XBOX REVIEW | Legacy of Kain – Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered

Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered finally makes its long-awaited return to mark the 25th anniversary of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, which first launched way back in 1999 on the PS1, with its sequel, Soul Reaver 2, being a direct continuation released a couple of years later. I remember both games fondly and was eager to play this Remastered collection version.

In Soul Reaver, you play as Raziel, a lieutenant of the vampire lord Kain. After evolving beyond Kain by developing wings, Raziel is betrayed and cast into the Lake of the Dead. Revived by the Elder God, Raziel becomes a wraith with a new purpose: to hunt down and exact revenge on Kain. The game follows Raziel’s journey through the twisted world of Nosgoth, where he discovers ancient secrets, uncovers the true nature of his existence, and battles various enemies. Using the ability granted to him by the Elder God, Raziel can shift between the Spectral and Material Realms. Traversing between realms helps to solve puzzles, explore, and find new paths.

Things I liked!

• Graphic Switching | You can easily switch between the original and remastered graphics at any point simply by clicking the right stick button, even during cutscenes, and this is instantaneous with no delay. This is a really cool feature to have, and I wish some other remasters also had this option. It’s really fun switching to the original-style graphics, and it’s also very nostalgic.

• Story and Characters | Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered tells a great story across both games included in this remaster. There are lots of cutscenes as you play and interact with the characters you meet on your journey. I did find that in Soul Reaver 2, the cutscenes are much longer than in the first game. Each of the characters you meet has their own story, from other vampires to gods and sorcerers. In Soul Reaver 1, Raziel’s brothers, who have turned into different vampire forms, serve as bosses.
  
  
• Sound | The voice actors used in both Soul Reaver 1 and 2 are all top-tier and really do an incredible job bringing the characters to life. This includes iconic performances by Tony Jay as the Elder God, Simon Templeman as Kain, Michael Bell as Raziel, and many others. As it’s a remaster and not a full remake, the original voice recordings have been reused rather than re-recorded, which, in this case, I do not think could ever be improved upon. The soundtrack has been remastered along with the sound effects to create a nostalgic yet fresh experience for both new players and long-time fans. When Raziel is walking on sand, stone, and metal, you can easily tell the difference, which reminded me of playing Halo 2 split-screen when I was younger and listening for footsteps to tell where my opponent was. The environmental sounds, such as the wind howling, water flowing, and eerie background noises, enhance the gothic atmosphere of Nosgoth, creating a more immersive experience.
  
  
• Bonus Content | The bonus content included with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is very impressive. Here you have galleries featuring fan art, cosplay, concept art, game trailers, outtakes, and demos. You also have a music player where you can listen to the remastered soundtrack for both Soul Reaver 1 and 2. Additionally, you have lost levels where you can play levels that were cut from the main game, which I really liked having heard about these cut levels previously.

Mixed & disliked!

• Gameplay | You control Raziel, exploring a dark, gothic world filled with puzzles and combat. Raziel can traverse various regions of Nosgoth, shifting between the material and spectral realms to solve puzzles and unlock new areas. While I found the controls easy to pick up, they do feel very dated now. You cannot lock onto enemies; instead, you can hold a button to face the enemy while you hack and slash at them. This is pretty much the fighting mechanic across both games. I did like the fatalities Raziel performs when he kills a stunned enemy, and the visual effect was really cool too as he sticks his Soul Reaver into their chest, forcing them to explode. There are also a few more fatalities that I shall leave you to find.

• Graphics | While the graphics are noticeably better than the original, running in 4K and 60 FPS in this new remaster, it seems that only the character models have been upgraded and do look much better, while the background has only had a small marginal upgrade. Sometimes when you switch between the original and the new remastered look, you really cannot tell any difference, more so in Soul Reaver 2. Also, on many occasions while playing, I did notice some screen tearing and pop-up in the visuals.
  
  
• Camera | The camera in the original versions of Soul Reaver 1 and 2 was always fixed behind Raziel. Now you can use the right stick to move the camera 360 degrees around Raziel, which is good most of the time. There were some moments later on when playing Soul Reaver 1 when the camera would automatically correct itself at the worst possible moments, which was extremely frustrating. For example, when in small spaces while you try to jump onto small platforms and ledges, the camera angle would change, causing you to miss and fall back to the ground. Adding monsters attacking you to the mix made it even harder to land that jump. It was so annoying. Another instance was when Raziel had to jump and glide over the cliff top, and midway, the camera would automatically pan above you, causing you to change direction and lose focus, thinking you would not make the landing and end up falling to the ground far below. Then you would have to redo the previous 30 minutes again until you made it.
  
  
• Map and Exploration | In Soul Reaver 1, you always begin at the very start of the game. While you have the option to pause and save at any time, whenever you continue, it’s always from the same place you start. If you die in both realms, you start back here too. As you progress, you unlock these portals for each area in the game, but they only show a different symbol for each area, which really isn’t much help. I think it would have been easier to navigate if they showed which area they take you to. There is a very large open world in both games, where you can only progress if you have a certain ability or your Sword type ability known as your Soul Reaver. While some of it may be pretty straightforward with what you have to do and where you have to go, I found on many occasions that I was running around aimlessly, often in circles, while trying to find a hidden passageway or switch. In Soul Reaver 2, you can only save your progress at special save portals found throughout the game, which I did prefer. However, it was still difficult to navigate at times, and very easy to get lost or find where you needed to go.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 41 Hours
How long to beat the story? 35 hours
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 46/83 or 520/1000
How long to achieve 1000G | 50 Hours
You’ll love this game if you like these | Darksiders, Shadowman and Dante’s Inferno

CONCLUSION

Score: 70/100 – It was very interesting revisiting Soul Reaver 1 and 2 after all these years. While it was fun at times, I found it to be very challenging too. Too often, I was not sure exactly what I was meant to be doing or where to go. The fighting mechanics are very basic given today’s standards, and I wish more effort went into improving them. Overall, I expected much more and can’t help but feel a little disappointed. The great story and the desire to reach the end kept me going. I much preferred Soul Reaver 2 to the first game. It was much easier to navigate each time you loaded a game save and continued playing, and I thought the puzzles in 2 were better. I would love a full remake of Soul Reaver 1 and 2. Bringing them up to today’s standards would be incredible. I really liked the bonus content and thought the graphic switching was a great feature too. While the gameplay may feel dated now, this new Remastered version is definitely the best way to experience Soul Reaver 1 & 2.