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[gtabro]

So I tried the Dreamcast version for the past few days, quite a few hours in and... There is charm. Cool protagonist. Intriguing story. Good music. But I don't share the enthusiasm people on the internet have for this game.
Went through a ton of youtube videos for all games. All comments, and I mean ALL comments that praise the games mention they played it during their childhood. I, sadly no longer a child, tried and was "it's ok", appreciate the uniqueness but nowhere near as hooked as these comments make it out to be.

My question is: Is there a single adult gamer who has 0 nostalgia and liked it, preferably people 25+ years old when they first tried it..?

Cos I couldn't find even one - both in the comments or the streamers that tried it for the first time. Maybe there will be a few people here, but I won't bet on legions of grown ups flooding the thread with "Played it at 30 and it's sick bro". It seems it's one of these games you love because you played it when it would hit you the most - childhood/teenage years, but I want to test my theory here.

 

[playXray]

Like a lot of heavy hitters back then, they are a bit dated compared to modern games. Playing as new in 2024, you can’t really appreciate the impact they had at the time - GTA is the perfect example. If GTA 3 came out today as it was back then it would barely get noticed, but at the time it was one of the biggest revolutions in gaming.

Basically, I think it’s unrealistic to expect any newcomers to classic games to experience the same level of awe as old-school nostalgic gamers have.

 

[TrebleShot]

Nostalgia is hell of a drug, i was considering getting these, but like the tomb raider remasters I dont think theyd hit like they did.

 

[kevboard]

well, it has the typical issues of almost any game whose target platform was the PS1, which are technical in nature.

you have for one the fact that every PS1 game, that wanted to actually sell well, needed to work on a D-Pad. this means intricate 3D controls like in Mario 64 were literally impossible to do on PS1, unless you wanted to limit your audience by only supporting Analog controllers.
this is why even games that support analog controls on PS1 feel far less responsive and give you less fine control than Mario 64 for example. most PS1 games have aggressive "smoothing" of inputs so to say, because on a D-Pad you need that. so in Soul Reaver or Spyro, even tho they supported analog controls, you can feel that slow turn speed and the slow acceleration and slow response to your inputs, because that was necessary to give d-pad users the ability to move slowly in one direction and the ability to do small adjustments on an 8 way digital input.

secondly the PS1 isn't especially powerful, and a lot of the 3D capabilities are wasted because devs had to use a shitload of polygons simply to keep textures from warping uncontrollably. an empty room that on N64, and any other modern GPU, would only need 12 polygons to display correctly, would either need 10 times as many on PS1, or would need to dynamic subdivide as you move through it by giving the parts of the floor and walls closest to you more polygons as you move around it, otherwise the textures would freak out to a degree that could give you motion sickness or at least disorient you massively

so, the game is very much a product of its time and its targeted platform.
this means level design had to be simple both due to the controller and hardware limitations.

but even so, I think it's a very good action adventure, that has somewhat mediocre combat, but also has good level design, decent puzzles, and decent bosses.
there is a ton that would need to be changed to actually make it a great game, but for a PS1 action adventure it was a standout title. and in many ways is better than most modern action adventures that are dumbed down for mainstream audiences, by taking away systemic mechanics in favour of context sensitive shit. easy example, you can climb up almost any ledge in Soul Reaver, while in many modern games only specifically marked ones are interactive.

 

[FoxMcChief]

You have to remember, this series writing, dialogue and voice acting were top notch back then. Only Metal Gear Solid was on its level with those three categories.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Best thing ever? No but playing Blood Omen on the PS1 was a experience in the 90's.

 

[Agent_4Seven]

To my shame, I haven't played any LOK games including SRs. I honestly don't know if I'll like to play these games now purely from a gameplay perspective and all of the outdated stuff nowadays like animations, combat and such. Hopefully CD will have a chance to make a completely new game or at the very least SR1-2 modern remakes.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I was at least 25 years old when I played the first Soul Reaver absolutely loved it. I started out with Blood Omen, though, and was already a fan of that long before they announced any sequels.

