Was it Good? - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

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Twitter: / joshstrifehayes
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Become my Soul Reaver, my Angel of Death. It's time to return to Nosgoth and help Raziel seek revenge on the immortal vampiric lord Kain. I'll be replaying the full game on playstation 1, critiquing the mechanics and bosses, finding the hidden optional areas and casting all the spells as we ask, Soul Reaver, was it any good?
As usual a big thank you to the supporters on Patreon and Twitch who keep the channel alive.
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Extra Punctuation: • Elden Ring Lets Its Op...
The Lost Worlds: thelostworlds.net/SR1/index.html
HD Remaster: • Soul Reaver Resanctified
3d Map animation: • Legacy of Kain: Soul R...

[@Arsenov92]

Fun fact: The VA's were most almost all from a theater background, when they got the parts for Legacy of Kain, most of them thought they would go in, do some voice acting and get out, but, the moment they got the script and saw the lines, they were fascinated and thought this was theater level writting. So they did their utmost best at it and we 20+years later on all of the games got some if not the best voice acting we have never heard before to this day.

[@kidhavii]

What bothers me is that we’ll never see writing like this ever again. Games, like movies, are expensive to produce, and publishers want instant profit. As great as this game was for its time, it’ll never come out today, it’s too “experimental”. Or if they want to make a new story but lower the risk, just add the narrative to an already established IP.

[@KingLich451]

too bad

[@trompell0]

I don't believe you lol. "Almost all" "most". Good voice acting though certainly.

[@alexandrebelair4360]

@@kidhavii Except we still see it to this day. In fact writting got better.

[@alexandrebelair4360]

@@EvolutionArchive23 Yes.

[@elisecunliffe1123]

Of all the games that deserve a remake or remaster, this has to be up there. a masterpiece that my child brain at the time couldn't appreciate.

[@Dragonfury3000]

If it keeps the voice acting from the original I'm ready for it.

[@Sevarrius]

@@Dragonfury3000 See this is one of my fears when it comes to a possible remaster, remake or even a continuation and proper ending to the series. We've already lost Tony Jay so no more new Elder God Voice work and Michael Bell is already in his 80's. I fear it won't be long until we lose any true opportunity to have a project with the original voice cast.

[@JakalairVG]

A remaster I am all on board with! But, if a remake involves replacing the voice actors I am going to have to hear the new cast try and do what this cast did before I can even think about playing it/them.

[@Lelqtii]

Since Sqeenix recently sold their western studios, including Legacy of Cain and Crystal Dynamics, to Embracer Group, who love milking their huge back catalog, remasters of the series might not be that far away.

[@NachozMan]

No, let sleeping dogs lie. We don't need to go "reviving" every piece of our past, I'm much too young to feel like my entire childhood is being sold back to me as Nostalgia, like it is these days. Some things, as amazing as they are, need not be exhumed.

[@tomegranatejuice]

I could listen to Cain and Raziel talk for hours. They should start a podcast.

[@rubdulbah3201]

They should call it destiny's game.

[@JayShootHer]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5OvmZuvfMmciKc

[@thefool8224]

mobuis is streaming it

[@judeabrigo278]

True

[@cbrom4371]

Hopefully not one as Fresh and Fit.

[@uppermost865]

Raziel is possibly my favourite protagonist in all of video gaming. Soul Reaver was a massive part of my childhood. I give this video a "I love it" out of 10

[@kennykiller]

Kain is mine, cos Raz isn't helped by being written as a petulant baby half the time and the idea that a clan lord can't kill weaker vamps with his bare claws is just stupid as far as SR1 combat goes

[@Teixas666]

@@kennykiller ppl keep claiming raziel shouldnt be as weak as he is atthe start of Sr1, butthey seem forget w/e power he had he lost it all when he DIED. Wraith RAziel is an aepx fighter in spectral realm, but his material realm form has to be weak because the lore shows it to be unnatural and the world actively fights it by eroding his form over time

[@kennykiller]

@@Teixas666and im saying a fucking CLAN LORD should be able to oneshot just about everything and your lies dont stretch very far when 'YOR PHYSICAL PROWESS SURPASSES THAT WHCH YOU KNEW IN LIFE'

[@Hitmanfreak123]

I actually don't see it.

[@SSGoatanks]

The LOK series is so underrated and really deserves to be revived through animated TV series, movies, and reboots of the original games ❤‍🔥

[@SymbioteMullet]

Fun little detail that's very easy to miss: The giant skull castle is called Nupraptor's retreat, Nupraptor was one of Kain's targets in the first game. When you finally meet him in the head of the skull, you look out through the eyes of the skull and see two different things, one a land of paradise, the other a nightmare wasteland. This is foreshadowing the choice at the end of the game. When you as Raziel enter the skull, you go in through the right eye... the one that looked out on to the wasteland. What the other eye sees at this point is a mystery

[@GNMbg]

thats why this game is amazing

[@JPG.01]

One of the things that make Legacy of Kain such an amazing series. Details that give us the continuity of a world. Even though, there are no games in Legacy of Kain that happen during the same time period as time travel is involved but we see the same world at different times. Pulling that off ain't easy. The only game that deviated from that was Legacy of Kain 2. An alright game, but a bad entry in the LoK series for that reason. As it's game world is distinctly different from the other games.

[@termnus77]

On top of that, if you use Nupraptor's retreat as a point of reference, it appears that Melchiah's territory was sat in and around the town of Vasserbünde which would explain the cemeteries too

[@RoballTV]

@@JPG.01 And even then, the next game managed to patch most of the holes that LoK2 created, so it hardly jars the overall continuity.

[@arx3516]

@@RoballTV LoK2? You mean Blood Onen 2?

[@AkosKovacs.Author.Musician]

Bit of a correction: Raziel is Kain's first Lieutenant and the first of his vampire son who received the strongest portion of Kain's gift; which is also the reason why the other lieutenants were so quick to turn on him as they were all envious of his prestige.

[@flipskaterdave]

@PipeRhymes really?

[@tokidensetsu]

@PipeRhymes Vampiric "unlife". He was the first to be turned.

[@AkosKovacs.Author.Musician]

@PipeRhymes Vampiric unlife, or to be more specific reborn as Kain's direct decendances. See, in LoK vampires do not born as they are all sterile, nor can they transform others as easily as in other vampire stories. Though the exact method was never revealed completely what we know is that creating a vampire is an arduous task that in some way involves parting one's essence onto the subject. It is also heavily implied that this affects the mutations a vampire undergoes. Janos sired one: Vorador who, though had a very wolfish look, nevertheless retained a regal appearance with some human features; Melchia, according Raziel himself, received the poorest portion and became a bloated hideosity. Now whether it was because the "gift" can get diluted or was it deliberate on Kain's part I don't know for sure, regardless as you progress the game you fight Raziel's siblings who are progressively stronger.

[@aquamote]

@PipeRhymes part of kains soul. Raziel and his lieutenants were desiccated corpses by the time kain went into the tomb of the sarafan. To raise them kain used a portion of his own soul on each of them . Raziel first, receiving the largest share. Melchiah last, which is why his vampiric flesh was so weak and half falling off.

[@CompasaurusRex]

@@AkosKovacs.Author.Musician through the years I also came accross some people that proposed this mutation or progressive decay in Kain's vampires was in some part due to Mortanius' curse

[@MrAncop]

Jesus the voice acting and dialogues are insanely good, this truly feels like ahead of it's time

[@DragonNexus]

The series expanded my vocabulary massively. Where else in gaming, in the PS1 era or since, do you hear the word "ineluctably"?

[@paolotraisci-artofpt9091]

Honestly... it's ahead of OUR time too.

