This game is proof that a professionally spoken, rich Shakespearean and poetic story makes every game 100 times better. If you would take the game play and mechanics alone this title would be nothing to write home about, but it gets lifted to great heights because of it's intense characters, extensive lore and voice acting that still today comes across as top tier. Games shouldn't mimic films, if anything they should mimic theatre played by charismatic actors.
Mick Wrinkles I completely agree! Take the first Thor for example. I don’t know how many times I have replayed Anthony Hopkins Banishment speech to Thor. They allowed him to create his lines using his previous experience in theater. Unfortunately that didn’t keep people from trashing it though.
DVD_________ as far as i recall, before any soul reaver paradoxes, raziel would have slain an elder kain in the past and continued on his soul reaver 2 adventures as normal before being trapped in the sword at the end of that game as kain would not be there to save raziel. From there, the sword would somehow get to the cathedral where a younger kain would find it.
I love that the Time guy is like, "The time is our time, Kain, in time you will see time timely, with time." And then hours later Kain says to himself "Wait a minute, the guy talking about time all the time was actually the time guy the whole TIME!"
1:15:00 Ah that pivotal moment when all of the machinations of time and fate come undone. It's only after having been through the rest of the series that you come to realize just how tremendously impactful this moment is.
Well, this is one of those games that should get a remake just for the graphics. So many people come here because it's really hard to get the game running in certain systems, and the cinematics in a well done video are the next best thing.
So true, all of you. Great game, hard to run, gotten too old to play but can watch the story for nostalgy. Thx for taking the time to make this the way you did (incl upgrades etc..) :D
Just got Soul Reaver on GOG. Fun game, but I wanted to know the plot background and had difficulty finding Blood Omen 1. Thanks for the video - it makes an acceptable substitute.
There is a petition ongoing called Soul Reaver Remastered! The series would be redesigned for PC and current gen consoles!!Check it out please! We need more votes!!!
Yes I agree , if it's handled by a big company the game will be a disgusting travesty of what it was. Also think of it this way , the voice acting will not be the same and that was a huuuuge + to the series and worst of all , I am more than sure that the narrative would change as well , simpler language for simpler people , it would just ruin it. I'm content with just playing the game on Virtual Box.
Malek was pretty cool. He isn't intimidated by Kain at all and his bastion is like the worst nightmare for a vampire to live in. Although Kain was overconfident, thinking he could defeat Malek so early on, Malek proved to be no match for Vorador.
This game is like the best novel, book, movie you could ever read or see, its a masterpiece in every sense , even now i still remember the dialogues, the intrincate storyline, Kain personality , hell there are many things i learned from this game that applies to real life , like how you must always think of the future consequences of your actions and not being a fool blinded by emotions . Long live Simon Templeman, Amy Henning and all the crew that worked in this. VAE VICTUS
I think the key is how they implemented the soliloquy through out the game. You aren't simply playing with a character, but rather experience his thoughts, motives and feelings at every step of the journey. Kain isn't just a mere anti-hero/villain/vampire, but more of a believable character. Truly an amazing feat of writing. Vae Victus!
"With my assassins dead, my quest... was over." 8:05 :DDDDDDDDDDDD Has to be one of the more underrated lines in the series. Sounds better the more of the series you've played and encompasses Kain's malicious naivety after being resurrected, which I think is also mirrored in Soul Reaver by Raziel's similar but more nobly-intended lack of understanding after becoming a wraith. Neither can immediately grasp what they've become involved in, but both undergo major character development that dramatically changes their views on themselves and the world.
thats why in SOul reaver he reminicences his attitude in his early resurrection and says : as a man i couldnt contain such prohibitted truths nor i could fathom the power of knowledge
When I first played the game, it was my first foray into the next generation. I was so amazed at the graphics and sound, even though it was 2D, I really thought that that's how long the game was. Because they put so much into it or something. I thought that was the end, and I was happy. I was like, wow, this is awesome. What a gaming experience. And then… 5000 kills later
I really adore this series. Especially with how devious the writing is. They took a very basic formula (you vampire, go kill set number of bosses) and not only spun an interesting tale out of it, but also turned the sequels into very interesting new takes on the story (like finding out what truly kept Malek from helping). I won't say that one was better than the other, but it is a great series to look back at and enjoy.
after i played the sr2 for 3rd time when he confront him with mobios and heard the background voices . it was a jaw dropping moment for me . when i realize how this amazing story was crafted and tied together
Two years late but I highly doubt that. Silicon Knights haven't made a good game since 2002 and have filed for bankruptcy. Crystal Dynamics on the other hand are still around, producing quality games and are the reason Legacy of Kain was so successful; a shame Square Enix wanted to sit on the IP till it fell into obscurity and then bring it back with a average multiplayer arena game.
Kougeru excellent voice actors & acting. if there was someone better for the part of kain that jerk should be shot. cause he robbed us if an excellent experience
@@CarSetupMaster In which case, Blood Omen has Soul Reaver beat again. Don't get me wrong, I love Soul Reaver, but platforming and dull lock-on combat is hardly riveting gameplay. At least in Blood Omen there's a vast variety of choice when it comes to magic and weaponry to play with.
@@CarSetupMaster SR has the worst gameplay of all the LoK games, it wasn't great even in it's day but it's not aged well either, BO is probably still the most enjoyable of the series to still play through to this day. BO would also make the best remake because of it's more open RPG nature.
An extraordinary performance of voice acting, well-crafted dialogue and gorgeous story-telling that trancends it's aged animation and gameplay mechanics. The don't make 'em like they used to!
this was a true gem for PlayStation back in the mid 1990's, i wish this type of game could be remastered and updated to 2020 specs and it would be a great addition to PS4 library.