 

[AyraSutoraifu]

You have to remember, this series writing, dialogue and voice acting were top notch back then. Only Metal Gear Solid was on its level with those three categories.

Fun fact, the actors from MGS went on audition for roles on LoK. In the latest episode of SkillUp you can hear that... glad they went the direction as we know of today.

Myself, i was 16 and loved it. Except the 'spider' section.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Reminder that it's Walter White's wife who voiced Arial throughout the LoK series.

Simon Templeton (Kain) and Michael Bell (Raziel) are awesome.

By it is Tony Jay (Elder God) who is my favorite.

 

[Nemesisuuu]

I've played it first when it released on PS1, thought it was ok and that's it - then it was something like 6-7/10 for me. Few years back when Blood Omen released on GOG, played it with Verok's patch and it was great, although (obviously) it was quite archaic in places but Kain as anti hero is one of the best characters ever in video games.

After that I started playing Soul Reaver on Dreamcast and at first my impression was like it was back in the day - nothing special, but as I played more the game did grow on me. Now I'm playing remaster and from the start I can say that the game is a classic for a reason, it has that something which I did miss at first.

It's all subjective in the end, but sometimes it is good to give second chance to praised games, just don't force it because 'people from the internet' like it. When you feel like it, try it - if it seats right with you - that's it.

 

[DavidGzz]

I never liked them. I was 17 when it came out. I preferred Legacy of Kain 1, and I felt like it went downhill as far as aesthetics and making Kain a villain didn't jive with me. I loved playing as him in 1. The voiceovers, cinematics, and atmosphere were top. He looked terrible with only 3 fingers on each hand in Soul Reaver. Bleh.

 

[Illyrius]

I've played both Soul Reaver 1 & 2 when they released. Was 12 & 14 years old. Played BO when I was in my mid teens, not quite sure what age I was, maybe 15ish.

I was really too young to understand the story of Soul Reaver 1, but it was quite innovative for the time. The atmosphere, art direction, the world building, voice acting and writing were all top notch.

The thing that I found most interesting about it was just how dark the world was. The combat and enemies were brutal and grotesque. You played as some sort of a ghoul yourself. It all felt very "mature" to me.
For a kid who grew up playing the NES and SNES this was all very refreshing. A lot of people around my age thought the same and obviously the game was a big success.

By the time Soul Reaver 2 came out, the hype wasn't as big as the first game. Reviews were positive but the build up towards it's release was, in my experience, pretty low key. I played Soul Reaver 2 and was initially disappointed with it.
I didn't understand half the things that were brought up, it was less dark, it was less gorey / grotesque, no crazy boss battles, pretty meh.

One thing it did deliver on, which I still couldn't fully grasp as a 14 year old, was story telling, dialogue, writing. The voice acting was top notch and that certainly resonated with me but most if it I still really didn't understand.

Let me tell you something, the story and writing in the Soul Reaver 1, 2, defiance and blood omen 1. Is some of the best writing in all of gaming history. The gameplay now is dated but the writing still stands out.

The themes and concepts here are for adults. The games and the gameplay might have been made for kids, and looking in from the outside it definitley has that... childlike aesthetic but you have to be a grown man to understand the tone here. These are tragic stories, with real consequences, about men who have to deal with situations that were forced upon them.

You have Raziel who is a ghoul, who was a vampire, before that was a sarafan priest. At first he has a hard time coping with the fact he's killing vampires. Then he finds out he was pure and just before Kain turned him into a vampire. After that he comes to the realization that when he was human, he was basically a butcher, a murderer. None of it was his choice, not becoming a vampire or ghoul atleast. Throughout the Soul reaver games he tries to get some understanding of the world and his place in it.

