It’s remastered games like these that are beginning to make me feel old. The original Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was one of the first games I played on my original PlayStation when it released back in 1999.
Sure I was only five when it released (you can do the math as to how old I am now), but I’m proud to own that original copy until this very day. I had then played Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 a couple of years after its 2003 release on the PlayStation 2, and probably prefer that to the original.
Personal history aside, the team at Aspyr have decided to take a crack at this series, remastering these two Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver games.
While there are a few themes and mechanics from both games that feel a little dated by today’s standards, there’s an incredibly clean and well-presented remastered collection that invites fans back into the fold, while justifying its existence to newer fans in the modern era.
Reclaim Your Place
Players take control of Raziel across both games, an ancient vampire who upon surpassing his master, Kain, in both power and potential, is turned into a wraith and cast into the underworld.
While the first game is a relatively straightforward story of revenge, Soul Reaver 2, even as a direct sequel, is a little harder to follow, as it involves more of the surrounding lore and newer supporting characters.
That being said, the series still feels incredibly relevant and polished thanks to some decent voice acting and clean pre-rendered cutscenes.
Retrospectively, it feels essential to dive into the story of both games, given Soul Reaver 2 really relies on you either having completed the first game or having significant knowledge of these characters and the broader Legacy of Kain series. But either way, both stories are well paced and rarely boring.
Reave Away
From a gameplay perspective, both titles are combine a solid blend of platforming and action elements. It’s a little easier to talk about the two games a combined experience here, as Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 essentially builds on all the first game’s elements with a few additions.
Both games have you accessing multiple planes of existence at specific gates, crossing between that the living and the dead, as you aim to progress through each level.
You’ll generally have to backtrack a little to find your way around, but with a mix of jumping, climbing, gliding and light puzzle solving, there’s a fair amount keeping things fresh and engaging. The second game is a little more diverse and interesting to navigate, but both games do a decent job at presenting unique level designs.
Combat is relatively straightforward, as you can hack with your claws at most enemies. However, most undead enemies cannot be killed with melee attacks alone, and must be downed in specific ways, and the have their souls harvested by Raziel.
Raziel can also wield a bunch of weapons in the environment including spears, and even utilise environmental hazards like spikes to throw enemies onto, or fire pits to burn certain enemies.
The Wraith Blade, also known as the Soul Reaver, is with Raziel in both games, and can only be used in the physical realm when Raziel is at full health. The blade can also be imbued with various elemental upgrades, with the ability to throw bolts and turn to flames. It’s an incredibly powerful weapon that not only feels satisfying to use, but deepens as you upgrade it throughout each game.
While Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 is generally relying on its original mechanics here, I’m a little more inclined to forgive its mechanical simplicity by today’s standards. There’s barely any combinations, or modern mechanics like parries, which is worth keeping in mind.
Look the Part
Visually speaking, this is a really cleaned and refined attempt at remastering both these titles. Things obviously look more detailed and polished, but the overall jump in fidelity is only heightened by the ability to switch between the new and original visuals in an instant.
As a result, it’s clear that the team at Aspyr have put so much more than a sheen over then existing games, but overhauled the lighting systems, character models and even environments.
While you’ll still be able to tell that both these games are from older console generations, they still feel incredibly relevant and playable on modern platforms.
It also runs at a generally even clip, with minor frame rate drops when things get a little chaotic. That being said, it’s rarely enough to detract from the overall experience.
Finally, this collection also includes a bunch of behind-the-scenes goodies like interviews and deeper looks at actors in the voice booths, along with a bunch of incredible concept art. It’s obviously a great existing for existing fans, but I feels it’s a great way to keep these elements alive, which can also be unintentionally lost to time.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered brings plenty to the table in 2025.
There’s an interesting story which lends itself to committing to both games, with the sequel building on the lore and characters of the first game.
While the combat is a little simplistic by today’s standards, it’s still incredibly functional, thanks to a range of weapons and abilities for Raziel to utilise.
Both games come together to create a package that feels not only cohesive and complete with additional behind-the-scenes goodies, but incredibly polished and relevant on modern platforms.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Solid story that spans both games; Polished visuals and updated characters models and environments; Plenty of behind-the-scenes extras to enjoy
Lowlights: Slight frame rate drops at times; Combat feels a little dated by today’s standards
Developer: Aspyr
Publisher: Aspyr
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 Pro with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
Featured images also provided by the publisher.
