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Remakes and remasters are interesting and quirky things. Many hope to capitalize on the desire for nostalgia. Many also want to take advantage of later technology to improve the creative vision of the team and bring to life what they couldn’t do before. Some are passion projects that honor the (no pun intended) legacy of a beloved franchise and want to see if modern games will embrace it. Legacy of Kain 1 and 2: Remastered accomplishes all these things by updating Crystal Dynamics’ original titles for a new generation of fans – and hardware.
via YouTubeEven before these games, I was a fan of 1996’s Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. The tragedy of betrayal, vengeance, and ruthless vampire slaughter on the first PlayStation was compelling to my teenage mind. 1999’s Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was a fun follow-up for my college years – moving away from the faster-paced slasher into larger, increasingly expansive worldbuilding and thoughtful combat.
This new remastered work takes a light touch, providing enhanced graphics (which can be toggled in-game), improvements to the janky PS1-era control scheme, and a lot of the behind-the-scenes art and development for the games. At times, I think I would have preferred some of the original ideas from the earlier game which brought a more terrifying element to some of the characters through their design, but overall it’s a treasure to those that really enjoy the franchise.
The gameplay is still the same as before, traversing through a nearly barren landscape brought down by Kain’s violence and arrogance. Playing as Raziel on a quest for vengeance, you jump and slash opponents and former allies who give you power ups to continue your journey into the ruins of Nosgoth in both the future and past. You must also solve various puzzles, mostly involving physical movement of objects in the environment – blocks, levers, and other objects.
The games provide interesting ways to vary your experience. As an undead vampire, your health is replenished mainly from the reaving of souls (hence, the name), sucking them into your hollow maw after killing them. You’re able to grab objects and items to attack your opponents, such as torches, poleaxes, and swords. Most interesting is how you’re able to traverse into an alternate space where you exist in a spirit realm, allowing you to pass into secret areas for power-ups and lore, skip past certain troublesome battles, or simply escape to safer harbor before gaining health and jumping back into the battle.
Technically, you can never die, but defeat in both the real and spirit worlds returns you to the beginning, where you must struggle to find your way back to certain areas. There are different portals at times, so it’s not a major obstacle, but it can be annoying when you finally get a groove.
The story is compelling and keeps you interested in how it unfolds, with deceit and double-crosses in an almost Shakespearean way. Characters speak in grandiose ways, bordering on the campiness of vampire lore, and the passion of its developers, both then and now, really shine. It was an impressive feat when it first came out and still holds up to modern standards.
Those with fond memories of the original PS1-era games will likely enjoy Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered, and those who’ve never experienced them will probably have a good time with these two finely-crafted action-adventure classics. With updated visuals, performance, controls, and more there’s plenty to explore here. A well-done outing by Aspyr, and I hope they continue their streak of remastering other well deserving classics.