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Square Enix registered Legacy of Kain related domain

Isn't this a routine thing, to reserve domains of your ips?

If it means a new legacy of kain I'm all excited. I was more of a fan of raziel than kain (I think this is true for most fans). I don't know if they can live up to hennig's storytelling but I'm willing to give it a go.

LoK copy Zelda? Eh, I don't think so. IIRC Soul Reaver was way more puzzle focused. Those puzzles still make me itch my head.
 

Squire

Banned
It's not.

I take it this is supposed to be an insider post or something? ...

toystory3popcorn.gif
 

IrishNinja

Member
it's gonna get the feel of a Tomb Raider reboot, is what i heard

ps nearing the 300th post with no Mama Robotnik sighting, i see
 
Just got caught up. Certainly hoping for the best - we now know that something is happening, which is more than we have known in nine years.

I'm hoping desperately that a distant continuation - ala Star Trek TNG or Doctor Who 2006 - is chosen over a reboot. Heck, I'd even take an alternate timeline/prime timeline thing ala Star Trek XI.

The event "War for Nosgoth" can describe multiple conflicts in the canon:

Vampire/Hylden War - in the prehistory of the games. the spiritual Vampires (guided by their parasitic God) fought the scientific Hylden for the whole of creation. The war devastated the world until both races unleashed their WMDs: The Vampires activated The Pillars and they threw the Hylden out of the universe into a reality of pure pain - and the Hylden activated a biological weapon infecting their enemies with a combination of immortality (an imprisonment in flesh, as the Vampires worshipped death), sterility (no more Vampires) and blood thirst (to ensure that the rest of Nosgoth would hate and hunt them). The war is only told in ruined mural, "written by the victors" - and a known fortress from the war has a buried dragon skeleton (Avernus Cathedral depths in Blood Omen) suggesting that dragons were employed by one or both sides.

Sarafan/Human-Vampire Hybrid War - seen extremely briefly in the intro to Blood Omen, this war was fought between the human Sarafan (first army) and the human-vampire hybrids. The humans - led by the wizards of the Circle of Nine - engaged in a campaign of genocide against the human-vampire hybrids. The result - referred to by the survivor Vorador - was the near-extinction of Vampirekind.

Nosgoth/Demons During Blood Omen, a race of Demons invaded Nosgoth through a foothold in the gargantuan Avernus Cathedral. They flooded out of the church in huge numbers, and murdered everyone they could find in the unprepared religious city. The invasion was stopped when Kain entered Avernus, found the Planar Azimuth - the focal point of the Demons - and murdered her. This war was stopped before it fully began.

Nosgoth/Legions of the Nemesis - Nosgoth's Hitler - William "The Just" - raised an army of the most monstrous humans in the North. They launched an onslaught of rape, disembowelment, torture, and pillage throughout the free towns and cities. The war came to ahead with The Battle of the Last Stand - in which King Otmarr led the last Army of Hope (and Kain) against the invaders. The invaders prevailed, the Army of Hope was massacred, and Kain escaped using a time machine - travelling back in time to murder William in his youth so he could never become a tyrant. The war was erased from history - but as Soul Reaver 2 shows us - some people have a destined time of death. Presumably, some other war broke out to kill all the people that were meant to die in the war that was erased from time.

Kain/Sarafan (Second Army) - Kain led an army of human-vampires across the world, murdering all that challenged them. The Sarafan Lord (in reality the Hylden General - his spirit projected into a clone body from his prison within the Demon Dimension) trained a new army of Sarafan enhanced with Hylden technology and science. The Sarafan were not expected to be as advanced in training and ability, and destroyed the majority of Kain's vampire hoarde. Kain's first invasion of Nosgoth was defeated.

Kain's Empire/The World - Following the events of Blood Omen 2 Kain raised his Vampire Lieutenants (Raziel, Turel, Dumah. Rahab, Zephon, and Melchiah) who were each able to sire clans. This army - all of Kain's blood - declared war across the land. Humans were enslaved and domesticated. Dark towers were built to block out the sun. The vampires - though outnumbered by the humans - were able to win the war and conquer the entire world for a thousand years. This War for Nosgoth transformed the planet into a death world.

