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Legacy of Kain: The Dark Prophecy/Blood Omen III (cancelled game)
- Thread starter Mama Robotnik
- Start date
Mama Robotnik
Member
Raide said:
At least its interesting to know what they were planning, right?
Wraith RazieL said:
Amazingly, its been out on easy-to-find portfolio websites for years, its just been pieced together properly before.
ciaossu said:
I don't consider it an act of selfharm! I'm just a fan of the series and interested in the behind-the-scenes details. I'm happier knowing the details of the cancelled game rather than not knowing anything at all.
Mama Robotnik said:
Maybe this is a problem for you and everyone else on the planet, but I couldn't careless to be honest.
I like Raziel and I don't like Kain, pretty simple. So I would like to see another game where I can play as Raziel.
As far as cheapening stories, there is no reason it has to cheapen it. Even if it did I really wouldn't mind.
DigitalDevil
Member
vesp said:
This. While I loved all of the them, the original Blood Omen is far and away my favorite.
So sad
Mama Robotnik
Member
Blood Omen also remains my favourite, for the sheer scale of it. Soul Reaver is a close second.
Wow, my finds have made it onto the latest Screw Attack video, that's not happened before. Bluesnews also has picked up the story, referring to NeoGAF as a collective consciousness rather than individuals ("NeoGAF has materials on what they believe...")
If anyone else is intersted if further LOK discoveries, I've made some more overnight. They're more relevant to past titles in the series however.
Here are some newly-discovered screenshots of the cancelled version of Soul Reaver 2 for the Playstation 1/Dreamcast:
Here's a long-lost artwork for a Werewolf Vampire, and a cool steampunk Vampire Hunter, that never made it into Soul Reaver 1:
A piece of lost concept art from Shifter, a game that through development was overhauled into part of Legacy of Kain canon and became Soul Reaver. This is the character who became Raziel:
If anyone is interested I've discovered loads more too.
Wow, my finds have made it onto the latest Screw Attack video, that's not happened before. Bluesnews also has picked up the story, referring to NeoGAF as a collective consciousness rather than individuals ("NeoGAF has materials on what they believe...")
If anyone else is intersted if further LOK discoveries, I've made some more overnight. They're more relevant to past titles in the series however.
Here are some newly-discovered screenshots of the cancelled version of Soul Reaver 2 for the Playstation 1/Dreamcast:
Here's a long-lost artwork for a Werewolf Vampire, and a cool steampunk Vampire Hunter, that never made it into Soul Reaver 1:
A piece of lost concept art from Shifter, a game that through development was overhauled into part of Legacy of Kain canon and became Soul Reaver. This is the character who became Raziel:
If anyone is interested I've discovered loads more too.
rollingstart
Banned
I'm interested. LoK is one of my favorite series and this is all fascinating, and sad.
I hope Eidos brings the series back. I mean, they're bringing back Deus Ex after all these year.
I hope Eidos brings the series back. I mean, they're bringing back Deus Ex after all these year.
Zaraki_Kenpachi
Member
Anything you find would be sweet to see. I'll definitely look at it. Now you're making me want to replay through the series.
Classic_Gs
Member
Incredible OP, nice work! I love all three LOK games (BO 1, 2 and Defiance). Nothing against the Soul Reaver games, but I just love Kain's character. This thread makes me both excited and sad .
.Mama Robotnik
Member
Okay then:
(note - Ben Lincoln's The Lost Worlds is a treasure-trove of lost LOK content, and I've contributed more than once. The stuff I am posting are recent discoveries, which you won't find there at present.)
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Here is footage from the rarely-seen Sega Saturn version, which I believe the developers denied the existence of at one point. It was tucked away in a long-lost promo video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSu48hIsaFU#t=0m57s
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Screenshots of the Undercity, the area beneath the Human Citadel (where Raziel would have fought and defeated The Priestess boss and earned telekinesis). The level was excised entirely from the released version, which is a massive shame.
(the only shots known to exist in the public were the tiny thumbnails scanned from an obscure magazine, at least until yesterday when I discovered the above).
The excised brother, Turel (who executed Raziel along with Dumah), as he would have appeared as a boss in Soul Reaver until he was cut.
Concept art of an unknown female vampire race, an idea that wasn't carried far into development. Their faces seem to fall off (perhaps in combat), and with this they lose their last human traits and become bestial.
A winged devolved vampire, possibly a Razielim (a member of Raziel's clan that has suffered devolution). This is what Raziel would have become if Kain hadn't executed him.
More long lost concept art of "The Foresaken", Vampire Hunters. Perhaps they were called this because they were forsaking their lives to protect the last surviving humans.
Some demons, cut early from the game development. They foreshadow the heavy demonic presence in Soul Reaver 2.
Digging out the rest now, bear with me.
(note - Ben Lincoln's The Lost Worlds is a treasure-trove of lost LOK content, and I've contributed more than once. The stuff I am posting are recent discoveries, which you won't find there at present.)