There are still fans of this series out there. I'm one of them and I thank you for posting this.we can only hope that some day this series gets a proper reboot.
Soulreaver191 Indeed - I started with Soul Reaver though - and always wondered what happened it the previous games. I came accross a steam bundle with all of them (except Blood omen) - hence I'm watching this :P
***** Well I think many people come here because they never played the original game of the pentalogy. Also, I think the best way to revive the serie at this point is a remake of Blood Omen... An OPEN WORLD REMAKE! :) (We can only dream)
Dylan Zivic Well, there was a few guys working on a BO remake (not "open world", although given BO's level design it doesn't need to be open world), but sadly it seems progress has stopped. Look up Blood Omnicide.
I played this game after I played the two Soul Reaver games, but before I played Defiance. I knew the canon ending was to withhold the final sacrifice and condemn Nosgoth to ruin, but I was curious what the alternative would have been. Needless to say, when Ariel's dialogue pretty much illustrated that my character gave up everything so that no one would remember his name, or care about his sacrifice, or even give two shi*s about anything he had done, I reloaded the save game and gleefully chose the canon ending. Forget me?! Forget this you ungrateful bast**ds!!! Ha ha ha ha.
the most ironic thing is that choosing the sacrifice only damns the pillars farther. The sacrifice is actually the bad ending, the ending where the elder God wins and continues to suck the world dry until it collapses.
This is storytelling at it's finest. I wish other games knew how to tell a great story like this. The story and the voice acting is what made this game so great.
Agreed, Gabriel. I think Soul Reaver 2 has the best story. Reminds me of how Empire Strikes Back worked. I do think that Blood Omen had the best gameplay though.
Malek was with Mobius, they met with Raziel in a room where the Soul Reaver is kept. As Mobius and Raziel were talking, the circle of nine is under attack. Malek wishes to go but Mobius said that Raziel is the real danger. Raziel was locked in the room as soon as Mobuis and Malek left, that is when Malek rushes to help the circle of nine, but it is too late. And after that Raziel killed the rest of his former Brethren.
sLicKVertigO he was making a joke, and it woudnt have been that way naturally, but due to Crystal Dynamics taking over the franchise they decided to add raziel to the reasoning behind Malek's lateness
This is pretty cool to watch, a lot of my game dev professors worked on this game since they were the founders of Silicon Knights (My prog teacher is Rick Goertz one of the founders). So I get to hear all the behind the scenes and what not of this game.
Awesome! I am working on an rpg that will be inspired by soul reaver, the elder scrolls, and dark souls. still trying to figure out the story and mechanics but it is in a playable state.
This game is hands down one of my favorite games ever. The voice acting the gameplay the story the freaking weather effects. God I love this series I wish it hadn't died.
Endless increasingly mediocre sequels and remakes are what "kill" a game. Or rather turn it into an ever shambling undead corpse. Leaving it alone allows it to live on unsullied in our memories.
@@isitanos The series had an intended end and got cut short. It wouldn't have run on too long and gotten stale. Just properly finished. We are lucky that the writers were so goddamn good at their jobs that even the cliffhanger we ended on can be interpreted as a proper ending.
I listen to this for the drama, story, and atmosphere. My girlfriend thinks I’m odd. This is a work of art. If they invested time, effort, and money into this game it could easily become the next Skyrim.
Negative, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father came out in 1993 from Sierra Arts. It had an incredible story, incredible amount of research on voodoo, at times funny, and great voice acting. There was trend of games from that time which also used professional voice actors but I can’t recall the names. They were pc games and some more like an interactive movie.
@@OuroborosChoked indeed some of the performances are hammy, but to just disregard this whole game's merit just because of a character that only has a few lines is just plain goofy. It still has many strong performances and Kain's delivery is stellar and amongst the best.
I liked in the storyline there were really no true “good guys” in the game. Maybe except the old king and his army, but they were all slaughtered in the end. This was a pretty dark series where all the power players are mostly evil and ruthless, or have some kind of dark ulterior motives
Many years ago i had a dream. In my dream i was playing the absolutely awesome board game version of Blood Omen Legacy Of Kain. Needless to mention how disappointed i was when i woke up...
The legacy of Kain series, has one of the best stories. I loved every moment of these titles. Why can there not be a reboot. Or even a continuation, I know that old octopus face is not dead just buried. Lets pick up where Kain left off what comes next for him and his empire.
Sadly the voice actor who did Squid God died and I would be horrified to hear any other voice than his. It's such a pity really, instead of making a continuation of the Legacy of Kain they made Nosgoth ... The gameplay was never good in any of these games, never, the true greatness of the LoK series is the story, intrigue, and voice acting. It's more of a very good interactive audio book than anything else.
@@bicualexandru246 surely, there are successors to the original voice that would fit the roles perfectly so that no one would complain. What I would keep is the amazing dialogue it has and find some to make it so it doesn’t completely interrupt gameplay, like in Lords of Shadow, where you have the Travel Book and the intro to every chapter says the dialogue in between each segment. I would keep the original looks, weapons, abilities, characters and atmosphere while also wanting it all to look as modern as possible. And as for Gameplay, I would want to be something like…Darksiders or Castlevania: Curse of Darkness; I believe that might be a suitable concept.
@@eduardomagana3858 The story is summed up perfectly in Defiance though. It ends just as Gow 3 trilogy ends. Kratos puts all of his godly power into the blade of Olympus is the equivalent of Raziel in the Reaver blade. That blade is used to kill God (Zeus) just as the blade is used to Kill the Squid God. At the end Kratos gives the Power of hope to all of humanity, just as Raziel gave Kain hope. It's a complete story and really doesn't need any more added to it. Though if they could do it right I wouldn't mind
@@bicualexandru246 Why? They did an excellent job of finding a replacement for Tony Jay when he switched from Mortanius to the Elder God. They could most certainly do it again. I share your opinion that he did it best, but that doesn't mean someone else can't fill the void left by his death.
