Legacy of Kain Defiance

Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Eidos

After a series of highs and lows both sales and quality-wise, the Legacy of Kain franchise had become diluted. No longer were there any discernible traces of its Legend of Zelda gameplay origins, and all Tomb Raider influences had mostly dissipated by this point. The series had also fallen out of favor with critics and gamers alike, as each installment scored and sold progressively less. Perhaps in an attempt to save a dying franchise, efforts were put into re-inventing it once again, this time taking cues from Capcom’s popular Devil May Cry titles. 

Indeed these were trying times for Legacy of Kain fans and the next entry, Legacy of Kain: Defiance would be instrumental in gauging whether or not this was the last we’d hear from our two anti-heroes. Of course, it’s now been 12 years since we’ve journeyed with either Kain or Raziel, so needless to say, Defiance didn’t sway the hearts of naysayers and the franchise now rests in limbo.

Most likely, the order to split the franchise in two series had also been recalled due to the disappointment known as Blood Omen 2. Now, players would be able to play as both Kain and Raziel in a shared game and timeline, though not at will. Rather, as the story progressed, we would be handled control of either one or the other.

Taking place after the events of Soul Reaver 2, players once again take control of the titular Kain, this time finally reunited with his sword, the Soul Reaver. This time however, the sword has yet to be imbued with the power to devour souls, instead, it will drain all blood from Kain’s foes. It may seem like an unnecessary plot point, but in actuality, this serves to explain why even regular Sarafan warriors require several hits before perishing. Raziel also lost the elemental powers gained in the previous game, having to recover them yet again.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance places a greater emphasis on fast-paced combat than its predecessors did. Your characters now move much faster and chain combos similar to Capcom’s Dante. However, your moveset is rather limited and even though new abilities can be earned it never feels as though you have a large array of combinations to pull off. Enemy variety is equally average, providing little challenge or need to perfectly master either of our anti-heroes.

The environmental hazards from Soul Reaver 1 also make a return though their importance is considerably downplayed. You may employ telekinetic attacks to project enemies against spikes, fires or throw them off bridges. In many ways this greatly simplifies battles though I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t immensely satisfying. Better yet, statues and handrails can break off when foes are telekinetically propelled onto them, it almost makes me wish a greater emphasis had been placed on these abilities for both combat and puzzle solving.

Both Kain and Raziel will improve their respective physical and spectral reavers throughout their journey. A far greater emphasis is placed on the fallen angel of death though, as he earns roughly twice as many upgrades as his vampiric counterpart. When upgraded, the reaver can charge whenever a quick succession of strikes is hurled at foes. Once fully charged, all regular attacks will issue a secondary status effect depending on the element chosen ranging from knockback, to slowing foes or even freezing them. Finally, by pressing and holding the attack button, players may release the reaver’s full charge spreading a more powerful version of its status-altering abilities.

In Raziel’s case, reaver upgrades will also add platforming / puzzle-solving abilities including the ability to go invisible, create platforms for which to jump on, scalable walls and more. With Kain, these upgrades are far less pronounced and only some grant non-combat abilities.

Although we take control of both Kain and Raziel throughout this experience, they play almost exactly the same. Both use the same basic and advanced combos, some must be acquired by gaining experience and although each has their own XP bar, they earn the same exact moves.

The game is a mostly linear affair, players may backtrack to previous areas, but save for the occasional health and telekinesis upgrade there’s very little reason to do so. Throughout this journey, either Kain or Raziel will visit previous locations such as Vorador’s Mansion and the Sarafan stronghold, both of which look fairly faithful to their previous incarnations. The same can’t be said for the pillars of Nosgoth though, in many ways their surrounding area seems completely different from what we’ve previously witnessed.

This series has always been known for its strong narrative focus and though Legacy of Kain: Defiance sees the return of Amy henning at the writing helm, the story is not as engaging as it was in Soul Reaver 2. In fact, for the first half Defiance drags on both gameplay and plot-wise. It wasn’t until we begin to approach the climax that it finally became interesting.

On some level it seems the time and/or budget for Legacy of Kain: Defiance seems to have been constrained. For example, rather than discovering ancient vampiric temples, Raziel stumbles upon portals leading him to different parts of the same temple. The issue here being that much of the thrill that comes with exploring and discovering long forgotten temples is now lost. Worse still, the action is now broken up and players are propelled to nearly identical locations time and time again. Oddly enough, the entire adventure makes for a short endeavor as it can be finished in just one day with no replay value added.

In Soul Reaver 2, temples had a theme related to their element, making each location visually unique. Here, they all look the same and carry no theme. Even Raziel’s monologues and lore retrieved from exploring their murals have been severely toned down. 

Legacy of Kain: Defiance also suffers from the occasional bug or glitch. These were mostly fixed for the US release, but if you’re playing on a PAL system like I am, you might run into sections where the camera becomes stuck or Raziel falls through the floor into nothingness.

As the story draws to its conclusion several loose points are eventually addressed though they mostly ignore Blood Omen 2. We also finally witness the showdown between Kain and Raziel though its conclusion is less than satisfying. 

It’s sad to see that series which held so much promise fade away and wither. A succession of questionable decisions on a management level and game design diluted much of the formula and story. Even more egregious is the fact this franchise never reached a proper conclusion, with many of the evils being driven back, but not fully defeated. To this day the Legacy of Kain series still holds a loyal fanbase to which I consider myself a part of it, but sadly, looking at them over a decade later, it’s obvious the games require an overhaul and a focus on what made them so strong both gameplay and narrative-wise.

Pros:
- Fast paced combat is probably the best in the series
- Telekinetic powers are quite fun
- Despite a slow start, the second half and climax are quite interesting

Cons:
- Short and repetitive
- Feeling of exploration from past entries is gone
- The first half of the game is terribly uninteresting
- A disappointing ending that opens up room for a sequel that never came.

