Legacy of Kain™ Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered

I just made this review to say that while I highly recommend trying the Legacy of Kain series, I strongly advise you to avoid Soul Reaver 2, because it’s utter garbage. It’s repetitive, bleak, has poor location variety — yes, both compared to the older games and in general — boring brainless puzzles, and a weak combat system. This game feels unfinished, like the developers stretched a small, rushed game with filler instead of building something nice like first game. Maybe it was rushed to make an early PS2 release? Just watch a YouTube walkthrough without commentary, or some lore video instead.

Game breaking bug near the end of the first game! The pendulum platform makes it impossible to finish the level. Don't buy!!

I'll be honest, I had never heard of Legacy of Kain until the remasters were brought to Steam and I'm glad it was so that I could experience these classic titles. The best thing about these games is, of course, the story. These games somewhat remind me of the first two Darksiders games - modern stories of dark fantasy with interesting lore and worldbuilding. All of the characters in these games have a rich maturity to them, which gives all of them a sense of depth and intrigue. There are always so many layers behind character motivations that you can't help but become invested in every interaction they have. This is also a story that I think implemented time travel well, as all of the time periods shown in the second game are used to create new context for the story as a whole. Overall, there is not much else to say about the story other than it is just so well done. On the other hand, however, the gameplay is unfortunately not the best. The first game's mechanics are janky and the camera can often be a hinderance as you try to fight enemies or navigate platforming sections. Combat is also rather weak and usually just devolves into smacking your enemies until they're dead. The second game attempted to expand on both of these elements with more work put into world and level design and more engaging combat. These decisions are also detriments, however - platforming and puzzle sections are much longer and can take more time (especially since the second game does not let you save whenever you want) while combat scenarios often feature a multitude of enemies, all of which like to spend most of the time either blocking or dodging all of your attacks and then hitting you with cheap pokes. Overall, the gameplay was not the greatest of experiences, but it is understandable considering how old these games are and how they were likely limited by the technology of their time. At the end of the day, it should be made clear that there is one major factor that makes these games good: the story. The characters, the plot developments, and the twists are all so well done. After having played these games, I am very excited to play Defiance now. I think that anyone who is interested in story-based games should definitely try these titles out, but just keep in mind that the gameplay is filled with a lot of jank due to the games' age.

No complaints from me. IMHO these games still hold up but they are retro to the core. No handholding at all in this game you will probably need a guide but damn they are so good. As I'm playing through these levels I keep getting Souls vibes from some of their designs to the point where I'm thinking FROM SOFT must have adored these games back then. S-tier remasters and hopefully the legal issue surrounding Blood Omen can be sorted out and we get remasters for those as well. The Legacy of Kain IP is one of the all-time greats.

I finished Soul Reaver 1 for the first time now thanks to this remake. I used to play this game a lot in my childhood and didn’t understand many of the aspects of this game because my English wasn’t as good as it is now. The fact that caused me to leave the game altogether. This brings so many memories and happy stories. I used to quote lines from the game among friends. I love the ability of switching between old PS1 graphics and the new remastered version on the fly. Even in between cutscenes which was a very nice thing to have. You get to see how much graphics can improve throughout the years. I discovered, now that I understood the gameplay well and the story, that this game (Soul Reaver 1) doesn't do a good job in telling you what to do next. The hints, or lack of, are very few and you’re supposed to figure things out on your own which is very annoying for a person my age. I also was surprised at how the game mechanics are very simple and easy. I really recommend this collection for those who are thinking of revisiting an old game, and do with some old unfinished gaming business. But don’t expect an update in game mechanics, it’s the same old and slow game with improved graphics and extra content like artwork, BTS and more. Which is much appreciated.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is a timeless classic with an unforgettable story, following Raziel's quest for revenge against Kain. The enhanced controls make exploration and combat feel smoother while preserving the original experience. It would be even better with unlockable character skins like those in Legacy of Kain: Defiance. A must-play for both longtime fans and newcomers.

amazing game, old school puzzle solving, top notch voice acting and lore!

Finalizei a coleção remaster de Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver e Soul Reaver 2 neste ano. Na infância, joguei apenas o primeiro título, sem entender muito bem tudo o que acontecia, mas ainda assim me diverti. Desta vez, pesquisando sobre os jogos anteriores da série para entender melhor o contexto e acompanhando toda a jornada de Raziel nesses jogos, pude apreciar muito mais essa história. Para mim, os dois jogos formam uma narrativa única e muito bem construída, que oferece uma conclusão satisfatória para o arco do personagem, mesmo deixando um gancho para jogos futuros. É verdade que a jogabilidade, especialmente o combate ficou datado, mas o excelente roteiro e os quebra-cabeças me agradaram muito. Foi uma experiência que valeu muito a pena e me fez mergulhar no universo de Legacy of Kain, dá para perceber o cuidado e a paixão que os desenvolvedores colocaram nessa série, e isso continua transparecendo mesmo tantos anos depois.