Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

I played this game years ago, but I never got to where I am right now! I'm at the part where you should float on top of the pipes to get to Zephon's Lair, and one thing is that there is almost no way to get past that part; if you're lucky, you will make it the first time, if not, you will be trying over 500 times, nothing!
This game can also be frustrating as in difficulty, you can get lost very easily! I just do not recommend this game, unless you love to deal with bugs! Avoid at all costs!

Wow, is still all I can say. I still remember the entire game very vividly, and I remember going to work, telling my co-workers what a great "movie" I played, having to correct myself. This experience was the first that made me realize how close we were getting to the cinematic experience in gaming.

The story is involving and enthralling, the voice-acting is almost perfect, and the graphics are some of the best in the life of the system. The sequels never quite did justice to this game, what I consider the original, (as Blood Omen was an entirely different type of game). I have to say that the end of the series in Defiance wrapped up well, but even then, it couldn't come close to Soul Reaver. This is what I consider the best game on the PS1; and I love revisiting Nosgoth, time and time again...

Having played and thoroughly enjoyed Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, i remember running off after work to pick this up the day it hit store shelves.

I was not disappointed.

Combining an intense and intriguing story with (at that time) top-of-the-line graphics and a data-streaming technique that allowed the game to move seamlessly without noticeable loading times or the annoying interruption of transitional "Loading" screens between rooms or levels

The only negatives to this game are the frequency of the "Block Puzzles" and a couple of minor technical glitches, but in this game they are comparatively trivial when weighted out against the drama, atmosphere and overall depth of the game

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver - Circa 1999

GOOD:
- Mature and Dark foreboding story based on Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, with lots of twists and turns
- Voice work is really good
- Large Gothic world to explore

BAD:
- Graphics looked dated, to today video game players
- Raziel can really only use two weapons a staff and the sprit sword soul reaver
- Lots of old fashion block pushing
- Has a "to be continued ending"

IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:
- Lots of exploring, lots of block moving
- An original take on the Vampire story
- Takes place in a medieval type of world similar to Dungeon and Dragons

GAME ITS MOST ASSOCATED TOO:
- Tomb Raider 2
- Vagrant Story
- Castlevaina: Symphony of the night

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- This is the first game in the Soul Reaver franchises but a spin off of the Blood Omen franchises
- Blood Omen and Soul Reaver are two different franchises that fall under the Legacy of Kain franchise
- A version of this game was also made on the P.C. and Dreamcast

The first time I played Soul Reaver, I was a freshman in high school, having limited experience in action/adventure games, or videogames in general. Right from the opening scenes, I was blown away by the game's powerful story and brutal execution scenes. The story of Soul Reaver revolves around Raziel, an extremely conflicted character who has been cheated and left to die by his comrades-mainly Kain. Long ago, Raziel was promoted by his vampire brethren, receiving "wings" as a reward for his accomplishments. Kain, his leader, grew jealous and ordered Raziel to be cast into the "abyss," after his wings had been mutilated. After a millennium or so, Raziel awakes to find his body decomposed, giving him a ghastly appearance. A voice beckons him from within the abyss... Is it in his mind? Regardless, Raziel must seek out Kain and avenge the travesty that was laid upon him... So begins the best videogame storyline of all time, rivaling only J.R.R. Tolkien's epic.

Raziel is very agile, and has the ability to scale walls, impale enemies, move large objects, throw items/foes, and last but not least, glide utilizing his tattered wings. Another breakthrough aspect of Soul Reaver was the fact that Raziel was immortal, being able to shift from the spectral to material form. By no means is Raziel a vampire-he is disgusted by his former kind. Raziel is a new breed of anti-hero, one that feeds on the "soul" of his host. This quality is what gives Raziel his superhuman strength, and makes him a very formidable foe indeed.

Unlike the sequel, the first Soul Reaver has a myriad of bosses and enemies-ones that are in fact quite frightening. Each time Raziel kills a boss, he gains their special powers. Each of the head bosses was also at one time a vampire; however, they have become grotesquely mutated with time. After Raziel gains the Spectral Reaver from Kain, Raziel's superhuman strength increases ten-fold, and enemies are much easier to maim and mutilate. Unfortunately, Raziel never gets a chance to snuff Kain-in fact, the tables turn during the third installment of the series.

The only con to this game would have to be the lengthy duration-it's over sixty hours. As a result of this, I never actually beat all of Soul Reaver 1. Evidently, I didn't miss much, because Kain jumps through a portal during the climax. According to other reviewers, this is somewhat of an anti-climax; it frustrated gamers during its initial release. Fortunately, this was resolved in Defiance, whereas Kain is the one who ends up smiting Raziel, and for good reason, of course.

To sum up:

PROS
- INSANELY ADDICTING STORYLINE
- BREATHTAKING GRAPHICS (FOR ITS TIME)
- BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AND LANDSCAPES
- ULTRA VIOLENT AND BLOODY
- THE ABILITY TO SHIFT BETWEEN TWO ALTERNATE DIMENSIONS
- ABILITY TO GAIN "GLYPHS," OR MAGICAL POWERS
- ABILITY TO GLIDE USING THE REMNANTS OF RAZIEL'S WINGS
- CHALLENGING PUZZLES & BOSSES

CONS
- LENGTHY DURATION (CON?)