By Joshua Bender on November 21st, 2003

Genre: Action
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
# of Players: 1
Memory: N/A
ERSB: Mature
Released On: November, 14 2003
Supports: Dolby Digital
MSRP: $49.99
Also On: PS2
Website: http://www.legacyofkain.com/

Given the choice – whether to rule a corrupt and failing empire, or to challenge the fates for another throw, a better throw against one’s destiny – what was a king to do? But does one ever truly have a choice? One can only match, move by move, the machinations of Fate, and thus defy the tyrannous stars.

And thus Legacy of Kain: Defiance starts out, as it always does, with a speech that makes your normal day to day conversations sound as if they are nothing more than simple minded mutterings of a slack jawed yokel. I can’t confirm this, but I think almost everyone in Nosgoth is an English major, trained at Cambridge.

LoK: Defiance, starts off right where Soul Reaver 2 ended, with Kain in the Sarafan strong hold, 500 years before LoK: Blood Omen, and with Raziel trapped in the Spirit Realm. Though Soul Reaver 2 opened up more questions than it answered, LoK:Defiance finally answers many of the things that lovers of this superbly written series have been speculating about for quite some time. So, if you are a fan of the series, you will most likely enjoy this game quite a bit, and will certainly want to purchase it to add to your collection.

If you’re new to the series, you can probably already tell that the Legacy of Kain and Soul Reaver series (which will just be called the LoK series from here on out in this review, unless I’m speaking of a specific game) are extremely story driven titles. Possibly one of the most story driven game series to date. Luckily, the instruction manual provides a back-story as well, and for first timers (as well as those of us who are a bit rusty), it will certainly help.

I highly recommend this game and the entire series to anyone who likes a good story driven game. If though, you’re not a big reader, or not really into story driven games, it’s your loss, but you should probably just go play Madden.

Presentation/Story
You start the game, first playing as Kain. The story itself progresses between Kain and Raziel, with each stage alternating between the two. Story wise, this is one of the best LoK games since the original Soul Reaver. I really have to give Amy Hennig and Carol Wolf a hand for creating such excellent plot twists, and for holding my interest not only throughout this game, but also throughout the entire series in general. And for those who might be worried, fear not, though many questions are finally laid to rest, there are still some unanswered questions, as well as a glimpse of what is to come (especially if you’ve played through the other games in the series).

Of course, just like previous games in the series, the dialog is up to par throughout the games duration, and in fact is one of its biggest selling points. For as much as I was looking forward to playing LoK: Defiance, I was much more looking forward to listening to it. Simon Templeman (Kain) and Michael Bell (Raziel) once again reprise their roles as some of the most excellent voice talents I’ve heard. Others, like Tony Jay (Elder God), Richard Doyle (Moebius), Rene’ Auberjonois (Janos Audron), and Paul Lukather (Vorador), return as well. It really can’t be said enough, that the dialog in this and all of the games in the LoK series is top notch. It’s the type of dialog that just pulls you in, and helps you to looks past the less than dynamic gameplay, in this Crystal Dynamics game series. The only other series that comes close (other than Metal Gear Solid) is Sword of the Berserk (it’s an old Dreamcast game, and if you still have a Dreamcast, I highly suggest it)

From the second you first start your search for Moebius as Kain, to the final outcome, the game retains the feel of its predecessors. Which is that you feel like you’re truly in a mythical land called Nosgoth, and you are fighting to change history and restore Nosgoth’s balance, without simultaneously irrevocably damaging it. Throughout the game you feel as if at any moment you’ll find out it was all for naught, as have been doing nothing but playing into your enemies hand. Both Kain’s and Raziel’s true roles are waiting to be discovered, and I can almost guarantee you will be surprised how events unfold, and are eventually laid out, leading into the next sequel.

Though I was somewhat more interested in Kain’s role, Raziel’s destiny is no less interesting. Raziel, as I mentioned before, begins the game where Soul Reaver 2 left off, in the Spirit Realm, trapped there by the Elder God. Eventually, you make your way out, and realize you are within the same time period in which Kain was first made a Vampire, and sent by Ariel to destroy the other Balance Guardians. I will say nothing more concerning events in the story, so as to not give anything away.

Other than the back story in the instruction manual, another thing that will certainly help those who are rusty with the series, or new to it, is that after a cinema has been played, you can re-watch it in the front menu of the game, by going to the Dark Chronicle. I’ve watched some of them many times over just to listen to the excellent dialog and voice acting. Also, the opening cinemas of both Soul Reaver games are viewable, which not only will certainly help those new to series, but are also just plain enjoyable to watch, and reminds those of us who are veterans of the series, why we came to love the series in the first place.