[@nocturnaljoe9543]

Hehee, boi...

[@codyvandal2860]

@@DragonNexus Over time your vocabulary became less human and more... divine.

[@ZK-sz8vs]

for those too young to remember or who didnt live through it, this game was the elden ring of its day. it had that level of hype and praise, it was THE game, on the cover of every gaming magazine, highly reviewed, and considered state of the art for its time.

[@ArcaneAzmadi]

Kids these days can't appreciate the impact of such "crude" games at the time they came out. When "next-gen" just means a few million more polygons that you won't even notice and slightly improved lighting effects, they can never get to experience the kind of awe we felt when games like this arrived on the scene. 1999 was a pivotal year in gaming.

[@devonaveii2675]

@@ArcaneAzmadi not 1998?!? I dont disagree with u by the way, I just think '98 was waaay more influential with stuff like Metal Gear Solid, Ocarina of Time and even Resident Evil 2 etc

[@codysnowden231]

​@@ArcaneAzmadi for real! I remember getting a Nintendo 64 for Christmas, putting in Super Mario, and just being completely blown away that it was this whole huge 3d world!!! It was unbelievable at the time! Aaaaand the GRAPHICS!!! 😂😂

[@ArcaneAzmadi]

@@codysnowden231 You get it. This what today's poor gamer kids will never get to experience, not unless we invent full virtual reality where we can transfer our minds into games Sword Art Online-style. All the great advancements in gaming have already happened.

[@rosshardy5359]

I was 3 when this game came out, I used to play it with my brother back in the day, I remember it vaguely but I loved it so much

[@Oi1Suzy]

"Suppose you throw a coin enough times...Suppose one day, it lands on its edge."

[@eamonndeane587]

"The Coin is STILL Turning...."

[@Oi1Suzy]

@@eamonndeane587 #KainWasRight

[@JPG.01]

It's a line that deeply resonates with me. In fourth grade my teacher gave my mom a prophecy about me. "That boy will either become nothing, or become a very big thing" A coin flip. Those words had a profound impact on my life. I intend to either become so successful I become unreachable, or fail so hard I become untouchable. But suppose it lands on it's edge.

[@Superschokokeks]

@@JPG.01 thing is. most of the people become neither. so... the toin coss was more like: you became one of those things or just mundane like all of us :|

[@Xshathra006]

Given the choice - whether to rule a corrupt and failing empire, or to challenge the fates for another throw, a better throw against one's destiny - what was a king to do?

[@Interference22]

This game was a technical tour de force: the system for warping between the spirit realm and the land of the living is still impressive. They had to design areas with geometry that could seamlessly change between two states at the press of a button, complete with unique lighting and collision, with the same number of polygons for each.

[@Mekose]

Yeah I seriously can't imagine this, especially on PS1 hardware. They basically had to model the entire game twice. My only guess is that they coded some primitive form of a shader and used math to move each vertex back and forth between two points; whilst switching pre-baked collision model and post processing renderers. I doubt this was as simple as having the entire world geometry being an "entity with an animation" like a character model. It also meant they had to have two different post processing render cameras for the entire game; so their optimization had to be ridiculously scrutinized for the hardware. I'd adore an entire behind the scenes documentary on how they accomplished this.

[@anon_y_mousse]

@@Mekose I'd love to see the original source code. Although, you're far more likely to get your wish.

[@fatmanstanding]

If I remember right, it's also the first game to use asset streaming. Once you load in, there's not a single load screen throughout the entire game.

[@raresmacovei8382]

Also no loading screens! For a PS1 game. Soul Reaver is one of the most technically complex games on PS1 by far. If not THE MOST complex/ambitious.

[@Hanmacx]

Also the S like Corridors are for map loading without any loading screen needed

[@xsxSquallxsx]

I feel like this game is underrated because for a lot of people it was too complicated. I think, the game is a piece of art.

[@DanTheManCalter]

The giant skull castle was what remained of Nupraptor's retreat from Blood Omen. It was really cool of the team to throw in an old set piece like that

[@lucaschalub585]

The most important thing that this game had and made it unique, was that the game haven't ingame loading screens. That was UNIQUE for those years and platforms

[@EpsilonKnight2]

Not only did it have a seamless open world in a way, the fast travel portals had instant travel between sections of the map which honestly hasn't been possible in games since but finally is now that SSDs are standard.

[@Alonso.240]

I remember reading in a video game magazine (EGM? Can't remember) on how they achieved that. They used a technique called "spooling" iirc

[@ForNoReason1000]

you can actuall get a loading screen if the disc was scratched. it was a green health spiral covering the in game screen. it is rarely seen

[@zerodividetwitch9605]

can we just take a moment to realise that not two months after Josh releases this video. Crystal Dynamics have a survey online asking players if they would like to see a Soul Reaver comeback! 😯

[@Haggysack2k8]

Yes but that was just because Crystal Dynamics now has re-acquired the rights to the Legacy of Kain franchise, as well as Tomb Raider from Square Enix. Square Enix just sat their frikkin asses on the Legacy of Kain franchise for years and did nothing substantially with it and don't come at me with "Dead Sun", this game was in development when Square Enix bought the rights to the franchise and then they cancelled it. And yes, I am looking forward to what Crystal Dynamics has in mind with this franchise. I hope they don't milk it like (let's say) 343 Industries milks Halo right now, but instead actually want to make another great game set in Nosgoth. I don't mind if it has multiplayer, but for me, for this franchise, there needs to be story over graphics kind of level of storytelling. Something that wants you to nail your eyes and ears to the screen and soak up every little frikkin detail about the story, rather than graphics or - heck - any fucking cosmetics. I want to devour the soul of this game when i play it, not be blinded by it's shiny golden color coating.

[@Lurker-dk8jk]

Had I known about the survey, I would have spread the word myself and taken it. This is the first I've heard of it. Though, it seems that I'm far from alone in how I feel about the series. Guess I need to cast my nets wider to catch the good stuff that some mainstream gaming news outlets miss or fail to publish. Josh has gained a subscriber.

[@uppermost865]

What? Where? I need to participate in the survey

[@ArcaneAzmadi]

FUCK! How did I miss that?!

[@Voradorek84]

I want this comment to age like wine.

[@Thenameisdutch]

Speaking of cut content, there’s one brother you don’t fight in the game, Turel, who was cut for time. Thankfully, Raziel finally gets to face him in Legacy of Kain: Defiance as a neat throwback to the boss fights in this one and claim his ability

[@armi999]

I remember searching Soul Reaver for days looking for a hidden Turel fight. When I got to Defiance and saw that one boss, I knew what was finally coming.

[@DM13972]

Really like how you mentioned no one ever skips the cutscenes, they're so dense in that once you have greater context to the whole story you pick up on layers that you couldn't have noticed before. Like Raziel's first confrontation with Kain, it's one of the only times that Kain actually seems angry, once he starts talking about the choice he was faced with at the end of Blood Omen. One of the biggest themes of the series is choice, or more specifically the lack thereof, Kain knows the game was rigged from the start and it enrages him. I love this game so much.

[@kylerobison1425]

Anger and jealousy is what was wrong with him. All he had to do was not mess with his lieutenants.

[@Teixas666]

@@kylerobison1425 play the rest of the series. the move ot have Raziel executed was a calculated one to allow kain ot have a throw at changing fate.

[@buddhapunch2486]

Then that anger seamlessly transitions into his iconic amused, almost bitter about why its even funny to him laughter. F'ing apex voice acting

[@Knux5577]

@@kylerobison1425 kain masked it as anger and jealousy i think kain saw a vision of a winged creature (wraith raziel) that could change fate... when raziel grew wings, he decided to kill him in hopes that he would become that winged creature

[@arx3516]

In BO1 Kain was just a conceited petty nobleman that only cared about himself, but then his rol as ruler started to grow on him, making him wiser, making him feel the weight of responsibility, only for him to realize that tge game was rigged. When Kain first entered the chronoplast chamber between the events of Blood Omen and Soulreaver is when he really matured.

