The first Soul Reaver game appeared on PS1 and the second Soul Reaver on PS2. Both games are in the gothic Legacy of Kain series and have a strong emphasis on story. The games were classics of the late 90s and early 2000s. Developed by Crystal Dynamics, the fabled developers of the original Tomb Raider games, Soul Reaver smashed through the shackles of early 3D game development to deliver titles that were relatively easy to control and had flowing combat. While I didn’t grow up with these games, I’m very familiar with similar 3D games of the era such as Shadow Man and the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Aspyr has revamped these titles in glorious HD. Read on for a review of these classic games by someone who never played them back in the day.
Gameplay
The basic actions that Raziel can perform are set to the face buttons on your controller. There’s an attack button where Raziel swipes his claws or uses a weapon picked up from a fallen foe. There is a jump button where you can hold the trigger to jump higher. Another button is assigned to absorb (which allows Raziel to absorb the soul of a fallen enemy to regain health). The player can also hold the shoulder button and press X to shoot a projectile. This is usually used for puzzle situations. Those are the basic abilities of Raziel.
His animations are smooth, and most of his abilities are present in both games. While combat isn’t as smooth as in titles that were released later in the 2000s, the moves are more than serviceable. You can also dodge when in combat. It is fun to hack away at the soldiers or undead spirits that you fight along your journey. A lock-on mechanism is present in Soul Reaver 2 but not in the first game.
The exploration and combat are reminiscent of both the early 2000s Zelda games (particularly Twilight Princess) and the later Darksiders games. Simple puzzles and basic platforming add to the variety of gameplay. Decapitations happen frequently. It can be fun (and funny) to lop off the head of an enemy mid-fight. The animations are much better in the second game compared to the first. The lock-on mechanism in the second game makes combat so much better. It makes Raziel feel powerful, and you feel like you are embarking on an epic, sprawling adventure through the depths of an underworld.
However, the combat, while fun, isn’t polished. Because of the clunky controls and mechanics and no quality-of-life additions (particularly in the first game), simple tasks such as opening doors can even be difficult. The are few precision movements such as those that you’d find in Super Mario 64. The second game improves on this drastically. The puzzles in the game are fun and can be complex. The dark forge contained a puzzle where Raziel has to manipulate light, and it rivaled the best of the Legend of Zelda puzzles. The gothic setting draws parallels to the Shadow Temple in Ocarina of Time. There is a cool ability to warp through closed gates and barred walls in reaper form. A lot of the puzzles depend on switching between reaper and physical form. This is fun, and once you master it, you will gain satisfaction from completing the puzzles.
In the first game, you can save at any point via the menu. In the second game, there are these spiral sword obelisk statues that you save at. Both work well. The game is quite easy in terms of combat. The puzzles can be difficult. Overall, the gameplay is made up of exploration, puzzle-solving, combat, and platforming. Throw a rich story (told through cutscenes) and dense lore into the mix and you’ve got the recipe for the Soul Reaver games.
Story
The protagonist of the games is Raziel a spectral vampire antihero. Raziel battles through the gothic hellscape of Nosgoth. Raziel’s goal is to end the race of parasitic vampires, destroy Kain, and ultimately reset the wheel of birth and death to normality. Raziel can traverse both the spectral and physical worlds. This ability to switch between worlds is key to the gameplay as well as the story. Enemies appear differently depending on which world Raziel is inhabiting. Once enemies are defeated Raziel can absorb their souls to regain health. The art is dark and gothic, reminiscent of numerous vampire and horror franchises. The art direction is comparable to Castlevania or Devil May Cry.
Kain himself is the antagonist of the Soul Reaver games and a fallen nobleman who was resurrected and accepted his fate as a vampire specter whose goal is to return Nosgoth to vampire rule. More undead than a vampire in appearance, Kain dodges in and out of the stories of the Soul Reaver games. He created Raziel. Raziel, as the player character, is charged with destroying Kain. He will encounter many an undead character on his journey. The story is intriguing and well-written. Each event pushes the player to see what happens next. The vibe is a mix of Interview with the Vampire and Van Helsing.
Sound and visuals
Clicking the right analog stick toggles between original and HD visuals. The new visuals are great, but as someone who has never played the original, I can say that even the original visuals manage to portray the dark, gothic setting. When you toggle between the visual settings the HD version has obviously better textures but not much difference in terms of style. Raziel’s character design is different between the two versions, and I wouldn’t say one is superior to the other. The graphics look great; it’s a great upgrade from the PS1/PS2 format. I’ve noticed no bugs or massive reductions in frame rate throughout the experience. It all flows and moves well, which has allowed me to become engrossed in the experience and enjoy the game for what it is — a great gothic late 90s action-adventure videogame.
The original games, as PlayStation releases, were praised for the quality of their respective soundtracks (made possible due to the CD format). For me, the sound design is great, and the tracks fit the setting, whether that be in any of the diverse environments (for example, the Swamp, the Dark Forge, and the Subterranean ruins). Voice acting is also great; I never felt that it was over the top, out of place, or embarrassing (which is rare for a game of this era). There is a general feeling of gothic horror epicness that is exuded by this game. The voice actors played their parts in making the characters that Raziel interacts with sound like the gods that they are meant to be. Cursed to judge and recycle the souls of the vampires and other gothic creatures that exist in Nosgoth.
New content
The remaster is also full of new and additional features. Although there seem to be few new in-game features (there are camera upgrades, new controls, and new map features), what’s added is accessible through a menu, and there is a wealth of new additions. This includes the soundtrack to both games, concept art, and information about the various voice actors. If you’re a long-time fan of the series the extra content is a nice bonus. The series is new to me, and I still appreciate the additions. There’s even info on lost levels and a lot of text relating to lore. Overall, the new content rounds off a great package.
Conclusion
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is an HD update to a couple of iconic gothic PS1 and PS2 action-adventure games. In the game, the spectral vampire protagonist slickly switches between reaver and physical realms whilst engaging in combat and solving puzzles. The new HD visuals are great, but the original visual option still holds up graphically and has a quaint 90s charm.
As someone who never played the original releases, the clunky controls have little precision, and the lack of quality-of-life features is clear, but overall, the game is still an eye-opening odyssey through the twisted hellscape of Nosgoth. Dismemberment and other animations are well done, and many cool gameplay elements really shine with this new coat of paint. The flare of the original concept still clearly makes for a good pair of games over 20 years after its original release. Be prepared for a lot of cutscenes. The voice acting and sound design are of such a high standard that they suck you into the narrative.
The Review
Superb