Gameplay
Unfortunately, there is a taint in the Blood Fount. Though the gameplay is certainly much more enjoyable than in Soul Reaver 2, it does get stale about 40% of the way through. The game incorporates a slightly Devil May Cry-like combo system, but without the ability to use other weapons than the Reavers, it grows old too quickly. Most battles will become hardly more than lifting an enemy up in the air with you, and then using Sanguine Censure (even the moves sound intellectually cool) on them. Rinse and repeat… While you can mix things up a bit, doing so is almost always going to be by choice alone and is almost never required. Using Kain, you also have the ability to use telekinesis to pick up most enemies, and toss them around. Sometimes, this means tossing them into fires, onto spikes (thus impaling them), and even off of ledges (which, if high enough results in death and a blood curdling scream on the way down). At first, doing this is great fun, but the fun doesn’t last long, as your ability to really make use of this is limited by your surroundings. And since the devs’ obviously didn’t want things to be too easy, places where you can get instant kills like this are few and far between. This is unfortunate, since it is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the fighting in this game, and seriously helps to break up what otherwise eventually becomes monotonous battles, that about half way through just seem to be an annoyance that, like an annoying little brother bothering you while you’re watching a movie, is hindering you from seeing the story.

Raziel’s gameplay is pretty much the same, but until almost the very end, lacks the ability to use telekinesis for anything else other than pushing enemies away from you. This means Raziel’s gameplay if even more boring and repetitive, and that is definitely a very bad thing. You may be asking yourself why it takes till about 40% of the way through for the fighting to get really boring. There are two main reasons. One- the fighting system itself is actually well done and the combos are enjoyable to see and pull off. But since there is no weapon variety, it does eventually grow stale. Though the Reavers are not only weapons, but an integral to the story, it’s understandable that combat is based around them. It would have been wise to leave in gameplay elements from previous incarnations (like some of Kain’s powers from BO2, and the ability to pick up spear like objects and hurl them towards your enemy like in SR) so as to keep things from becoming stale as soon as they did. Two- the main protagonist’s are so darned interesting and well written, they are fun to play as for the coolness factor alone.

The combo system is made up of five different moves, and while the names are different between Kain’s and Raziel’s, they are exactly the same. This is both good and bad. Good, because it allows you to easily go from one character to the next, without getting moves confused, and bad, because it also lends to the game’s monotony. The moves are done by hitting the left thumb stick towards the enemy you are going up against, and hitting one of the attack buttons. You start off with none, but throughout the game will gain all five simply by getting experience points from fighting. Each attack you make gives you points, so you needn’t worry about having to kill each and every enemy. I gained all of the combos about 70% of the way through, making the remaining 30% of the games fighting, aside from the bosses, even more pointless, other than for feeding yourself or the Reavers.

One thing that somewhat helps to pick up the pace and add variety is that there are different forms of both the Blood and Soul Reavers. For the most part, all these variations do is provide access to different areas of the game, but they also play a part in battle in that each one has its own super move (Reaver Spell) that can be unleashed once your Reaver gauge is full. You fill the gauge simply by attacking enemies. The better the attack (meaning the more powerful, and combo filled), the faster it fills. Once it’s full, you can either use the powered up Reaver to temporarily cause more damage with your regular attacks and combos, or you can unleash a super move. Some of the moves are actually pretty cool (like the Kain’s Wind Reaver attack), but for the most part they are simply elemental variations of a super blast that hits every enemy surrounding you simultaneously. Even so, it’s a nice addition.

Before I get into the boss fights, let me first explain something. Within the Lok series, the original Soul Reaver had the best boss fights. In fact, they were so well done, that other than to listen to the excellent dialog and understand the story more, the boss fights were something that caused me to play through it several times. They were very Zelda-like, in that they were somewhat like puzzles. You had to figure out how to beat them using the environment, and not just pound away on them with the Reaver. Even after figuring them out, just like Zelda, the boss fights were still enjoyable because of this aspect. Blood Omen 2 did something like this to a lesser extent as well. Soul Reaver 2, however, was void of any real boss fights, and other than the puzzles and the story, was very boring.

Now, we come to Lok: Defiance’s boss fights. Do they make the grade? Sadly, for the most part they do not. The bosses are few and far between, and only two of them felt like real boss fights. Out of those two, only one had a Soul Reaver feel to it. Good boss fights can really add to a game. The story in the LoK series is awesome, but they really need to stop allowing the story to dictate the boss fights. Two good boss fights in a game just aren’t enough. The two good boss fights that are there though, are very good, and were certainly much appreciated.

Getting back to the review, the puzzles included are difficult to rate. Most players are going to enjoy them, as they will not cause much head scratching. While some did require a little bit of thought, most could have been overcome by a child. I remember many reviews concerning SR1, complaining about the puzzles, and that some of them took too long. I for one enjoyed them and somewhat disappointed at the simplicity of the puzzles in LoK: Defiance. I’m not saying I want every step to be a chore, but the problem is that overly easy puzzles aren’t memorable, and don’t give you any real sense of accomplishment. But, if you’re the type that hates having to figure out difficult puzzles, you’ll have no qualms in this area.

