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[Shikamaru Ninja]

Just picked it Legacy of Kain: Defiance along with Ninja Gaiden for XBOX today. I basically had to find out the conclusion to the Kain-Raziel story. Right now I think the battle system is pretty cool, but the camera is terrible. The story hasn't quite done much yet either (im on chapter 2 with Kain).

What's everyones opinion and rating (game & story). Please no spoilers!

 

[Fifty]

Pretty solid game. Worlds better than the last Kain game.

 

[WarPig]

I thought it was okay. Kinda clunky sometimes, and the story does indeed take a long-ass time to build, but I had fun.

Apparently Amy Hennig didn't think so much of it -- she actually quit partway through to head off for Naughty Dog...

DFS.

 

[ShadowRed]

Just picked it Legacy of Kain: Defiance along with Ninja Gaiden for XBOX today. I basically had to find out the conclusion to the Kain-Raziel story. Right now I think the battle system is pretty cool, but the camera is terrible. The story hasn't quite done much yet either (im on chapter 2 with Kain).

What's everyones opinion and rating (game & story). Please no spoilers!

Played it when it came out and it's great. You'll get used to the camer in time and the story will pick up. Really cool ending IMHO.

 

[DarienA]

Enjoyed the hell out of it... much improved combat engine... moved the storyline along well... though I spent some time trying to figure out

Spoiler

what the hell older Kain do going forward after he witness the fall of the pillars, which is the point in the original Blood Omen IIRC where younger Kain chooses to NOT sacrifice himself

. I hope someday we get another piece to the chapter... though with Amy gone who knows how much of the story she plotted out... and if someone else jumps in... who knows where they'll take the story...

 

[Mejilan]

I've got the whole series, but only played Blood Omen 1 (PSOne) for about half an hour. I should get back into the series, I think.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

That sucks if true, Amy Hennig is the only reason the storyline is still good. I fear that Crystal Dynamics is on its way out. It's a shame this franchise is likely dead after this installment.

One thing I've noticed is that the game has really dropped in budget. While the graphics are pretty good (XBOX version), what's up with no new music whatsoever. The entire soundtrack thus far is recycled from Soul Reaver 2. No cool CG intro this time either.

 

[Limedust]

A lot of the story got cleared up, but other unimportant parts just got even more convoluted as the game progressed. Good action, good story, awesome VA, sound, and music as expected. I had no motivational problems working my way through the game.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Predetermined cameras was a bit of a step back. Combat system was improved but it still felt a bit meh. When you were fighting creatures it felt too swishy and not enough like you were whacking them with big swords. Storywise, I don't know, it didn't feel as epic as it should have particularly as this was the conclusion after teasing us with huge cliff hangers for the last two games.

It was decent enough but it should have and could have been something more. I think ditching the feeling of a connected world for set-piece dungeons was a mistake.

 

[Wellington]

A lot of the story got cleared up, but other unimportant parts just got even more convoluted as the game progressed. Good action, good story, awesome VA, sound, and music as expected. I had no motivational problems working my way through the game.

Pretty much sums up my feelings. It's a solid game and a great way to finish off the series. (assuming it's finished)

Save often, couple of bugs in the game.

 

[Gribbix]

That sucks if true, Amy Hennig is the only reason the storyline is still good. I fear that Crystal Dynamics is on its way out. It's a shame this franchise is likely dead after this installment.

One thing I've noticed is that the game has really dropped in budget. While the graphics are pretty good (XBOX version), what's up with no new music whatsoever. The entire soundtrack thus far is recycled from Soul Reaver 2. No cool CG intro this time either.

Yeah, I'm worried about the sequels, which don't seem likely to happen. I know before she left, Hennig had a meeting where she detailed what her intentions were for the rest of the series.

OPM's rumor section mentioned something about a new LoK game not by Crystal Dynamics starring Raziel that would take place in a more contemporary setting. When asked about the rumors, two CD employees both said that Eidos currently has the series "under review" which does not sound good.

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

Man...I didn't know amy left. Time to watch out for naughty dog, to see what new titles she's working on. The story of that series was fucking brilliant.

 

[Gribbix]

She's directing Jak III.

 

[Kumiko Nikaido]

Any substantial differences between the Xbox and PS2 versions of Legacy of Kain: Defiance? I still have to pick up this game.

