Released between 1999 and 2000 on PlayStation 1, Windows and Dreamcast, and developed by Crystal Dynamics, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 has made its comeback in 2024 with not one but two major surprises: a Kickstarter campaign for the graphic novel Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise (and tons of goodies), and an unhoped-for remaster of the two Soul Reaver games for the current-gen consoles and PC.
Critically acclaimed and still considered a masterpiece by seasoned gamers, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 is finally back on our screens since December 10, 2024—for those who did not keep the original game on console—, and the rapidly backed crowdfunding has been launched on the 20th of August.
“What madness is this?” – A look back
While Kain is known for being the protagonist of his own saga Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain since 1996, Raziel became then a new addition to the gothic “Nosgoth” universe, and not the least as he is the main character of this opus. Despite the success of the first instalment, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 did not manage to garner as much passion.
The game takes place in Nosgoth, over a millenia after Kain turned Raziel and his figurative brothers into vampires. After defying his Master, developing wings before him, he is condemned and executed in the Lake of the Dead. There, he is awakened by a disembodied voice: the Elder God. Stripped from his wings, his flesh, and missing his bottom jaw, Raziel discovers that after centuries of excruciating slumber he has now become a vampire of souls. His journey starts in the Underworld, the realm of the dead, which he is now able to navigate as well as the world of the living.
Discovering a now disfigured Nosgoth, he is bent on taking his revenge on Kain, responsible not only for his “death” but also for the decline of everything he once knew. We thus follow Raziel in his confrontations and realizations, defeating his brothers and uncovering truths he didn’t suspect: his demise was only the scratch on a time-manipulated surface.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise
The Kickstarter campaign for the graphic novel Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise was a collaboration between Crystal Dynamics and Bit Bot Media. Prior to this, Crystal Dynamics brought our hopes up with a survey, asking, among other things, how we fans would hope to see the franchise revived.
The crowdfunding was backed really, really fast, and how could it not when the backers could get prints, busts, apparels and even a replica of the Reaver itself! Overall a massive success, which can only make us hope for more content.
The graphic novel is set to be released in May 2025, and will tell the story of Raziel prior to the Soul Reaver events. And for a full immersion, a soundtrack by Klayton will also be released with it!
“You are reborn”
Planned to be announced during a State of Play event from PlayStation on September 24, 2024, the remaster release has unfortunately been leaked ahead of time. Nevertheless, the fans were delighted and the game also attracted new souls. The light shone on this opus led new players towards the Blood Omen franchise, bringing more content and context to the history of Nosgoth.
This remaster did not only bring back Raziel, but new functionalities adapted for the current gen gaming devices as well. A gameplay fit for the current controllers, trophies and achievements that now allow us to fully explore and/or secure our knowledge of the game’s universe, discover funny tricks, and get all the collectibles. A new map is also accessible and the player is able to instantly switch from old to new graphics by pressing a button. All the enemies got a bit of a glow up, some of them twice (hello Rahab), and in the process became more terrifying.
Looking back, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was really ahead of its time, with its story-filled open world, no (visible) loading screen and intricate puzzles that must often be solved in both living and dead realms. One thing that did not change is the masterful sound design, adding to the heaviness of the decaying world, and the haunting soundtrack by Kurt Harland.
One can only hope to see more of the franchise, whether they be new games or full remasters, with current graphics and updated gameplay mechanics.
Legacy of Kain – Soul Reaver remastered version was released on December 10, 2024, and is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