Final Grade: C+

I can't say I'm a fan of the cover art, it screams generic action game. I also find it odd that Kain and Raziel are staring at two different points, not to mention, we never actually see them fighting together throughout the game.

The manual is probably the best I've seen for the series so far though. It features plenty of full-colored screenshots, accurately condenses the storyline thus far and even features profile descriptions for both Kain and Raziel.

Of course, it also goes into a fairly lengthy detail on how to play Legacy of Kain: Defiance, though it does spoil many of the abilities players will gain as they progress through the main storyline.

Overall, it's a standard packaging, the cover doesn't impress me, but the manual makes up for this. It's sad Eidos didn't include a hologram cover like they did with the original Soul Reaver, but I suppose at this point even the publisher had fallen out of love with the series.

Packaging Grade: B-

Rivers of Alice Review

"It’s likely those who play adventure games to be challenged or engage themselves in a well-written narrative will be disappointed by this release. However, those who value an emotional journey over a cohesive plot will likely be drawn to The Rivers of Alice’s singular visuals and audio while a brief length and accessible difficulty level pose a welcome experience for beginners."

Check out the full review over at Tech-gaming

Poncho review

" Poncho is a game filled with beautiful ideas, both in narrative and in concept. Shifting between background planes opens a world of possibilities and fully encourages exploration, but it comes with its own grievances as well. An over-abundance of backtracking, secret paths necessary to progress and challenge repetition will mar the experience somewhat. Regardless, anyone willing to look past these will find a mostly non-intrusive philosophically engaging storyline coupled a retro themed, visually stunning experience. "

Check out the full review over at Tech-Gaming

Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2

Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Eidos

To say the Legacy of Kain series had an inconsistent output throughout its iterations would be something of an understatement. Soul Reaver featured a brilliant execution on the aging Playstation, but it spawned a disappointing sequel while Blood Omen failed to deliver on its lofty promises. Yet, this vampiric franchise hadn’t truly hit its low point until Blood Omen 2, a title which seems to miss almost every mark set by its predecessors.

Upon Soul Reaver’s critical and commercial success, Eidos mandated that the franchise be split in two; Blood Omen which would be focused on a younger Kain before his rise to power and Soul Reaver which follows Raziel in his quest for vengeance. Sadly, Crystal Dynamics already had its hands full with the Soul Reaver games and so a different team within the studio was tasked with handling Blood Omen 2. However, in a story that is not at all dissimilar with past entries, Blood Omen 2 wasn’t created from scratch; rather, an existing project was adapted into it.

Many retro gamers may be familiar with a Sega Genesis/ Mega Drive action platformer by the name of Chakan: The Forever Man. What they may not know is that a Dreamcast sequel was in development before being canceled due to the console’s demise. In essence, Blood Omen 2 is what became of this project, taking many locations, characters and concepts, combining them with yet another unreleased title known only as Sirens.

This hodgepodge of ideas and game design had to be retrofitted so as to fit the Kain mythos all while being helmed by a different team. It’s true this story is similar to that of Soul Reaver itself and that it proved to a winning formula, but sadly, this was not the case here. Blood Omen 2 ignores almost every convention set by previous entries holding only the most tenuous of connections to the Legacy of Kain franchise.

Taking place between the events set in Blood Omen and Soul Reaver, we learn there was a period when Kain’s conquest of Nosgoth came to a sudden halt as the self-appointed vampiric monarch died by the hand of a newly formed Seraphan crusade. Thankfully, vampiric allies were able to resurrect a weakened and amnesiac Kain 200 years later during a time where this new force controls the entirety of Nosgoth and vampires have once again been driven to near-extinction.

Plot-wise Blood Omen 2 seems unnecessary, the setting doesn’t add value to the series' arching plot, making it seem like the entire adventure is a mere pit stop instead of a grandiose undertaking. Worse still, as the game progresses, many narrative elements raised contradict events in previous games. Characters who were killed off walk amongst the living once more with no explanation as to why. Important developments which should have affected previous (and future) games are raised only to never be heard from again upon Blood Omen 2’s conclusion.

Even the dialogs were massively scaled back, featuring none of the series’ florid monologues or long, theatrical character interactions. Actors who once shared great chemistry together now seem stiff and wooden though one can hardly blame them, even the best performer would struggle to draw any artistic flare from these conversations. In fact, Blood Omen 2 doesn’t have a story so much as it has people giving you orders.

The tone has changed quite a bit as well; if previous game entries felt as though they were written by someone who held extensive Shakespearean knowledge then Blood Omen 2 seems as though it was created while listening to Evanescene or some other edgy band. This isn’t to say there is no artistic value in this approach, but the tonal shift is staggering and not at all positive. Kain is now (even more) needlessly aggressive, spouting cheesy one-liners and generally acting more like an aggressive teenager rather than a centuries old vampiric nobleman.

Changes were not limited to intangible elements as Blood Omen 2 now braves into a more action focused gameplay. The open words of past entries have now been replaced with linear stages, players are expected to go from point A to point B with little to no exploration ever being encouraged or even rewarded. More often than not, veering off the beaten path results in hitting invisible walls. Instead, Kain is expected to force through enemies and guards, most of which will attack on sight.

Battles have little variation to them, as players are only given a handful of possible moves, including a simple three-hit combo, blocking, side-stepping and throwing. Weapons may also be picked up, but these bring no new moves and generally only add incremental damage. This of course means once you’ve weilded a weapon, you’ve weilded them all, adding to the feeling of repetition.

Some light platforming, puzzle and stealth sections are used to diversify gameplay, but these, much like the combat itself, are often unsatisfying. All of them are under-developed and pose no challenge, often employing the same trick countless times between levels. For example, all stealth sections require players to traverse through limited, foggy areas, stand behind their foes and perform a killing blow. Puzzles often require you to either press levers, push blocks or both. Even the platforming sections are overly simplistic and manageable, with the greatest challenge stemming not from level design, but from Blood Omen 2’s stiff controls.