 

[hobbitx]

It's always been the same for me ever since Soul Reaver 2, great story but awful gameplay. After playing and enjoying the original Soul Reaver and Blood Omen, Defiance just felt like a linear, boring, mess that totally sucked all the lore out of the fantasy. The Soul Reaver is supposed to be one of the most ancient and powerful blades of Nosgoth, but you have to hit some common guard with it about 15 times to kill him. I just don't see how you can have such a deep storyline with such shallow gameplay, I hope they do go under for what they did to the series.

 

[Diomedeskun]

The game felt downright emaasculated compared to the Soul Reaver games at first. The game seemed to ditch a great deal of the Raziel style of play in favor of Kain's style. After a short time, though, I got used to the game. Raziel is still very well used, even if it is a bit more Devil May Cry and considerably less Zelda. It is far better than Soul Reaver 2, which was weak in every way but story.

Defiance leaves the series at a point where it would be okay to end, or at least take a hiatus, but it also opens more. It is an end to the story begun in Soul Reaver, but there is still much more to tell. Sort of like the end to Golden Sun: the Lost Age (never thought I would compare those two series).

I would be very upset if there are no more (good) Legacy of Kain games.

 

[Gribbix]

It's always been the same for me ever since Soul Reaver 2, great story but awful gameplay. After playing and enjoying the original Soul Reaver and Blood Omen, Defiance just felt like a linear, boring, mess that totally sucked all the lore out of the fantasy. The Soul Reaver is supposed to be one of the most ancient and powerful blades of Nosgoth, but you have to hit some common guard with it about 15 times to kill him. I just don't see how you can have such a deep storyline with such shallow gameplay, I hope they do go under for what they did to the series.

Right, because the hack n' slash gameplay mixed with tedious weapon switching of the original was oh so different compared to the other games. Why anyone would wish for people at CD, especially those who didn't even work on a LoK game, to lose their jobs is beyond me. Sorry, but some people take the whole CD/SK thing too far.

Any substantial differences between the Xbox and PS2 versions of Legacy of Kain: Defiance? I still have to pick up this game.

The Xbox version has a widecreen mode and also supports progressive scan and DD5.1. Wherehouse is selling both versions for $14.99 this week.

 

[Kumiko Nikaido]

The Xbox version has a widecreen mode and also supports progressive scan and DD5.1. Wherehouse is selling both versions for $14.99 this week.

Cool. Xbox version for me then. Even better, EB has a $10 mail-in rebate for this game through the end of July. EB sells the game for $20, so the rebate effectively puts the game at $10.

 

[hobbitx]

Right, because the hack n' slash gameplay mixed with tedious weapon switching of the original was oh so different compared to the other games. Why anyone would wish for people at CD, especially those who didn't even work on a LoK game, to lose their jobs is beyond me. Sorry, but some people take the whole CD/SK thing too far.

Oh please, if you like the newer games fine, but the older games, especially the original were nothing like what LOK is now. Blood Omen was a wonderful action rpg type of game that got plenty of decent reviews from mags and fans, the weapon switching wasn't anymore tedious than the stuff you see in any other game of it's type. SK/CD rivalry? What a stupid assumption, if I was that hateful over the dispute, why would I praise the original Soul Reaver that CD made? I still buy LOK games (on sale )and I totally enjoy the story, but the gameplay just isn't up to par for me. Why should I feel sorry for the employees, as bad as CD's games are those people need to be out of the industry or in fairness, at some other company getting better direction of their talents.

 

[Gribbix]

Oh please, if you like the newer games fine, but the older games, especially the original were nothing like what LOK is now. Blood Omen was a wonderful action rpg type of game that got plenty of decent reviews from mags and fans, the weapon switching wasn't anymore tedious than the stuff you see in any other game of it's type. SK/CD rivalry? What a stupid assumption, if I was that hateful over the dispute, why would I praise the original Soul Reaver that CD made? I still buy LOK games (on sale )and I totally enjoy the story, but the gameplay just isn't up to par for me. Why should I feel sorry for the employees, as bad as CD's games are those people need to be out of the industry or in fairness, at some other company getting better direction of their talents.

Fair enough. It just seems as though most people who loved BO1 but hated the other games are those who allow their feelings towards SK/CD's legal affairs affect their opinion.

 

[hobbitx]

Cool then. I actually played SR first and it's what brought me to BO, it does piss me off a little sometimes wondering what could have been (Vampiric OoT clone ), but SR was still an excellent game and I'd never let legal politics interfere with my judgement.

 

[KilledByBill]

I enjoyed Legacy of Kain: Defiance quite a bit, beating it as a rental months ago.

Stick with the story, I thought the game's climax was very good when the destinies of the Kain, Razel, and the Elder God all come together.