Kain is really not that much different if you think about it. Chosen to be the guardin of balance, gets murdered, turned into a vampire and in the end he is expected to sacrifice himself to restore balance and save the world, or live an doom it. Throughout the BO and SR games he tries to find his place, understand the world, deals with his choices, tries to navigate his way through all of the different actors and groups playing out their own agenda's.

I'm only scratching the surface here there's so much more. Only in my mid 20s, when I started to watch youtube walkthroughs of all the games, putting together the story, did I come to the realization that this is some of the sickest shit of all time. So yeah... to answer your question. At the time the games were great to play. Now they're dated. But the story is still some of the best if not the best in all of gaming.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I never liked them. I was 17 when it came out. I preferred Legacy of Kain 1, and I felt like it went downhill as far as aesthetics and making Kain a villain didn't jive with me. I loved playing as him in 1. The voiceovers, cinematics, and atmosphere were top. He looked terrible with only 3 fingers on each hand in Soul Reaver. Bleh.

I also like his more human form better. He had more of that typical Anne Rice aesthetic going on as opposed to looking like some kind of monstrous vampire.

 

[xenosys]

Nostalgia is hell of a drug, i was considering getting these, but like the tomb raider remasters I dont think theyd hit like they did.

You take the nostalgia out of the OG Tomb Raider games, and they really do fall down.

Don't get me wrong, there's zero hand-holding and some puzzles that actually makes you think, and a fair degree of challenge which is alien to modern day game devs, but if a high-profile titles released today (as TR was back then) with the janky ass controls that it has, it'd get absolutely taken apart.

 

[JimmyRustler]

I was well into my 20s and my first entry into the series was SR2, which I still consider one of the best written stories.

From the story perspective I think I had a bit luck here as this is probably the best point to come in. The plot of both BO1 and SR1 is much better summarized in the booklet than it was in the games.

BO2 in general was a bit of an outliner and with the Defiance everything kinda falls apart anyway.

So yeah, my take on it is the story of the series is best experienced when you read „what happened“ first, then play SR2 snd then… stop.

 

[Erebus]

These games, naturally, reflect the dated mechanics and technical limitations of their era. However, back in the day, the first Soul Reaver was truly special and introduced some unique concepts. I first played it on the PS1 when I was around 11 or 12, and I was deeply impressed by its dark themes and distinctive presentation. Even from a technical perspective, it achieved remarkable things, like seamlessly transitioning between two distinct "realms" within the same area and having no loading screens even though the world was huge.

As for Soul Reaver 2, I feel it didn’t generate the same level of excitement as the original. Still, it directly continued the story and benefited from significant graphical improvements on the PS2.

I picked up the remastered collection, and I’m excited to revisit these games now that I’m much older and can better appreciate the writing.

 

[Celine]

Blood Omen (the 2D one) is the best in the series.

 

[Bert Big Balls]

Nostalgia is hell of a drug, i was considering getting these, but like the tomb raider remasters I dont think theyd hit like they did.

Had this realisation lately too. Games I absolutely loved as a kid just don't really do it for me now unfortunately.

 

[Punished Miku]

Every 3D game of that era that wasn't Mario 64, Ocarina, Wave Race or Pilotwings was "just okay." Still a great series though, great music and story. Glad to have them available and I'll buy the rest instantly if they get ported.

 

[lughnasadh123]

Think I was 27 when it came out, so very much adult and adored it. Blood Omen/Soul Reaver were such an amazing combo that sadly fell off.

People are also in a rude awakening to all those classics they loved also probably while younger than the new youngins don't give a flying fuck about that to them are janky, dated messed.

 

[Gojiira]

Best thing ever? No.
But Raziel is in my top protags, my only gripe with the series is the retcons and of course the non-ending in the third game.

 

[acm2000]

amazing back then but dated today such is progress in gaming.

 

[Griffon]

The fact of the matter is that Soul Reaver was always pretty mid. Even back then it failed to impress me.

