Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Aged Better Than Soul Reaver. That's the Cornerstone of This Legendary Series
Fans of Cain and Raziel have reason to rejoice, as we will most likely get a remaster of Soul Reaver. On this occasion, it is worth firing up the first Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. It's still a great game that has aged the best of the series.
Some 2D games age better than 3D ones. The Legacy of Kain series has had a similar fate, with the most enjoyable parts being the last installment (Defiance) and the legendary first installment, Blood Omen. It's worth playing the Silicon Knights studio's game while waiting for the Soul Reaver remasters for two reasons. Firstly, you will better understand the background story and the intrigue that spans the entire Legacy of Kain. Secondly, it's still an excellent action adventure game with slight RPG influences. It used to be a must-have for fans of horror, vampires, and Zelda. Today it still remains a good game, perhaps the best in the series.
Complicated stories
Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2, and Defiance excel in their direction, story, voice acting, and Shakespearean drama, largely due to the direction of Amy Henning on behalf of Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen, the foundation of the series, was developed by Silicon Knights. The studio fought hard for the brand, and eventually, CD took over, but Silicon Knights was credited as the developer on the opening boards of the first Blood Omen. This can be seen in the differences in the mood and tone of the story. Despite the mythical threads, despite the fight against fate - the plot keeps its head closer to the ground.
In the prologue, the young nobleman Kain is attacked and killed by mysterious thugs during the first tour of the tormented Nosgoth. Necromancer Mortanius offers him a second chance - resurrection and the opportunity for revenge in exchange for transformation into a vampire. Our protagonist agrees to this arrangement. Kain quickly finds himself caught up in a massive intrigue that will take him across all of Nosgoth and different eras. Our vampire grapples with destiny and other forces that surpass mortal understanding, involving magic and manipulating time.
Source: Crystal Dynamics.
Blood Omen tells a very fatalistic, bitter story, with an unforgettable, dramatic ending. There is a strong Shakespearean flair here - which Henning will bring out even more in the sequels. Although Cain is actively looking for a cure for the "condition" he finds himself in, his story isn't about fighting his nature. He is an antihero who will use every possible tool to achieve his goal. If vampirism is the means to the end - then he'll take it. Our young vampire, getting to grips with the ins and outs of the trade and identity, knows his value and refuses to be anyone's pawn.
Cain's Legacy
It's clear that Blood Omen is the cornerstone laid for the architecture of the entire series. There are many characters and numerous motifs in the game, which we will get to know better in the next installments. We meet Moebius exploring the streams of time, the necromancer Mortanius mentioned above, as well as the crazed phantom Ariel, the vampire Vorador, and ultimately the sword around which the plot of Soul Reavers and Defiance will revolve.
For the year 1996, when Blood Omen was developed, the game made an incredible impression with full voice acting and audio in general. Today, anyone familiar with this series cannot envision Legacy of Kain without Simon Templeman's voice portraying our vampire. Back then, few titles approached the subject with such meticulousness. Graphically, Blood Omen also performed very well thanks to great, smooth animations and dynamic lighting (which we could manipulate with magic).
Source: Crystal Dynamics.
And now? Honestly? This is the most transparent installment of the entire series. Charming pixels create a pleasant retro impression but also breathe an atmosphere of old-school horror. Only the cutscenes have aged badly, but they still hold up with their atmosphere, music, and sound design. And, of course, the script. I'm surprised that no one has tried to bring this game to consoles or mobile devices (although some are now covertly transferring it to SteamDeck, but it's not officially supported). The control system only consists of a few buttons and could be easily adjusted for touch screens or the Switch.
Games about vampires
The gameplay model remains strong and is still captivating, even after completing all of those Dark Souls, Darksiders, and God of War games. Blood Omen is an excellent 2D action adventure with character development and extensive exploration. It's the series' longest and most extensive game; we explore a vast land, delving into every corner. We explore villages, castles, ruins, forests, dungeons, caves, and graveyards in search of our main goals (most often those we have to shed some blood for) - as well as secrets, additional powers, spells, and artifacts.
Source: Crystal Dynamics.
There is so much extra equipment and other tools to be found here that many complete RPGs would be embarrassed. The world is also vast, and in the Zelda-like style, we unlock access to main and side locations by acquiring the appropriate abilities (e.g. transforming into a werewolf to jump, or into mist to overcome water, as this liquid harms vampires). Players continued to discover some secrets many years after the premiere.
Evil doesn't harm the plot
It's good to be bad. While most RPGs expect us to want to be rude at times, it's rare to find a game that makes it truly enjoyable - and sometimes you have to go back almost 30 years to find one that does it really well. Kain is a fantastic character, and his reserves of charisma are so deep that they were enough for three more games. Although Blood Omen's animated cutscenes may be a bit off-putting today, the art style and music still hold up, and the dialogues are worth listening to - if only to remember the plots from the times when everything didn't sound like Marvel movies yet.
Ania Garas
Additionally, we engage in a simplified vampire survival game, as we need to ensure the proper... "blood supply" for Kain. We obtain food by defeating enemies or drinking from regular mortals who were unlucky enough to cross our path. Naturally, over time, thanks to the appropriate collectibles, the limit of blood (and mana) increases. The more fuel in the tank, the less often we stop for a break, unless the opponent beats us up badly. All of these mechanics and systems, such as exploration, spells, extra equipment, and the struggle for survival, blend together seamlessly and continue to provide fun.
Source: Crystal Dynamics.
Even the combat delivers, despite some minor issues. Hitting the opponent's hitbox can sometimes feel like a game of chance (reportedly, unofficial patches that also introduce features like... subtitles in dialogues, which are missing in the "base game," are said to improve this). Because of this, it can be difficult. Nevertheless, Blood Omen offers us an abundance of powerful weapons and spells (at one point we gain a spell that provides incredibly strong protection), so that eventually Kain becomes a demigod effortlessly passing through enemies. It's not surprising that the soda eventually goes to his head.
Also today the first installment of Legacy of Kain is a very playable title, the value of which exceeds the concept of old. You can easily run Blood Omen from the copy available on GOG.com - and simply enjoy the game. It wasn't always possible; for years, people had to use second-hand releases and manipulate the computer to start the program properly. And now we have everything on a plate; it would be a sin not to take advantage. Especially if it could persuade someone of the value of further investment in the development of this legendary series.
