Hoping for any sign of life for the Legacy of Kain series in recent years has been like a pipe dream.

A classic, beloved, well developed franchise that in many ways was well ahead of its time with its 3D open worlds and really hard focus on story, spanning various console generations, has just not been able to get in a look in for nearly 25 years!

Thanks to Aspyr and Crystal Dynamics, all that has finally changed with long-awaited remasters of the classic games and while many probably would have been much happier with full remakes – in many regards this remaster sort of proves that theory right – any breadcrumb we can get is much appreciated and desired.

See, while Raziel and his grimy world have never looked better and much of what really defined this franchise stands out boldly, there are certainly components that have not aged so well. Combat, for one, really takes some getting used to now, particularly with the aiming system that sees you circle around enemies and really forces you to be up close to get any kind of lock on. Enemies also have to be beaten to a pulp and then killed either using environmental objects or weapons, otherwise they’ll just keep coming back to pummel you.

There’s also traversal which unapologetically does not hold your hand and really forces you to memorise your steps, pay close attention to your environment and solve some tricky and occassionally fiendish puzzles, all while switching between realms in order to find a path forward.

Basically, what we’re saying here is, those who’ve never played the series before are probably going to struggle a bit with this one. Not entirely, it’s absolutely possible to get into it and enjoy, but be prepared for this to go hard. Particularly the sequel which beautifully goes right into the story and action and basically demands you’ve played the first to understand what’s going on. But that’s also what I love about this collection – it’s absolutely been made and designed for us fans in mind. Those who’ve been waiting years to get back into this world.

And it’s not just the smoothed out visuals that catch the eye. Yes, the textures look fantastic and when you switch between the OG and the remaster, you really begin to see the tireless amount of work and effort that’s gone into this. The character models have also had a massive upgrade, looking modern and defined, even right up close when you’re looking at Raziel’s hair and his cloak.

Even the cinematics have been vastly improved and have benefited from an uplift to make them seem more in chime with the game and its engine rather than at odds with one another and janky.

The world also really lives and breathes with a day and night cycle that helps fires and even the light in Raziel’s eyes stand out prominently and vividly. That said, there’s definitely some environments that are a little too dark and dreary and it can be a bit of a struggle to see where you’re going.

Camera movement is also so much more seamless now, all tied to the right stick so you can more of a feel of your wider enviroment, panning and scanning around much easier, though it is still capped at points, such as looking upward. It also sticks into place at certain points so top down views can be forced on you and side on views go so far. Still, it’s a herculean effort adapting the original game’s controls and this easily makes this the definitive way to experience the game with more updated, approachable controls.

Much like the Tomb Raider remasters, the upgrades just make both games really stand out and flourish as never before and in this particular case, the Soul Reaver titles just feel wonderfully at home on a handheld device.

The thing about the Soul Reaver games in particular, though, was it felt like a true beginning of the open world adventure. We’d seen it grow and develop and evolve over time from the likes of Tomb Raider and in 2001, games were really starting to push boundaries and experiment more with 3D, transitioning more away from platformers and diving more into action adventures. Many games got it wrong but Soul Reaver absolutely got many things right.

It decided to focus on story and that has paid dividends as, rightfully so, that’s one of the crowning achievements still in this game. The story is still as compelling, intriguing and enticing as it has ever been, aging like a fine wine. Creating a believable villian, a character you’d previously played in older games and somewhat been instrumental in his rise to power and a would-be hero who desires to fight back against him. The feel of these games was also so different to the original Blood Omen titles and it really helps set these games apart creating franchises within franchises.

The VO even shines through here, with the right undertones and delivery. And it’s actually funny listening to the voice actors joke about how much dialogue there is here and how games are changing and how they struggled to get through the content to hear their own lines during the outtakes, showing that back then that maybe the people brought in to work on the game were a little unsure on the direction. Yet, as mentioned above, to me it’s the reason you work through the dated archetypes the game now has and find a way through.

It’s probably why a remake would have been better but with the industry the way it is, taking a risk on an older franchise like this, you do what you can to get people invested. And as mentioned at the top of this, this collection is all about fan service first and foremost. For that, there’s an absolute abundance of bonus content here and things you never thought you’d get that make this collection more than worthwhile for anyone who’s played the games before.

The usual Galleries and Music Players are here, of course, so you can see concept art and hear all of the game’s fantastic music – which also still goes hard and has some true bangers in it. But there’s also a beautiful collection of fan art the game has had over the years, really celebrating the people who never gave up on the series and showing the scale of their talent and creativity. There’s even some cosplay shots in here!

And that’s just scratching the surface. I was genuinely blown away by just how much Crystal Dynamics had in the archives and how much Aspyr have bundled into just one category, even presenting historical timelines for Soul Reaver 2 and giving a proper platform to all the voice actors.

But the real crown jewel are the Lost Levels. No seriously, there’s never-before seen, playable content in here for Soul Reaver. Four incomplete, but playable sections, broken up into several playable parts so you can see areas of the game that had to be cut before it went to release. These include an Undercity that was home to a vampire-worshipping human priestess and Forges that would have allowed Raziel to imbue his weapon with sunlight, water, stone, sound and spirit energy!

This is the level and volume of fan service one can only dream of for a series we haven’t seen or heard from in over two decades and it genuinely made me feel pretty emotional seeing just how much effort has really gone into this to thank players for their patience and welcome them back to this world.

For the relatively budget price of this collection, the bonus content is worth it on its own, but this is also a reminder of how good these games truly are. Despite some of the control and navigation challenges, you really see the quality of the writing, world building and puzzle design shine through.

On that alone, I’m recomending this to anyone to see not only how you preserve and reintroduce a forgotten franchise but you give something back to the fans who’ve been so desperate to get back to this series. In a world where we’re seeing more HD Collections, 4K remasters and Pro patch updates, for the price, the volume of extra content offered and the steadfast, brave way it presents the game as it was intended, this is a piece of gaming history I am delighted, relieved and excited to see has been preserved.

Verdict

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is an excellent example of how you preserve and reintroduce a dormant, classic franchise to its adoring fanbase and aspiring newcomers. While some of the mechanics and controls feel very dated, the narrative, world-building, voice acting, puzzle and level design, along with the beautifully updated visuals still stand out and have aged just wonderfully. On top of that, a treasure trove of wonders offered in the bonus selection make this a must-buy for fans, including never before snippets of playable levels, concept art, renders and deep dives into the lore and wider universe. A piece of gaming history we’re incredibly glad isn’t being lost to time and hopefully an exciting new chapter for a franchise we love so dearly.

Pros

---

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is out now on PC, PS, Xbox and Switch

Code Kindly Provided by Aspyr for review purposes

Played on PS5