[@BansheeKing22]

Fun fact: when you initially find dumas impaled corpse if you switch to the spectral realm you can actually speak with his soul. You can't hurt him in anyway until he's back in his body but its a nice little secret interaction you can have. Also the mini boss was originally going to be a boss fight involving Turel your missing brother from this game but he was cut last minute and later brought back in Defiance as an actual boss.

[@quinnlance9487]

Yooooo I didn't know this! I'm just on a playthrough myself so I can't wait to try this! Thank you 🙂

[@thisismyyoutubecommentacco6302]

@Nero The Chosen What's impressive is the developers actually went through the time and effort to explain his absence, most developers don't even bother. Speaks to the level of care and passion they put into this project.

[@claudijatzandrapova3347]

really? I have to try it now for the lols

[@DragonNexus]

I don't know why I never ever thought to try that.

[@ganjaman59650]

"this game have some excellent cutscenes" This is the understatement of the millenium.The intro cutscene is everything right with an intro, mistery, lore, hystory, pride, jealousy, revenge, vengeance, all in that order, and only in 2 minutes or less. That intro in itself is worth more than novels in term of lore, and then the story in itself is just so good.

[@hundkebab2433]

I'd pay hard cash to see more legacy of kain cutscenes with the same intensity as the intro of soul reaver

[@thisismyyoutubecommentacco6302]

What's even more amazing is it's the intro to a SEQUEL, not even an original game, and yet you still feel completely informed about what's going on, what the core conflict will be, and you are introduced to the main protagonist and antagonist, all in under 2 mins. To start behind a narrative 8-ball like that where you have to make an intro to an audience that will likely have not played blood Omen is maybe one of the greatest short cinematic achievements of all time.

[@Numenorean921]

@@hundkebab2433 legacy of kain: defiance has amazing cutscenes and awesome story too

[@KhasAdun1990]

If you, like me, are in love with Tony Jay's performance as the Elder God in this game, you should definitely look up the audiobook for The Castle of Otranto. It's the first gothic horror ever written in the 14th century and it's read by Tony Jay. It's like listening to the Elder God read you a book with the same exact kind of language. I love it. I even memorized the opening poem: Sonnet to the Right Honorable Lady Mary Coke.

[@forgottenartform]

Tony Jay's voice is just amazing in anything I've heard him in (mainly hunchback of notre dame and this) - just able to pull you in so easily and could listen to it for hours

[@buddhapunch2486]

He also did some narrative work on documentary type shows, but I cant recall the one offhand. Something on the line of "Ancient Aliens" if I recall. Immediately recognizable.

[@Knux5577]

in a timeline where raziel killed kain and did everything the elder god wanted him to do, the elder god tells raziel bedtime stories lmao idk wtf i was going on about just now

[@pear-head]

My cousin got this for Christmas when I was ~4 years old, and I vividly remember sitting on the couch watching him play it. Might've even been the first game I saw, and the imagery stuck with me to this day, but I never knew what game it was until now. Thanks for the nostalgia rush and answering a question I've had for over 2 decades.

[@eugenebotsman]

The voice acting in conversation between Kain and Raziel at the pillars in soul reaver 2 is one of my favorites of all time.

[@Isendure]

This series is the embodiment of the coin landing on its edge.

[@OBSVFULC]

"Let's drop the moral posturing shall we?"

[@eugenebotsman]

@@OBSVFULC “We both know there’s no altruism in this pursuit, your wreckless indignation led you here, I counted on it”

[@justsomeguy919]

@@eugenebotsman "There's no shame in it, Raziel, revenge is motivation enough, at least it's Honest... Hate me, but do it Honestly."

[@gman122x]

It really is a great moment.

[@ubermenschmexa]

One of my favorite moments was when Raziel reaches his territory's ruins and finds out his whole clan was exterminated. The music playing while you kill the vampires invading the Razielim turf just gives an air of rage and disbelief, Raziel was upset about his death and his decaying form, but finding his clan exterminated really made him mad

[@SimonJ57]

I love how the final Cutacene was even used at the start of Soulreaver 2 to give a little context, but a fantastic easteregg for those who've played the first game.

[@anacidcommie382]

"with a competent cast and crew..." this series has the best voice acting videogames I have ever seen by far. I've never seen anything else come close to matching it in this respect.

[@milagrosgutierrezmartin9506]

"You won't find yourself humming the main theme" speak for yourself, ozar midrashim is an absolute banger that got stuck in my brain when I was 14 and just wouldn't leave

[@LJ-qh5ni]

Especially the main theme of Soul Reaver 2. It's, so, so good.

[@mothsforeyes]

Crops up again in my mind every few months. Has for decades

[@SSangsen]

It is deified.

[@kerrinael6229]

if you haven't already done so, i recommend the album "Don't be afraid" by Information Society! (especially "Empty" which could have been in soul reaver)

[@momchilo4388]

Ozar Midrashim has such an 80s horror movie vibe and it brings a lot to this games atmosphere, I love it!

[@Golem29]

To this day the voice acting in this game and series is the best I've ever heard in a game.

[@eamonndeane587]

Simon Templeman deserves more voice roles these days. His performance as Kain is Iconic and He's also one of the Best voices Doctor Doom has ever had.

[@Big_Boss92]

True, but Metal Gear solid takes the crown.

[@ChoseDeath]

@@Big_Boss92 Over Legacy of Kain? No way buddy! We're gonna just have a difference of opinion there my friend, as much as I love Metal Gear.

[@ResevoirGod]

Never played Oblivion?

[@keign9470]

It is the best voice acting, full stop.

[@toshineon]

That shifting between the worlds mechanic is visually one of the coolest things I've seen in a game. I can't believe this is a PS1 game. Maybe those were more advanced than I thought.

[@pillarsofnosgoth1132]

They weren’t. This game pushed the ps1 and came toward the end. AND with no loading screens aside from each time you start the game. These were not even remotely close to standards of the time. This game was special!

[@JPAcuna3]

I collected all the spears and placed them on a wall inside Raziel's territory standing next to each other. I believe i still have that save file in my memory card. The hardest to get there was the one from the chrono chamber. I had to throw it through the small hole that separates that area, had to try multiple times. I would just task myself with things like this because i just loved inhabiting this game even after completing it. It was my favourite.

[@FallenL0rd]

i did this as well but placed them in a circle on the lake of the dead

[@kaitlinsiegel2590]

It's crazy how that first cutscene when Kain orders Raziel's wings to be ripped off holds up so well even today, what a BANGER game! Legacy of Kain: Defiance is also really really great

[@eirmundgundnand9442]

He doesn't command anyone to rip his wings off. He straight up walks over and tears the bones out himself.

[@tanigarcia100]

But that's the beauty of a scene it still gives me chill's one of the best stories ever made and that ending in Defiance was perfect

[@100Predator]

Defiance was awesome except one kill that could also put the game as a 1/10....The...Bloody...Camera...

[@charg1nmalaz0r51]

@@100Predator i only played it once i think but i still remember gliding and having the camera flop and send you off somewhere else

[@toddchristiansen1441]

Legacy of Kain: Defiance's intro cinematic has one of my favorite video game quotes: "Given the choice, whether to rule a corrupt and failing empire; or to challenge the fates for another throw - a better throw - against one's destiny... what was a king to do? But does one even truly have a choice? One can only match, move by move, the machinations of fate... and thus defy the tyrannous stars."