Many games back then had pretty bad voice acting, but this game was one of the few that had actual actors and really good direction and dialogue. Almost feels like an audio book and I could probably just listen to them talk without playing the game.
so awesome. I'm putting together a whole LOK "movie" for my nephew. His whole laptop is all kain'd out. he even digs the original Shakespeare -Frasier style skullet haircut. I had started thinking I'd rip from the games but dudes like you have made it way more easy, and included playing bits needed. awesome, he'll love it. thanks a bunch. Yours, btw, is the best LOK full story vid. kick ass.
From Wikipedia's article on The Legacy of Kain: "In October 2015, Crystal Dynamics' senior designer, Michael Brinker, revealed there was "a 50/50 chance" of a Legacy of Kain 6 single player game coming out during the Xbox One/PlayStation 4 generation." Spread the news, put pressure on the game developers, because there might still be hope.
Mulaaks15 how can they do this though? the actor that played the elder God has passed away years ago. they cannot find another voice that is more suitable than his to play the elder God lol.
Adam Mellinger Stanley Townsend might be a good fit, he plays Drack in Mass Effect Andromeda. Obviously his voice is a tad processed in editing for that character but I'm sure you got the gist of it.
adam Mellinger - well, as terrible as ReBoot the guardian code is, they have apparently found someone who can do tony jay's voice very well... as long as he isnt yelling that is. but that may have been the result of terrible voice coaching. the point being that they may have someone to play the elder god
Every now and again, whenever I have to do some painting or drawing, I binge on the LoK series and I always start with this video. Though sometimes I peak at the video to see what is being mentioned, audio by itself is just as good as an audio drama.
56:12 - Hash'ak'gik... I understand now. In LoK: Defiance, Turel is revealed to be the deity at Avernus Cathedral. It would be impossible for him to exist before the Soul Reaver events, which means the deformed vampire monster Turel merely occupied a place in Avernus, claiming to be Hash'ak'gik. I had thought initially the humans worshipped this "god" only after Turel's arrival, but it turns out they already did it before, so he cunningly took advantage of that fact. Earned himself a home, albeit a very small one, and constant nourishment.
GDSK09 Turel exists in the SR1 timeline and you were meant to fight him, but due to deadlines, the dev team didn't have time to put him in there. The tomb guardian is a Turelim from which you get telekinesis.
Of course that wasn't SK hadn't in mind originally about Hash'ak'gik though and the Turel came much later since he was cut out in the original Soul Reaver due to time.
Seifer I think Turel was pulled out of the future into the past even before the events of SR1. I think it was something that always happened, or at the very least Turel’s presence was part of the reshuffling effect of time.
As a game designer, this game holds a special place in my heart. It was like the most twisted version of “A Link to the Past” that could ever exist. It also taught me as an adolescent the sheer importance fantastic lore, world-building, dialogue, and voice-acting can make in that “new era” of gaming back in the day...lessons I still take to heart every day at work. To this day, I can still recite every single word of dialogue verbatim from the opening word through to at least reaching the Pillars of Nosgoth. I think I may have played the beginning a tad to much 🤣 Thank you for uploading this nostalgia trip. I would love to see this series revisited again someday with another entry...something I’d LOVE to work on! 🙂👌
god i love the writing to this series! the plot is so amazing and i love kain's narrative. i only wish there was a direct sequel to defiance or even a reboot. blood omen and soul reaver need to be on next gen consoles
I'd play that, though would not be very interested in the classes and gender option but it sounds better than the PIECE of SHIT online game Nozgoth that never should have been made. If Kain again would not be the playable character then he should still be a major protagonist in the game
I'd think a remake would be better as a isometric rpg, in the vain of Planescape: Torement or Pillars of Eternity. I'd like it to be a redux not a direct scene per scene remake.
"There is no greater release than that from vengeance sated. With my assassins dead, my quest was over." "Tis not over yet, Kain, these fools were merely the instruments of your murder, not the cause. Look to their masters. Look to the Pillars and gain way to the fortress of the mind." Such fantastic dialog! Many a times, I wished I could be transported to Nosgoth because this current world is just not my cup of tea.
Blood Omen as a fully realized open world game, similar to the Witcher series, Dark Souls or Skyrim would be awesome. Imagine going around as Kain, completing quests for Mortanious, Vorador, Random Lords for coin, praying on villagers and highborn aristocracy alike. It'd be bloody epic.
Richard Metcalfe and the epic semi puzzle like quests...and the huge land and really clever boss fights . Each representing an element. God how I loved this game. Was pretty long too. The other game that wowed me a couple of years later was SACRED. Man,that huge map and great gameplay ...characters were pretty unique too.
Richard Metcalfe Plus, there isn't many vampire games out right now. A game of that scale would be awesome. If there is one game that would benefit from a remake, it would be this.
***** exactly, vampires have enjoyed a return to pop culture in the last decade or so. An open world blood omen remake would make Square Enix so much money, their stupid not to commission it. Seriously if any Square Enix employee reads this: Make the Damn GAME, three to five year development time and you'd make millions in revenue.
ok thats it next paycheck im getting all legacy of kain games end quote i miss this series i miss Kain and Raziel the lore, the dark stories and oh the music
No question that the Legacy of Kain story is one the greatest storylines in not only gaming history but modern history, as well. It was amazing to play this game for the very first time long ago, but seeing now how it fits perfectly with the following games in the franchise is awe-inducing.
This game is proof that a professionally spoken, rich Shakespearean and poetic story makes every game 100 times better.