It wasn’t uncommon for me to try to and jump forward only to see Kain jump straight up with no forward momentum. Other times I had trouble walking where I wanted to, dodging strikes or even picking up weapons.

Every couple of levels Kain must face-off against a boss, whose defeat grants the titular character a new ability similar to what we’ve witnessed in Soul Reaver. These can either be powerful combat moves which must be charged by blocking strikes or puzzle/platforming skills. They were my main motivator to progress through the main campaign though towards the later stages frustration and boredom had become a common mainstay.

Unlike previous games, death is a real threat. Should kain fall into water, a bottomless pit or die from combat, all progress will scale back to the last checkpoint, reviving all foes and resetting any puzzles or plot events. Most of these tasks are already monotonous by themselves, but they become truly egregious in later stages due to particularly aggressive and defensive NPCs.

Upon striking a killing blow onto an opponent, Kain may draw their blood to replenish the player’s health. Feeding accumulates ‘lore’, acting as a make-shift experience bar, when filled, players win a permanent health bonus, though anyone hoping for skills points or the ability to improve existing skills will be sorely disappointed.

Adding insult to injury, Blood Omen 2 is not nearly as technically sound as Soul Reaver 2 despite launching a year later. Graphically, character models have taken a step back from their detailed, expressive selves. In Soul Reaver 2, dialog sequences were lovingly adorned with facial expressions for each line, whereas now, those very same characters are as dull and lifeless as the lines they speak. This Playstation 2 version also suffers from persistent framerate stuttering as the console struggles to stream each level without needing to pause the action in order to load. Oddly enough, even the stages and environments seem smaller and claustrophobic when compared to the large open spaces traversed by Raziel.

As a Legacy of Kain title, Blood Omen 2 is a farcry from its predecessors featuring none of their strengths be they narrative, artistic or gameplay-wise. On its own merits, it's still a below average title, suffering from repetitive combat, an overabundance of bland puzzles and uninspired platforming coupled with a barely coherent plot, needlessly edgy dialog, unlikable main character and framerate issues. At the end of the day, Blood Omen 2 bares few redeeming features.

Trivia: Did you know Blood Omen 2 originally began as a sequel to Chakan: The Forever Man? The finished product also threw in elements from another game called Sirens and added the Legacy of Kain lore onto it

Pros:

- We finally get to play as young Kain in 3D
- Interesting locations
- Good character design

Cons:
- Framerate issues
- Repetitive combat, uninteresting platforming, puzzle and level design
- Story, characters and voice acting are a farcry from previous games
- Barely feels like a Legacy of Kain game

Final Grade: D

For all my criticisms of the game, I have to say this is a fine cover. Not only is it eye-catching, it manages to properly convey what Bloog Omen 2 was aiming for. My only criticism here is that Kain is weilding the Soul Reaver, something which won't happen until the last few minutes of this title.

Inside you'll find an Eidos catalog, a manual featuring an alternate cover, the disc and a registration card. It's interesting how Eidos was hoping to entice gamers to register by giving away a pair of VR goggles, I can only hazard a guess as to how akward these must have been if we consider the fact this technology still has a long way to go over a decade later.

I was satisfied with the manual, it held a pleasing design that fit with Blood Omen 2's theme. It accurately summarizes events leading up to the game and manages to give detailed instructions on how to play. Sadly, it contains a few minor spoilers by providing bios for characters who will appear in later stages, but considering how Blood Omen 2's plot was never great to begin with, no great loss here.

The catalog features several titles both published and developed by Eidos including Deus Ex, Time Splitters 2, Soul Reaver 2 and of course, Blood Omen 2. Most games shown here include a quote from the media and I couldn't help but chuckle when Power Magazine stated Blood Omen 2 was a "blockbuster in the making", AH! Hardly.

Overall, I was quite pleased with the packaging, it's a step above of Soul Reaver 2's, if only I could say the same for the game.

Packaging Grade: B+

Primal Carnage: Extinction

" Primal Carnage: Extinction is an interesting experiment in gameplay, balance and theme, but one which ultimately fails to deliver on a compelling, lasting experience. It suffers from limited content, unbalanced factions and little gameplay variation. "

Check out the full review over at Tech-Gaming

I Can't Escape Darkness

" I Can’t Escape: Darkness is psychologically eerie and avoids cheap scares, gamers seeking sophisticated chills in their experiences would do well to seek this one out. "

Click here for the full review

Warhammer 40,000: Regicide Review

I reviewed Warhammer 40,000: Regicide over at Tech-Gaming.com

" The idea of combining 40K with chess may have been questionable, but in the end, Warhammer 40K: Regicide surpasses expectations. "

Full review HERE

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 2

Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Eidos

Soul Reaver featured a scale uncommon for games at the time, in fact, much of its plot and contents were removed and later reworked so as to fit a sequel. What would have been too much for Crystal Dynamics to handle for just one release became more manageable when spread out across multiple ones. From a narrative standpoint, this decision helped solidify the series' lore and story, as Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 effectively manages to tie all preceding titles together in one, brilliantly written bow.

Yet, many gameplay elements were scaled back in this Playstation 2 game. What was once a a near-perfect blend of Tomb Raider and Legend of Zelda had now abandoned most its Hyrule roots in favor of a style more befitting our British archaeologist. While still not bound by levels or stages, Soul Reaver 2 is no longer an open-world title as its predecessor was. All paths are linear, with no secrets or hidden locales to explore. Moreover, Raziel no longer has to fight bosses nor does he gain abilities as he did before. Rather, he keeps those learned when fighting his brethren save for Dumah's constrict ability, though that particular skill was never all that useful to begin with. Even the glyph magic is now gone, with no available substitutes to earn or unlock.

