Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered Review

When it comes to early 3D gaming classics, Soul Reaver is definitely up there. It may not have become as prolific a series as, say, Tomb Raider or Metal Gear Solid yet it definitely had something special, so much so that fans have been pining for a new Legacy of Kain game for more than two decades.

To celebrate the original game’s 25th anniversary, Crystal Dynamics has teamed up with Aspyr to remaster Soul Reaver and its 2001 sequel. But is Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered the definitive way to experience these games? The short answer is yes, though the makeover isn’t as thorough as we’ve come to expect from modern remasters, and the experience is hampered by bugs and the absence of a major quality of life feature.

For those completely new to the series, Soul Reaver isn’t the first Legacy of Kain title. It all started a few years earlier with the release of Blood Omen, a top-down action adventure game that cast players as a noble-turned-vampire whose quest for revenge leads to a seismic upheaval within the gothic lands of Nosgoth. On the cusp of restoring balance, Kain is offered a choice: sacrifice himself to save the world, or condemn it to oblivion.

In Soul Reaver, the developers chose to make Blood Omen’s bad ending canon, thrusting the narrative forward several centuries. Suspecting that his chief vampire lieutenant will one day surpass him, Kain murders our hero Raziel, who is then risen by an Elder God to embark on a revenge odyssey of his own.

The Legacy of Kain boasts a rich narrative and setting that, at the time, seemed a strange fit for a 3D action game. The superb performances of Soul Reaver’s voice cast serves to elevate this, especially Michael Bell’s monologuing as Raziel throughout which is even more prevalent in the sequel. There’s a gothic grittiness to the presentation of these games too, spliced with themes of dark magic and decadence.

Aspyr’s remasters feature improved character models, textures, and effects, though the end result is surprisingly subtle. In some instances, especially when playing Soul Reaver 2, toggling between the new and original graphics (which can be done at any time with a single button press) offers a granular improvement rather than a noticeable facelift. With that said, the work done to character models is impressive and avoids masking over the charm of the original games.

Other enhancements include the option for modern control and camera movement. A new map and compass have also been added to the game’s UI though have a limited impact on actually helping you navigate Soul Reaver’s maze-like world. This has always been a weak point; without any real signposting, it’s easy to get lost in Nosgoth and work out where you need to head next. This isn’t helped by the fact that Raziel is returned to a hub area whenever loading a save, forcing players to trace a path back to wherever they left off. In some cases, this can mean replaying pretty large chunks of the game.

This is compounded by game-breaking bugs found within the remasters. On a couple of occasions I lost more than a hour’s progress to random crashes, which begs the question: why didn’t Aspyr work to improve Soul Reaver’s save and checkpoint systems? It’s an oversight made only more apparent by the fact that Blood Omen and its sequel were both released only days ago on PlayStation 5, both enhanced with quick save, quick load, and rewind features.

As for the gameplay it’s serviceable, though the original Soul Reaver is really showing its age. The sequel certainly holds up better with a greater emphasis on dynamic combat that transcends the original game’s basic button bashing. There are still some interesting ideas at play, however, such Raziel’s ability to switch between planes. This mechanic seamlessly morphs the world around him, exposing hidden secrets and creating new pathways.

For die-hard Nosgoth nerds, there’s plenty of bonus material too such as galleries for original concept art and renders, as well as full scripts for both games. There are even a clutch of “Lost Levels” but don’t get too excited – these amount to a handful of unfinished 3D environments cut from the original game.