It got by because it was riding off the coattails of the amazingly stylish Blood Omen. I'm still sad that we never got the real sequel.

 

[Northeastmonk]

It was the art style. I remember playing a little bit back in the day and never going back to see the story play out. They seemed cool, but kinda mid. Sorta like the Darkworld movies. You’d watch it, but you probably forgot everything about it.

I own all the games. I just started the remastered version. I’ve wanted to play them all. Never had the “wow moment” to do it. It’s like playing Conker’s Bad Fur Day or Banjo Kazooie. They’re cool, but they could easily get dropped for something else pretty quick.

 

[Astray]

It's the sort of game that largely stays relevant because of how strong the art direction, lore, voice acting and narrative are. It was also the 1st PS game that managed to do no loading screens between areas, which in a sense paved the way for the seamless open world experience most of us take for granted nowadays.

For me, it was really one of the 1st games that were able to not only carry a mature tone and be interesting to adults (MGS was also out in the same year or so iirc), but it was also one of the few that managed to do it while not trying to chase movies and what they do (which MGS1, as awesome as it is, was definitely going for).

SR's gameplay is honestly nothing to write home about, it's serviceable at best and basically something that keeps you busy while you rush for the next story beat (and they were all awesome tbh).

 

[FoxMcChief]

I never liked them. I was 17 when it came out. I preferred Legacy of Kain 1, and I felt like it went downhill as far as aesthetics and making Kain a villain didn't jive with me. I loved playing as him in 1. The voiceovers, cinematics, and atmosphere were top. He looked terrible with only 3 fingers on each hand in Soul Reaver. Bleh.

I also like his more human form better. He had more of that typical Anne Rice aesthetic going on as opposed to looking like some kind of monstrous vampire.

The change in appearance happened because of time. Look at Vorador as an example of what a vampire looks like after thousands of years. Kain was still in his vampire diapers in the first game. By the time of Soul Reaver, he was a teenager.

 

[Cattlyst]

Played it on Dreamcast when it came out. I was 19 or 20 at the time. I thought it was a cool adventure game with good visuals and some top quality voice acting from what I recall. Those 'world shifting' effects were very impressive for the time. I wouldn't say it was a game that blew me away or anything like that. It was just 'decent.' I probably won't bother playing it again when the remaster launches. I'd rather keep the memories of when I played it first time around.

 

[Luc2010]

The game mechanics are way outdated. I did buy the Remaster and played a little bit of it. I may return and play some more at a later date, but there is little reward to the battle system. Deviance had a better battling system, but seems to be limited in scope. I love they updated the game with new textures, though. No more janky frames unless I switch back to legacy game. Def worth supporting the devs on this. I am hoping for another remaster or a new game in the series. If not, just a remaster of the Blood Omen. Too bad, Omnicide did not finish their mod of the original Blood Omen game. They were converting the landscape to 3d while retaining the original sprites. They have a small demo to try out. I wanted more after completing the demo.

Blood Omnicide mod

Blood Omnicide is a project to recreate Blood Omen: Legacy Of Kain in 3D. The main goal is to save original game feel and provide nearly same gameplay and balance. There will be some improvements & innovations, just because of nature of porting. The...

www.moddb.com

 

[ManaByte]

well, it has the typical issues of almost any game whose target platform was the PS1, which are technical in nature.

you have for one the fact that every PS1 game, that wanted to actually sell well, needed to work on a D-Pad. this means intricate 3D controls like in Mario 64 were literally impossible to do on PS1, unless you wanted to limit your audience by only supporting Analog controllers.
this is why even games that support analog controls on PS1 feel far less responsive and give you less fine control than Mario 64 for example. most PS1 games have aggressive "smoothing" of inputs so to say, because on a D-Pad you need that. so in Soul Reaver or Spyro, even tho they supported analog controls, you can feel that slow turn speed and the slow acceleration and slow response to your inputs, because that was necessary to give d-pad users the ability to move slowly in one direction and the ability to do small adjustments on an 8 way digital input.