For as many step backs as the game took in gameplay, it seems to have take twice as many when it came to story, character interaction and dialogue. There's a reason why Soul Reaver 2 is remembered for its plot and to put it simply; this game provides possibly the best time-traveling storyline ever written. As a newcomer to a different era, Raziel plays the perfect conduit for players, he is as lost in this world as we are, knowing only what we do from Blood Omen.

This vulnerability opens a web of lies, conspiracies and mistrust where neither player nor character know which side to trust. From the titular Kain to the return of the Elder God, Moebius and a few new characters, we are never sure on which side, if any is speaking the truth. Sadly, we are never given the option to decide for Raziel, rather we simply guide him as we platform, face enemies and explore long abandoned temples.

Combat also took a turn for the worse. No longer facing off against vampires, Raziel's foes are either human, spectres or demons all of which can die rather easily with enough strikes, so carrying impaling weapons, while still useful, are no longer a necessity. The Soul Reaver also gains increased prominence as it can now be used at any time regardless of whether or not our anti-hero is in full health. The wraith blade is as its most powerful here, becoming more powerful with use until it instantly kills enemies with just one strike. However, should it become over-aroused it will also start hurting Raziel, needing a cooldown period to recover. Regardless, combat hardly ever poses a threat, not once have I felt the need to properly learn it simplistic combo system as I never had any trouble dispatching even the toughest of foes.

Though Raziel no longer gains any abilities, the same cannot be said for the Soul Reaver. In order to progress, we are often required to explore ancient forges which grant upgrades to the wraith blade. These act as dungeons, all of which carry their own specific theme such as light, fire or air and require players to unlock several puzzles related to their element. Upon clearing a forge you are granted a reaver upgrade though their usefulness is limited. Rather than providing combat or exploration enhancements, they open specific doors or must be used in fixed/scripted points. Employing its power in these spots can create shadow bridges, light darkened areas or create wind torrents to better guide you, however, the fact you cannot use them at will greatly diminishes any sense of reward from acquiring them.

Thankfully, the puzzle design in Soul Reaver 2 is stronger this time around. No longer are we required to slide blocks, having to rely instead on thematic puzzle-solving and jumping. With no boss encounters throughout the experience, this is another point where Soul Reaver 2 feels hollow. In fact, the only reward for progressing is learning more of this carefully crafted tale.

Indeed the plot is without a doubt the main reason to play. All voice actors without exception perform their roles admirably as their characters come to life through their Shakespearean dialog. Not once will you ever question Raziel's motivation for what he does, but at the same time you question everyone else's as you never know who is an ally or if you even possess any. The game makes it clear there is much you're not being told, but it only drops you small bits of information as you progress, motivating players to press on further. While I won't reveal the ending, I will say it ends on both a plot twist and a cliffhanger and an outstanding one at that.

Throughout his quest, Raziel will travel through different time periods of Nosgoth. However, the portion of the world we see is but a fraction of the world size in Blood Omen or even Soul Reaver for that matter. Thankfully, the land is beautifully rendered, ranging from bright, vivid colors to dark, depressing locales and times. Still, one can't help but feel disappointed as to how little we get to see, which is made even worse by the fact that we are constantly re-visiting the same areas in different time-zones. To make matters worse, Soul Reaver 2 is criminally short, taking little more than an afternoon to complete it.

From a narrative standpoint Soul Reaver 2 is one of the best games of its time. A well-crafted dialog, enticing plot and engaging characters serves as the main motives to progress. Sadly, the gameplay itself is a hollow experience, sacrificing many of its predecessor's strongest elements in favor of dull combat, a linear world and no replay incentive.

Trivia: Did you know Soul Reaver 2 was originally going to launch for the Sega Dreamcast as well? Leaked screenshots showed it to be nearly indistinguishable from its Playstation 2 counterpart. Sadly, with that version was cancelled with the announcement of the console's demise

Pros:

- Well-written plot with Shakespearean dialog
- Some of the best voice-acting output ever put into a videogame
- Possibly the best time travel story ever told
- Stronger puzzle design with no sliding blocks

Cons:
- Combat has been simplified and is now useless at best and annoying at worst
- No longer an open world, Soul Reaver 2 is now entirely linear
- Unlike its predecessors, there are now no secrets to explore

- Zelda-like elements have been cast-off
- Short

Final Grade: B-

The Playstation 2 packaging ditches the hologram cover of the first one in favor of a more traditional model. I can't say I appreciate the box art as much as I did in the original game. Inside, you'll find the game, manual and an Eidos registration card.

Funnily enough, the back of the box is misleading, stating Raziel can earn new glyphs and physical abilities, something which never made it onto the final release. There's even a screenshot featuring Raziel performing an animation from Soul Reaver which isn't present in Soul Reaver 2 either.

The manual is pretty solid, effectively summarizing the events of Blood Omen and Soul Reaver while detailing the game's intricacies. The text is adorned by screenshots and the occasional artwork though sadly, all images are in black and white. Overall, I quite like this packaging, even without the hologram cover it's still a solid packaging.

Packaging Grade: B

20XX Preview

I previewed the indie Megaman-inspired roguelite, 20XX over at Tech-Gaming.com.

" Even as an early access title, 20XX is the best approximation to the Megaman franchise gamers have been presented with in roughly a decade. The game celebrates Capcom’s blue bomber in both visuals and gameplay while adding enough twists to make it feel unique. We can only hope the final release will improve upon an already solid formula even further. "

Full review HERE

Armello

I reviewed the indie strategy game, Armello over at Tech-Gaming.com

" (Armello) never acquires the necessary maturity to evolve into a deep web of war and conspiracy that is often found in titles like Civilization or Age of Wonders III. It’s true this bite-sized formula works well for tablets and mobile devices, but when playing on a computer, Armello leaves much to be desired in scope. Regardless, the potential here is immense and I can only hope it sells well enough to warrant a sequel addressing these issues. "

Full review HERE

Act of Aggression

I reviewed Act of Aggression over at Tech-Gaming.

