Reminiscing with the original developers – PlayStation.Blog
Becoming a legend is not easy. But it’s entirely fitting that a compelling and complex story about vengeful vampires not only survives this long but also rises triumphantly from their resting place.
Since its acclaimed 1996 launch, The Legacy of Kain series has had a storied history on PlayStation, from introducing memorable characters to pioneering 3D game design. So with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 remastered is on its way to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Blood Omen 2 are coming to PlayStation Plus ClassicsThis is the perfect time to delve into why The Legacy of Kain series exists. As a bonus, the original developers join us to recall some relevant anecdotes along the way…
A new gameplay video showcases Raziel’s other abilities in The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered.
“I’m incredibly proud of how we integrated the time travel storyline throughout the game – writing time travel stories is hard!”
– Amy Hennig, Design Director (Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain), Director and Lead Writer (Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2, Legacy of Kain: Defiance)
1996 – Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain – PlayStation – Silicon Knights/Crystal Dynamics
Action-adventures take a turn for the scary as The Legacy of Kain series introduces us to the shadowy world of Nosgoth. Blood Omen takes place as Kain searches for a cure for his vampire curse, only to slide deeper into the moral abyss.
Engaging hack-and-slash gameplay combined with magic, transformation and multi-layered puzzle exploration create an enthralling spell wrapped in a clever and engaging story that lays the foundation for all that follows. So it’s no surprise that the acclaimed vampire lord’s triumphant debut was met with a hunger for more. Just three years later, that longing was satisfied…
“It’s one of the best-looking games for the PlayStation.”
– Daniel Cabuco, enemy lead artist (Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver); Lead artist (Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2) and art director (Legacy of Kain: Defiance)
1999 – Legacy of Kain: Soul Snatcher – PlayStation – Crystal Dynamics/Eidos Interactive
If Blood Omen started the series’ crimson-tinged lineage in 2D, Soul Reaver followed this path and innovated it into full 3D. This time, the consequences of Kain’s actions are directly in your hands, taking control of the iconic Raziel, a former vampire lieutenant killed by Kain. Resurrected as a ghost, Raziel is given his mission by The Elder God – to destroy Kain and restore the now destroyed wasteland of Nosgoth to its former glory.
The evolution to 3D allowed the series to push the boundaries of its presentation even further, especially when combined with the already engaging storytelling, allowing players to travel between the physical world and the world of spectra.
“The writing, dialogue and incredible voice acting all take things to the next level,” Cabuco said. “At every moment, artists, designers, musicians and engineers ask themselves how they can deliver a better experience. It was an incredible moment when every aspect was operating at full capacity.”
That’s a view shared by the game’s technical director, Scott Krotz: “The streaming technology we developed is great, and I think we only had one loading screen in the entire game after when starting to use. The combination of solid gameplay and tech, a dark world full of interesting lore, a great story and characters, and great voice actors together make it quite a game. special.”
“The brilliantly directed footage with lip-syncing is simply stunning.”
– Monika Erosova, head of development (Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered)
2001 – Soul Reaver 2 – PlayStation 2 – Crystal Dynamics/Eidos Interactive
After Soul Reaver introduced the iconic Raziel, its sequel expanded significantly on his human past, traveling through time to reveal the secrets of Nosgoth, secrets that had an impact. huge to not only Raziel and his house, but Kain as well.
Between combat, puzzles, and exploration, Soul Reaver 2 successfully enhances much of what made its predecessor so well-received, but the special focus is on its story and characters. “Amy Hennig skillfully weaves Raziel’s journey back to Blood Omen,” Erosova said. “I like to explore the world in different eras.”
Amy Hennig, who served as design director on Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, revealed: “Soul Reaver 2 was originally supposed to be available on the original PlayStation, but our team was determined to use the power of the PS2 to enhance the game’s graphics and animations”. , who is also the director and head writer of Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance. “We ported the game to the new hardware in just a few weeks.”
2002 – Blood Omen 2 – PlayStation 2 – Crystal Dynamics/Eidos Interactive
In a clever tie-in to the time-travel chaos of Soul Reaver 2, the series returned to its roots in Blood Omen 2 by exploring an alternate timeline set after the events of The first Blood Omen. This gives players the chance to enjoy Kain’s immortal life again, in addition to his villainous role in the Soul Reaver games, creating a rich and involved lore.
While paying homage to its vampiric origins, where Kain could devour enemies or civilians to replenish his health, novel gameplay elements such as weapon durability helped to The battles and challenges are always new.
2003 – Legacy of Kain: Defiance – PlayStation 2 – Crystal Dynamics/Eidos Interactive
After two games where we played as either Kain or Raziel, it was perhaps inevitable that we’d get the chance to control both characters in the same game – which is where Legacy of Kain: Defiance comes in . “Since we were revealing important things about the characters’ motivations and the world that shaped them, it was important for us to create the two main characters Kain and Raziel, while also cutting through between their playable chapters,” Hennig explains.
The use of different abilities helped differentiate between the bitter enemies in terms of gameplay, while the story offered the expected – and satisfying – philosophical musings on determinism and ethics to resolves the bloody conflict of Kain and Raziel.
“We wanted to tell a wonderful, complex story with flawed but compelling characters in an original and captivating world,” Hennig said. “It’s incredibly gratifying to see these games and stories become formal and indelible to our audiences.”
You’ll be able to enjoy the series’ enduring legacy when Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Blood Omen 2 arrive on PlayStation Plus Premium on November 19, and when Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered arrives on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on December 10.
