Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

"Asolid action game for sokid gamers."

Several weeks before I coughed up the money to buy Soul Reaver, I bought a demo of it on the PC. It played well, and all of the puzzles were tough. I finally beat the demo several days later, after finishing off Melchia, and immediately I needed that game. There was so much satisfaction that comes from the simple pleasure of ramming sharp things through demon’s chests. So I did. I went out and bought this game, and here I am, writing a review for you.

PLOT: 10/10
You start the game after you are brutally betrayed by you brethren (say that five times fast) and thrown into what is only known as the abyss. What a creative name. Years later, you are awoken, you body badly mutated, and you find that you have been resurrected, and must kill you old leader, Kain. You start the game in the spectral realm, and work your way to the material realm, fighting goons and stealing their souls.

CONTROLS: 10/10
The controls are fine, although at some points they feel like a bit much. There is a steep learning curve with the controls, but once you get used to them, then you will be slaying demons in no time, and looking good while doing it. At some points in the game you feel that some of the controls that they have should not have been implemented, but then once you execute the deft manuver you were trying for, you will realize that it is the complex controls that make the game.

SOUND: 10/10
The sound fits this game very well. Whether you are sneaking around a cathedral, or bludgeoning a larger than life boss, this games music makes you fell like you are part of the game. I know, that might be the overstatement of the year, but the music was very well done, for a game such as this.

GRAPHICS: 8/10
The graphics for this game are strictly “okay” as far as graphics for other DC games go. There are many non-smooth polygons, and sometimes the frame rate can be a bit unsteady. After you get past these minor details, then you will get into the groove of the game. The graphics would have gotten a 7 had it not been for one thing, a redeeming factor of sorts. The lighting effects were spectacular: When you picked up a torch and deftly thrust it through a foe, the shadows that are cast escape words.

DIFFICULTY: 10/10
This game is HARD. I played it for weeks, only to get past the second boss. I did not die a lot, but there was just so much to do and kill, sometimes the gamer gets overwhelmed. You will, at times, want to throw your console out the window, and then proceed to smash it with a bat. But do not do this. The game is worth playing, even if it is extremely hard.

OVERALL: 9/10
This might be the one reason to get a Dreamcast. You may think I am lying, but this game has it all. If not for a few graphical errors, this would be the perfect action title.

REPLAY: LOW
You will not want to play this game over and over; once you finish the game, there is not a lot left to do.

BOTTOM LINE:
A solid game with few errors, and is a must have for all Dreamcast owners.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/01/02, Updated 07/01/02