Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered Co-Op Review
It has been 28 years since the world was introduced to the Legacy Of Kain and it has been a long 21 years since players have seen anything emerge from the franchise. Suddenly, the beloved vampire IP emerges from its casket with perhaps its most beloved titles, Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver, and its sequel, Soul Reaver 2, both being the recipient of remasters. With Raziel’s return, hope springs anew for fans of the franchise, but does this pair of remasters strike a chord? Player 2’s own editor, Paul James has been joined by good friend of the site, The PopCulturists’ Ryan Betson to break down Raziel’s return. Is it worth returning to in 2024?
Paul James: So let’s set the table a bit before we get started here Betson. I’ve long wanted to check out the Legacy Of Kain IP, especially the Soul Reaver games, but and no distinct memory of playing it until I just into this remaster. Before we launch into a critique of the product, whats your history with the franchise like?
Ryan Betson: Hey! Thanks for having me back.
My history with the franchise is interesting but also seems to be common with many of us back in the day. Although I never owned Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, I had it on a demo disc and played the ever loving hell out of it! So, booting it up this week was a massive hit of nostalgia, however, more for the experience rather than the full game experience. Additionally, hearing Tony Jay’s voice again hit me square in the feels. (For me he is the voice of Megabyte in ReBoot, a show from my youth I hold very dear).
How about yourself, Paj?
Paul: As I alluded to there in my intro, I never had any particular memories of playing Soul Reaver, that is, until I actually started playing this remaster and then suddenly some memories came rushing back. It clearly must’ve been a miscellaneous game I played at a friend’s place, but several moments over the game’s first couple of hours caused some memories to come rushing back. Once I fired up Soul Reaver 2 though I came to realise that I had no such memories attributed to that game, making it a fresh run.
It’s been a great time to learn about the franchise, connect some dots a little with the history of Amy Hennig, and ticking the box on a series of games I’ve long wished to play. I’ve been hearing the praise for many years, and now I have context for the hype. Am I as hyped as the legions of fans who adore these game? No, not really, but I have really enjoyed my time through the lens of the late 90s and early 00s game design philosophies and the tech of the PS1/PS2, and I would at all be opposed to the idea of this being a launchpad for more. Outside of striking a nostalgic chord, what stuck out to you?
Ryan: I’m right there with you. The game truly has a legacy, pun intended.
Whenever there were discussions or lists for what titles needed a remaster or remake, Soul Reaver was always on the list. So when that accidental leak from San Diego Comic Con happened, the internet exploded. For me, the first thing that stuck out was how it felt. Similar to that of the MediEvil remake in 2019, this title captures the feel of the 1999 original (for better or worse) in a slick new visual experience.
With this release being a remaster rather than a remake, like Raziel himself, you can see and feel the skeleton it is built upon. The environments are simple and open while the combat system feels simplistic compared to modern standards. If this is what you were wanting you will be in for a good time, if not, you may feel it’s age harder especially if you have limited to no emotional connection to the original. Visually, it provides a similar feeling to many remakes that have you saying “ isn’t this how it always looked?”. But then you see the side-by-side comparisons and the follow up “OH!” moment.
Did you get the “OH!” moment?
Paul: I did! I had no idea that the game allowed for the ability to press a button and see the game in its original form, but when I accidentally mashed the R3 button on my Dualsense, and I saw the original version of the game, I was stunned by the quality of the upgrade. I should’ve known better considering this is the same Aspyr team that recently put out the Tomb Raider remasters and did a great job in the process, but nonetheless, I was impressed by the upgrade. On a presenational level, what has been done with these remasters is quite impressive, but shiny new visuals won’t mask over game design, and its in this realm that the cracks show a little bit.
Technology was certainly an obstacle but I did grow frustrated by some environments and how samey and a bit directionless they felt at times. In some cases there simply wasn’t enough to differentiate themselves from each other and so I felt like I was stumbling blindly. It was absolutely a limitation of the technology and with this being a remaster rather than a remake, you have to take the good with the bad, but this was a bit frustrating I’ll be honest. The combat too, felt a bit loose in ways that weren’t overly satisfying, especially in the first game, and especially if the enemy would flee because then you’d just be flailing your weapon around trying to make contact that the erratically tore across your screen. These along with some camera control jank were pretty much my only gripes though, with the design of the games combat feeling quite ahead of its time in a number of ways. How do you feel about all that?
Ryan: I keep finding myself switching between modes. I assume it’s not exactly like the original, seeing as they weren’t made for 4K screens, but it was a warming feeling having that old-school PlayStation experience again. The larger issues I have for these games sit entirely within the limitations of it being a remake. I found myself having issues with platforming due to the older movement system (I even found that Raziel would almost speed up when holding forward when going up a ledge. This was for forward and side movement. So, I would often overshoot and fall off the ledge, for example.
This release, like most remasters, aren’t built for most newcomers. They are made for people who loved it back in the day and know what they are getting into, or more enthusiastic new players who understand the impact of Legacy of Kain and are aware of what the game is. Luckily I’m in the latter and have thoroughly enjoyed experiencing this PlayStation classic in its new reborn form. It is certainly worthy!
Paul: Agree wholeheartedly. As you say, fans of the originals will be delighted to go back, but for those of us who are new to the franchise (or close enough to it), there’s plenty here to enjoy about both games. While the sequel doesn’t quite capture the magic to the same degree as the original, there’s a lot to love across 20+ hours of Soul Reaver content. I’m definitely a fan now, and here’s hoping that this is just the tip of the iceberg for what Embracer Group has in store for this iconic IP.
Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered was reviewed on PS5, with codes kindly provided by Sandbox Strategies
