Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 Demo

The Legacy of Kain series has a long history of taking its fans by surprise, mostly because almost every title was a success and it managed to keep the story interesting and the characters invested in the action. Many new mechanics are always included or removed, which means that the gameplay is slightly different every time, depending on which episode you play.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 is the sequel to the first Soul Reaver and it starts where the first title left off, with Raziel traveling through time in order to get revenge on Kain and get to the bottom of the mystery regarding the mystical land of Nosgoth. Naturally, a lot of the characters make a comeback in this episode as well, which means that you are handsomely rewarded if you are familiar with the series from the previous releases.

Gameplay-wise, the mechanics are largely the same, but a lot of new gimmicks have been added as well, while others have been removed in an attempt to smooth things out. Thus, exploring the environment is a bit easier now, but the combat system is very tricky and it requires a bit of practice before you are able to properly make use of Raziel's ability and put down your enemies.

The part that makes the game shines, though, is the story itself, since the plot is very interesting and the characters certainly add quite a bit to the overall atmosphere. The lengthy cutscenes and the mature conversations that take place between the characters are very enjoyable to watch and listen, at least the first time time around. The fact that you cannot skip these cinematics can be very frustrating, especially since the checkpoint-based system can put you in some very unpleasant positions along the way.

Visually, it goes without saying that the game has made quite the progress and it certainly surpasses its predecessors by a lot. Raziel's animations are very convincing and the level design has received the same amount of care it did in the previous episodes. A special mention must be awarded to the sound department, especially when it comes to voice acting and the various environmental noises that are part of the cinematics.

Despite the annoying controls and the silly combat system, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 is certainly a very good game, with plenty to offer to anyone who's a fan of the series. However, those who come in contact with the franchise for the first time need to be prepared to deal with some weird mechanics and get past the subtle annoyances that might turn them away at first.