Soul Reaver 2

"I can't believe I didn't give it a 10"

Story: 10/10-
This is easily one of the best stories in game ever. The plot twists will have you up all night thinking about what is going to happen next. Whenever your not busy playing the game you will be thinking about the next time you can. For anyone who has played Soul Reaver 1 on the playstation this game picks up perfectly where that one left off. Many questions left at the end of SR1 will be answered in SR2. The only problem with the story is that it might be a little to good. I found myself annoyed when I actually had to play the game because all I cared about was the next cut scene.

Graphics: 8/10-
Why not a 10? While the environmental graphics are superb the character designs can use some work. Effects like mist, air, fire, blood, and water where possibly the best seen yet on the PS2. The environments are huge and well done as well. The only problems I found with the environments is the fact that there are so few of them. Throughout the game you will be backtracking through the same areas over and over again.
Now for the character designs. I am not talking about the main characters like Raziel and Kain, but instead I am referring to the, dime a dozen, enemies. The level of detail found in these designs, particularly the humans, is pitiful. It is almost painful to look at them sometimes when you compare them to the environments around them. It would have been nice if the detail was a little higher and the enemies had more variations, like some having different armor.
Another graphical problem is the collision graphics. When the Raziel picks up a weapon he usually ends up holding it at funny angle for a view seconds before it is corrected. Problem arises when fighting occurs as well, you will many times find yourself knocking an enemy up even when it was clear that you missed him. This isn't that big of a deal but it definitely subtracts from the game.

Sound: 10/10-
Here is another place where SR2 shines. The voice acting found the LoK (Legend of Kain) series is the best ever found in any game or series of games. The acting is easily the second best thing this game offers, second only to the story. The music is good as well. It kicks in when needed to get you excited and keep the game.
I would say more about the sound of this game if I could, but because I already said it has the best voice acting ever I don't see what else I could say.

Gameplay: 5/10-
Here is where the biggest problems occur. The gameplay from SR1 was nearly perfect. Time has raised the bar, however, with games like Devil May Cry. Anyone who has played DMC knows that its combat system is the possibly the most responsive ever. That will not be seen in SR2. When I heard that they added blocking and heavy attacks to Raziel's arsenal of moves I was very excited. My excitement ended though the very first time I picked a fight with an enemy. The block button is almost useless. If you every use it the enemies will simply charge a heavy attack and break your block before you can move. As for the heavy attack it is so slow it will be almost impossible to implement as well. I don't know how many times I was forced to run around and keep hitting the light attack button just stay alive.
The weapons found in the SR1 were very helpful when it came to dispatching the vampire hordes. In SR2, however, this has changed. Fighting with weapons is much harder now because the enemy will now block almost all attacks and counter before you can react. As for the mechanics that Raziel uses to swing the sword or spear only one word sum them up, miserable. His arm simply moves back and forth in only two respective patterns, one for heavy hits and one for light. Of course you can link these hits to make new combos but they are just the same moves linked in a different order. Weapons prove to be more of a hindrance then a help in SR2. I found fighting with my claws much easier and more fun then using any weapon.
One more thing. I don't know where to put this so here it is. The killing moves sucked. For each weapon there is only one killing move. What's worst is that the move usually sucks. The only one I liked is the one for the giant axe. It would be nice if they added 2 or 3 killing moves so that you could at least be a little surprised by the one you get. This wasn't a huge deal but it did make playing the game kind of plain.
Last thing for gameplay. Where did all the boss fights go? Some of the most fun found in SR1 was figuring out the puzzle that would kill the boss. Maybe boss fights will be put back in for SR3 but for now they will be sorely missed.

Overall: 8/10-
I truly loved this game. I wish I could give it a 10 but its flaws make this impossible. If you like the LoK series you must buy this game. The bonus material is also a very nice touch. If you’re new to the series I would recommend playing SR1 first but it is not needed. If you aren't sure, this game is definitely worth the rental. It can easily be taken in a weekend; it may be short but it's still worth the money. Go get it now!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/13/01, Updated 11/13/01