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[Draugoth]

Game Title: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered


Platforms:

• PlayStation 5 (Dec 10, 2024)
• PlayStation 4 (Dec 10, 2024)
• Xbox Series X/S (Dec 10, 2024)
• Xbox One (Dec 10, 2024)
• Nintendo Switch (Dec 10, 2024)
• PC (Dec 10, 2024)

Trailer:

Review Aggregator:

MetaCritic - 79/100 - 13 Reviews

​

Critic Reviews

Analog Stick Gaming - Jeff M Young - 8 / 10

Fans of the games have waited patiently for this series to return, or even to have the original games available on modern hardware. While this collection does a respectful job of preserving the original two games, I do wish more work had been done to make the environments really stand out as much as the vastly improved character models do. Still, the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered Collection is a great attempt to improve these games, even if they never really played that well in the first place. While they are clearly dated in their design and feel, there is nonetheless something special about Raziel's journey, and the technical might those games presented way back when.

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But Why Tho? - Abdul Saad - 8 / 10

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2 Remastered is an impeccable remaster collection. While it has a few flaws, the narrative, world-building, soundtrack, and voice acting make the games a gratifying experience.

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EIP Gaming - Rafael Hernandez - 8 / 10

The Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered bring a cult classic game back with enhanced graphics and features, while retaining the original version's gameplay. There being so few changes can cause some frustrations from clunky interactions, but these are still great games and an excellent way to introduce players to the Legacy of Kain series.

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Gamer Guides - Ben Chard - 75 / 100

The Legacy of Kain series has long been missed, and it's fantastic to get a chance to return to them on modern systems. Unfortunately, many of the gameplay systems feel dated, and there are a few bugs in Soul Reaver 2 that holds this collection back a little.

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Gert Lush Gaming - Jim Smale - 8 / 10

I am glad to say that they did a good job with this collection and added a lot of bonus content making this the definitive version of the game you can buy.

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IGN Deutschland - Björn Balg - German - 7 / 10

A solid remaster mostly focused on improving the first Soul Reaver. It leaves the weaker sequel further behind, resulting in an uneven package.

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Smash Jump - Daniel Leal - 9 / 10

As someone who never played the original releases, the clunky controls have little precision, and the lack of quality-of-life features is clear, but overall, the game is still an eye-opening odyssey through the twisted hellscape of Nosgoth. Dismemberment and other animations are well done, and many cool gameplay elements really shine with this new coat of paint.

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SteamDeckHQ - Oliver Stogden - 3 / 5

The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remasters should scratch that nostalgic itch you have for these games, but if you didn't play them when they were new, you might want to give these games a miss. They're products of their time and don't hold up too well with antiquated gameplay, lack of quality-of-life features we've come to expect nowadays, and visuals that still belong 20 years ago.
However, the games perform flawlessly on the Steam Deck. They require very little power draw to achieve 60 FPS and have good controller support. The only flaw I found was that the map is too far zoomed in on the first game's map screen, but aside from that, everything works as you would hope.

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The Nerd Stash - Julio La Pine - 8.5 / 10

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered does more than just bring classic dark fantasy adventures under a new spotlight. It is a love letter to a beloved series of the 2000s that blends QoL features so perfectly that it is highly approachable to new and old fans alike.

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WayTooManyGames - Leonardo Faria - 7.5 / 10

I wish this collection had retained other Legacy of Kain titles, as jumping straight onto the second game in the series can be quite confusing for newcomers. But even then, I can't complain much about Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered. Both games in this collection have aged quite a bit, but still feel shockingly modern in some regards. They look just a tad bit better, control and perform just a tad bit better, and are wrapped in a neat little package full of extras and bonus features.

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XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 5 / 10

The Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered feels barebones. You get these titles with a few new bells & whistles and not much else. It is thoroughly disappointing for a game that was in more need of a full gameplay remake than just a graphical uplift. With so many great remaster/collection packages hitting, I wish this one had been given a little more love.