The humans/The Razielim/Kain's Remnant Empire - The final war took place after Raziel's execution. The Razielim were wiped out by an uncertain party. Kain vanished from his role as Emperor, and the world fell into disarray. The humans launched a war on the Vampires - one wave was successful in invading the Dumahim City, scattering the clan and impaling the great vampire Dumah on his own throne. The humans assembled a weapon of sound - known as the Silenced Cathedral - which upon completion would have been a WMD able to create a resonance frequency that would destroy all vampiric life across the entire planet. The Zephonim clan invaded successfully and claimed the weapon as their own - murdering the humans that worked on it. The vampire leader Turel vanished entirely (in reality he was summoned into Nosgoth's past to play as a host body for Hylden souls). This final war led to Nosgoth going from death-world to wasteland. The vampires were scattered and their temples ruined. The vampire leaders devolved into beasts and hid away. The humans were generations away from complete extinction. The world shook with instability and the end of everything was near.


So, in short, if the title War For Nosgoth refers to an event mentioned previously in the canon of the series, it could be any of the above.
 

Gsak

Member
Mama Robotnik's in da house. Oh, yeah.

And guys, no, unfortunately I'm not an "insider". Just a big fan of LoK.
 

Gsak

Member
Haha ;) I know very little more sadly, just that it's in development for next gen consoles (plural afaik), and that they were aiming for an early 2014 release.

I need to know this: Will Simon Templeman and Amy Hennig be involved?

EDIT: Oops. Double post. Sorry!
 

Gsak

Member
Honestly couldn't tell you, sorry. As I said, I don't know much more.

Let's hope they at least bring Templeman and the rest of the cast back. But Templeman is essential IMO. So is Hennig, but given that she's with Naughty Dog now I don't see it. I hope she can be a story consultant at least.
 

DaBuddaDa

Member
Serious question. Where are all the Square games? Lately its been nothing but Eidos games. iOS games don't count. Lightning Returns, is that it?

Development hell. Versus XIII and the remake of FF XIV have taken all their resources away from other console games outside of the XIII-2/Lightning Returns team. At this point anyone leftover is looking towards next-gen.
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
Reaaaally not sure what to think about this. I'm a huge Legacy of Kain fan, Blood Omen 1 being one of my all-time favourites. I'm a big nerd about the LoK mythos too, and Kain is my favourite character of, well, probably all time. So, a new LoK game could be the best thing ever, but there simply isn't a single developer I'd trust the franchise with. :|

My ideal, perfect vision of a new LoK game would be a modern remake (not a reboot) of Blood Omen 1, made by Silicon Knights or hell, From Software, as a 3D dungeon crawler with Dark Souls-style combat, keeping the different weapons and their specific uses: the basic starting iron sword, the mace to stun human enemies, the flame sword to quickly scorch enemies but that prevents feeding, the axes for dual-wielding insanity but prevents the use of magic or items, and of course the Soul Reaver. The items such as Flay, Implode, Slow Time, etc. could return with some updates/balancing (some of them were OP, lol) as well as the inventive spells (from Inspire Hate to Control Mind to Blood Shower and the likes), and of course we need the wolf, bat and mist forms too. The whole thing directed by Denis Dyack or at least Amy Hennig.

Of course, that won't ever happen. Dyack is too busy being sued into oblivion by EA, no Japanese developer will touch this, and the IP belongs to Square Enix now (shudders). Eidos Montreal did do a solid job with Deus Ex: HR, but they're probably too busy on other IPs to work on this. Crystal Dynamics lost Amy Hennig and probably most of the original LoK/Soul Reaver staff and evidence suggests their new Tomb Raider is crap anyway. So while CD is the most likely candidate, it really doesn't inspire confidence.

it ain't legacy of kain without tony jay

):
:( RIP
To be honest... It wouldn't be the same, no, but it's doable. Without Templeman though, nope, nope and nope.

