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Legacy of Kain 6 - The first section of the unreleased game
- Thread starter Mama Robotnik
- Start date
Mama Robotnik
Member
I'm glad you guys enjoyed this, I'm developing a mastery of Google to find these buried portfolios and blogs.
Regarding the Sequel vs Reboot vs HD Remakes route, I'd suggest a different direction.
I'd like to see the series return as a distant continuation. This is the route taken by the original Soul Reaver and the new Doctor Who. It preserves canon and nods to it, without being held back by its weight. It could introduce a new entry that is so far into the future, it becomes an entirely new, accessible game, as Soul Reaver was from Blood Omen.
It would be beneficial as (1) the game would be accessible to new audiences, and (2) the major fans of the series focus primarily on the story above all other concerns, and wouldn't lose their investment in the characters.
Perhaps a game set after the fall of Kain's Empire, in which Kain's purification is slowly reversing (or at least stabalising) Nosgoth's collapse. You could even introduce a different playable character (so it would be their game), and return Kain to his NPC role ala Soul Reaver. That's a game I'd like to play.
Regarding the Sequel vs Reboot vs HD Remakes route, I'd suggest a different direction.
I'd like to see the series return as a distant continuation. This is the route taken by the original Soul Reaver and the new Doctor Who. It preserves canon and nods to it, without being held back by its weight. It could introduce a new entry that is so far into the future, it becomes an entirely new, accessible game, as Soul Reaver was from Blood Omen.
It would be beneficial as (1) the game would be accessible to new audiences, and (2) the major fans of the series focus primarily on the story above all other concerns, and wouldn't lose their investment in the characters.
Perhaps a game set after the fall of Kain's Empire, in which Kain's purification is slowly reversing (or at least stabalising) Nosgoth's collapse. You could even introduce a different playable character (so it would be their game), and return Kain to his NPC role ala Soul Reaver. That's a game I'd like to play.
CamHostage
Member
Proper props to you Mama Robotnik for a really spectacular dig. I'm not too into the Legacy of Kain series (though it's one of my great gamer regrets that I never bought Soul Reaver even after watching somebody play it and being blown away by the engine,) but this was still a good read.
Melchiah
Member
Thanks Mama Robotnik for that long and informative post. Now I really wish there was a HD version of the first Soul Reaver, or a new game which portrayed the events between Blood Omen and Soul Reaver; the decline and deformation of the vampire clans and their lords, the mass culling of human settlements, the gradual decay of Nosgoth. Maybe playing as each one of the vampire clan leaders, or one of their servants. One can dream.
abstract alien
Member
What is holding this franchise back from a release exactly? It always did decent sells right, or is it a rights issue?
The Antitype
Banned
abstract alien said:
Each entry sold less and less, unfortunately. Being released in 2005 didn't help Defiance, which was overlooked in the wave of hype building up for the Xbox 360... just like Oddworld, Psychonauts, Conker, etc.'
They didn't sell well as time went on, and CD has been working on Tomb Raider a lot. I've never thought the franchise was dead, though. At least, not the universe. I think they just want it to cool off.abstract alien said:
Soul Reaver is one of Crystal Dynamic's highest rated series. I highly doubt they're completely done with it, and Eidos knows it.
crowphoenix
Banned
Damn. Great work as always Mama R. My girlfriend is a huge fan of this series, so she'll probably both love and hate this thread.
VGChampion
Member
Threads like these are why I still visit NeoGAF. I don't care about news and drama, I love game appreciation. Especially when someone goes the extra 100 miles and finds stuff like this.
prodystopian
Member
BobTheFork said:
This. Mama Robotnick, I love and hate you for these threads.
I would LOVE to get my hands on these art assets and play around with them in an engine.
CoffeeExpress
Member
Maybe reboot the series from Soul Reaver onwards?
Lets be honest, the story is confusing and bloated. after the events of Soul Reaver with all the time travelling it really starts to confuse me.. when the Wikipedia page isn't too sure what's going on.. It must be a bad sign.
Soul Reaver was the series high point for me, both from solid gameplay and compelling story (that intro!) . I think it also holds the best mass appeal for the general public..
Lets be honest, the story is confusing and bloated. after the events of Soul Reaver with all the time travelling it really starts to confuse me.. when the Wikipedia page isn't too sure what's going on.. It must be a bad sign.
Soul Reaver was the series high point for me, both from solid gameplay and compelling story (that intro!) . I think it also holds the best mass appeal for the general public..
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
Holy shiz.
You are a Gentleman and a Scholar. Thanks for this.
This and Timesplitters and probably the IPs I miss the most.
You are a Gentleman and a Scholar. Thanks for this.
This and Timesplitters and probably the IPs I miss the most.
Commanche Raisin Toast
Member
i never played any of the blood omen games because i always felt like Kain was the bad guy, and Raziel was the hero, so i bought Soul Reaver 2 instead of Blood Omen 2. 
ii Stryker
Banned
Of all the Eidos properties the legacy series games are the ones that deserve a reboot most imo
Mama Robotnik
Member
Fixed the broken images, sorry about that.