 

[Eimran]

Looking forward to this game

 

[Connificent]

 

[Kuranghi]

That XboxEra review really chaps my hide, why don't you review the product and not what you wish it was, tool.

Excited to play the first 1 again with my flatmate who loves them, I've never played the sequel at all.

 

[keefged4]

That XboxEra review really chaps my hide, why don't you review the product and not what you wish it was, tool.

Excited to play the first 1 again with my flatmate who loves them, I've never played the sequel at all.

Yeah I know right? "It is thoroughly disappointing for a game that was in more need of a full gameplay remake than just a graphical uplift" This is a remaster, not a remake, what a shitty review ffs. A graphical uplift is all that's needed, the games are fantastic as they are.

 

[AyraSutoraifu]

Bought, only a wait of 2.5 hours between me and a deified Kain.

 

[Spukc]

That XboxEra review really chaps my hide, why don't you review the product and not what you wish it was, tool.

Excited to play the first 1 again with my flatmate who loves them, I've never played the sequel at all.

I guess the thing remake is better?

 

[RagnarokIV]

Gamespot review is the best to be honest. He understands the game, this product, who it's for and it's place in the market.

Christmas has come early for fans of the series. Every game, pending Defiance, available to play on a modern console system.

Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered Review - My Wayward Son Returns

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered revives the long-dormant series with a timely reminder of its everlasting excellence

www.gamespot.com

 

[Dr.D00p]

Perfect Steam Deck content.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Not going to lie, it feels rather odd knowing that I was rushing to the shops 25 years ago to get the original..

And now, 25 years later, having to wait five hours till it unlocks with the same enthusiasm.

Ive seen quite a few moan about remastering old games but I like having these remasters. It's good that these old games that didn't infantilize the player are getting brought to new players so they can see themselves that gaming wasn't always leading you by the nose and actually had well written stories.

 

[keefged4]

Not going to lie, it feels rather odd knowing that I was rushing to the shops 25 years ago to get the original..

And now, 25 years later, having to wait five hours till it unlocks with the same enthusiasm.

Ive seen quite a few moan about remastering old games but I like having these remasters. It's good that these old games that didn't infantilize the player are getting brought to new players so they can see themselves that gaming wasn't always leading you by the nose and actually had well written stories.

#metoo The wait is unbearable haha

 

[RagnarokIV]

Not going to lie, it feels rather odd knowing that I was rushing to the shops 25 years ago to get the original..

And now, 25 years later, having to wait five hours till it unlocks with the same enthusiasm.

Ive seen quite a few moan about remastering old games but I like having these remasters. It's good that these old games that didn't infantilize the player are getting brought to new players so they can see themselves that gaming wasn't always leading you by the nose and actually had well written stories.

#metoo The wait is unbearable haha

Crazy that the games I've been most excited for this year have been this collection, Blood Omen on PSN, Metal Gear Master Collection and a remake of Silent Hill 2.

 

[Erebus]

Crazy that the games I've been most excited for this year have been this collection, Blood Omen on PSN, Metal Gear Master Collection and a remake of Silent Hill 2.

Same. It's like re-living my childhood.

 

[lughnasadh123]

That XboxEra review really chaps my hide, why don't you review the product and not what you wish it was, tool.

Excited to play the first 1 again with my flatmate who loves them, I've never played the sequel at all.

Imo not doing much with combat is a fair critique of the games as it was one of they worst elements of them. Having a 5 out of 10 score? Nah, fuck that.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I grabbed it while it was on sale for the Steam Deck. I've owned the PSN and GOG ports for ages now. Looking forward to playing them again. I also don't give a crap about any negative review. Highly opinionated jargon.

 

[adamsapple]

Reviews are generally good, shame reading about the glitches and bugs.

The Xbox Era review is weird, review the game, not what it isn't (a remake) lol

 

[MrJangles]

An absolute all time favourite. Picking up the pc version tonight. I know exactly what I'm getting and don't need no 25 year old 'journalist' bellend telling me it isn't as slick as Red Dead Redemption 2 or Astrobot.