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Here is footage from the rarely-seen Sega Saturn version, which I believe the developers denied the existence of at one point. It was tucked away in a long-lost promo video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSu48hIsaFU#t=0m57s
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Screenshots of the Undercity, the area beneath the Human Citadel (where Raziel would have fought and defeated The Priestess boss and earned telekinesis). The level was excised entirely from the released version, which is a massive shame.
(the only shots known to exist in the public were the tiny thumbnails scanned from an obscure magazine, at least until yesterday when I discovered the above).
The excised brother, Turel (who executed Raziel along with Dumah), as he would have appeared as a boss in Soul Reaver until he was cut.
Concept art of an unknown female vampire race, an idea that wasn't carried far into development. Their faces seem to fall off (perhaps in combat), and with this they lose their last human traits and become bestial.
A winged devolved vampire, possibly a Razielim (a member of Raziel's clan that has suffered devolution). This is what Raziel would have become if Kain hadn't executed him.
More long lost concept art of "The Foresaken", Vampire Hunters. Perhaps they were called this because they were forsaking their lives to protect the last surviving humans.
Some demons, cut early from the game development. They foreshadow the heavy demonic presence in Soul Reaver 2.
Digging out the rest now, bear with me.
Mama Robotnik
Member
Shifter (later Soul Reaver)
Shifter is the Crystal Dynamics game that was overhauled to become part of the Legacy of Kain canon. These are the (mostly) long-lost sketches of the nameless protagonist and antagonist, who following the overhaul would become Raziel and Kain.
Protagonist:
Antagonist (unknown what his name was going to be before the game became part of the LOK-canon)
The following are high-quality textures for the murals in Soul Reaver. As you can imagine, they were massively reduced in quality in the actual game.
Lord Kain
Devolved Melchiah
Ancients
Possible vampire cocooning?
The canon describes vampires as entering a coccon-state when undergoing their devolution, I think the above is a depiction of that. The humanoid vampire transmogrifying into a Zephonim (spider/insect vampire).
Still digging out the rest, will post when it is sorted.
Shifter is the Crystal Dynamics game that was overhauled to become part of the Legacy of Kain canon. These are the (mostly) long-lost sketches of the nameless protagonist and antagonist, who following the overhaul would become Raziel and Kain.
Protagonist:
Antagonist (unknown what his name was going to be before the game became part of the LOK-canon)
The following are high-quality textures for the murals in Soul Reaver. As you can imagine, they were massively reduced in quality in the actual game.
Lord Kain
Devolved Melchiah
Ancients
Possible vampire cocooning?
The canon describes vampires as entering a coccon-state when undergoing their devolution, I think the above is a depiction of that. The humanoid vampire transmogrifying into a Zephonim (spider/insect vampire).
Still digging out the rest, will post when it is sorted.
Mama Robotnik
Member
Bit of a bump because of a late discovery:
Frank Pierce worked at Ritual during Blood Omen 3's development. He's got this screenshot in his Ritual design+work portfolio which is very interesting:
Zoom in:
Its Raziel.
I've asked Eidos Forums and Nosgothic Realm forums, they all agree its a textureless Raziel model based on his Defiance design. Since Frank never worked at Crystal Dynamics, and on any game starring Raziel, the explanation we have is that Raziel had some role/appearance/cameo/return in Blood Omen 3.
Considering what happened last time we saw Raziel, its difficullt to imagine under what circumstances his return was planned.
Frank Pierce worked at Ritual during Blood Omen 3's development. He's got this screenshot in his Ritual design+work portfolio which is very interesting:
Zoom in:
Its Raziel.
I've asked Eidos Forums and Nosgothic Realm forums, they all agree its a textureless Raziel model based on his Defiance design. Since Frank never worked at Crystal Dynamics, and on any game starring Raziel, the explanation we have is that Raziel had some role/appearance/cameo/return in Blood Omen 3.
Considering what happened last time we saw Raziel, its difficullt to imagine under what circumstances his return was planned.
BobTheFork
Member
Great shot. Maybe Raziel is in some kind of world
or maybe it was never anything. That's the best I can think of.
inside the reaver sword?
Mama Robotnik
Member
BobTheFork said:
Most of the Kain-related forums seem to be going with the idea that it could be a flashback or part of the tech-demo process. As interesting as an idea as a world in the Reaver is (and given the thousands it has taken its an idea I like), I still think any
release of the character
I really think Raziel's story ended on a perfect full stop.
Its a very early screenshot regardless, the model is untextured and the bridge is very basic, hardly the usual LOK-style ornate architecture. So unless I can find more material, I guess we'll never know.
Mama Robotnik
Member
Sorry for the bump, but its probably not worth a new thread.
A recent discovery: these screenshots are on the Behance gallery of Isabelle Lemay, who was senior artist at Crystal Dynamics during the LOK games production. The screens are labelled as being as from Defiance, but as anyone who has played game will know, this is not a location in that game. Given that anyone who worked on the cancelled game is strictly not allowed to disclose it, I suspect there is a chance they are from Dark Prophecy / Blood Omen 3.
As anyone familiar with the franchise may realise, these are screens of ground zero at the Piillars of Nosgoth collapse, the pivotal moment which the series circles around, and one we never actually see in any of the games. I thought that was worth the bump.
