Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered

Fans of classic games and remasters are likely well acquainted with Aspyr, the studio responsible for the disappointing Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection and the impressive Tomb Raider I–III Remastered. Setting its sights on the rest of Crystal Dynamics' backlog, Aspyr has resurrected the Soul Reaver duology as the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered ($29.99 on console and PC, reviewed on PlayStation 5). In this new collection, 1999's Soul Reaver and 2001's Soul Reaver 2 are repackaged with original and remastered visuals, gameplay updates, and bonus materials (outtakes, concept art, and deleted content). Although Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered retains some of the original gameplay issues, it's a great package for anyone who wants an old-school action-adventure fix.

Plot, Legacy, and Gameplay

Acting as standalone games and sequels to 1996's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, the Soul Reaver follows Raziel, the vampire-turned-undead wraith. Betrayed and murdered by the titular vampire, Kain, Raziel is mysteriously brought back to life and returns to the world of Nosgoth. However, the world is on the brink of collapse thanks to Kain and Raziel's vampire brethren. Soul Reaver 2 picks up almost exactly where Soul Reaver ends, following Raziel as he hops through time to undo his predetermined fate, seemingly being orchestrated by Moebius, a time-streamer with a twisted agenda.

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I first encountered Soul Reaver on the Dreamcast when I was just eight years old. I was immediately enamored by the subject matter, graphics, and booming soundtrack, even if the game was incomprehensibly tough. 25 years later, all that remains true. Returning to Soul Reaver more than two decades later, I'm impressed by how modern it feels. The dialogue, thick with a Shakespearean slant, remains excellent, as well as the soundtrack, which adds so much atmosphere to the blocky, gothic architecture.

Today's blockbusters like Horizon: Forbidden West and Uncharted owe a debt of gratitude to the Soul Reaver titles' time-bending tales. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, when developers discovered how to incorporate cinematic gravitas into their releases, the Soul Reaver games delivered a tightly woven monster story with more twists than an Anne Rice novel.

Like its story, Soul Reaver’s gameplay was also born of the primordial genre that would become the open-world game we know today. The first Soul Reaver plays like a gothic Legend of Zelda, complete with a large world full of dungeons to explore, abilities to learn, and secrets to uncover. Soul Reaver 2 adopts a similar open world, albeit one with a greater focus on the narrative.

Despite these differences, both games suffer from gameplay issues that were common during their era. Camera control in a 3D space and combat have aged like milk, and just trying to figure out where to go and what to do is sometimes mind-bendingly difficult. Puzzles range from simple to straight-up confusing, requiring you to hop between spectral and material worlds. Anyone complaining about heavy-handed guidance in Resident Evil 4 (Remake) will bite their tongue, wishing for help navigating this collection's labyrinths.

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Welcome Updates, Returning Woes

The Soul Reaver remasters are built atop the original game's code. That's not to say there aren't significant changes on display, even if much of it is superficial. Both titles enjoy a new coat of paint, including enhanced character models, visual effects, and textures. Like the Tomb Raider remasters, you can jump between the classic and remastered visuals anytime. Unlike the Tomb Raider remasters, the frame rate remains consistent between visual modes.

Soul Reaver benefits most from the updated visuals. Launching on the original PlayStation, Soul Reaver's ambition was locked to the technology at the time. The remaster's graphics replace the original's polygonal Raziel with one that matches the game's promotional art and CG cutscenes. The revamped creature designs are impressive, though humans have a generic element to them. Don’t expect anything approaching the polish of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster or Metroid Prime Remastered.

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In contrast, I'm surprised by how much Soul Reaver 2 remains the same. Besides the new character models, many of the game's original assets seem to have been left in place and cleaned up rather than swapped out entirely. There are even certain scenes where the differences between the remastered and classic visuals are imperceptible. In some ways, this is a testament to Soul Reaver 2's impressive foundation. However, it also feels like Soul Reaver 2 doesn't receive the same TLC as its predecessor.

The cracks in the remaster's fresh coat of paint became more apparent as I played both games. Lighting, in particular, is a problem. Both games occasionally feature scenes so dark that it became difficult to play. The worst offender is Soul Reaver 2, which has more than a few bugs. The worst I observed occurred late in the game when an object was replaced by a big black box during a cutscene as if the asset was missing. Random crashes are an issue, too.

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However, the collection has updates that make the games more palatable for modern audiences. The first involves mapping the camera control to the right stick, letting you manage Raziel's Y-axis for the first time. The other is adding a map and compass in hopes of helping you navigate the tough worlds. Still, these additions do little to wipe away the game's inherent clunkiness. For example, the camera constantly jerks and stalls in tight corridors, while the compass and map did little to help me find my way around Nosgoth. 

This might not mean much to die-hard fans of this oft-forgotten series, but I suggest newcomers approach this remaster with an archaeological eye. Returning to Soul Reaver and exploring Soul Reaver 2 for the first time, I can distinctly see the DNA of what games would become and appreciate what these titles were trying to do at that time. Even if the actual gameplay hasn’t aged as well as other aspects, like the music and performances, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

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Extra Goodies

The bundle includes bonus materials, including outtakes from original voice recordings, classic and newly crafted HD artwork, scripts, and—most interestingly—Soul Reaver's lost levels. An interactive museum of sorts, the lost levels showcase several areas left on the cutting room floor, rebuilt with the help of Crystal Dynamics and the Soul Reaver fan community. 

Verdict: Classic, If Flawed, Vampire Games

The fact that Aspyr preserved these narrative-heavy action games is worthy of praise. Although they're technically two parts of a story that concludes in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered proves that both Soul Reaver games hold up well. Even if the first is more fun to return to than the second, both titles are special in their own right and worth experiencing. You’ll find much to love here if you're a returning fan. If you’re a newcomer, tread carefully: The Soul Reaver games weave an epic, modern tale punctuated by moments of old-school frustration.

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