'Soul Reaver 2' is not the game that fields instant gratification on any front. Let it unfurl, enjoy it as it does so.
Soul Reaver 2
Launch year: 2001
Platform of choice: Sony PlayStation 2
Genre: Action-Adventure
It's hard to talk about 'Soul Reaver 2' as a game experience, it's hard not to just say 'It's great, go play it. Perfect rating!' but that would be a disservice to those that actually read this in search of something informative. So I will try, best as I can, to offer something objective about this bright torch raised to storytelling that just goes out before you get an actual chance to savor it thoroughly.
The 'Legacy of Kain' series of games spans over 5 great titles, encompassing in all centuries of vampire history and the story of two of the greatest characters in video games to date.
Set as the sequel to 1996's 'Blood Omen' starring Kain, the second game of the series, 'Soul Reaver' hit stores in 1999, offering a change of character and hunger. Enter Raziel, a failed general of the, now, vampire lord Kain, punished for the audacity of surpassing his master in evolution. Battered, almost destroyed by the eternal torrent in which he was cast, he emerges a changed creature that feeds on the souls of slain enemies. All this, under the watchful eye of the Elder God, a mysterious deity that blames the vampires for the way the world stagnates and sends his new servant, driven by vengeance, to exact its will.
But Kain eventually escapes in the stream of time and here on starts 'Soul Reaver 2', directly following the events of the first game, with Raziel jumping after Kain in the time machine.
Deeper into the rabbit hole we go…
This game is the epitome of story and character driven games. While the core gameplay consists of light platforming and puzzle solving, sprinkled with quite a lot of combat, the core of the game is made up of its story and a cast of great characters that just beg exploration.
Chasing Kain and the mystery of Nosgoth through the centuries, Raziel comes to terms with his own past, uncovers ancient secrets best left undisturbed and meets the architects for the state of his world, all the while chased by the hand of his own destiny searching to clench its fist around him. Convoluted it may be, but a pleasure to watch in action as the story offers more and more incentive to plow further, to open the next door, to see the next secret that Nosgoth has to offer.
The story once again centers on the ancient sword, The Reaver, destroyed in the first game when Kain tried to slay Raziel with it, giving him his symbiotic wraith blade. The characters exchange aptly written dialogue, each cutscene furthering the story in leaps and bounds, at times, clearing up many enigmas from the previous two games, while, at the same time, opening the door to new ones.
For those that have never touched a 'Legacy of Kain' game, the story will make little to no sense at first, nor will the interactions between characters. Things clear up as the game progresses, many references to the previous storyline helping in making it easier for new comers to embrace the narration of the game.
The game ends abruptly, without a proper boss fight (there are no boss encounters during the game) and with a sense of incompletion in the end. Most things are left open for the sequel, 'Defiance' but I'm quite sure most people wouldn't be happy at the end. They have been warned.
There are still the characters to talk about, but a bit more on them later on.
As great and complex as the game's story is, it far surpasses the gameplay possibilities that it has.
First and foremost, the game takes place in two planes of existence: the material and the spiritual. You can switch from the first to the second at will, but need to find a gateway from the spiritual to the material. Each plane has its own advantages and disadvantages (Raziel can pass through bars in the spiritual, can swim in the real), enemies and puzzles. While the differences are there, it's basically the same thing; just the background changed for better or worse, the battle system remaining essentially the same.
In the real world, the wraith blade can only be used for short periods of time as it gets aroused and can start leeching off Raziel but, thankfully, there are enough weapons on the ground and walls to pick up and enjoy. And by enough I only mean two types of weapons: a sword and a spear, with different models.
The game features some light puzzle solving and platforming, as I've previously mentioned and manages to keep things interesting by factoring in some different powers for the Soul Reaver, that you'll have to uncover throughout the game. All of them are used mostly to activate doors or mechanisms, essentially more on the puzzle side rather than combat. The puzzles are great, featuring a level of challenge that's brain working but not frustrating. It may not immediately come to everyone, but it's in no way on par with things from 'Silent Hill' or most adventure games you can name off the top of your skull.
One major problem the game has lies in the constant backtracking through the same locations. Although the way of traversing them at times change as you fumble through the time periods, most of the times you run around the same places you've visited times before, even a couple of times if you've goofed at some point. Not game breaking and it is needed to further the story, but it doesn't help the overall gameplay at all, it hinders the flow of the story.
Gameplay wise, those would be the highs and lows of the game. The battle system is…repetitive at most and it's based on parrying and strafing along, with the aid of a very handy and responsive lock-on system. Of course, you can skip most of the human battles and run right past since the game doesn't feature any kind of RPG elements that would make the fights worth your time.
From this point of view, this is a really simple game with great puzzles to work through (just too few). The core of the whole experience remains the story.
'Soul Reaver 2' is not a beautiful game. Sure, it has a few gorgeous graphic moments, but for the most part it wasn't a jaw dropper at launch, it sure isn't one now.
Character models are expressive enough to convey the feelings the voices evoke and move naturally enough out of cutscenes. And that's all that's important in the end, the expressivity of the characters that bring the story moments to life and help the immersion. Otherwise, this wasn't a game that needed stellar graphics or effects, it needed mood and immersion, some facial acting and that's about it. And those things, it has in spades.
I did promise I would get back to the characters.
Raziel and Kain are great. No, not because they're vampires of sorts, not because they're badass or anything a mindless fanboy would say.
No, they're great because of two great personalities written into them, along with dialogue that's absolutely fantastic on all accounts. There isn't any pointless banter, no high metaphors that make no sense whatsoever, there are just the points they argue and the story.
And this is where the last element to complete this core: voice acting. There are few games with better voice acting than this and there probably won't be many after. Michael Bell and Simon Templeman reprise their roles as Raziel and Kain, alongside Richard Doyle and Tony Jay (may his rest be peaceful), bringing to life their virtual counterparts from the land of Nosgoth. It really needs to be experienced to be believed, but trust me on this: it is a performance like too few others.
Yes, I am a fan of this game, a great fan that forgives most of its shortcomings because of the story and the characters and I'm sure that most that have come to appreciate this game would do the same. For some it may be a step backwards from the first one, for some a step forward, but it is by no means a bad game. It is heavily story driven so go in expecting to hear a great piece of fantasy fiction, nothing more, nothing less.
Graphics: 7 (expressive characters but bland backgrounds and uninspired character models; it couldn't stand the test of time greatly)
Sound: 10 (there is little music and variety in enemy sounds, but for the acting it has…no comment).
Story: 9 (I would rate it a perfect 10 if not for the lackluster ending and how short it really is)
Gameplay: 7 (repetitive combat and backtracking aside there are camera problems galore…you can only get the hang of it if you've, like me, played a tone of old PS games where the camera work was even worse)
General impression: 10 (damn every element that makes this a game and not a visual novel)
Score: 8.6