Legacy of Kain: Defiance

"A thrilling storyline and plenty of blood--yep, it rocks"

Wow. This is an amazing, amazing game. It's quite possibly the best action game I've ever played. Legacy of Kain: Defiance is just..whoa. The graphics are fluid, the sound is great, the gameplay is solid and deep, and the story--that's the core of the game.

GRAPHICS: 8/10
These graphics are pretty. Pretty, pretty, pretty. That's the only way to describe them. Clothing, armor and skin are all detailed appropriately. The textures are well-done; stone appears gravelly and metal shines. Lighting is also done well--there are times in the game where one can actually see the light from certain attacks reflecting off of the characters. The only flaw? A slow framerate during some of the more taxing battles. Just pretty.

STORY: 10/10
This is one of the deepest stories I've ever come across. Excellent stuff. Apparently, after departing the Elder God's services, Raziel has gone on a quest to find Kain and the Soul Reaver. Kain, meanwhile, is on the hunt for Moebius, the Time-Streamer, whom Kain is convinced knows the outcome of this entire mess. Witty punchlines and much bloodshed ensue.

CONTROL: 7/10
Here's where the game could have faltered. The controls here become a bit iffy when trying to pull off special attacks (it could be my timing, but perhaps they should have assigned a specific button or something for this. In the heat of battle, it's very difficult.) The camera also makes for a pain in the vampiric booty when it turns around and stands stock still behind a wall,leaving you simply swinging your sword around, hoping to hear the the telltale THWACK! of a successful hit. Otherwise, very fluid and enjoyable.

GAMEPLAY: 7/10
Another problem--this game has the kind of puzzles
where you wander around doing nothing until you happen to come upon a cutscene. These aren't frequent, and while your objectives are usually quite clear (if you pay attention to the cutscenes themselves), it's frustrating to get stuck on a part of the game with no apparent direction or resource left. All in all, however, the game flows smoothly along. Just make sure YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THE CHARACTERS SAY.

OVERALL: 9/10
Though a few flaws may mar the experience, the overall game is an excellent one. Buy, because trust me, this is HUGE for an action game. Replay value? Not really, but then again, the experience is so satisfying you'll probably be combing back over the game to get the extras (art concepts, etc.) and to piece together the story, should you miss any of it.
Trust me. This game is awesome.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/03