A flawed game that is redeemed by strong characters and good story.
User Rating: 6.8 | Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 XBOX
If you’re a fan of Eidos's Legacy of Kain series, then you need not read another word. You'll probably go pick up this game regardless. But for those who are looking for a solid Action / Adventure title, you might want to read on before making the leap to a purchase. Blood Omen 2 is actually the 4th game in the Legacy of Kain series, although chronologically it's the 2nd. It takes place several hundred years after the conclusion of the original Blood Omen, but a couple thousand years before the Soul Reaver games. Kain wakes hundreds of years after a humiliating defeat in battle to the leader of the Vampire hunters during his campaign to rule over the continent of "Nosgoth". Of course vampires are nearly extinct and it’s up to you to: build up your lost powers, help restore the balance of power for the vampires, and satisfy your thirst for revenge. Let’s start with what this game did right. First of all Kain is arguably one of the most memorable characters in video game history. Kain is the anti-hero that just tickles that guilty pleasure center. Thanks to expert voice talent of Simon Templeman, Kain sounds deliciously evil and frankly just cool. The rest of the cast is fairly bland, but it's not really a determent since Templeman easily compensates for them. The graphics are a bit of a mixed bag, Kain and the cast look pretty good. Their faces are well animated and show a good range of emotions. The environments also show good detail but textures are repetitive and somewhat bland. There does seem to be some clipping issues though. There also seems to be some fairly serious glitches. On a couple of occasions when I carried a weapon into a cut scene, the weapon would hover inside my body horizontally. A couple of times the audio also screwed up during a cut scene which caused static type noise to blast through the speakers, making the dialog inaudible. The combat is also disappointing; it basically involves holding the block button until an opening occurs and then using a basic combo. There are stealth kills but they felt somewhat loose, but when you do get them off they're viscerally satisfying. You do gain your vampiric powers throughout the game, but more often than not you'll find yourself relying on basic combos and tactics. Ask any LoK fan what keeps them coming back, and you'll probably hear them mention the stories. Blood Omen 2 is the same, but it takes a while to get there. Through the first several chapters the title could've been called "Kain's Hangover", as you spend a very long time just regaining your powers and trying to cross the city. Eventually the pace does pick up and the fate of the land will once again rest on Kain's shoulders. Overall, the game is somewhat bland in terms of gameplay. Nothing is unplayable, but at the same time it seems nothing, save the characters are fully realized. If you’re a fan of the Legacy of Kain games, (defying me by reading on) then you really have to play it. This game deeply ties in to the LoK grand story. Also if you’re a fan of vampires or the Goth scene in general then I would also recommend this game to you, as Kain himself is worth the price of admission. Those who are looking for a solid game in terms of gameplay and care little for story should skip this game as the technical aspects don't match the production values.