If you would take the game play and mechanics alone this title would be nothing to write home about, but it gets lifted to great heights because of it's intense characters, extensive lore and voice acting that still today comes across as top tier.
Games shouldn't mimic films, if anything they should mimic theatre played by charismatic actors.
I think, lok series could be a great book
completely agree, this series voice acting IMHO is only matched by MGS and the last of us.
Mick Wrinkles I completely agree! Take the first Thor for example. I don’t know how many times I have replayed Anthony Hopkins Banishment speech to Thor. They allowed him to create his lines using his previous experience in theater. Unfortunately that didn’t keep people from trashing it though.
Gameplay is good for it's time, tho u are right story n voice acting is superb
Rest in peace Tony Jay and Paul Lukather.
I only miss the item descriptions in the inventory, like Nupraptor's Head: "Alas, poor Nupraptor - I knew him well. Well, not really."
Kain, the Emperor of vampiric savagery
It is exactly what I
I'd like to see
Kain has a real sense of humor across the whole series.
"Kindred, this blade and I."
Oh, Kain. You have NO idea...
Was Raziel inside the blade at this point?
yes, he was.
@@Este314 How?
DVD_________ as far as i recall, before any soul reaver paradoxes, raziel would have slain an elder kain in the past and continued on his soul reaver 2 adventures as normal before being trapped in the sword at the end of that game as kain would not be there to save raziel. From there, the sword would somehow get to the cathedral where a younger kain would find it.
@@dvdtretas they only manage to alter time whenever Raziel meets himself, so he must have been inside both of the blades during the duel
"The future says, you die"
"But I am dead... as are you"
This quote is epic.
VAE VICTIS!!!!!!111
"Scars such as hers would never heal. Death... would only be a mercy."
I love that the Time guy is like, "The time is our time, Kain, in time you will see time timely, with time." And then hours later Kain says to himself "Wait a minute, the guy talking about time all the time was actually the time guy the whole TIME!"
Not even the late Dr. Seuss himself could have trumped that! 👏
😆 🤣 😂
this is funny.
Lol. Good point.
Absolutely shocking, he never could have known.
I love Simon Templeman's performance as Kain. So awesome and memorable :D
Simon Templeman should have played Smaug in the second Hobbit movie. His voice is rich, cultivated, elegant and cruel at the same time.
1:15:00 Ah that pivotal moment when all of the machinations of time and fate come undone. It's only after having been through the rest of the series that you come to realize just how tremendously impactful this moment is.
History abhors a paradox.
'they would taste my steel and i their blood'...this games stoyline and dialogue is badass..true classic and one of the best games ever made
I adore this quote!
RIP Tony Jay.
Tony Jay's dead???
@@metaloverload7374
Sadly passed away on 2006 (15+ years ago)
2023 and still watch and listen to this. Thank you!
I was never expecting this video to reach 25,000 video views. Let alone 2,000 views. Glad to see people are enjoying this.
It deserves all of them. Thank you for the effort ;)
Well, this is one of those games that should get a remake just for the graphics. So many people come here because it's really hard to get the game running in certain systems, and the cinematics in a well done video are the next best thing.
So true, all of you. Great game, hard to run, gotten too old to play but can watch the story for nostalgy. Thx for taking the time to make this the way you did (incl upgrades etc..) :D
Gogle Sux you're never too old to play homie
Just got Soul Reaver on GOG. Fun game, but I wanted to know the plot background and had difficulty finding Blood Omen 1. Thanks for the video - it makes an acceptable substitute.
The complex dialog and character commentary are a major part of what give the Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver games their charm.
Mortanius actually created Kain by reversing his palette with Paintbrush command "invert colors".
Pär Vers graphic design is mortanius' passion
Yes, evil dark magic.
Still better than the evolving of William to Nemesis
Yes, a very arcane magic indeed
Good
God imagine an hd remake of this game! Same story,weapons,spells,etc. I would buy the game day 1!
Check out Blood Omnicide.
There is a petition ongoing called Soul Reaver Remastered! The series would be redesigned for PC and current gen consoles!!Check it out please! We need more votes!!!
Why would I want such an amazing legacy get defiled by decadents who only care for money?
You know they'd tarnish it if it were to happen.
Also check out soul revenant, they are working on a soul reaver remake
Yes I agree , if it's handled by a big company the game will be a disgusting travesty of what it was. Also think of it this way , the voice acting will not be the same and that was a huuuuge + to the series and worst of all , I am more than sure that the narrative would change as well , simpler language for simpler people , it would just ruin it. I'm content with just playing the game on Virtual Box.
17:07 Kain: However a few gypsies have something interesting to say.
17:11 Gypsy: ARRRRRRRGGGHHHHH (dies)
That's very interesting in my opinion.
JAJAJAJAJA!!!!!
To be fair he did say a few
Malek was pretty cool. He isn't intimidated by Kain at all and his bastion is like the worst nightmare for a vampire to live in.
Although Kain was overconfident, thinking he could defeat Malek so early on, Malek proved to be no match for Vorador.
Vorador knows how to deal with Malek and has the experience that comes with age
Vorador is also a weaponsmith which precludes extensive knowledge and training in armaments.
This game is like the best novel, book, movie you could ever read or see, its a masterpiece in every sense , even now i still remember the dialogues, the intrincate storyline, Kain personality , hell there are many things i learned from this game that applies to real life , like how you must always think of the future consequences of your actions and not being a fool blinded by emotions . Long live Simon Templeman, Amy Henning and all the crew that worked in this. VAE VICTUS
I love this game too! I still have the CD-rom but need a good file to run in pcsx
I could listen to him say Yanus Aldrun 1000000000 times.
0kl
A beautiful invocation if ever there was one.