Blood Omen holds up really well, its kind of a Link to the Past but with Shakespearean-trained voice actors, a brilliant story, massive avoidance of genre cliche, lots of sadism and tons to explore. The PC version is the best to find as it has a clearer resolution and massively improved loading times - alas it has compatability difficulties with more modern versions of windows.
Soul Reaver 1 is great on PC bumped up to high resolution, but the definitive port is the Dreamcast version. As a game it holds up very well with gameplay reminiscent of Metroid.
Soul Reaver 2 looks beautiful and has possibly the most intelligently-delivered time-travel story in all of gaming. Its not quite as freeform as Soul Reaver 1, but by this point you'll be playing for the next twist. Defiance is playable, but your patience for its unique camera system may depend on how invested in the story you have become.
They are collectively the best acted, best written and best presented story in gaming. In my humble opinion, of course.
I really disagree. As long as Blood Omen 2 is ignored, the story is a thing of beauty. Its complex and covers some very broad themes, but I'd never describe it as bloated.
You made the right choice for the wrong reasons, in true Legacy of Kain style.
Most of them yes.
BigJiantRobut said:
Blood Omen holds up really well, its kind of a Link to the Past but with Shakespearean-trained voice actors, a brilliant story, massive avoidance of genre cliche, lots of sadism and tons to explore. The PC version is the best to find as it has a clearer resolution and massively improved loading times - alas it has compatability difficulties with more modern versions of windows.
Soul Reaver 1 is great on PC bumped up to high resolution, but the definitive port is the Dreamcast version. As a game it holds up very well with gameplay reminiscent of Metroid.
Soul Reaver 2 looks beautiful and has possibly the most intelligently-delivered time-travel story in all of gaming. Its not quite as freeform as Soul Reaver 1, but by this point you'll be playing for the next twist. Defiance is playable, but your patience for its unique camera system may depend on how invested in the story you have become.
They are collectively the best acted, best written and best presented story in gaming. In my humble opinion, of course.
CoffeeExpress said:
I really disagree. As long as Blood Omen 2 is ignored, the story is a thing of beauty. Its complex and covers some very broad themes, but I'd never describe it as bloated.
Commanche Raisin Toast said:i never played any of the blood omen games because i always felt like Kain was the bad guy, and Raziel was the hero, so i bought Soul Reaver 2 instead of Blood Omen 2.
You made the right choice for the wrong reasons, in true Legacy of Kain style.
lethial said:
Most of them yes.
Mama Robotnik
Member
I've now posted this in the two big LOK communities at the Nosgothic Realm and the Eidos Forums. They're agreeing with most of my reasoning in linking the events and art together which is good.
A clarification made (only a minor one) is that in the OP I said that "In Defiance both the Hylden and the Ancients predicted Raziel and Kain's fateful battle at Avernus".
This has been pointed out to be an error in my memory. The Hylden and the Vampires predicted Raziel's existence, but both assumed him to be their champion. They did not predict his battle with Kain, but more the endless battle with himself.
It does however still support the flow of events I have listed. The two ancient races had their own prophecies about a pivotal figure in Nosgoth's future - Raziel. It makes sense that they would have their own prophecies of the other pivotal figure - Kain. We saw the vampires own prophecy regarding him in Legacy of Kain: Defiance - the final "Scion of Balance" prophecy.
The Hylden equivalent to this was not shown. This prophecy, their interpretation of Kain's existence and future, is what I assume to be "The Dark Prophecy".
A clarification made (only a minor one) is that in the OP I said that "In Defiance both the Hylden and the Ancients predicted Raziel and Kain's fateful battle at Avernus".
This has been pointed out to be an error in my memory. The Hylden and the Vampires predicted Raziel's existence, but both assumed him to be their champion. They did not predict his battle with Kain, but more the endless battle with himself.
It does however still support the flow of events I have listed. The two ancient races had their own prophecies about a pivotal figure in Nosgoth's future - Raziel. It makes sense that they would have their own prophecies of the other pivotal figure - Kain. We saw the vampires own prophecy regarding him in Legacy of Kain: Defiance - the final "Scion of Balance" prophecy.
The Hylden equivalent to this was not shown. This prophecy, their interpretation of Kain's existence and future, is what I assume to be "The Dark Prophecy".
Fermbiz
Member
The game that could've been....
Its amazing to see how far the Legacy of Kain series have gone.
Here's a vid I recorded playing SR1 on a PSX emulator. Its running at 1080p but its missing some sound bytes. I have it for PC but the cutscenes won't play
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=bEHJDcPEar4
This game needs a reboot, same voice actors.
Its amazing to see how far the Legacy of Kain series have gone.
Here's a vid I recorded playing SR1 on a PSX emulator. Its running at 1080p but its missing some sound bytes. I have it for PC but the cutscenes won't play
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=bEHJDcPEar4
This game needs a reboot, same voice actors.
Arsenic Yellow
Member
OP, you've reminded me how much i loved this series.
I was really upset by the ending of defiance. I couldn't stand Kain and to see Raziel end up like that really upset me. Glad to see he would have come back in some form.