" Act of Aggression proves the classic Command & Conquer RTS formula can still provide fast-paced, strategic thrills when properly handled. "

Check out the full review HERE.

Party Hard

I reviewed Party Hard over at Tech-Gaming.com

“ Party Hard offers a unique take on the stealth killing genre, it’s a brilliant concept with a solid execution. The occasional bugs and later maps may hinder the experience somewhat, but fans may appreciate this relaxed approached to the genre. “

Full review HERE

Sega Visions Part 4: A Shifting Market

Click here for part 3

It was clear Sega was enjoying its success. Articles dedicated to developers or publishers signing on for the 16-bit system were but a distant memory as for over two years now there was simply no need for them. The Genesis was selling well and third party software houses wanted to get in on the action. Sega had a large flow of new releases every month and it got to the point where Sega Visions could not cover them all even with the increase in page size. Regardless, times were changing and issue 18, launched a mere two months after the previous one heralded several new developments, not all of which promising.

A Genesis 32-bit upgrade was on the horizon

The cover focused prominently on 32-bit gameplay for existing Genesis owners, this of course, refers to what would eventually become the 32x. Ironically, despite it being the center piece of this issue's cover, very little information was provided, readers were only given half a page of text and scant few details. Interestingly enough, the article mentioned "CD-quality audio" something which the hardware was not capable of without a Sega CD add-on.

Regardless of what the flashy cover would have you believe, the 32x was not this issue's focal point, that honor went to videogame censorship. As mentioned on part 3, by the time issue 17 launched, the US senate hearings which led to the ESRB's creation were already underway and Sega was feeling the impact with Night Trap being pulled from store shelves.

The 'Say What?' section was entirely dedicated to the ESRB

For the first time ever, the 'Say What' section focused on solely one topic; The ESRB. The writing takes an apparent neutral stance on this whole situation, but upon closer inspection it seems to paint the picture that every major software house wanted a rating system. It mentions how Sega, Nintendo, Atari, 3DO, Phillips, Acclaim and Electronic Arts created a special committee for this and how Sega was at the forefront of creating an industry-wide rating system. It gives off that every major studio thought these senate hearings and the ESRB were a good thing.

Tom Kalinske and Ken Williams write opinion pieces on how they perceive a new rating system

To further drive the point home, Sega of America CEO, Tom Kalinske wrote his first and only article for the magazine, an opinion piece on why he support the new rating system. In his words, he supports this move because he's a parent and because the movie industry shares a similar safeguard as well. It's interesting to see how Tom mentions on-demand movies in 1994, roughly ten years before their use became a mainstream commodity.

Amidst all this, there was still more hardware to sell

Perhaps to serve as a counter-balance to all this wave of positivity towards a shifting industry, this issue also included a guest editorial article by Sierra On-Line co-founder, Ken Williams. Ken defends the creation of a rating system, just not one that is state-run, his issue being the government shouldn't decide what is or isn't safe to view. The editorial cites examples of games who already contained warning labels deeming them unsafe for children including Leisure Suit Larry 6. Ken stated Sega's arguments with the congress fell on def ears and that a government-led rating system could potentially block freedom of expression. Regardless of my thoughts for Ken's arguments, I can't but be surprised to see an editorial of his in a Sega magazine considering both companies never shared much of a working relationship.

The community seemed somewhat split towards the topic though leaning more towards Ken's side

Mr. Ken's words would not be the only ones opposing the ratings board as the topic dominated the "Yo Sega" section. Most letters discussing the topic were clearly against this industry-wide citing reasons which ranged from censorship to not being old enough to purchase titles. Others were simply asking for information on what the big deal was and one is even thankful at the prospect of a rating board. Of course, as with nearly every other issue, there's someone asking how bits work.

The image isn't particularly relevant for today's post, but I wish I could get my hands on this game

This is perhaps the most interesting issue in the entire Sega Visions run. It was the first time Tom Kalinske addressed his readership and the first time someone outside Sega had their own editorial and the community was obviously worried about these market changes as well. The amount of historically relevant information within the first 14 pages of this issue is staggering. In part five we'll be taking a look at the rest of issue 18 along with issues 19-22.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (Dreamcast)

Developer: Crystal Dynamics/Nixxes Software BV
Publisher: Eidos

Dreamcast fans will often tell you that despite boasting a strong library, many of the console's titles were hastily made Playstation/N64 ports with little to no improvement made other than an increased resolution. Taking into considering how much effort and care was put into Soul Reaver for the Playstation, I was hoping the same level of detail would be put into Sega's swan song. Oddly enough, it seems I was half-right, some improvements have indeed been made though it only served to exacerbate areas which were left untouched.

Soul Reaver for the Playstation was a technical marvel, featuring large open areas, no load times and the ability to twist the world around us. However, a game that pushes the limits of an aging 32-bit seems inconsistent when running on a more powerful next-gen system. Yes, Soul Reaver on the Sega Dreamcast produces a visual spectacle that is leaps and bounds better than its Sony counterpart, but it doesn't push the hardware as much as it should have though perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself.

As a follow-up to Silicon Knights' Blood Omen, players are introduced to Raziel a fan-favorite whose popularity rivals and may even trump that of the titular Kain himself. Centuries have passed since the original game and vampires have established themselves as Nosgoth’s dominant force. Over time, vampires enter a state of change and gain new abilities, however, Raziel made the mistake of surpassing his master, and was executed for it. Having his body dissolved for centuries, our anti-hero finds himself rescued by a mysterious entity who turns the long-dead vampire into a soul eating demon-like entity. With new unlife granted, he seeks revenge on his master and brothers.

While the premise may sound overly edgy, its dialog is told well enough that most won’t notice it. Many of Blood Omen’s actors make a return including Simon Templeman and Tony Jay who are now joined by Michael Bell, all of which do a superb job at bringing their roles to life. Indeed, the writing and characters are what most fondly remember this series for. It featured a use of florid language and ornate monologues which at best verged on Shakespearian and at worst were still ahead of the competition.