I think the key is how they implemented the soliloquy through out the game. You aren't simply playing with a character, but rather experience his thoughts, motives and feelings at every step of the journey. Kain isn't just a mere anti-hero/villain/vampire, but more of a believable character.
Truly an amazing feat of writing.
Vae Victus!
What a phenomenal game. For 1996, this was AMAZING.
fatalradius In many ways (not all, but many) it still is.
This game blew my preteen minddddd when it came out.
Yes, this game and Titanic adventure out of time were amazing for 1996.
This game is still amazing in the year 2020.
*NOTHING* has surpassed the Legacy of Kain's level of storytelling.
it's amazing I not see some games do the continue with dark ending like this
"With my assassins dead, my quest... was over."
8:05
:DDDDDDDDDDDD
Has to be one of the more underrated lines in the series. Sounds better the more of the series you've played and encompasses Kain's malicious naivety after being resurrected, which I think is also mirrored in Soul Reaver by Raziel's similar but more nobly-intended lack of understanding after becoming a wraith. Neither can immediately grasp what they've become involved in, but both undergo major character development that dramatically changes their views on themselves and the world.
That Crown was too tempting.
thats why in SOul reaver he reminicences his attitude in his early resurrection and says : as a man i couldnt contain such prohibitted truths nor i could fathom the power of knowledge
When I first played the game, it was my first foray into the next generation. I was so amazed at the graphics and sound, even though it was 2D, I really thought that that's how long the game was. Because they put so much into it or something. I thought that was the end, and I was happy. I was like, wow, this is awesome. What a gaming experience. And then… 5000 kills later
I really adore this series.
Especially with how devious the writing is. They took a very basic formula (you vampire, go kill set number of bosses) and not only spun an interesting tale out of it, but also turned the sequels into very interesting new takes on the story (like finding out what truly kept Malek from helping). I won't say that one was better than the other, but it is a great series to look back at and enjoy.
after i played the sr2 for 3rd time when he confront him with mobios and heard the background voices .
it was a jaw dropping moment for me . when i realize how this amazing story was crafted and tied together
Good old days. Better script, story, and especially Better voice acting than 99% of modern games
Ironic considering most games back then had shitty voice acting.
***** If silicon knights kept the game, they would've continued it better than Cyrstal dynamics did, honestly
WolfAeons
That had nothing to do with my comment.
Two years late but I highly doubt that. Silicon Knights haven't made a good game since 2002 and have filed for bankruptcy. Crystal Dynamics on the other hand are still around, producing quality games and are the reason Legacy of Kain was so successful; a shame Square Enix wanted to sit on the IP till it fell into obscurity and then bring it back with a average multiplayer arena game.
Kougeru excellent voice actors & acting. if there was someone better for the part of kain that jerk should be shot. cause he robbed us if an excellent experience
this is a masterpiece, best ps1 game ever made
and remember "CALL YOUR DOGS, THEY CAN FEAST ON YOUR CORPSES"
@Vox Populi Soul reaver is good, but blood omen is unrivaled
MALEEEEK
Soul Reaver is better sorry. Gameplay matters too. Not just the story.
@@CarSetupMaster In which case, Blood Omen has Soul Reaver beat again. Don't get me wrong, I love Soul Reaver, but platforming and dull lock-on combat is hardly riveting gameplay. At least in Blood Omen there's a vast variety of choice when it comes to magic and weaponry to play with.
@@CarSetupMaster SR has the worst gameplay of all the LoK games, it wasn't great even in it's day but it's not aged well either, BO is probably still the most enjoyable of the series to still play through to this day. BO would also make the best remake because of it's more open RPG nature.
This is better than watching a movie ! The quality and darkness in this game is unsurpassed
An extraordinary performance of voice acting, well-crafted dialogue and gorgeous story-telling that trancends it's aged animation and gameplay mechanics. The don't make 'em like they used to!
Facts
I still think they should do a kickass animated movie (cgi or otherwise)
this is what vampires are supposed too be, KAIN RULES!!
kane henault 👌❤️☠️❤️👌
I move for an anime in the style of trinity blood.
this was a true gem for PlayStation back in the mid 1990's, i wish this type of game could be remastered and updated to 2020 specs and it would be a great addition to PS4 library.
As of today I have finally acquired every game in the Legacy of Kain series. I am a very happy man.
and I am a very jealous boy!
Wow 100k video views. It's good to know this game isn't too obscure.
Thats because folks know a good story when they see it. Nice work by the way.
There are still fans of this series out there. I'm one of them and I thank you for posting this.we can only hope that some day this series gets a proper reboot.
Soulreaver191
Indeed - I started with Soul Reaver though - and always wondered what happened it the previous games. I came accross a steam bundle with all of them (except Blood omen) - hence I'm watching this :P
***** Well I think many people come here because they never played the original game of the pentalogy. Also, I think the best way to revive the serie at this point is a remake of Blood Omen... An OPEN WORLD REMAKE! :) (We can only dream)
Dylan Zivic Well, there was a few guys working on a BO remake (not "open world", although given BO's level design it doesn't need to be open world), but sadly it seems progress has stopped.
Look up Blood Omnicide.
Simon Templeman's voice is amazing
MungoHDGaming 🎤❤️👌❤️🎤
A very poetic game. I learned a lot of words and adjectives i haven't heard before.
I played this game after I played the two Soul Reaver games, but before I played Defiance. I knew the canon ending was to withhold the final sacrifice and condemn Nosgoth to ruin, but I was curious what the alternative would have been. Needless to say, when Ariel's dialogue pretty much illustrated that my character gave up everything so that no one would remember his name, or care about his sacrifice, or even give two shi*s about anything he had done, I reloaded the save game and gleefully chose the canon ending. Forget me?! Forget this you ungrateful bast**ds!!! Ha ha ha ha.
