Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

How I wish I can declare this a perfect game, maybe it's inevitable remake can achieve what this game set out to accomplish all those years ago as for now, we have a near perfect game that was weighed down by obvious cut content which was only restored in legacy of Kain defiance.

The cut content is my main gripe with the game as otherwise, this is a solid entry into the franchise thanks to its storytelling, gameplay and ESPECIALLY the voice acting. Step aside metal gear solid, this is the ps1 game with the best voice acting largely thanks to the late Tony Kay as the elder God (Tony of course being the voice of judge Claude Frollo from Disney's hunchback of Notre dame.) The rest of the cast are also impeccable, however it's the villainous elder God which steals the show and will continue to do so in the sequels. The soundtrack is also amazing as it includes a church choir similar to that of hunchback to go along with catch melodies that never get old throughout gameplay. Speaking of the gameplay is also top notch, coming off as primitive at first to create tension between Raziel and the vampires, but eventually evolves with each boss he defeats and more specifically, the powers he absorbs from them. This in combination of the hidden collectibles in the game encourages exploration which rewards those with a keen eye with extra powers to enhance Raziel’s soul reader he acquires in the game. There's also the shifting between planes that's handled really well, I adore how the environment literally shifts depending on which plane you're in which of course leads to some very creative puzzles.

Had the game been finished and not rushed out the door prematurely, this could easily be among my favourite games of all time. Alas it's only a game I enjoy but am aware of how far short it's true potential is, I really hope it's finished one day even with its disappointing sequel that picks up where this games infamous cliffhanger leads off.

A adição de um mapa resolveria 90% dos problemas que eu tenho com esse jogo. É desnecessariamente confuso e quase impossível de progredir de forma natural.

Combate, movimentação, câmera e puzzles (os devs gostavam muito de empurrar blocos, pelo visto) também não me agradaram tanto, mas poderia superá-los se eu não fosse obrigado a olhar um detonado a cada 20 minutos.

Alguns bons aspectos- como a ambientação, narrativa, dublagem, o esquema de trocar entre os reinos material e espiritual e o design semi-aberto cuja progressão depende das habilidades adquiridas - caem por terra diante da indisposição em guiar o jogador de forma mais eficaz.

I played this game last year after hearing so much about it, I finally bought it and expected a classic gem with a captivating story. And instead I got a somewhat open action game with a lot of ambition, but pretty stale combat, a cliffhanger ending, and somewhat confusing design and puzzles. Soul Reaver I often heard was compared to Metroid, where you get new powers that help you travel to different parts of the map and help you solve new puzzles. That's basically the game going from area to area with your new powers and navigating your way through puzzles and enemy fights. I mean the puzzles in this are the main focus and they are a mixed bag. Some of the puzzles are good and really get you thinking, others are either numbingly easy and time consuming like moving blocks into place, or overly complex and require trial and error. That's the main problem with this game, the only good thing about it is inconsistent. The combat is pretty awful and is clunky and awkward. Did I mention the camera is atrocious to and moves all over the place and is hard to keep in place and its easily one of the worst cameras I've experienced in a game, and a game that revolves around precise platforming this will lead to many frustrating moments. The game is really not challenging either its practically impossible to die since when you actually lose all your life you go into spirit form and have a chance to suck in more souls to restore yourself back. I didn't die a single time in this game, and I wasn't even good at it and was constantly getting hit by the enemies. The only difficulty moment in this game is the final boss and that's because you have to know where he is and reach his location exactly as he spawns, and this fight is quite frustrating and done poorly. I mean that's about it, the story is alright and has somewhat cool concept, some of the puzzles are decent, and there is some cool design occasionally. But on the other hand you are battling with inconsistent and frustrating platforming, a horrible camera, a bad combat system, a game that is too easy for its own good, somewhat complex level design that doesn't always make it easy to find where you have to go, and a cliffhanger ending that forces you to get the sequel to see the conclusion. Did I also mention the graphics are pretty bad looking and haven't aged well at all. I just wanted to like this more and if I could like a game based on the concept alone this would be a great game, but instead its mediocre at best and has more frustration and blandness behind it than anything that drew me in.