As with its predecessor, Soul Reaver draws influence from the Legend of Zelda series though now firmly set in a 3D world. Some may accuse Crystal Dynamics of copying Nintendo’s Hyrulean hero initial N64 outing, but the fact is both games were originally released less than a year apart, so it’s most likely both worked in parallel towards evolving that particular formula.

The spiritual realm provides a corrupted visage of our dimension reminiscent of German expressionism with columns and buildings becoming twisted and gaining a darker tint. While in this state, time stops, Raziel gradually recovers energy, and his vampiric foes disappear. This state features its own set of denizens in the form of wraiths and other smaller monsters who, much like Raziel, consume souls for nourishment. While in the spiritual realm players may not interact with any physical objects, they can climb, jump and platform as they would before, but may not open doors, press switches or pick up weapons. This dimension serves as more than just a slow health refill however, often times inaccessible locations are easier to reach when navigating through their twisted spectral-selves.

Combat is unique in that most enemies can’t be killed by normal means. A vampire’s flesh begins to close as soon as it is cleaved, this regeneration ensures players will have to adapt to different rules of engagement. If an enemy has received enough damage he will be temporarily stunned, it’s then that Raziel must deliver the finishing blow by impaling, inflame, cast light or douse his foes in water. The issue here is that weapons are not always readily available and any trip to the spiritual realm causes players the one they were carrying. Even unarmed, a killing strike may still be struck provided any suitable environmental dangers are nearby. Should a vampire become paralyzed, players may momentarily carry and throw it onto spikes, sunlight or water. Spectral and human enemies require no such tactics, the first may be consumed as you would any other soul and the latter dies in a few punches.

Souls act as life-recovery items. When an enemy in the physical world is defeated their soul is released for a scant few moments. This may then be consumed before dissipating into nothingness. Spectral enemies do not turn into souls but may be cfed upon as such all the same. Should players remove an impaling weapon from any vampiric foe before consuming their soul it will spring back to life as if nothing had happened.

Each major dungeon is inhabited by a different type of vampire and a boss. All of these share a common theme among them such as the ability to climb, swim or shoot projectiles. Upon defeating the location’s boss, Raziels adds these techniques to his repertoire though some may be exclusive to either the physical or spectral realms. The most notable of which being the titular soul reaver, a spectral blade and the most powerful in-game weapon though while in the physical realm, it can only be wielded when the player is at full health.

Acquired abilities provide proper reward and motivation to carry on with your quest, though sadly, all boss battles in Soul Reaver are unexciting. These work as a puzzle in of itself, so rather than engaging in battle with his brothers, Raziel must find a way to exploit their weakness. The concept is solid in theory, but these bouts feel unfulfilling.

The story in Soul Reaver is sparse for the most part though much more cohesive than its predecessor. Just like Blood Omen though, the best moments come in the form of lore-building monologues. These offer enough information to peak interest while leaving enough left unsaid to let imaginations run wild. Learning about what befell Nosgoth’s people, both human and vampiric alike was a joy to listen, even if their fates were often terrible. It’s just a shame Kain barely makes an appearance, appearing only twice to serve as a boss and trading a dozen or so lines with Raziel.

On a technical level, Soul Reaver was an achievement for the Playstation, sporting large open areas with complex geometry while never stopping to load. Even more impressive is how quickly and easily the world shifts and contorts when accessing to and from the spectral realm. 

All of these qualities are retained for the Dreamcast version though there have been several improvements. The resolution has been bumped by quite a bit and an anti-aliasing effect has been added onto it, making the overall presentation much sharper. The framerate has now been set to 60, an enhancement to be sure but not without its drawbacks. When traversing through larger areas or walking through several lighting effects it's not uncommon to experience slowdown. 

Now granted, slowdown was present in the Playstation version as well, but the change is more pronounced this time around and therefore, more noticeable. Worse still, it seems to occur more often than it did on its 32-bit counterpart. Kain and Raziel's character model have been touched up, and while Raziel looks nowhere near as good as his Soul Reaver 2 counterpart he does look closer to what one would expect from the Dreamcast. Kain on the other hand still shares too many traits with its PS1 roots, looking only slightly improved. Lighting effects and draw distances have also undergone enhancements, offering players a better view of post-apocalyptic Nosgoth.

Sadly, these enhancements aggravate areas left untouched. Wall textures and enemy/human character models being the worst offenders. Murals remain nigh-unreadable, wall, door and floor tiles will look pixelated and blurry contrasting with a better defined Raziel and improved lighting and enemy vampires terribly low-poly when compared to our anti-hero. Some veteran vampire foes even lost their trademark red eyes, though the manual still mentions this feature.

Controlling Raziel has also been made harder this time around namely due to an overly sensitive analog stick and fewer buttons on the Dreamcast controller. Getting the main character to run in a straight line is much harder this time around, making certain platform segments more difficult than they were on its Playstation counterpart. Camera controls are also now mapped to the D-pad, as a result, players can no longer adjust the camera while running and attacking.

All game design specific frustrations carry over to this version, namely the block puzzles. While most locations make good use of Raziel’s abilities, all dungeons seem to feature a common theme of having to drag giant stone blocks around. Sometimes they’re used as platforms, other times these serve as sliding puzzles or players must simply replicate a drawing by once again, dragging more blocks around. Regardless of the objective, these are a chore to move around and grind the pacing to halt. Worse still, some plot-required locations can have as many as five or six of these.

As new abilities are gained, players may revisit old areas or discover new optional ones in search of secrets. These come in the form of health upgrades, glyphs which enable you to cast magic, mana upgrades and even a fire upgrade to your soul reaver. Considering Soul Reaver features a relatively low difficulty setting none of them are particularly necessary but still serve their purpose of extending gameplay time.