Aspyr were exemplary with updates and patches for Tomb Raider Remastered so I'd expect plenty of extra tweaks and fixes for this too.

 

[Punished Miku]

Now port Blood Omen 1, 2 and Defiance. Finish the Fight.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Crazy that the games I've been most excited for this year have been this collection, Blood Omen on PSN, Metal Gear Master Collection and a remake of Silent Hill 2.

Same here. And having The Thing remastered was the icing on the cake for me.

Oh, Shadowman and Exhumed too!

 

[Chuck Berry]

Heard the save system sucks ass

No matter where you save, its never in the spot you save. When you load up, it takes you right back to the very beginning and you have to use the fast travel teleports to get back to where you were.

Fuck that noise

 

[Gonzito]

Never played this game at the time. I wonder if it would be a good idea to try them even tho I have nostalgia or anything for them

 

[keefged4]

Same here. And having The Thing remastered was the icing on the cake for me.

Oh, Shadowman and Exhumed too!

Shadowman and Powerslave/Exhumed were *chef's kiss*

 

[Punished Miku]

Never played this game at the time. I wonder if it would be a good idea to try them even tho I have nostalgia or anything for them

Its going to feel old. I don't know if I would recommend it to new players and I love the games. I'll update that opinion when I try it though. Been a very long time.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

That XboxEra review really chaps my hide, why don't you review the product and not what you wish it was, tool.

Excited to play the first 1 again with my flatmate who loves them, I've never played the sequel at all.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Review

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a masterpiece

xboxera.com

 

[SomeGit]

Now port Blood Omen 1, 2 and Defiance. Finish the Fight.

This collection gives me the bitter taste of that terrible illusion, hope.

 

[adamsapple]

This collection gives me the bitter taste of that terrible illusion, hope.

 

[poodaddy]

Best story of the entire medium, but you're not getting that full story with just these games. Blood Omen 1 and Defiance need some modern rereleases as well, to give people the full story. 2 isn't necessary as it's not canon, nor is it even that good, but I'd still take it as it's kinda fun sometimes.

 

[AyraSutoraifu]

Let's go!

 

[spookyfish]

Very cool. Only 20-something years late, it's now one game--as it should have been.

I will very much enjoy this.

 

[AyraSutoraifu]

Bonus content already worth it!
Oh, turn of the compass...

 

[adamsapple]

Fun fact, Gemini (a modder who is most well known for making classic games like RE 1 / 2 / 3 originals, Dino Crisis 1 / 2 with modern OS) was involved in the development of this game.

Anyone whose been around the modern Resident Evil modding scene would know this name very well.

 

[The_hunter]

There is a noclip documentary about the game.

The highlight is that they hired a passionate modder to work on the game.

 

[kevboard]

beat the first boss and played a bit further after that.
so far the collection makes a really good first impression.

but they could have adjusted the camera further tbh... being able to move it vertically is nice and all, but an additional setting to reduce the amount of auto adjustment it does would have been really nice.
now that you have the camera on the right stick, the extremely heavy automatic adjustments the camera does just feels off. it felt less jarring back on PS1 when you could only move it horizontally.

 

[Nemesisuuu]

I've killed two bosses so far, main problems I have with this remaster is newly added day/night cycle - while on paper it sounded like a good idea, feature is undercooked - game can look really dark at night time when you don't have torch for use. Another thing is that widescreen ratio/camera implementation can sometimes clip through models. Also - there was one instance where level seams were quite obvious.

Other than that, it is enjoyable as it was back in the day with some QOL options put on top.

 

[II_JumPeR_I]

Can we stop giving XboxEra any attention? This clowns have terrible taste and bias

 

[keefged4]

About halfway through SR1 now. This game still holds up. Its magnificent.