. He did the voices of the elder god and zephon.
He also did Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Truly was an amazing actor.
I was really upset by the ending of defiance. I couldn't stand Kain and to see Raziel end up like that really upset me. Glad to see he would have come back in some form.
Tony Jay died in 2006Fermbiz said:
. He did the voices of the elder god and zephon.He also did Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Truly was an amazing actor.
diffusionx
Member
I only played Blood Omen & Soul Reaver but both were awesome. The only problem was BO's crazy load times.
It's weird we haven't seen anything from this franchise in so long. It would work well today, the tone is right and it is very sequel-able.
LOL @ the PC version of BO's box art: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Omen:_Legacy_of_Kain
It's weird we haven't seen anything from this franchise in so long. It would work well today, the tone is right and it is very sequel-able.
LOL @ the PC version of BO's box art: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Omen:_Legacy_of_Kain
Unity2012
Member
We can only hope that with all the HD remakes and updates coming out lately, these series will be up for a comeback as well.
Soul Reaver and LOK are two of my favorite games of all time. Following Raziel's and Kain's stories was a great journey as a gamer.
I really hope they bring them back from the "Spectral World" into our "Material World" so a new generation of gamers gets to enjoy these fantastic adventures.
Thanks to the OP for sharing a great find.
.
Soul Reaver and LOK are two of my favorite games of all time. Following Raziel's and Kain's stories was a great journey as a gamer.
I really hope they bring them back from the "Spectral World" into our "Material World" so a new generation of gamers gets to enjoy these fantastic adventures.
Thanks to the OP for sharing a great find.
.
rollingstart
Banned
Spike said:
I'd settle for releasing the games on GoG or Steam. At least all of them are on PC except for Blood Omen 2, I think. But I would like an HD/PC port of the Dreamcast's Soul Reaver 1.
The version released on PC (in those old trapezoid boxes) is comparable with the PS1 version.
evilernLeGG
Member
This is one of (if not the) my favorite series of all time. I really liked every game I played, including Defiance.
The only one I missed, however, was Soul Reaver 2. I always meant to get around to it and never did.
Does it still hold up today? I have a BC PS3 that I was thinking of playing it on.
The only one I missed, however, was Soul Reaver 2. I always meant to get around to it and never did.
Does it still hold up today? I have a BC PS3 that I was thinking of playing it on.
Mama Robotnik
Member
evilernLeGG said:
Its among the best written stories in gaming combined with the very best, most graceful voice acting the industry has ever seen. It has a great moody soundtrack, a diverse selection of areas to explore, some good puzzles and is generally a lot of fun to play.
If you are referring to its visuals, its best you decide for yourself:
Personally I think it still looks pretty damn great, mainly thanks to the absolutely fantastic architecture and unusual design work. I'm biased though, of course.
â Narayan
Member
Why the Hell aren't any of these games on Steam or GOG?
soulassssns
Banned
I'd so buy a Soul Reaver/Blood Omen HD collection and most definately a new sequel as well.
Melchiah
Member
Fuck fuck fuck... I played the Silenced Cathedral part of LoK:SR yesterday, and was just about to meet Zephon, when I jumped and never landed. It seems there's a glitch where you can be stuck in an endless fall, which is kinda humorous when you think about the opening cinema of the game. What pisses me off though, is that I hadn't saved since the beginning of Silenced Cathedral, as there's no danger of dying, and now I have to play it all over again. =(
After playing LoK:SR after 12 years, I'm painfully reminded of the parts I hated about the game I loved, namely the platforming. It's just extremely annoying accompanied with the controls and the camera. I'm already dreading the Drowned Abbey, as I remember there being a long and tedious platforming section, where one miss will force you to start again from the beginning. Not my idea of fun.
The other, albeit smaller, thing I dislike, is the one-hit-and-you-lose-the-reaver thing, especially in a couple of those closed sections, where you roll & push the cubes while being constantly attacked by the Zephonim, and there are no weapons to finish them. It's one hit, and back to the spectral realm, another hit, and once again back to the spectral realm. Absolutely infuriating.
On a side note... has anyone else witnessed a problem with the PSN version; when the game is paused long enough, and the controller is powered off, you have to re-set the controller setting from digital to analogue mode when you return to the game.
After playing LoK:SR after 12 years, I'm painfully reminded of the parts I hated about the game I loved, namely the platforming. It's just extremely annoying accompanied with the controls and the camera. I'm already dreading the Drowned Abbey, as I remember there being a long and tedious platforming section, where one miss will force you to start again from the beginning. Not my idea of fun.
The other, albeit smaller, thing I dislike, is the one-hit-and-you-lose-the-reaver thing, especially in a couple of those closed sections, where you roll & push the cubes while being constantly attacked by the Zephonim, and there are no weapons to finish them. It's one hit, and back to the spectral realm, another hit, and once again back to the spectral realm. Absolutely infuriating.
On a side note... has anyone else witnessed a problem with the PSN version; when the game is paused long enough, and the controller is powered off, you have to re-set the controller setting from digital to analogue mode when you return to the game.
GotEmRunnin
Member
I need this.