A recent discovery: these screenshots are on the Behance gallery of Isabelle Lemay, who was senior artist at Crystal Dynamics during the LOK games production. The screens are labelled as being as from Defiance, but as anyone who has played game will know, this is not a location in that game. Given that anyone who worked on the cancelled game is strictly not allowed to disclose it, I suspect there is a chance they are from Dark Prophecy / Blood Omen 3.
As anyone familiar with the franchise may realise, these are screens of ground zero at the Piillars of Nosgoth collapse, the pivotal moment which the series circles around, and one we never actually see in any of the games. I thought that was worth the bump.
Discotheque
Banned
With Eidos reviving Deus Ex and Thief I'm beginning to believe a new entry in the Legacy of Kain series may be a possibility a few years from now.
NinajHeartless
Member
Still want to put in the work and get into this series someday
Relaxed Muscle
Member
Thanks, Mama Robotnik always interesting....and painful
Hey, at least Raziel and Kain are in Lara Croft:GoL as DLC characters!!....that may be mean something!!!
Discotheque said:
Hey, at least Raziel and Kain are in Lara Croft:GoL as DLC characters!!....that may be mean something!!!
Zaraki_Kenpachi
Member
Awesome, I'm always excited to see the bumps in this thread as well as the disappointed and have a crashing feel when I realize it will never be. :'(
Mama Robotnik
Member
Relaxed Muscle said:
Each of the CD Tomb Raider games has homages to the Legacy of Kain series in them, with the DLC being the most direct example. I read it as Crystal Dynamics wanting to continue their greatest series, but due to circumstances and publisher will, have devote all resources to work on Tomb Raider game after Tomb Raider game.
Crystal used to have multiple teams on multiple projects, I wonder if they still follow that model?
maniac-kun
Member
How about a reboot of the Legancy of Kain series? Start again at Blood Omen 1!
magicaltrevor
Banned
Perhaps Naughty Dog's next game could be a game that's more similar to this one? They have Amy Hennig.
Mama Robotnik
Member
Glad you guys don't mind the bumps, I'll keep posting what I find!
Over at thelostworlds.net, Ben Lincoln has all the patches you'll need to run Soul Reaver 1,2, Defiance and Blood Omen 2. There's also a patch for BO1 which I've had mixed success with - the game really struggles with modern machines.
I'd recommend either - playing Blood Omen 1 using a Playstation emulator (extra benefit of this is that the PS1 version is not as rare as the PC version).
Alternatively, wait for Blood Omen 3D to be complete:
Yeah, as with most projects of this nature they rarely get finished, but their demo is bloody impressive and fully recreates the first portion of the game.
I'd oppose a reboot, because I know they'd change too much. A remake like the one above, would be nice, but I'd oppose any deviation to the story. The events of Blood Omen are all significant to the future games and are referred to continuously.
My ideal would be a distant continuation. When Soul Reaver came out, it was a thousand years distant to the events of Blood Omen, and could be jumped into by players new and old. It was a new world in the remains of an old one. As we progressed, more and more links to the world of Blood Omen were shown. It was a game world and story that didn't depend on its predecessor, but did build on it.
The next LOK could be set another thousand years into the future. With Kain gone, his Empire abandoned, someone else could fill the power vacuum. Be they human, Hylden, or something else entirely. Either way, Kain overshoots his time-travel back to Nosgoth's future and emerges in a world different to his own, but built on its ruins. Said would could be a return to the medieval themes of Blood Omen, or some sort of demonic hiveworld, there are numerous possibilities.
I like to think such an idea would be more inclusive and appealing to a new audience, than a direct continuation of Defiance.
MattyH said:
Over at thelostworlds.net, Ben Lincoln has all the patches you'll need to run Soul Reaver 1,2, Defiance and Blood Omen 2. There's also a patch for BO1 which I've had mixed success with - the game really struggles with modern machines.
I'd recommend either - playing Blood Omen 1 using a Playstation emulator (extra benefit of this is that the PS1 version is not as rare as the PC version).
Alternatively, wait for Blood Omen 3D to be complete:
Yeah, as with most projects of this nature they rarely get finished, but their demo is bloody impressive and fully recreates the first portion of the game.
maniac-kun said:
I'd oppose a reboot, because I know they'd change too much. A remake like the one above, would be nice, but I'd oppose any deviation to the story. The events of Blood Omen are all significant to the future games and are referred to continuously.
My ideal would be a distant continuation. When Soul Reaver came out, it was a thousand years distant to the events of Blood Omen, and could be jumped into by players new and old. It was a new world in the remains of an old one. As we progressed, more and more links to the world of Blood Omen were shown. It was a game world and story that didn't depend on its predecessor, but did build on it.
The next LOK could be set another thousand years into the future. With Kain gone, his Empire abandoned, someone else could fill the power vacuum. Be they human, Hylden, or something else entirely. Either way, Kain overshoots his time-travel back to Nosgoth's future and emerges in a world different to his own, but built on its ruins. Said would could be a return to the medieval themes of Blood Omen, or some sort of demonic hiveworld, there are numerous possibilities.
I like to think such an idea would be more inclusive and appealing to a new audience, than a direct continuation of Defiance.