[@KnjazNazrath]

Literally stole so many quotes from LoK for my first black metal project I'm surprised I managed to weave it into my own narrative. Sure it was a stereotypical schlocky tragic antihero piece just like any teenager would make, but at least it spanned a few releases. Still, all early works wear their influences on their sleeves a touch too much I suppose.

[@kennykiller]

...'Impossible by any MAN...' still makes me smile

[@somemong989]

Annoying line because emperors rule empires, not kings.

[@OriginalMicycle]

The sound design in its entirety is a masterpiece, I would absolutely love to watch the engineering of the sound effects like just the sound of Raziel jumping is a mystery to me.

[@jellypopcorn]

_Tony Jay has such an incredible recognisable voice, i definitely remember it from being young watching the hunchback of Notredam, im so happy he was able to do so many roles before passing away_ ❤

[@willn8664]

I swear the 90's and early 2000's were the best times for gaming overall and this series was one of the proof for that.

[@LegendStormcrow]

Some of the best games were still releasing in the late 2000's, but after 2010 it was all down hill. Still, the Snes/Genesis thru the Xbox/pS2/Cube games were great, and Blizzard and Bungie were on a roll.

[@AsaelTheBeast]

This game had a number of problems. To start with- it's actually just not finished. There is a boatload of assets that simply got chopped because they didn't have time to implement them. There are story threads that simply weren't addressed. Plus, the game could have been polished a little better graphically. Don't misunderstand. This game holds a very warm place in my heart- and I still adore the setting, the design, and the voice acting... but pretty much the whole series had issues with being rushed out the door, with tons of cut content. Part of me still wishes for more from this franchise but, tbh, the flame of hope has long since guttered. I'd probably settle for a proper remake. A remaster if it was cheap.

[@gazamanor579]

Because there was passion behind games back then. nowaday all they care about is how they can milk the gaming audience with microtransactions because the higher up want the cash money.

[@tadsnyder2756]

You ain’t kidding

[@CidGJosu]

@@gazamanor579 There are a lot of passionate games still being made these days, even if a lot of AAA companies are just falling into the microtransaction bandwagon. Indies, by there simple nature, are passion projects, and have left some really great games even recently; Outer Wilds, Stardew Valley, Project Zomboid or Neon White come to mind, and even between the bigger companies, we have some like Front Software, or people like Yokotaro and YoshiP that are making cool games without excessive monetization

[@sirumariru]

Please, complete the "Was it good?" series with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance! This series needs more love and perhaps you could help to bring more attention to it! Who knows, even a remaster, a remake or a sequel! :D

[@melciah1234]

I would strongly recommend skipping Blood Omen 2 as it was handled by a completely different company at the same time Soul Reaver 2 was being developed and while its cannon, it is not a good game. It also servers more as a bridging game rather than any actual story progression since it just shows what happens as a result of the paradox created at the end of Soul Reaver 2.

[@sidways47]

@@melciah1234 nonetheless i would be curious to see how he would try to piece the story of BO2 to the rest

[@LongClawzHidden]

Defiance was, for me, a bit rough around the edges in terms of gameplay; the locked camera made some levels particularly more difficult than they had any right to be. However, the story was something that enamored me so much that I spent all my time finding lore-related collectibles that I could watch on the extra features bit. Learning about the layout of Nosgoth, the history of Kain and Raziel, Moebius and the Sarafaan... it was a trip that made me feel invested in a story in a way that has yet to be matched.

[@GreenSabre187]

@@melciah1234 well but its still canon xD thanks to amy almost breaking her head to piece the trainwreck together. And ngl, BO2 is one of the best of the series in terms of gameplay and atmosphere, dont ya think?

[@piobu5357]

@@LongClawzHidden I personally prefer Defiance over SR2 - the camera angles can be annoying at first, but at least the story is in full tilt, and the DMC style combat was finally something decent. SR2's story on the other hand feels like a detour - there's a bunch of lore and a few backstories, but not much progress elsewhere. Apart from that, the game was short, the world felt smaller, combat was messy and annoying, puzzles still felt repetitive, the Reaver itself got nerfed, and it looked worse than in SR1 (a few flying particles on Raziel's arm just can't compare to the energy vortex from the first game), and the same goes for the look of the consumable souls. Even the intro was a let down - just a beat for beat pedestrian retelling of SR1's outro. I remember I was weirded out by characters completely switching their personalities the first time I played SR2, too - Raziel became bratty and bitchy immediately, and Kain became a good guy that doesn't want to fight, guides and mentors Raziel, and even is capable of sacrificing himself at times (which we know is not in his character at all) - we could eventually get there, but it was just too abrupt of a change coming in straight from SR1. Also were there any abilities for Raziel to unlock, that would let you progress and reach new places, or was it just Reaver upgrades in SR2? Pretty sure there were none. These games were developed on tight schedules, and had a lot of cut content, but SR2 seemed to get the worst deal out of all the games.

[@MrJerichoPumpkin]

leaving the cutscene in is a nice easter egg that becomes understandable only in the following games when you find out that Raziel is the only one with free will. So him devouring Ariel's spirit is a possible event he managed to avoid

[@voidkingofswing5933]

More like he adjusted... In Defiance, he does absorb her soul into the Reaver, to give it its full power to purify things.

[@Singe0255]

I felt that comment about keeping a spear being like kicking a rock down the road. I thought the best minigame was trying to find the right spot to throw your spear or set it down so you could bring it with you. Clipping your favorite spear through walls, grates, and other obstacles was the true hardmode of this game.

[@zachwhitaker4167]

It's an absolute crime that this game and series hasn't been redone with a fresh coat of paint and updated gameplay. The story is nearly unmatched in gaming.

[@dildobaggins8987]

Yeah I often look at Caravaggio’s paintings and think “ugh….this just looks so….dated! We need an updated version” 😂😂😂

[@thegreatape884]

@@dildobaggins8987 If you go back and play the soul reaver games, they've aged poorly. You can really feel the limitations of the times in nearly every aspect, from the barebone and simplistic combat, to the mostly empty, lifeless world, sprinkle in some wonky controls and you've got a game that's just not fun to play today. Also your painting analogy was terrible, and yes we do need an updated version of Soul Reaver, specially the first one.

[@dildobaggins8987]

@@thegreatape884 I play blood omen and soul reaver probably once a year. The gameplay serves the story and I always enjoy it. MGS has basic controls and mechanics, banjo kazooie does. Would you call other games that were a product of their time simplistic as a criticism? Look at twin snakes for instance, which would you rather play? Everybody picks the original because the overall experience tops gameplay alone. You aren’t going to recreate soul reaver with the same voices, story and ambience as the original. The best that can be done is a continuation that stands on its own merit. Soul reaver is too niche for a studio to give complete creative control to real lovers of the game. In what way was my analogy bad also? The game is clearly good enough for you to enjoy it and be here yet you hate it at the same time? 😂 it’s like hearing somebody that eats burgers every day nibbling at a steak and talking about how it’s too tough for your palate. Come off of it 😭

[@thegreatape884]

@@dildobaggins8987 Where did I say I hated it? I love the game which is why I'd love to see some kind of remastered of remake of it with only gameplay element affected. Literally everyone says Twin Snake is the better game due to the better graphics and smoother control but recommend playing the original because Twin Snake added a bunch of none sense that broke the tone of the story. Adding stuff to the story is not what I'm asking here, keep the story 100% intact, even the writing style needs to be kept. As for why your painting analogy doesn't work. pretty simple, you're comparing a static piece of art that never changes, to something you're an active participant in.