You would be the best villain.
the most ironic thing is that choosing the sacrifice only damns the pillars farther. The sacrifice is actually the bad ending, the ending where the elder God wins and continues to suck the world dry until it collapses.
@@Rayle75 there's also the added bonus of being sent back to the hell Kain started in upon the completion of your sacrifice.
This is storytelling at it's finest. I wish other games knew how to tell a great story like this. The story and the voice acting is what made this game so great.
Five years later...
VAE VICTIS‼️
What? No mug of ale for a weary traveller from distant Coorhagon?
When you realised that everything could have been diferent if that guy served him some beer to Kain.
Korhagen probably
I stay open for no man in these dark times. Things come with the night that no sane man would welcome.
This is still my favorite Legacy of Kain game. The story and writing is better than the others.
I see you everywhere lol
Agreed, Gabriel. I think Soul Reaver 2 has the best story. Reminds me of how Empire Strikes Back worked. I do think that Blood Omen had the best gameplay though.
Personally, I liked Soul Reaver 1 the most.
Poor Malak. Go to take a shit and everyone you sworn to protect gets killed.
Malek was with Mobius, they met with Raziel in a room where the Soul Reaver is kept. As Mobius and Raziel were talking, the circle of nine is under attack. Malek wishes to go but Mobius said that Raziel is the real danger. Raziel was locked in the room as soon as Mobuis and Malek left, that is when Malek rushes to help the circle of nine, but it is too late.
And after that Raziel killed the rest of his former Brethren.
sLicKVertigO I forgot all about that. Thanks for clearing that up for me.
sLicKVertigO But in the cinematic, you can see Vorador is holding the Soul Reaver, or is another sword?
Alejandro Mota different Soul Reaver.
sLicKVertigO he was making a joke, and it woudnt have been that way naturally, but due to Crystal Dynamics taking over the franchise they decided to add raziel to the reasoning behind Malek's lateness
This is pretty cool to watch, a lot of my game dev professors worked on this game since they were the founders of Silicon Knights (My prog teacher is Rick Goertz one of the founders). So I get to hear all the behind the scenes and what not of this game.
Awesome! I am working on an rpg that will be inspired by soul reaver, the elder scrolls, and dark souls. still trying to figure out the story and mechanics but it is in a playable state.
@@jacobsegroves7456 That sounds pretty awesome. Whats the name of it? I might buy it if it gets sold.
Jacobsegrooves, I'd love an update on that project if you have it
This game was well beyond any level of badassness. Outstanding atmosphere and fun to play.
I haven't played this game in over a decade and I miss it dearly, thank you for providing some nostalgic happiness
This game is hands down one of my favorite games ever. The voice acting the gameplay the story the freaking weather effects. God I love this series I wish it hadn't died.
Endless increasingly mediocre sequels and remakes are what "kill" a game. Or rather turn it into an ever shambling undead corpse. Leaving it alone allows it to live on unsullied in our memories.
@@isitanos The series had an intended end and got cut short. It wouldn't have run on too long and gotten stale. Just properly finished. We are lucky that the writers were so goddamn good at their jobs that even the cliffhanger we ended on can be interpreted as a proper ending.
they just dont make games like this anymore beautifully crafted, or as they say Vae Victis
If there ever was a game that needed a remake, it‘s this one!
This brings back memories! This is what made playing as a Vampire the shit for me back then.
'I felt its eyes upon me; eager, hungry - as though it longed to rip my heart out and eat it before me as I died!'
I listen to this for the drama, story, and atmosphere. My girlfriend thinks I’m odd. This is a work of art.
If they invested time, effort, and money into this game it could easily become the next Skyrim.
i do the same, this game is a work of art its on par with shakespere or william blake
Probably the first game ever to have good voice acting
mostly because they used real Actors.
Nah, the first game to have such truly good voice acting would be Ys 1&2 for the TurboGrafx CD.
Go listen to Azimuth's performance again.
Shit's so hammy, it's the reason Jews who keep kosher can't play this game.
Negative, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father came out in 1993 from Sierra Arts. It had an incredible story, incredible amount of research on voodoo, at times funny, and great voice acting. There was trend of games from that time which also used professional voice actors but I can’t recall the names. They were pc games and some more like an interactive movie.
@@OuroborosChoked indeed some of the performances are hammy, but to just disregard this whole game's merit just because of a character that only has a few lines is just plain goofy. It still has many strong performances and Kain's delivery is stellar and amongst the best.
Azimuth stole Mobius' Time Streaming Device in order to summon Turel the Vampire.
Holy shit thats true when i realised my mind was blown
56:14 it's the same line that Turel speaks in SR2
"but i am dead, as are you" lops off his head and walks off that part was too good
Thanks for keeping good game lore like this alive. Even with it's age, this is better & far more in depth than half the garbage out there.
Dude, thank you so much for this. I couldn't stand to play it anymore. Now I can get on with the rest of the series.
Started working on Soul Reaver 2. (Not Soul Reaver 1 because someone has already got that covered.)
“Manus Celer Dei” is Latin for “swift hand of God” in case you were wondering.
This series needs to come back
I liked in the storyline there were really no true “good guys” in the game. Maybe except the old king and his army, but they were all slaughtered in the end. This was a pretty dark series where all the power players are mostly evil and ruthless, or have some kind of dark ulterior motives
There are no heroes. It's a story of villains
That's the whole storyline is all about: what is Evil in a world void of integrity?
arguably the best writing and voice over work in a game ever
Many years ago i had a dream. In my dream i was playing the absolutely awesome board game version of Blood Omen Legacy Of Kain. Needless to mention how disappointed i was when i woke up...