You must have dreamed this. Blood Omen 2 does not exist.
<3

I completely agree. I wanted the demons to be demons, not deformed people from the past. I also really did not like the whole Hash'ak'gik being one of Raziel's brothers.
Turel? He wasn't Hash'ak'gik, but merely served as a host for Hash'ak'gik's possessing entity. But yeah, I didn't much care for that either, simply because they kind of retconned the whole thing: they handwaved the Unspoken/Dark Entity (last boss in BO1) being Hash'ak'gik (which is what Silicon Knights had originally written) and instead made that shit up with the Hylden.

Corey Barlog is in charge of this, rumoured to be anyway. I'm still sceptical, I don't want a GOW game with LOK skins.
Ewwww please no.
 
Q

Queen of Hunting

Unconfirmed Member
could this be one of microsoft's big news for durango, ive seen alot of rumors that ms has alot instore for it and this would be one way to get the hardcore gamers on their side.
 

Gsak

Member
Just got caught up. Certainly hoping for the best - we now know that something is happening, which is more than we have known in nine years.

I'm hoping desperately that a distant continuation - ala Star Trek TNG or Doctor Who 2006 - is chosen over a reboot. Heck, I'd even take an alternate timeline/prime timeline thing ala Star Trek XI.

Well, if Mortal Kombat pulled off a sequel and a reboot combining into one storyline, then I think it's pretty easy for that to happen with Kain. And given time travel's existence and importance in the LoK universe, there are lots of ways to go with it.
 

ArjanN

Member
Let's hope they at least bring Templeman and the rest of the cast back. But Templeman is essential IMO. So is Hennig, but given that she's with Naughty Dog now I don't see it. I hope she can be a story consultant at least.

Just checked wikipedia, and Templeman was in Diablo 3, Darksiders 2 and Dead Space 3. I'm pretty sure getting him back isn't that hard.
 
Well, if Mortal Kombat pulled off a sequel and a reboot combining into one storyline, then I think it's pretty easy for that to happen with Kain. And given time travel's existence and importance in the LoK universe, there are lots of ways to go with it.

See that would be okay.

But I'd certainly prefer the distant-continuation idea - like Soul Reaver did with the original Blood Omen. Its so distant from the original (in-universe chronology) that it could be approached as an entirely new franchise - and achieved massive success by being inclusive to new players. After a few hours of gameplay, after loads of development on its new interpretation of Nosgoth - the links back to Blood Omen are shown: The ruined Pillars, the Soul Reaver, the "age of Vorador", the reintroduction of the Sarafan, and the return to the Oracle's Cave and the ancient time-machine beneath.

Soul Reaver really is a great example of how to create a sequel inclusive to new audiences while building on existing mythos.
 

Famassu

Member
1. Square talks up the mobile market
2. Square registers a domain for an old, forgotten, IP
3. Most logical conclusion is AAA console title?


smh, people. It's going to be an iPad castle defense game.
Just because they talk up the mobile market doesn't mean they are going exclusive on mobile platforms, don't be silly. There's every reason to believe a new Legacy of Kain game would be a console/PC release and absolutely no reason to think it'd be a mobile game. No matter if mobile games make money for SQEX, it doesn't mean the bigger munnies aren't in (successful) console releases. They can make a quick buck with mobile games while actually trying to make games that keep the company in business and as a big powerhouse developer with console games. They can have the best of both worlds (have big in-house teams work on bigger games and try to hype them up and then hope they are big successes and outsource small mobile games for steady income).
 

Hindle

Banned
Ideally I'd like the game to have the adventure elements and structure that makes Dark Souls so great. Basically the whole world is interconnected. It would be awesome IMO.
 

Melchiah

Member
Ideally I'd like the game to have the adventure elements and structure that makes Dark Souls so great. Basically the whole world is interconnected. It would be awesome IMO.

At least the first Soul Reaver was like that. I don't really remember exactly how the world was structured in the 2nd and Defiance.
 

AntMurda

Member
See that would be okay.