 

[FoxMcChief]

I'm really torn on Soul Reaver. I'm about halfway through, and I don't think I'm having that much fun. I remember loving it back in the day. I hate the combat. I don't remember it being so difficult to keep my soul reaver. One hit, and it's gone? Fuck that shit. Enemies respawn infinitely, which sucks when try to complete puzzles or platforming.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

beat the first boss and played a bit further after that.
so far the collection makes a really good first impression.

but they could have adjusted the camera further tbh... being able to move it vertically is nice and all, but an additional setting to reduce the amount of auto adjustment it does would have been really nice.
now that you have the camera on the right stick, the extremely heavy automatic adjustments the camera does just feels off. it felt less jarring back on PS1 when you could only move it horizontally.

I loathe auto camera centering in games! A deep, seething hatred born from having an Oled and having to play games at 30 fps....it sucks at 60 fps too..

Worst game ever for it? Darksiders 2 imo

 

[adamsapple]

The physical release has had a month's delay from June to July.

 

[UltimaKilo]

The physical release has had a month's delay from June to July.

Really interested to see how the game has sold. Maybe we'll finally get a series reboot or a Soul Reaver 3.

 

[adamsapple]

Really interested to see how the game has sold. Maybe we'll finally get a series reboot or a Soul Reaver 3.

I would sacrifice 80% of modern game franchises if it means a new, proper, Soul Reaver game, continuing Defiance's story.

 

[Spearheadz]

Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen >>> Soul Reaver + Soul Reaver 2

Make it happen.

 

[Pasta la Vista]

Really interested to see how the game has sold. Maybe we'll finally get a series reboot or a Soul Reaver 3.

Defiance is basically Soul Reaver 3, the whole story of Kain and Raziel wrap up in that game.

 

[SomeGit]

Defiance is basically Soul Reaver 3, the whole story of Kain and Raziel wrap up in that game.

Raziel's is wrapped up, I wouldn't say Kain's is. It gives a path to restoring the pillars, but it clearly leading to another game.

 

[Nocty]

A wave of nostalgia hits me looking at that cover.

I think it was my first 'Mature' rated game my parents let me buy back in the day. Good memories playing it back in the day. May have to cop.

 

[bigdad2007]

I just finished replaying Soul Reaver in the Remaster.

Didn't encounter any huge bugs, and it was a good time. What I kind of forgot about is how much the game's story and world really depend on you playing Blood Omen first.

Like the entire context for who Kain is, what's happening, who the side characters are etc. All the side vistas in Soul Reaver. They are all set up in Blood Omen.

Releasing/playing Soul Reaver 1&2 without Blood Omen and Defiance is like trying to just read Lord of the Rings The Two Towers on its own.

Hopefully this did well enough Aspyr gets to remaster the two Blood Omen games and Defiance as well.

 

[Panajev2001a]

I admire they tried to restore the day and night cycle, but even more when realising it was not working as well as they thought (the game was not built for it) they allowed people to turn it off.

Running at 90 Hz on Steam Deck OLED even at very low Watts is quite incredible.

 

[Spearheadz]

Wrong thread.

 

[Gambit2483]

I admire they tried to restore the day and night cycle, but even more when realising it was not working as well as they thought (the game was not built for it) they allowed people to turn it off.

Running at 90 Hz on Steam Deck OLED even at very low Watts is quite incredible.

Makes me wonder if they will do any kind of updates or enhancements for the Switch 2. Would be amazing if they could actually get these games running @ 1080p/120fps on that beautiful HDR screen (OLED would been better tho of course)...

 

[JimmyRustler]

I just finished replaying Soul Reaver in the Remaster.

Didn't encounter any huge bugs, and it was a good time. What I kind of forgot about is how much the game's story and world really depend on you playing Blood Omen first.

Like the entire context for who Kain is, what's happening, who the side characters are etc. All the side vistas in Soul Reaver. They are all set up in Blood Omen.

Releasing/playing Soul Reaver 1&2 without Blood Omen and Defiance is like trying to just read Lord of the Rings The Two Towers on its own.

Hopefully this did well enough Aspyr gets to remaster the two Blood Omen games and Defiance as well.

Blood Omen 2 was released as simple port last year, so I doubt they'll do anything with it. Defiance would be nice though as this is still missing on current gen consoles. Also a new entry perhaps?