[@dildobaggins8987]

@@thegreatape884 if you look at what you said. There’s not a single bit of praise to the game, only criticism 😂 you even said the world was lifeless…..despite the world being lifeless as part of the plot. I haven’t met a single person that picks twin snakes over the original. Even VR missions is fantastic despite the evil old controls. The issue is that you’re asking for an “ideal” when you’ve already got the real thing and it’s great. You’re not going to get this perfect game play you’ve got in your head AND the original….so let’s just enjoy the original instead of acting like it’s just too awful for us when it’s not at all. A game is a static piece that never changes….that’s why you view it for what it was in its time. What’re you going to do? Critique it for not having iron sights because it’s standard today? 😂

[@thomaswyatt199]

This game is Amy's masterpiece so well made very deserving of a remaster.

[@jeanlundi2141]

I prefer SR2/Defiance.

[@Kinos141]

Fun fact: if you impale a vampire and don't drink the soul and let it disappear, the enemies will not respawn. So, by not eating, you can keep enemies from coming back.

[@schwarzerritter5724]

Don't they become enemies in the spectral world if you do that?

[@Mythki11er]

I love that Raziel delivers amazing lines with such emotion while doing the most awkward idle animation

[@conorflanagan9000]

The music and voice acting literally made my entire childhood. The conversation between Kain and Raziel made me want to become a voice actor

[@Palemagpie]

Made me want to become a philosopher

[@domihase8148]

@@Palemagpie Yeah, I noticed the clash of philosophies in the final conversation too.

[@mo_musashi_284]

The voice actor for War in Darksiders is another great one.

[@Draliseth]

@@mo_musashi_284 I always considered Death a wannabe Raziel.

[@DeathScorpi0]

I'm amazed at how much this game shaped entire LIVES by being present in people's childhoods. In my case, it taught me english, it made me want to be a writer, made me fall in love with videogames and wanting to be a game dev, much of what taught me in a philosophical way helped me a lot when studying philosophy in an actual university, it now helps me with english and writing in my current translator career. And much, much more. Nowadays it isn't the game that I most enjoy, as I played it in its entirety countless times, rendering it no longer enjoyable even, but when someone asks me what my favorite videogame of all time is, the name of this game is instinctively what I say.

[@nedchirgwin2803]

Man I'd love to see Josh review the Prince of Persia: Sands of time games. The time warp mechanic with the platformer element was so much fun.

[@Big_Boss92]

Ah a fellow gamer of culture.

[@JohnDBlue]

I loved them so much, even as I am generally VERY bad at timed puzzles - which is almost exclusively what those games were about :D Those had some of my all time favorite third person action combat!

[@FatGooseArts]

Yes! Same

[@oohdannyboy]

Not SoT, but I was stuck on this one part in TT when I was young for months. Everytime I see mention of PoP I can hear the dark prince mocking me.. 'Tick tock, Prince, tick tock'.

[@jakee2094]

The first of the trilogy is one of the greatest games ever made. Still holds up, in spite of some pretty easy combat

[@Brioshie]

This game will always be close to my heart - I'm still listening to the soundtrack often (especially 'ozar midrashim').

[@ITBEurgava]

Some timestamp... 26:59 Melchiah 32:44 Kain 46:44 Zephon 57:34 Rahab 1:04:03 Dumah

[@danu2133]

Shout out to the surviving humans that raided the Dumahims. Can you imagine their massive cubic steel balls to attack a vampire clan, given that their race was kept as pets for a millenium by said vampires? And staking Dumah who I should point out with Raziel dead, Kain and Turel missing, Dumah was the strongest vampire on Nosgoth at the time.

[@HarleyHerbert]

Goes to show that the humans in this world despite being reduced to the state they are in still shouldn't be underestimated. In his hubris Dumah would have assumed that it'd take no effort to wipe all the attackers out, believing the attack to be nothing more than a suicidal charge by desperate weaklings. I'm sure when he saw them coming at him he'd likely have found it amusing due to believing their attacks would be futile and that they were too weak to hurt him. If he ever realised his mistake it was probably after the stakes had already entered his body

[@MrKaasopeenstokje]

Turel wasn't yet missing since his dialogue in Defiance mentions that he heard what happened to his brothers and a period of great hunger before being summoned. Though massive balls for taking on the physically strongest of Kain his sons.

[@papapapa16]

I have a theory that Dumah let himself be caught and killed on purpose, to become a wraith and stand a chance against Raziel.

[@HarleyHerbert]

@@papapapa16 ​ It happened before Raziel had returned so he can't have known Raziel was even still alive. As far as he was concerned Raziel was long dead and Nosgoth was his for the taking. Plus he was a very prideful and arrogant person who believed himself stronger than everyone else, he wouldn't see any need to do anything like this. I also don't think any of the vampires actually know anything about the spectral realm or wraiths, as it was even a surprise to Raziel when he found out and even Kain knows little to nothing about this stuff, so for Dumah to make such a decision he'd have to have gained knowledge the others didn't have

[@papapapa16]

@@HarleyHerbert Kain knew Raziel was coming back and told them. Remember what Rahab said. - What more did he tell you? - That you would destroy me.

[@madcat789]

A bit of visual story telling; Every time Raziel consumes a brother's soul, he becomes more and more enthusiastic. The first time he wasn't expecting it, the second time he was hesitant, third time he accepts it, and the fourth time with Dumah he's just up with his arms wanting to eat that soul.

[@killert41]

Well a bit of actual story from the game dumah and the other one that is skipped until defiance they carried him into the abyss without even questioning kain reasoning just proceeded to yeet raziel in there he holds a grudge not so much with others cause it wasn't their own hands that did this raziel holds grudge against kain,dumah and the other one also fun fact if raziel from second game got to meet his brothers again after seeing horrors of sarafan priests he wouldn't be so eager on killing them unless they are dumah and the other not so much kain anymore but this 2 hoho must die at raziel hand your thanks are premature dumah I haven't forgotten who's hand carried me into the abyss raziel tried to talk to other brothers but dumah he's like nah f ur thanks let's fight

[@HiddenEvilStudios]

@@killert41 The other brother being Turel, who is absent from the first Soul Reaver game.

[@internetexplorer1057]

@@killert41 What a well formed sentence.. Your comment gave me an aneurysm.

[@Meizuken]

@@killert41 You should go back to school.

[@emilmejndor6523]

@@killert41 You're right bro thanks for pointing it out

[@TrangleC]

One of the most atmospheric games I ever played. Also just well designed, with all the new abilities you acquire throughout it, which make you feel more and more powerful and give you a great sense of achievement and progress without making things too easy and boring.

[@Yodaddyandmommagreen]

I remember passing this game in the store all the times as a child. The cover always intrigued me and I wanted to play it, and I don’t believe I would have had the intuitiveness then to complete this work. I appreciate you putting this together. This was very entertaining.

[@Rodrik234]

"You won't find yourself humming the theme song anytime soon" Excuse me but Ozar Midrashim has been printed on my mind ever since I first played this game.

[@majesstic8]

Yeah, it's a certified banger, and also served as a jumping off point for the far superior Ariel's Lament from Soul Reaver 2. "Kain refused the sacrifiiiiice."

[@Rodrik234]

@@majesstic8 *boots up SR2* "KAIN REFUSED THE SACRIFICE" Ah, the memories

[@Brandelwyn]

@@majesstic8 may you find peace here, Raziel

[@slenderminion2229]

It speaks volumes about how special this game is when I remember playing it _exactly once_ at my cousin's house when I was very young, yet Raziel's brilliant character design and the atmospheric world burned itself into my mind for an entire decade until I finally found where those memories came from.