But I'd certainly prefer the distant-continuation idea - like Soul Reaver did with the original Blood Omen. Its so distant from the original (in-universe chronology) that it could be approached as an entirely new franchise - and achieved massive success by being inclusive to new players. After a few hours of gameplay, after loads of development on its new interpretation of Nosgoth - the links back to Blood Omen are shown: The ruined Pillars, the Soul Reaver, the "age of Vorador", the reintroduction of the Sarafan, and the return to the Oracle's Cave and the ancient time-machine beneath.

Soul Reaver really is a great example of how to create a sequel inclusive to new audiences while building on existing mythos.

The decrepit Nosgoth of Soul Reaver was extremely boring. The world was clearly built that way because in order for the game to be 3D on the PSOne, they pretty much had to make it empty. Just a world full of fog, empty caverns, block puzzles, and gray landscapes and grey mutated creatures. Soul Reaver 2 unfortunately adhered to some of the Soul Reaver staples, but tried to incorporate some direct Blood Omen characters and settings. Obviously, Soul Reaver 2 had much more life and really did a 180 over the original. The overall story and dialogue between Kain and Raziel is unparallel, and something I will never forget. Amy Hennig is very talented.

I personally want to see Blood Omen rebooted and done right. Kain, Vorador, Nupraptor, Nosgoth. I wouldn't mind the original Blood Omen remade (without the loading times) and released on PSN/XBLA.
 

Jocchan

Ὁ μεμβερος -ου
At least the first Soul Reaver was like that. I don't really remember exactly how the world was structured in the 2nd and Defiance.
SR1 -> 3D Metroidvania
SR2 -> Linear action adventure
Defiance -> Separate levels
BO2 -> Pipe Mania
 

Gsak

Member
See that would be okay.

But I'd certainly prefer the distant-continuation idea - like Soul Reaver did with the original Blood Omen. Its so distant from the original (in-universe chronology) that it could be approached as an entirely new franchise - and achieved massive success by being inclusive to new players. After a few hours of gameplay, after loads of development on its new interpretation of Nosgoth - the links back to Blood Omen are shown: The ruined Pillars, the Soul Reaver, the "age of Vorador", the reintroduction of the Sarafan, and the return to the Oracle's Cave and the ancient time-machine beneath.

Soul Reaver really is a great example of how to create a sequel inclusive to new audiences while building on existing mythos.

As long as we have Kain in it. And to be honest, I'd like to see him a playable protagonist. Raziel was fine, but he wasn't Kain.
Or they could have a new protagonist playing in the "present" and having Kain and Raziel being playable in "flashback levels", which would explore stuff not shown in the games, such as the era between BO and SR.
 

Melchiah

Member
The decrepit Nosgoth of Soul Reaver was extremely boring. The world was clearly built that way because in order for the game to be 3D on the PSOne, they pretty much had to make it empty. Just a world full of fog, empty caverns, block puzzles, and gray landscapes and grey mutated creatures. Soul Reaver 2 unfortunately adhered to some of the Soul Reaver staples, but tried to incorporate some direct Blood Omen characters and settings. Obviously, Soul Reaver 2 had much more life and really did a 180 over the original. The overall story and dialogue between Kain and Raziel is unparallel, and something I will never forget. Amy Hennig is very talented.

I kinda liked the desolate atmosphere of the Soul Reaver world. It added to the mystery of what had happened during the millennia Raziel was away, and fitted the story perfectly.
 
Z

ZombieFred

Unconfirmed Member
One thing I admired about this universe is how clearly fucked the land of Nosgoth has been from the ever ending eons of war and the corruption that was born from such genocide and blood shed. I would like to see the story to continue from defiance but somewhere in the future in regards to setting up the prophecy that has been dictated with the champions, any game can easily be set-up for new comers.
 
The decrepit Nosgoth of Soul Reaver was extremely boring. The world was clearly built that way because in order for the game to be 3D on the PSOne, they pretty much had to make it empty.

Just a world full of fog, empty caverns, block puzzles, and gray landscapes

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and grey mutated creatures.