secondly the PS1 isn't especially powerful, and a lot of the 3D capabilities are wasted because devs had to use a shitload of polygons simply to keep textures from warping uncontrollably. an empty room that on N64, and any other modern GPU, would only need 12 polygons to display correctly, would either need 10 times as many on PS1, or would need to dynamic subdivide as you move through it by giving the parts of the floor and walls closest to you more polygons as you move around it, otherwise the textures would freak out to a degree that could give you motion sickness or at least disorient you massively

so, the game is very much a product of its time and its targeted platform.
this means level design had to be simple both due to the controller and hardware limitations.

but even so, I think it's a very good action adventure, that has somewhat mediocre combat, but also has good level design, decent puzzles, and decent bosses.
there is a ton that would need to be changed to actually make it a great game, but for a PS1 action adventure it was a standout title. and in many ways is better than most modern action adventures that are dumbed down for mainstream audiences, by taking away systemic mechanics in favour of context sensitive shit. easy example, you can climb up almost any ledge in Soul Reaver, while in many modern games only specifically marked ones are interactive.

The Saturn version of Blood Omen was the best of the two.

 

[Luc2010]

The Saturn version of Blood Omen was the best of the two.

Did you ever try the Legacy of Kain Blood Omen Omnicide? What is so good about the Saturn version? I guess I didn't even know there was a Saturn release or I just forgot?

Blood Omnicide mod

Blood Omnicide is a project to recreate Blood Omen: Legacy Of Kain in 3D. The main goal is to save original game feel and provide nearly same gameplay and balance. There will be some improvements & innovations, just because of nature of porting. The...

www.moddb.com

 

[AMC124c41]

As with most old games, while playing them you need to understand the time and context they were launched in. Just like most people don't get the Half-Life hype but then fail to realise that game was released in 1998 and was doing things that would be copied throughout the industry for years to comes so was Soul Reaver. I mean, you had one continuous game world that streamed in on a PS1. Absolutely basic by today's standards, really ahead of its time back then and so on.
My point is, while playing these try to understand the context of when they were launched and how ahead of their time they were for back then not compared to modern standards more than 20 years later.

 

[ManaByte]

Did you ever try the Legacy of Kain Blood Omen Omnicide? What is so good about the Saturn version? I guess I didn't even know there was a Saturn release or I just forgot?

Blood Omnicide mod

Blood Omnicide is a project to recreate Blood Omen: Legacy Of Kain in 3D. The main goal is to save original game feel and provide nearly same gameplay and balance. There will be some improvements & innovations, just because of nature of porting. The...

www.moddb.com

The original Blood Omen was 2D, so like most games of the era it ran much better on the Saturn. Had a much better framerate, game ran smoother and controls were much more responsive. The load times on the PSX version, especially when accessing the inventory, were horrendous and much shorter on the Saturn.

 

[Windom Earle]

Played the Dreamcast version and only thought it was ok.

 

[Calverz]

Played the Dreamcast version around 12 years ago. Really enjoyed it but the ending was quite the disappointment. I started soul reaver 2 a couple of years ago on the steam deck but got bored and stop playing. It was quite different and not as fun.

 

[Zacfoldor]

No, but I do have a photographic memory and remember the box puzzles as being not very fun.

There is a reason I skip these nostalgia trips unless they are done like Silent Hill 2/RE4. Rose colored glasses are a thing.

 

[bender]

No, but I do have a photographic memory and remember the box puzzles as being not very fun.

Especially in Soul Reaver 2, not to mention the lackluster combat. I still powered through it for the story and amazing voice acting, but all the other shortcomings were much harder to overlook by the time it released.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Nah, I played them as a kid/teen but I really enjoyed them, Blood Omen 2 and Defiance more than the rest for some reason. I wish they were remade not remastered along with BloodRayne.