Soul Reaver for the Dreamcast is something of an underachiever. Graphically it looks superior to its Playstation counterpart, but too many areas were left untouched making for a disjointed experience. Worse still, the framerate, while higher is not as stable as its predecessor and the Dreamcast controller strains to properly handle this game. Regardless, this is still a highly enjoyable experience; combining the best elements of Tomb Raider and Legend of Zelda while still crafting its own entirely separate identity. The game provides an engrossing, lore-rich world to explore while still being a technical achievement for the system. Perhaps just as important, the plane shifting and environmental hazard-centric combat is still unique 16 years after and though the latter is a bit clunky by today’s standards it still feels like a breath of fresh air today.

Anyone looking with a higher tolerance for slowdown and less precise controls may want to play this version due to its graphical improvement and overall higher framerate.

Trivia: Did you know Soul Reaver was originally going to be its own independent franchise? Originally called Shifter, publisher Eidos mandated that Crystal Dynamics develop a sequel to Blood Omen, thus, the Shifter project was reworked into what we now know today as Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.

Pros:

- Rich, well-acted dialog which verges on the Shakespearean
- Plane shifting and combat are still hold as highly unique to this day
- Slightly improved graphics and now runs at 60FPS

Cons:
- Framerate drips more often and drastically than before
- Untouched graphical areas stick out like a sore thumb
- Too many sliding block puzzles

- Disappointing boss fights
- Dreamcast controller isn't ideal for this game

Final Grade: B+

Sadly, the hologram cover from the Playstation packaging is missing. The cover art has also been changed though I have no artistic preference over this image or the other.

The manual though short, is better than most. It provides carefully written backstory, my favorite part being a paragraph dedicated to Raziel's life as Kain's Lieutenant. Learning how the larger would create intrigues with smaller ones and bet on the possible outcomes makes for highly enticing lore. Personally, I'd love to see a game where you get to control our anti-hero during this period.

The instruction booklet also features screenshots and artwork though sadly, it's all in black and white. With that said, an enticing, expanded lore and a hologram cover make Soul Reaver's packaging stand out of the crowd. If only we'd see this level of originality in today's non-special edition releases.

Packaging Grade: B

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Eidos

Blood Omen may not have been a perfect experience, but its strong and charismatic main character earned it a cult following which lasts to this day. Sadly, it suffered from a turbulent development process plagued by delays and conflict between Silicon Knights and their publisher/co-developer, Crystal Dynamics, culminating in a legal battle with the two. Ultimately, courts decided in favor of the latter awarding them ownership of the Legacy of Kain franchise. Having the original creators lose all rights to their title would undoubtedly conclude Kain’s vampiric exploits, but as luck would have it, this is not how it would end.

Crystal Dynamics would soon be acquired by British developer and publisher, Eidos Interactive who mandated a new Blood Omen title. Having severed all contact with original creator, Dennis Dyack, it was decided that rather than creating a new game, Crystal Dynamics would adapt an existing project into a sequel, thus, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaverwas born.

Initially, what we know today as Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver began as Shifter. In it, players would have controlled a fallen angel of death with the ability to reap souls in a quest to kill his brethren and their false God. The similarities speak for themselves and project lead, Amy Hennig is often credited with reconciling all lore and loose ends between both franchises into a cohesive narrative, a feat which she would later repeat in yet another Legacy of Kain sequel.

Soul Reaver introduces players to Raziel, a fan-favorite whose popularity rivals and may even trump that of the titular Kain himself. Centuries have passed since Blood Omen and vampires have established themselves as Nosgoth’s dominant force. Over time, vampires enter a state of change and gain new abilities, however, Raziel made the mistake of surpassing his master, and was executed for it. Having his body dissolved for centuries, our anti-hero finds himself rescued by a mysterious entity who turns the long-dead vampire into a soul eating demon-like entity. With new unlife granted, he seeks revenge on his master and brothers.

While the premise may sound overly edgy, its dialog is told well enough that most won’t notice it. Many of Blood Omen’s actors make a return including Simon Templeman and Tony Jay who are now joined by Michael Bell, all of which do a superb job at bringing their roles to life. Indeed, the writing and characters are what most fondly remember this series for. It featured a use of florid language and ornate monologues which at best verged on Shakespearian and at worst were still ahead of the competition.

As with its predecessor, Soul Reaver draws influence from the Legend of Zelda series though now firmly set in a 3D world. Some may accuse Crystal Dynamics of copying Nintendo’s Hyrulean hero initial N64 outing, but the fact is both games were released less than a year apart, so it’s most likely both worked in parallel towards evolving that particular formula.

Raziel may now explore a fully polygonal post-apocalyptic gothic world in any direction he chooses. Taking cues from Tomb Raider he will have to jump, climb and otherwise maneuver himself around ledges, platforms and other unlikely structures and locations. Our character even controls more like Lara Croft than he does as Link, providing a rigid move set which sometimes borders on the unresponsive.

Unlike Core’s British archaeologist though, Raziel isn’t limited to a set of levels, rather he is given an open, desolate world to explore at his will, though plot-sensitive locales must be visited and beaten in order. In fact, the initial area of Soul Reaver works much like Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time, essentially serving as a hub to which discover new sights.

Don’t mistake this for yet another Zelda clone though, as the game features more than just thematic and writing differences, the major stand-out discrepancy being Raziel’s ability to shift between material and spiritual realms.

While in the physical world our anti-hero is constantly drained of health, but may interact with the environment around him at will. Health can be regained by consuming the souls of fallen enemies and we can leave this world at any time, though returning to it forces players to find a conduit in the spirit world.