Graphics
This is certainly one area besides story and dialog where LoK: Defiance shines brightly, and I’m talking blindingly. From the environments, to the architectural design, to the excellent character designs, this game is sure to “wow” you (meaning, you’ll see something and go “Wow! Look at that!”) Kain and Raziel’s models in particular are truly a sight to behold, and when you can, you’ll find yourself positioning them up close to the camera from time to time to get a good look at the excellent work the artists at Crystal Dynamics have done. It’s not just how the models look, but also their extremely well done facial expressions. All of the games cinemas are done in-game, and the emotion expressed during some of these scenes, mixed with the as mentioned before superb dialog and voice acting, is nothing less than astounding.

As I mentioned before, the environments are awe inspiring, and while the outdoor environments are nothing too special (though, they’re certainly nice looking) and while some of the indoor environments can get a bit repetitive, the architectural design alone will have you standing still at times just to marvel at their beauty. All in all, while they have their flaws, they certainly help portray a very gothic feeling, and certainly portray the idea of leftover ruins from an ancient race. Just like the character designs, they are top notch.

The only artistic or graphical aspect that I can really find any significant fault with is the general enemy models. While the designs for them aren’t bad, I’ve seen better. Another problem is that, since they are so often repeated, they get old really fast. The boss models are certainly nice, and some are downright awesome, but having to fight the same Vampire Hunter for the thousandth time is not my idea of fun. Perhaps though, this is more of a gameplay issue than it is a graphical one?

The effects are for the most part well done. Some of them seem slightly half-assed, but most of them are nicely done. One of the best effects in the game is the Spirit Realm effect. The best way to put it is to say that it blows the previous Soul Reaver’s away, and I highly doubt they’ll be able to top it with this generation’s consoles, unless they add real time lighting effects. The only game I can think of that possibly slightly beats it is Otogi.

Animation wise, LoK: Defiance is the best in the series. You, your enemies, the bosses, as well as just characters that show up in the story, are animated very well. As with the character and architectural designs, I was very impressed with this area of the game.

In case you’re wondering, the only difference between the XBOX and PS2 versions of this game, are as always that the XBOX version is slightly prettier, in part because of the automatic high-definition support. Other than that, it comes down to which controller you like better.

Sound
The music, what there is of it, isn’t bad. In fact it’s quite good. It’s just very repetitive and grows old fast. In fact, the battle music (which pops up every single time any enemy sees you) got so annoying after awhile that I ended up turning off the music completely till I reached more cinematic points. The reason for its annoyance is because, as I mentioned earlier, there are many times where fighting is pointless, and while you’re just trying to get to a certain point, or figure out where to go, the repetitive battle music is irritating. There were times I would stop and kill everything just so the music would change.

When in the Spirit Realm, there is a very spooky track played, that consists of some ambient sounds along with a woman crying and some other various voice clips. It’s cool, and certainly sets the mood, but eventually this grows old as well. The overall music in LoK: Defiance is well done, but there’s just not enough variety in it, and it’s not as memorable as the music in the original Soul Reaver. For what it is though, it more than fulfills its purpose.

The sound effects themselves are great, though there were times when it seemed like something was missing, or should have been added (like when transporting to the material plane). All in all, just like the music, they are more than adequate.

The true shining light in the game is, as with previous titles in the series, the voice acting. Though it was mentioned before, it really can’t be said enough how superb it truly is. Listening to it is like candy for the ear. I’ve already replayed certain cinemas several times just to listen to the dialog, and will probably do so again.

Final Thoughts
Legacy of Kain: Defiance, aside from its story and dialog, isn’t all that great. Please don’t take my negative comments toward the gameplay to mean that the game wasn’t enjoyable at all, because it certainly was. The problem lies in its lack of variety, not in the initial design itself. It’s a shame really, since as a seasoned gamer, I can see how making certain changes gameplay wise would have made this into a great game. So, just like its predecessors, we once again have a title that should be purchased more on merits of its story, instead of its gameplay. While this may seem disappointing, I think one thing that needs to be taken into account, is that stories this interesting and engrossing, in a videogame, are few and far between. Though the overall gameplay may not be anything to gawk over, I honestly feel this game should in the least be praised for what it accomplishes in the areas of writing and voice acting.

That being said, should you buy it? If you are a fan of the series, or are looking for something deep, then most certainly yes, go buy it right now. If though, you’re new to the series, then probably not, but you should definitely give it a rent. If the story and dialog intrigue you, then buy the rest of the series as well, as they can be purchased for very little money.

Lastly, though Crystal Dynamics still seems lacking in their overall gameplay designs, they certainly appear to be learning. Here’s hoping the next one will be even better, and will have gameplay on par with the writing.