[@FormulePoeme807]

Me too i remembered playing it on the dreamcast one time when i was very young i just got stuck in a tub of water basically and just died and resurected over and over again

Raziel idle animation always felt out of place on a world so grievous and brooding. Between being a badass vampire leaping between realms and slaying mutant vampire monsters he's always doing the boogie :D

[@tekubus]

That made me laugh. You're right.

[@Sayrden]

Yeah, I don't remember noticing it before, but it really stands out once you see it.

[@danieltilson4053]

If I remember correctly, you can get a hidden bit of dialogue by going spectral in Dumah's room before pulling the spears. But I could be wrong.

[@heavenly2k]

So I normally watch these videos kinda passively while I'm playing a game or something. For some reason, my eyes were glued to the screen the whole time and I've never even played a single Legacy of Kain game. The dialogue, the cutscenes direction, the voice acting, the plot, the general themes were just all petty damn captivating. Even watching the gameplay was fun for me, it felt like I was vicariously playing it. Your editing and commentary is on point as usual, you always know how to keep me engaged. Good stuff

[@Bane_Amesta]

I did something similar, and watched gameplay of all the games (except Blood Omen 2) and damn I feel you. Playing vicariously is the exact definition of this series. Except those parts when the games show their age of course. In this case, the cubes puzzles. And sometimes the platforming, both are a bit infuriating, and some modernization would be great. I don't even care about the lack of a map except for the most labyrinthic parts, which to me I more about the awful camera system (I imagine this was before the analog sticks, but damn why)

[@redbeardsteelskin6723]

The only one of these I never played was Defiance (though I've read about it and watched videos on it, at the time my PS2 broke and there was no way we were getting another) and I can say that I would gladly pay full price for complete remakes of these games, though I'd love a final game being made more as Defiance ended on a cliffhanger. LoK: Soul Reaver 1 was taken off Steam a year ago, supposedly due to technical issues (based on reviews, that seems true) but I played it through back in 2014 and had no troubles, so I dunno what changed in between short of Windows 10. I'm sure you can find an emulator to check it out, it's worth the playthrough even after seeing it all.

[@Jart988]

You can do that? I always have to keep focus because of all the details

[@paladinepaladine]

@@Bane_Amesta Blood Omen 2 is most definitely the black sheep of the series, but it's still worth having a look at.

[@Bane_Amesta]

@@redbeardsteelskin6723 I watched Defiance and it looks like a bootleg Devil May Cry lol. And even watching it, the feeling that lots of the combat is just filler makes me a bit sad (yes I clicked forward everytime an obligatory combat started on screen) and the story only started to get really interesting towards the end -aka the Kain vs Raziel fight, damn it was amazing ✨ About emulation, Defiance runs very well in the PS2 emulator on my case, same with Soul Reaver. I haven't even tried the PC versions of any game in the series except for Blood Omen, the GOG version runs really good, and with a patch I can get subtitles too

[@ryujinvstheoni6688]

I remember as a kid always wanting a Raziel and Rahab toy, so I made them out of plasticine, and boy were they good, they had a wire frame skeleton and everything. I so wish they could remake this series, it really needs to be remade, and even carry on the story for this amazing saga. Good job Amy, and all the cast 10/10

[@igorgebien8775]

I watched this entire video a few months ago and here I am watching ALL of it once more. that is such a brilliant commentary on a very well deserved masterpiece🎉

[@Cohac]

PLEASE do the rest of the series. These videos of yours are a great way for me to experience the game!

[@vaan_]

I remember keeping a notepad with handdrawn symbols for the gate portals, there's something magical about keeping reminders of a game's progress in a physical medium

[@_XR40_]

Or maps drawn from things like Armored Core

[@yewtewbstew547]

The symbols actually make sense but you kinda have to be a turbo nerd and pay close attention to what they all mean. The most obvious ones are the ones which represent the symbol for each vampire clan. E.g. the Melchiah symbol teleports you to Melchiah's territory, and so on.

[@andrewosullivan348]

I seem to remember the manual had all the symbols for each gate and a descrtion of the brother the symbol belonged too. I could be way off on that

[@SombreroPharoah]

It feels so much more involved and immersive doesn't it

[@_XR40_]

@@andrewosullivan348 Glyphs are on page 22 of the PS1 manual. Clan emblems on pages 24-25

[@DaemonicSavior]

RIP Tony Jay. This series will never be properly remade without him.

[@eamonndeane587]

The Only person I could see being a Decent enough replacement as The Elder God would be John Noble. Even then it just wouldn't be the same.

[@GreenOpurge]

@@eamonndeane587 earl jones is a good contender imo

[@Kryynism]

@@GreenOpurge I disagree. After so many cameos, he sounds pretty silly to me these days.

[@alexreilly6121]

You seem to be forgetting the Chronoplast we can go get him who cares.

[@MishraArtificer]

@@eamonndeane587 Doug Bradley could do it. His voice as Sith Emperor Vitiate in Star Wars: The Old Republic is unbelievably close to The Elder God that I honestly thought it was him at first.

[@brianbalcer]

I think the original Blood Omen is so overlooked and not known about by many. It was such an excellent game oozing with atmosphere. It may have been the first time I heard voice acting during cutscenes

[@kennykiller]

Yea he really should have done that not this

[@somemong989]

I tried it out but it's hard to get going on an emulator and I couldn't get into it

[@kyon813]

@@somemong989 The GoG version is your best bet. It's cheap, runs out of the box, and loading times are a fraction of a second, even with all the menu-hopping you need to do. Might make it easier to get into.

[@abigor3817]

I remember “playing” the game when I was a kid - the environment and enemies scared me and I was too dumb for puzzles so I never even reached 2nd boss haha But still I have nothing but very fond memories about it as that short experience was unforgetful and I was just amazed by the game

[@infinityfabrik]

“I am destroyed.” The writing on that intro section is just incredible.

[@soupalex]

it doesn't hurt that they got michael bell and tony jay to read it, either.

[@termnus77]

'YOU ARE REBORN!' is what I hear every time I read that line. Such a memorable script, so well performed

[@smfaceHUN]

I just love how I can watch a video about a game I've never played for a second and feel nostalgia for it by the end because of your amazing delivery and contagious passion.

[@johngoins1902]

Dude you just put the biggest smile on my face talking about printing this old guides

[@heavysitter]

This was one of my favorites games growing up and you did a fantastic job covering why it was so magical! Thank you for your in depth reviews!

[@raingod0]

Raziel is not the youngest. He even called Melchiah little brother @27:55. Zephon @46:56 called him "first-born son" thus making him the eldest.

[@kennykiller]

Yea with half the stupid shit he says I presume he's playing the murican version

[@hwng1254]

He is indeed the first to raised, thus making him the first-born son. But back when he was human, he was the youngest of the commanders.

[@FFKonoko]

​@@hwng1254gonna need a citation for that...head inquisitor, second in seniority to malek, I don't recall concrete age comparisons

[@hwng1254]

@@FFKonoko "Raziel was the youngest, most ambitious, and most cruel of the group. Hit talent and drive took him to the top as high inquisitor. (He was good at pulling hearts out) Since he was raised first, he would have been technically the 'oldest' of the sons of Kain." Daniel Cabuco stated this on dcabdesign

[@RainaAudron]

Awesome to see another person love Soul Reaver as much as I do! Thanks also for featuring my SR1 Remaster, much appreciated! PS: There is actually more than one spear like that one on the boat (in Raziel´s territory) ;)

[@nick_at_knight]

Good to see you here, Raina 😎

[@KnjazNazrath]

Hell yeah it's Raina! Hard to believe it's been almost 15 years now, eh? Thanks for all the hard work you have and continue to put in.

[@RainaAudron]

@@KnjazNazrath hello! Haha, yes, I'm still around! Thank you!