“You are hereby DAMNED.” That sounded scary at the time, as well as the intro. I use to have nightmares about it.
The legacy of Kain series, has one of the best stories. I loved every moment of these titles. Why can there not be a reboot. Or even a continuation, I know that old octopus face is not dead just buried. Lets pick up where Kain left off what comes next for him and his empire.
Agreed, a remake of this series would be amazing, along with a continuation
Sadly the voice actor who did Squid God died and I would be horrified to hear any other voice than his. It's such a pity really, instead of making a continuation of the Legacy of Kain they made Nosgoth ... The gameplay was never good in any of these games, never, the true greatness of the LoK series is the story, intrigue, and voice acting. It's more of a very good interactive audio book than anything else.
@@bicualexandru246 surely, there are successors to the original voice that would fit the roles perfectly so that no one would complain. What I would keep is the amazing dialogue it has and find some to make it so it doesn’t completely interrupt gameplay, like in Lords of Shadow, where you have the Travel Book and the intro to every chapter says the dialogue in between each segment. I would keep the original looks, weapons, abilities, characters and atmosphere while also wanting it all to look as modern as possible. And as for Gameplay, I would want to be something like…Darksiders or Castlevania: Curse of Darkness; I believe that might be a suitable concept.
@@eduardomagana3858 The story is summed up perfectly in Defiance though. It ends just as Gow 3 trilogy ends.
Kratos puts all of his godly power into the blade of Olympus is the equivalent of Raziel in the Reaver blade.
That blade is used to kill God (Zeus) just as the blade is used to Kill the Squid God.
At the end Kratos gives the Power of hope to all of humanity, just as Raziel gave Kain hope.
It's a complete story and really doesn't need any more added to it. Though if they could do it right I wouldn't mind
@@bicualexandru246 Why? They did an excellent job of finding a replacement for Tony Jay when he switched from Mortanius to the Elder God. They could most certainly do it again.
I share your opinion that he did it best, but that doesn't mean someone else can't fill the void left by his death.
Ooooo good memories... those times where VAMPIRES were something to be feared!!!! and you know why i say it!!
flaksin true power they had
Shows twilight films
Look what happened to our clans razeil
You say it because you're not six years old and and vampires are not real.
@@zekezzekekan2144 vampires are real
@Smunstu Stinkymonster six year old are a myth and nothing will change my mind.
I was lucky to play this game in 96 as a teenager. Amazing game. It was my parents who bought me PSX and I should be thankful to them.
Many games back then had pretty bad voice acting, but this game was one of the few that had actual actors and really good direction and dialogue. Almost feels like an audio book and I could probably just listen to them talk without playing the game.
When I was a kid I acted in a short film with the guy who directed this game. He played the character “Skeleton man” in the film.
Legacy of Kain will forever be my most favourite thing ever. My entire childhood is locked away within these games.
This comment is super sad.
36:04 the Oracle was Mobius" the time streamer" disguised
This, soul reaver 1,2 and defiance make for excellent bedtime stories to fall asleep to.
so awesome. I'm putting together a whole LOK "movie" for my nephew. His whole laptop is all kain'd out. he even digs the original Shakespeare -Frasier style skullet haircut. I had started thinking I'd rip from the games but dudes like you have made it way more easy, and included playing bits needed. awesome, he'll love it. thanks a bunch. Yours, btw, is the best LOK full story vid. kick ass.
From Wikipedia's article on The Legacy of Kain: "In October 2015, Crystal Dynamics' senior designer, Michael Brinker, revealed there was "a 50/50 chance" of a Legacy of Kain 6 single player game coming out during the Xbox One/PlayStation 4 generation." Spread the news, put pressure on the game developers, because there might still be hope.
Mulaaks15 how can they do this though? the actor that played the elder God has passed away years ago. they cannot find another voice that is more suitable than his to play the elder God lol.
Adam Mellinger Stanley Townsend might be a good fit, he plays Drack in Mass Effect Andromeda. Obviously his voice is a tad processed in editing for that character but I'm sure you got the gist of it.
Ohem1 honestly I have not played Andromeda yet.
adam Mellinger - well, as terrible as ReBoot the guardian code is, they have apparently found someone who can do tony jay's voice very well... as long as he isnt yelling that is. but that may have been the result of terrible voice coaching. the point being that they may have someone to play the elder god
@Palantiri And now Rene Auberjonois. 😔
Every now and again, whenever I have to do some painting or drawing, I binge on the LoK series and I always start with this video. Though sometimes I peak at the video to see what is being mentioned, audio by itself is just as good as an audio drama.
i always loved the long-winded narration in this game, thanks for uploading this!!
[VAE VICTIS INTENSIFIES]
*Deep, sinister chuckling*
bazz what's he saying? And what's that mean?
In the game, he means it as "suffering to the conquered" or "woe to the conquered". It's also real Latin from our history it seems.
Finish it
Kain hearing of assassins that he missed the first time (heavy breathing)
Kane finds the Soul Reaver at 56:26
56:12 - Hash'ak'gik... I understand now. In LoK: Defiance, Turel is revealed to be the deity at Avernus Cathedral. It would be impossible for him to exist before the Soul Reaver events, which means the deformed vampire monster Turel merely occupied a place in Avernus, claiming to be Hash'ak'gik. I had thought initially the humans worshipped this "god" only after Turel's arrival, but it turns out they already did it before, so he cunningly took advantage of that fact. Earned himself a home, albeit a very small one, and constant nourishment.
actually turel was in soul reaver 1. he was the tomb guardian - hence the large ears
GDSK09 Turel exists in the SR1 timeline and you were meant to fight him, but due to deadlines, the dev team didn't have time to put him in there. The tomb guardian is a Turelim from which you get telekinesis.