The spiritual realm provides a corrupted visage of our dimension reminiscent of German expressionism with columns and buildings becoming twisted and gaining a darker tint. While in this state, time stops, Raziel gradually recovers energy, and his vampiric foes disappear. This state features its own set of denizens in the form of wraiths and other smaller monsters who, much like Raziel, consume souls for nourishment. While in the spiritual realm players may not interact with any physical objects, they can climb, jump and platform as they would before, but may not open doors, press switches or pick up weapons. This dimension serves as more than just a slow health refill however, often times inaccessible locations are easier to reach when navigating through their twisted spectral-selves.

Combat is unique in that most enemies can’t be killed by normal means. A vampire’s flesh begins to close as soon as it is cleaved, this regeneration ensures players will have to adapt to different rules of engagement. If an enemy has received enough damage he will be temporarily stunned, it’s then that Raziel must deliver the finishing blow by impaling, inflame, cast light or douse his foes in water. The issue here is that weapons are not always readily available and any trip to the spiritual realm causes players the one they were carrying. Even unarmed, a killing strike may still be struck provided any suitable environmental dangers are nearby. Should a vampire become paralyzed, players may momentarily carry and throw it onto spikes, sunlight or water. Spectral and human enemies require no such tactics, the first may be consumed as you would any other soul and the latter dies in a few punches.

Souls act as life-recovery items. When an enemy in the physical world is defeated their soul is released for a scant few moments. This may then be consumed before dissipating into nothingness. Spectral enemies do not turn into souls but may be cfed upon as such all the same. Should players remove an impaling weapon from any vampiric foe before consuming their soul it will spring back to life as if nothing had happened.

Each major dungeon is inhabited by a different type of vampire and a boss. All of these share a common theme among them such as the ability to climb, swim or shoot projectiles. Upon defeating the location’s boss, Raziels adds these techniques to his repertoire though some may be exclusive to either the physical or spectral realms. The most notable of which being the titular soul reaver, a spectral blade and the most powerful in-game weapon though while in the physical realm, it can only be wielded when the player is at full health.

Acquired abilities provide proper reward and motivation to carry on with your quest, though sadly, all boss battles in Soul Reaver are unexciting. These work as a puzzle in of itself, so rather than engaging in battle with his brothers, Raziel must find a way to exploit their weakness. The concept is solid in theory, but these bouts feel unfulfilling.

The story in Soul Reaver is sparse for the most part though much more cohesive than its predecessor. Just like Blood Omen though, the best moments come in the form of lore-building monologues. These offer enough information to peak interest while leaving enough left unsaid to let imaginations run wild. Learning about what befell Nosgoth’s people, both human and vampiric alike was a joy to listen, even if their fates were often terrible. It’s just a shame Kain barely makes an appearance, appearing only twice to serve as a boss and trading a dozen or so lines with Raziel.

On a technical level, Soul Reaver is quite an achievement for the Playstation, sporting large open areas with complex geometry while never stopping to load. Even more impressive is how quickly and easily the world shifts and contorts when accessing to and from the spectral realm. Clearly this is a showcase for Sony’s 32-bit console and even the most adamant Nintendo 64 and Saturn fans of the time would concede their systems would have a hard time replicating this effect. Not that it’s easy for the Playstation to do it mind you, the framerate is generally stable with the odd exception here and there but this is due to it running on a low speed in the first place. Even Raziel’s movements seem to suffer from a slight delay which can be infuriating when trying to engage in precision platforming.

Even worse is the game’s insistence on block-moving puzzle designs. While most locations make good use of Raziel’s abilities, all dungeons seem to feature a common theme of having to drag giant stone blocks around. Sometimes they’re used as platforms, other times these serve as sliding puzzles or players must simply replicate a drawing by once again, dragging more blocks around. Regardless of the objective, these are a chore to move around and grind the pacing to halt. Worse still, some plot-required locations can have as many as five or six of these.

As new abilities are gained, players may revisit old areas or discover new optional ones in search of secrets. These come in the form of health upgrades, glyphs which enable you to cast magic, mana upgrades and even a fire upgrade to your soul reaver. Considering Soul Reaver features a relatively low difficulty setting none of them are particularly necessary but still serve their purpose of extending gameplay time.

It’s easy to see why Soul Reaver is so fondly remembered; it combines the best elements of Tomb Raider and Legend of Zelda while still crafting its own entirely separate identity. The game provides an engrossing, lore-rich world to explore while still being a technical achievement for the system. Perhaps just as important, the plane shifting and environmental hazard-centric combat is still unique 16 years after and though the latter is a bit clunky by today’s standards it still feels like a breath of fresh air today. 

Soul Reaver on the Playstation is a classic, an affordable one at that. Anyone looking to fill their PS1 collection with quality titles should track this this one down.

Trivia: Did you know Soul Reaver was originally going to be its own independent franchise? Originally called Shifter, publisher Eidos mandated that Crystal Dynamics develop a sequel to Blood Omen, thus, the Shifter project was reworked into what we now know today as Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.

Pros:

- Rich, well-acted dialog which verges on the Shakespearean
- Plane shifting and combat are still hold as highly unique to this day
- A technical marvel for the Playstation

Cons:
- Too many sliding block puzzles

- Disappointing boss fights

- Slight control delay

Final Grade: A

Soul Reaver features a neat little cover art gimmick; rather using a still image, it employs a hologram. Therefore, the box art changes slightly depending on which angle you stare at it. In this case, you see Raziel in either the material or spectral realm. It’s a nice little touch that helps it to stand out from the crowd and watching the pillars contort is an effect I greatly enjoy watching.

The manual though short, is better than most. It provides carefully written backstory, my favorite part being a paragraph dedicated to Raziel's life as Kain's Lieutenant. Learning how the larger would create intrigues with smaller ones and bet on the possible outcomes makes for highly enticing lore. Personally, I'd love to see a game where you get to control our anti-hero during this period.

The instruction booklet also features screenshots and artwork though sadly, it's all in black and white. With that said, an enticing, expanded lore and a hologram cover make Soul Reaver's packaging stand out of the crowd. If only we'd see this level of originality in today's non-special edition releases.


Packaging Grade: B+