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[Deified Data]

So I bought Soul Reaver 1&2, Blood Omen 2,and Defiance during the holiday sale on Steam. Heard they have some of the best writing and voice acting in gaming and I missed them on PS1 so I figured I'd take the leap. I fiddled with Soul Reaver a bit just to make sure it worked and even just moving is a trial, not to mention combat. I saw that using a controller was an option but using my 360 pad makes Raziel spin around in circles infinitely. I tried remapping the keyboard controls to something workable but that wasn't ideal either. Has anyone who played on PC found a way to play this game comfortably? I expected archaic controls and camera, but I was hoping for a more elegant solution.

 

[¡HarlequinPanic!]

if anyone knows if its possible to have the models match the dreamcast version at all, I'd appreciate that as well. :$

 

[jacob armitage]

Its been awhile since playing it but i recall using xpadder for it, but it still being a bit awkward, but good enough for me to play through the game.

I believe the dreamcast version is really the definite version to play, with improved assets. The PC version being based off the earlier PS1 game. I'm not sure if anyone had modded the PC version to included the dreamcast assets? might be worth taking a look round.

EDIT: It is also a really incredible game, even revisiting it after all these years i felt it held up beautifully.

 

[Corpsepyre]

I'd like to know this as well.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Get a program like Xpadder which basically enables you to play most any pc game with a controller. Worked fine for this game along with others.

 

[Capra]

I had the same problem with my controller when I played it. Eventually I just gave up and resolved to just finish it using keyboard controls... Yeah, if you can find a way to make a controller work I'd recommend that. I finished it, so it's not unplayable, but some later areas that demand precision platforming were especially frustrating.

 

[John Kowalski]

I'm just glad the thing actually runs and plays well enough more than a decade after its initial release. I guess Nixxes has always been incredibly good at their work. I just hope things get better with the more recent games.

It's unfortunate that the original Blood Omen wasn't in the same collection, but after hearing the troubles people go through trying to make it run on PC...

 

[SScorpio]

I have a license for xpadder, but I've moved over to Pinnacle Game Profiler. There are pre-made configurations setup for Soul Reaver. It's currently on sale for $5.

http://pinnaclegameprofiler.com

 

[nynt9]

If the PC port isn't great, emulation might be a better option. Emulate the Dreamcast version, increase the rendering resolution and add some post effects like AA.

 

[Deified Data]

I had the same problem with my controller when I played it. Eventually I just gave up and resolved to just finish it using keyboard controls... Yeah, if you can find a way to make a controller work I'd recommend that. I finished it, so it's not unplayable, but some later areas that demand precision platforming were especially frustrating.

I used the keyboard up until the first combat encounter. While I resolved it easily, I knew then and there that I wasn't going to be satisfied with that setup for the entire game. And if you guys are right about the advanced platforming sections, I have no doubt I would have lost patience. I'll pursue this xpadder option and let you know if it helps.

I have a license for xpadder, but I've moved over to Pinnacle Game Profiler. There are pre-made configurations setup for Soul Reaver. It's currently on sale for $5.

http://pinnaclegameprofiler.com

How gimped is the free version? Does it still support profiles and everything?

 

[grandwizard]

I feel like there should be some primer for people who got into PC gaming in the era of the 360 pad ubiquity for games that came out when there was directinput as the pad standard and not xinput, because I see this complaint a lot with people buying older games thinking their 360 pad will just work like it will on a modern game.

 

[Deified Data]

Downloaded Pinnacle and it's working fairly well.

Question about the game, not the controls - does it really transport you back to the beginning every time you reload? Are you meant to do areas in one sitting? How do you know when you've reached a checkpoint? Guess I should have just made this a waaay LTTP thread.

 

[grandwizard]

Downloaded Pinnacle and it's working fairly well.

Question about the game, not the controls - does it really transport you back to the beginning every time you reload? Are you meant to do areas in one sitting? How do you know when you've reached a checkpoint? Guess I should have just made this a waaay LTTP thread.

You find warp gates that you can warp to.

 

[SScorpio]

How gimped is the free version? Does it still support profiles and everything?

You are already using it, but for everyone else the trial is a non-gimped fully functional version. I'm not sure how long the sale is running, so if you find it useful grab it. AFAIK this is the cheapest its ever been.

 

[RoadDogg]

I bought this during the Halloween sale and was very disappointed at the lack of controller support. I tried playing around with different PS3 settings (emulating a 360 controller) but couldn't figure it out. I then check the Steam guides and found a simple guide for use with JoyToKey

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=266597024

Worked great for me. Game wasn't as good as I remembered it though, but I played the DC version so that is probably why.

 

[impact]

Soul Reaver is one of those games I wish I could return to Steam. Just flat out doesn't work on todays computers to todays standards yet it's sold and put on sale frequently. Was only $2.50 but still....

 

[Deified Data]

Soul Reaver is one of those games I wish I could return to Steam. Just flat out doesn't work on todays computers to todays standards yet it's sold and put on sale frequently. Was only $2.50 but still....

As I said earlier Pinnacle is working great if controls were your issue. For everything else, well, it's a PS1 game. My expectations weren't high for anything other than story and VA.

 

[rjc571]

Yeah I bought the Legacy of Kain series on GoG recently. Soul Reaver 1 is appaling.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

I think the Vita is the best way to play both the first Soul Reaver and Blood Omen games. Aside from the controls being set to go, they don't look so ugly on the smaller screen.

 

[hlhbk]

I think the Vita is the best way to play both the first Soul Reaver and Blood Omen games. Aside from the controls being set to go, they don't look so ugly on the smaller screen.

Found this thread while looking up info on Soul Reaver. The PS one and PC versions are inferior to the Dreamcast version (watch the digital factory video to see why).

Does anyone know if there is a dreamcast emulator that will emulate Soul Reaver 1 perfectly?

 

[Mifec]

Found this thread while looking up info on Soul Reaver. The PS one and PC versions are inferior to the Dreamcast version (watch the digital factory video to see why).

Does anyone know if there is a dreamcast emulator that will emulate Soul Reaver 1 perfectly?

Nah, there's gonna be some graphical issues but nothing too bad.

 

[AndyMoogle]

This is when a steam controller come in handy. No need for any software other than steam. It's really worth the price, imo.

 

[hlhbk]

Nah, there's gonna be some graphical issues but nothing too bad.

FYI I just setup the Reicast core on Retroarch on PC and none of the graphical glitches that are present using Retroarch. Awesome! Now I can play the game using a dualshock 4!

 

[EternalWolf]

https://github.com/theafien/soulreaver-gamepad-fix

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=892996987

 

[EctoPrime]

You can fix the Raziel spinning bug in Soul Reaver on a 360 controller by using the Steam remapping feature of the keyboard controls. You dont get analogue control but it works pretty well and the PC version never had it to begin with. Just make sure to map the triggers to a half press for panning left and right if you plan on matching the PSone controls.

The PC version improves the draw distance greatly over the Playstation version especially in the human citadel and with no polygon warping plus the ability to disable texture filtering I prefer it to the Playstation original.

 

[Psxphile]

https://github.com/theafien/soulreaver-gamepad-fix

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=892996987

Can confirm that the first link's .dll will fix the xinput analog problem if you copy it to the game's main folder before booting the game.