apartados generales, porque en su base está el esqueleto de lo que considero algo que puede ser genial, pero almenos para mí, en esta entrega la ejecución deja que desear en varios apartado, aún así es un juego recomendable de jugar almenos una vez.
El dilema recae en sus sistemas y niveles. Véase trata de traducir un metroidvania al mundo 3D, curiosamente es de los creadores de tomb Rider, y este juego almenos en su movimiento se queda a medias entre un plataformeo fluido y uno mas realista, hay dilemas como que aveces llendo adelante en pequeñas plataformas probóca que aveces no se agarre o que te resvales callendote por el otro lado, haciéndolo un tanto molesto, igualmente no es un problema el resto del juego debido a que es funcional, a diferencia del combate o el sistema de cambio de realidad, siendo bastante tosco y necesitando si o si de objetos en el mundo material, aunque es más liviano en el mundo spiritual, en este sobretodo cuando consigues la espada en torno al 20% de la campaña, pero de resto sin algo donde finiquitar un enemigo, realmente solo es tiempo muerto sin mucha sustancia, lo cual se ve en el mundo espirituale, ya que la mayoría de veces es solo tedio de traspasar paredes o simplemente buscar rellenar la vida para volver a lo material, aveces es útil para cambiar perspectivas de objetos o zonas, pero la mayoría de ocaciones no aporta absolutamente nada, salvo por el hecho de ser una segunda oportunidad ya que si te matan en ese mundo spiritu, se acabó, cosa que no pasa con el material (aparte de que el juego no está muy hecho para el combate contra más de un enemigos y la mayoría de veces ponen 2 mínimo).
Otro dilema recae en el diseño de mundo y puzzles, aveces hay puzzles interesantes, tanto de plataformas como de perspectivas, pero la gran mayoría de masmorras recaen en el mismo tipo de, mover cajas, lo cual es medio cansino al repetirse tanto, aunque tiene cierta profundidad al poder jugar con las perspectivas ya que piden que encajen los dibujos, almenos lo hacen más interesante aunque igualmente reiterativo.
El diseño visual, musical y artistico está muy bien, aunque por la duración y el hecho de tener que encontrar las cosas como metroidvania, puede llegar a ser repetitivo si no usas guía, y vaya, el juego no es capaz de señalizar las cosas adecuadamente, debido a que muchos lugares se suelen estructurar de manera extraña, haciéndolo muy confuso, sobretodo con las especificaciones de su época haciendo las cosas medio borrosas (lo jugué en emulador de PSX, quisas otra versión sea más sencillo) haciendo que la duracion se extienda, y siendo un juego a diferencia de un plataformero 2d, que es más rápido, o juegos posteriores en 3d que al ser más fluidos no es tanto dilema, aquí si afecta más de lo debido, o almenos así lo siento yo (aparte de que no se si pasa en la original o en todas las versiones, pero e notado bajadas de rendimiento importantes, almenos en el duckstation).
En fin, es un juego que espero en la segunda entrega, mejore los apartados generales, porque en su base está el esqueleto de lo que considero algo que puede ser genial, pero almenos para mí, en esta entrega la ejecución deja que desear en varios apartado, aún así es un juego recomendable de jugar almenos una vez.
This review contains spoilers
Не осилил.
Разиэль эволюционировал раньше Каина, за это его скинули в Бездну. Спустя много времени какой-то Старший Бог его оживил, чтобы тот выпилил своих братьев и Каина. Пока Разиэль был в отключке в мире наступил пиздец: вампиры деграднули, людей осталось мало. По ходу игры Разиэль выпиливает всех своих братьев, узнаёт, что раньше они все (и Разиэль тоже) были сарафанцами-людьми-паладинами и боролись с вампирами, а обратил их Каин. Найдя Каина Разиэль слушает какую-то пафосную херню от него и прыгает за ним в прошлое. Конец.