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Either you are misremembering or mistaken. The images above immediately disprove your assertion that the game was literally one-hundred-percent grey creatures and caverns.

Soul Reaver's "extremely boring" Nosgoth had:

-A giant insect-filled cathedral in which pipes could be toppled to divert airflows allowing ascent to its peak - the red fleshy cocoon of a creature that is both your male brother and the queen insect.

-An abbey of water and water falls, of bells and chains. In its flooded deep-blue foundations, vampires are cocooned, pinned to the tiled floor while undergoing metamorphosis into carnivorous mermen.

-A redbrick city of water tanks and towers, of vampire hunters and screaming/worshipping humans.

-A dead city, with its King impaled on his throne by giant wooden stakes, surrounded by statues and stained-glass windows,

-A giant lighthouse, filled with the leaderless clan of Turelim vampires.

-Through the eye-socket of a giant whitestone skull, and an ascent up a chamber of twisting beams.

-A time-machine glowing purple while the roof above is filled with stars.

There's a lot more to Soul Reaver than you want to remember. Given that the game was designed for a console with 2MB ram, and was stored on a single CD, its more than miraculous that such a diverse 3D world was realised.
 

Ahasverus

Member
Oh mama you made me remember how huge the SR bosses seemd to be at the time. It's like a proto GoW.

Did you see the face of pre-mutated Zephon that Daniel Cabuco recently made? It made me feel shivers. We really need to see a game with the vampire liteunants.
 

CREMSteve

Member
Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2 are two of my favourite titles ever. Wasn't a big fan of the Blood Omen titles, and for some reason I never really got into Defiance, I think I played a demo and was completely disinterested and never looked back.

So I don't know what to think about this news. Part of me is very excited, another part says meh. I need more info.
 
It would great to see his take of the one I took my username from.

Daniel hasn't done Melchiah yet, but there are Boyd Lake's renders from his work on the SR intro:

Iha0sig.jpg


Here's a full body one, with Turel and Rahab.

BG09D3u.jpg


And for completion, Melchiah's final form - his fleshy mass held together only with the flayed skins of unfortunate humans.

3l8AdtZ.png


Brilliant imagination.
 

Ahasverus

Member
I'm still amazed of how every spot of paint in the LoK series has an explanation and relation to the game world. No doubt why it's till the best story in gaming. That's gaming story telling done PERFECTLY
 
Maybe this is what Silicon Knights have been working on? Lord knows they need a well received game to stay afloat after the Too Human litigation fiasco. I believe Denis Dyack mentioned working on something that "everyone wants us to do."

That could be either LOK or Eternal Darkness.
 

Glass Rebel

Member
Maybe this is what Silicon Knights have been working on? Lord knows they need a well received game to stay afloat after the Too Human litigation fiasco. I believe Denis Dyack mentioned working on something that "everyone wants us to do."

That could be either LOK or Eternal Darkness.

That would be wuite something, considering they're practically dead.
 

Melchiah

Member
Daniel hasn't done Melchiah yet, but there are Boyd Lake's renders from his work on the SR intro:

...

And for completion, Melchiah's final form - his fleshy mass held together only with the flayed skins of unfortunate humans.

3l8AdtZ.png


Brilliant imagination.

Of all the Kain's lieutenants, his transfiguration and background story resonated with me the most.

BTW, I was amazed at the detail they put on the Soul Reaver menu screen, that was talked about on
your recent Legacy of Kain thread. I greatly appreciated the thread in general, and the wealth of information it provided.
 

ArjanN

Member
Maybe this is what Silicon Knights have been working on? Lord knows they need a well received game to stay afloat after the Too Human litigation fiasco. I believe Denis Dyack mentioned working on something that "everyone wants us to do."

That could be either LOK or Eternal Darkness.

I'm pretty sure there were only like a handful of people left at Silicon Knights and they have a negative amount of money. They're deader than THQ.
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
games of this genre don't sell enough to warrant the investment. expect something linear and cinematic and heavy on action. i don't mean to be a cynic, but big budget non-linear adventure games are toast, unless i'm making some major mental omissions.
 
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