Of course that wasn't SK hadn't in mind originally about Hash'ak'gik though and the Turel came much later since he was cut out in the original Soul Reaver due to time.
Seifer I think Turel was pulled out of the future into the past even before the events of SR1. I think it was something that always happened, or at the very least Turel’s presence was part of the reshuffling effect of time.
@@GDSK09 merely a Turelim, not the big cheese himself.
As a game designer, this game holds a special place in my heart. It was like the most twisted version of “A Link to the Past” that could ever exist. It also taught me as an adolescent the sheer importance fantastic lore, world-building, dialogue, and voice-acting can make in that “new era” of gaming back in the day...lessons I still take to heart every day at work. To this day, I can still recite every single word of dialogue verbatim from the opening word through to at least reaching the Pillars of Nosgoth. I think I may have played the beginning a tad to much 🤣 Thank you for uploading this nostalgia trip. I would love to see this series revisited again someday with another entry...something I’d LOVE to work on! 🙂👌
Time stampings for myself😊:
1:05
1:39
2:32
3:30
4:52
6:14
6:27
6:50
3:53
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain is out now on GOG!
god i love the writing to this series! the plot is so amazing and i love kain's narrative. i only wish there was a direct sequel to defiance or even a reboot. blood omen and soul reaver need to be on next gen consoles
Am I the only one who would love to play a Diablo III style Blood Omen remake?
I'd play that, though would not be very interested in the classes and gender option but it sounds better than the PIECE of SHIT online game Nozgoth that never should have been made. If Kain again would not be the playable character then he should still be a major protagonist in the game
You, Me and 39 other people, apparently!
Tbh Diablo 3 got a bit repetitive. It's good to take some things from Diablo while remaining true to Blood Omen.
I'd think a remake would be better as a isometric rpg, in the vain of Planescape: Torement or Pillars of Eternity. I'd like it to be a redux not a direct scene per scene remake.
Still have the ps1 copy of this! Great game.
Liam Keane 🎮👌❤️👌🎮
This game regained popularity after Soul Reaver was released, but back in the days it came out it was quite overlooked. Criminally overlooked.
It's not that good of a game on its own but I respect it as a piece of the storyline.
anyone else using this as background noise? his voice is so nice
This, Soul Reaver, Defiance ~
Works great to sleep to. Great story, great comfort.
Also great as background while working with focus:)
"There is no greater release than that from vengeance sated. With my assassins dead, my quest was over."
"Tis not over yet, Kain, these fools were merely the instruments of your murder, not the cause. Look to their masters. Look to the Pillars and gain way to the fortress of the mind."
Such fantastic dialog! Many a times, I wished I could be transported to Nosgoth because this current world is just not my cup of tea.
Thank you very much for taking the time to do this video.
I cannot get bored of this, amazing, listening to every day, even at work as background sound to focus.
I want to see a movie based on Kain's story - It would be awesome :-)
These vampiric mood and unsettled music and effects. It is still unbeatable !!!
In Soul Reaver 2, Raziel was the cause of Malek's tardiness. You can hear the circle screaming his name while playing.
Yep, Malek got fucked by Moebius. Poor Malek...
Correction: it wasn't Raziel's fault, it was Mobius' fault because he ordered him to stay behind
I'd love for a remake of this game to happen.
Blood Omen as a fully realized open world game, similar to the Witcher series, Dark Souls or Skyrim would be awesome. Imagine going around as Kain, completing quests for Mortanious, Vorador, Random Lords for coin, praying on villagers and highborn aristocracy alike. It'd be bloody epic.
Richard Metcalfe and the epic semi puzzle like quests...and the huge land and really clever boss fights . Each representing an element. God how I loved this game. Was pretty long too. The other game that wowed me a couple of years later was SACRED. Man,that huge map and great gameplay ...characters were pretty unique too.
Richard Metcalfe
Plus, there isn't many vampire games out right now. A game of that scale would be awesome. If there is one game that would benefit from a remake, it would be this.
***** exactly, vampires have enjoyed a return to pop culture in the last decade or so. An open world blood omen remake would make Square Enix so much money, their stupid not to commission it. Seriously if any Square Enix employee reads this: Make the Damn GAME, three to five year development time and you'd make millions in revenue.
Richard Metcalfe
Instead of making unnecessary crap like Nosgoth, just make a remake of this or make a new single player entry.
Thank you for taking your time to create this video. It's a great service for those who can't play this game.
this needs a reboot. big time!
Joseph Bonomo No way. This needs a new chapter but why start from scratch? Such a rich world.
Spuzzwick cause several actors passed away.
What Amazing Voice Acting. To Think This Came Out In 1996 And Nerds Rave About Final Fantasy 7 Which Had No Voice Acting A Year Later!
This has happened many years before the emergence of the Belmont clan.
That was really good. Thx a lot. On ps1 the disk would skip on the cut scene so I’d never know what was going on but always wanted to know.
There was a story error with Malek's corpse: the corpse from the cutscene is in avernus cathedral, but you can also see it in Malek's bastion.
ok thats it next paycheck im getting all legacy of kain games end quote i miss this series i miss Kain and Raziel the lore, the dark stories and oh the music
time and effort went into this. Thank you my friend, this is my favorite game.
Seeing this makes it so much more intense when Raziel scream VAE VICTIS before ripping Kain's heart off.
56:25 Time fades even legends.
No question that the Legacy of Kain story is one the greatest storylines in not only gaming history but modern history, as well. It was amazing to play this game for the very first time long ago, but seeing now how it fits perfectly with the following games in the franchise is awe-inducing.
Simon Templeman, the best in-game voice ever!
the only one in the series not on steam. thanks for the upload