Клёвый дизайн персонажей, хорошая пафосная озвучка, шикарный саундтрек и... невыносимый геймплей. Игра адово устарела. Вроде бы типичная метроидвания, но из-за тугой камеры (стиков на Плэйстэйшн ещё не завезли) играть в это тяжко. И безумно скучно, потому что боёвка тут буквально однокнопочная, а головоломки — перемещение кубов. Игра в принципе короткая (если знать что делать — часов 6 со всеми секретами), а сюжета — минут на 40. И заканчивается всё клиффхенгером.
Играть в это скучно, больно и не нужно. Лучше просто глянуть прохождение или вообще только игрофильм.
Разиэль эволюционировал раньше Каина, за это его скинули в Бездну. Спустя много времени какой-то Старший Бог его оживил, чтобы тот выпилил своих братьев и Каина. Пока Разиэль был в отключке в мире наступил пиздец: вампиры деграднули, людей осталось мало. По ходу игры Разиэль выпиливает всех своих братьев, узнаёт, что раньше они все (и Разиэль тоже) были сарафанцами-людьми-паладинами и боролись с вампирами, а обратил их Каин. Найдя Каина Разиэль слушает какую-то пафосную херню от него и прыгает за ним в прошлое. Конец.
Клёвый дизайн персонажей, хорошая пафосная озвучка, шикарный саундтрек и... невыносимый геймплей. Игра адово устарела. Вроде бы типичная метроидвания, но из-за тугой камеры (стиков на Плэйстэйшн ещё не завезли) играть в это тяжко. И безумно скучно, потому что боёвка тут буквально однокнопочная, а головоломки — перемещение кубов. Игра в принципе короткая (если знать что делать — часов 6 со всеми секретами), а сюжета — минут на 40. И заканчивается всё клиффхенгером.
Играть в это скучно, больно и не нужно. Лучше просто глянуть прохождение или вообще только игрофильм.
real gaming
I don't care if this game has a great story. The gameplay, music and graphics are so horrendous that I can't play this for more than an hour.
One of the worst games I've ever played that is held up so hard by every single thing surrounding the actual act of playing it that I have to give it a 4. Drakengard is more fun to play, I'm dead serious. On PS1 the framerate makes me feel fucking sick, i sought out the Trapezoid box PC version so i could play without a headache
But goddamn, the atmosphere is thick, the writing is unbelievably good, the voice acting is fucking untouchable, Kurt Harland's soundtrack? Bangers. I love this game for the experiences it gives, but I never want to play this shit again.
But goddamn, the atmosphere is thick, the writing is unbelievably good, the voice acting is fucking untouchable, Kurt Harland's soundtrack? Bangers. I love this game for the experiences it gives, but I never want to play this shit again.
One of my favorite games lore-wise and one of the best intro cutscenes in gaming history.
The dialogue is beautifully shakespearian and very intriguing to hear, since the main voice actors (Michael Bell, Simon Templeman and Tony Jay(may his soul rest in peace)) are/were amazing professionals.
The universe of this game (and this franchise) is very rich in lore and twists.
Amazing goth aesthetics, haunting atmospheric soundtrack and intriguing cast of characters.
Unfortunately, gameplay is not the forte of the Legacy Of Kain series.
This game did not aged that well, but it's the second best gameplay in the series you are going to get. Some puzzles are pretty lacklusters, but others can be rewarding when you uncover the riddle for yourself.
It's an amazing cult classic.
The dialogue is beautifully shakespearian and very intriguing to hear, since the main voice actors (Michael Bell, Simon Templeman and Tony Jay(may his soul rest in peace)) are/were amazing professionals.
The universe of this game (and this franchise) is very rich in lore and twists.
Amazing goth aesthetics, haunting atmospheric soundtrack and intriguing cast of characters.
Unfortunately, gameplay is not the forte of the Legacy Of Kain series.
This game did not aged that well, but it's the second best gameplay in the series you are going to get. Some puzzles are pretty lacklusters, but others can be rewarding when you uncover the riddle for yourself.
It's an amazing cult classic.