[@venomoverlord7016]

of all the 90's platformer games this was by far my fav even my fav of the kain games - this game was perfection

[@johnnybrookesmusic8220]

dude your videos are so fucking great, I love your commentary and how in depth you go into every layer of the games, with little bias along the way.

[@silenceburns1336]

I was lucky to have a friend who's dad was really into having the fanciest tech. My first playthrough in 1999/2000 was on a 20 foot projector screen with a killer surround sound system. That was one of the most incredible experiences I've had in gaming, from 1987 til now.

[@ThatOldSchoolMagic]

I would like to see him do LoK:Blood Omen 1. Thats the Game I’d want to be Remade first before anything Soul Reaver because it looks like the hardest game to go back to today. The Soul Reaver games hold up way better and are more Playable.

[@Zeburaman2005]

I don’t quite agree with this, the only aspect of the original Blood Omen that really kills the momentum are the ungodly long loading screens you must sit through every time you open the inventory. And since you are required to open it to change/set Kain’s weapons and armours, you’re bound to spend a good chunk of the game staring idly at the screen. At least they added quick menus for both items and spells, allowing to set your four most used/favourite ones without going to the inventory. Aside from that technical issue, the game is pretty enjoyable to anyone who’s into old school Action RPGs in the vein of Legend of Zelda, though the swordplay can get monotonous after a while and is rather subpar compared to Zelda: A Link to the Past on SNES (!) Luckily, there’s a promising full 3D fan remake called Blood Omen Resurgence in the making, and it doesn’t look half bad.

[@princezeta3321]

There is someone that is working on a remake actually. its a very small fan team that is making the remake and if i remember correctly they talked to Square Enix. they have the permission to make it but cant take any donations for it or sell it. The creator of the remake streams himself making the game. Of course its not as big as a real remake made by a full on company but its the closest we will ever get i guess. It isnt Top down as it used to be, its in Third person.

[@KingLich451]

Blood Omen could be remade into a diablo like game. It'd be fun.

[@radhinkabagaskara5595]

Mandalore made a very good video about Blood Omen. Gameplay wise, it's actually still holds up well since it's essentially a 2D Zelda.

[@yogottie7866]

Raziel's idle animation is so damn groovy😂

[@michelvanderlinden8363]

oh my god its been years since I played this game, when the elder god spoke I immediately went "HOLY SHIT THATS MEGABYTE". God I miss Tony Jay... this man had such a fantastic voice

[@AvACircus]

My best friend passed away in 2016. His username for most social things/gaming was inspired by this game. For the longest time I had never really known what it was from, other than a PS1 game he told me about before his passing. I never played the PS1 growing up much (I was a SNES/N64 household), but this review has shown me WHY my he liked this game so much. The voice acting, the characters, the story, the atmosphere is almost unrivaled EVEN TODAY. I was eagerly awaiting the cut scenes watching you play, and I was almost fully immersed into this world. No game has done that for me in a very very long time. You are amazing Josh, and thank you for showing me what this game was truly about.

[@Thunder_Roy]

What was his username

[@ShintogaDeathAngel]

I’m sorry for the loss of your friend

[@ITBEurgava]

My sympathies.

[@FallenL0rd]

ive been holding this username for almost 20 years,,, actually 20 years exactly my senior year in high school

[@lyvekis8824]

Interestingly though is the fact that the Old One lies on multiple occasions. Like when he says that the land is rotting because of Kain's parasytic empire. The truth is that he himself is the reason behind this rot. But a lot of what is said and all the schemes come only together when you play all games together. Some npcs are not even lying but still say the untruth because of the knowledge they have. Very good story telling which is imho unmatched to this day. I don't know any game series that has a story which unfolds over 5 games to be finished. Yes they are games that have multiple parts but their respective story (part) is normally closed at the end of the respective game. Not in LoK.

[@lyvekis8824]

@Baxi Sadly we never got the real ending. It was planned to have two games: one with Raziel and one with Kain. And if you had both games you would have gotten the true ending. Sadly it was scrapped and mixed into one. That is why Kain's part in Defiance feels so bare bones. Could have been the most epic ending to a story in gaming history.

[@lyvekis8824]

@Baxi Janus Audran's fate was explained. The Hylden lord took his body to build "The Machine". During that process he switched bodies of course. However during the final fight between him and Kain, Janus was thrown through the portal into the Demon Realm. Since that his fate is unknown. But yeah, many other questions still remain unsolved like the solution to the Old One, he was never truly defeated.

[@NA1c158]

Crazy that soul reaver was originally planned to end the main arc of kain and the vampires dying to the silenced cathedral and raziel.

[@vaan_]

I always found it interesting how in the epilogue of this game, the narrator (Moebius) mentions how changing the timeline would plunge the fate of "Planets" into chaos. The Elder God is very clearly inspired on classic lovecraftian horrors like cthulu. In this series, his goal is to manipulate events from the shadows while he bleeds the world dry. I wonder if this is the first world he did this, if there are others like him manipulation others worlds, and if the writing team intended to ever address this. Alas, we'll never know.

[@lyvekis8824]

@@vaan_ Moebius was probably just manipulating as always. He himself rigged history and would have kept doing so to please his master. He just realized (and the older Kain later) how to actually do it. History cannot be changed as it is stated through the series but Moebius found an exception which ironically also doomed him.

[@corte03]

This is my favorite game, and series of all time. It is definitely in due for a new game or remastered reimagining. You did a amazing job describing & depicting the greatness of Soul Reaver.

[@NachoTheDog]

It’s been cool finding your channel and getting to see these old ps1 games I couldn’t finish as a kid get finished. I rented this game so many times and as a little kid could never get through it.

[@JohahnDiechter]

Part of what makes the voice acting work in this game, besides the actors, is the use of triple alliteration in a lot of Raziel's monologues. It is an example of how good writing can lift high concept stories into a higher realm of beauty.

[@jeanlundi2141]

Triple aliteration? What does that mean? Can you give an example?

[@chronostrafe23]

@@jeanlundi2141 Basically, it's having 3 words in a row that start with the same letter or sound. The best one I can think of Vicious Violent Vixen, referring to Vi from League, it's a triple alliteration. All three words start with the letters Vi, have a similar Vuh sound at the start, and are 2 syllables long. Raziel does things like that a lot in the game, since the writing takes a lot of influence from older theatre styled stories.

[@rafalgorski7711]

storytelling now is abandoned by devs, for them shitty open worlds and multiplayer with lootboxes is the target.

[@TheClearSight]

you sound like there could not be good writing today. rings of powers show how good writing can be...!!!!! elf1: you have not seen what i have seen elf2: i have seen my share elf1: you have not seen what i have seen BRILLIANT! (thorws up)

[@purebaldness]

@@rafalgorski7711 depends where you look

[@jmporkbob]

"We use the massive organ as a climbable, scaleable part of the level, and I love it." I can't believe Josh didn't turn this into a "tabbed back in" joke.

[@kristianhughes3746]

definitely a missed opportunity

[@m.ccheddarbox874]

That player-made map is absolutely amazing!

[@frankpartidas2842]

wow I found my new favorite channel... I grow up playing this game with brother and we love Legacy of Kain Universe

[@InquisitorSinCross]

You also got to love how many biblical references Amy Hennig managed to insert into this game and how devs managed to use these as an inspiration for design of the characters and their respective areas: Kain (obvious one), Raziel (angel, who records the secrets), Rahab (a prominent character in the Book of Joshua and mythical sea monster in the Book of Psalms), Melchiah (mentioned in several books in Tanakh aka Hebrew Bible and translates to "Yahweh is King"), Zephon (an angel), Dumah (angel with authority over wicked dead, and his name translates to "silence"), Turel (Rock of God).

[@darkjudge8786]

Why is adding biblical references a good thing? Either she just stole content because she couldn't come up with her own ideas or she's a fundamentalist Christian who has a ridiculous belief in an imaginary friend

[@ifeawosika966]

People becoming evil spirits is a call back to what happened to the nephilim

[@Dzzy123]

Yes, and Raziel being thrown out of Kain's realm is kind of like Satan being thrown out of heaven by God.

[@InquisitorSinCross]

@@Dzzy123 it wasn't Satan, it was Lucifer. Satan is mentioned IIRC once and he is on the God's side. This misconception comes from the incorrect translation of the Bible to English.

[@KnjazNazrath]

In the Tanakh Zephon was merely Esau's grandson, who according to the Jossipon was captured by Joseph and later became a king in Italy somewhere. The idea of an angelic Zephon is a mix of Milton writing him as a Cherubim sent by Gabriel together with Ithuriel to find out the location of Satan after his Fall, and some random Kabbalistic attributions turning up here and there. IIRC there was a Zephon in the Canaanite religion, but I've not researched it much so I can't remember any specifics.

[@ubermenschmexa]

The writing and voice acting of these games are top notch. I hope that, if they revive the series, they do it justice

[@HumbleHurricane]

One of the iconic legendary games of all time💯✊🏿🔥 The voice acting alone is at the pinnacle of all voice acting in gaming history to this day🙌🏿

[@Klauschwein91]

found u recently with the allmighty youtube algorithm. ur golden sun video is great, this is great. u are awesome, my dude

[@rapindagame8995]

This game is a master piece. It gives me so much nostalgia even tho I never beated this game back then when I first played in my PSONE. I just loved the game but never could get to the end because it was too damn complex to my kid's brain lol We need a remake of this espetacular game, but a true remake, a faithful one, we just need a better combat and better graphics, the rest its all already there.

[@amandahuginkiss6868]

No lie, I took three days off of work to play through this entire game when it came out for PSOne. It was the first game that really showed the promise of what a game could be: the game data streaming in from the disc, so the loading scenes were minimal, the freedom of being able to anywhere you could reach in the game, and the voice acting still makes this entire series one of the best I have ever played. I remember it being delayed, and thinking good, it will be better for it (this was before day one patches of course) and when I finally got to the end, all I could think of was when does the next one come out.

[@stevenatl6516]

This is what happens when gaming is given priority over English language education.

[@keiyangoshin3650]

Fantastic review of a great game by a fan. Josh’s love for Soul Reaver: Legacy of Kain is palpable, but as always, Josh remain’s objective in his personal analysis of what is nothing short of one of the best games ever made for PS1. He doesn’t shy away from pointing out the bad with the good. Because even our childhood favourites weren’t perfect. Thank you for a job well done Josh! 👍❤️

[@M2Mil7er]

A review of a review. That's pretty meta.

[@plantplant6539]

I'm so glad you mentioned the amazing story director and voice talent in this game. They are honestly something to aspire to in modern gaming. Great video.

[@patrickbo2045]

This game will always have a spot in my heart. Must've spent so many hours in Nosgoth!

[@WalkerBohAus]

Quick correction, Raziel wasn't the youngest of Kain's lieutenants. As he says in the intro monologue, he was "first-born of his lieutenants", or the eldest of his brothers.

[@PouresMaggie]

I hope you will do SR2 and BO: Defiance soon, the writing, voice acting, story just kept becoming more stellar with each sequel, a rare feat in video games, especially to this day. These games remain one of my favorite to this day. And with Tony Jay gone, I can't see a sequel past Defiance becoming a reality, nor would I want one without him as the voice of the Elder God.

[@kristianhughes3746]

I wish Josh would review more of all the game series that he touches. It does not seem to be his intent for this channel though, sadly.

[@tonyoik1012]

Considering that the Elder God was sealed in the final game, I don't see any reason for him to reappear, not fully voiced at least. Since that thing is supposed to be a god, he could influence corpses and talk through them, but with the voice each corpse had in their lives. This way, you could still have the character but with different VAs, and have it make sense.

[@PouresMaggie]

@@tonyoik1012 True, not many badass VAs in the same league as the LoK cast these days tho.

[@efxnews4776]

But the Elder God died in Defience, so theres no need to be in the story.

[@PouresMaggie]

@@efxnews4776 He didn't die, he was sealed...

[@everydaycompress4259]

redeemer and destroyer... Pawn and Messiah .... the coin is still turning ;) love this series and is my favorite of all time

[@bobbyfaj]

Honestly, I've re-watched this review so many times, great fun to watch and so much I never got to experience as a player. As and when I have kids they're getting the full 90s experience, got my PS1 and games at the ready. Anyway, thanks Josh, great vid, great channel!

[@Morkislair]

Personnally, I find the absence of a map to be a net benefit. The space is clear enough to navigate itself, and it makes finding all the secret areas all the more rewarding. But that's a matter of opinion and personal preferences, I suppose.

[@hitpeppens2932]

I don´t know, I have no problem in any other game, but Soul Reaver? I´ll get lost, always.

[@Palemagpie]

Nah I agree. Not to sound all try hard. But Razael is supposed to be lost in an unfamiliar version of the world he once knew. I think also making the player lost encourages honest to god exploration instead of just map scanning for interesting areas.

[@Blisterdude123]

I think for myself at least, I'd have settled for like, an artistic-design broad map of the landscape, even. It wouldn't have to be Metroidvania-level specific, but just something I could look at as a frame of reference. I enjoy being able to get a sense of a game world I inhabit, and chart my journeys, look back over distances I've traversed. I find it actually helps me immerse myself in the world.

[@misterbrady100]

True. I never felt I needed a map back when I played it for the first time. The game brought us to the abyss and showed us how it expected us to navigate. But this is subjective, like everything else in entertainment.

[@Ermz]

And here comes another massive dollop of my childhood. Thanks, Josh.

[@lazydgsf7429]

Watching this again after playing the TR 1-3 Remasters. Would love to see that treatment here.

[@AConnorDN38416]

17:00 I remember at one point the Elder God tells you to go to the East… but there is no indication of which direction East is so I spent hours wandering around before I finally stumbled on where to go

[@NZOMV]

*standing ovation* game creeped me out as a kid like medieval too which i also had the demo for, haha! Good to see what soul reaver was actually about via this vid!

[@nickheyer]

The Interactive Sample Disc #8, it had both the Legacy of Kaine: Soul Reaver as well as MediEvil, Spyro 1, Gran Turismo, Test Drive, various gameplay trailers like Parasite Eve's incredibly creepy trailer (kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIHcg2ynnMiXd7c), and the best gosh dang menu music I've ever heard.

[@yasheeee5856]

MediEval was fantastic! I always thought it reminded me of SR1 as well.

[@DjCrippleDick]

I genuinely love these videos so much. So much content from different demo disks, in my childhood. Always wondered what happened to some of these. Feels like a piece of my soul has been filled. Thank you!

[@cheesemonk3y127]

This game really was a masterpiece. I played it when it originally came out on Dreamcast. I was too young to truly appreciate the richness of the narrative but even then the atmosphere really pulled me in and stuck with me. When you're a kid you don't pick out and recognize things like good writing and immersive atmospheric details. You're usually more focused on how the gameplay feels. As time went on after I played Soul Reaver I would recall the characters and the feeling of the game vividly. It was how the memory of the game stuck with me that made me realize how great it really was.

[@magickmynd1296]

I love that this has been posted since it's been so long since I played the game. I completely forgot what most of the bosses looked like or what the main story was. Definitely one of the top 10 games of my childhood.