Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2

A distant relative of the modern series, Blood Omen takes place in the land of Nemesis. You play the main character of Kain. When the game starts, you’re in a tavern asking to be served by the bartender. The bartender refuses, so you decide to leave this inhospitable place. Once outside, you are overwhelmed by soldiers and murdered. However, this is not the end of your story...

As fans of the LOK series know, it all began with Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen, on the PSone and continued to what was arguably one of the best titles of the 32 bit era, LOK: Soul Reaver. Recently released for the PS2 was the sequel, Soul Reaver 2 (actually, the third game in the series). Which brings us to today, and the arrival of Blood Omen 2 for Microsoft’s Xbox.

All in all, Blood Omen II is a very good title. It is well worth a look if you are tired of MGS2 and such, and is one that vampire 'fans' should search out straight away. It gives you a rare chance to control a true vampire. It may be a little rough around the edges in places, but it is a worthy addition to any PS2 owner's library. Damn. I was hoping to slip in one about this game 'sucking'. Shame it doesn't then, eh?

By revealing yet another vision of Nosgoth and the demons and saviors who populate it, Eidos and Crystal Dynamics have delivered another well crafted story that excites and intrigues while giving us some more insight into, arguably, the coolest bad guy in the history of games. With some of the most violently compelling imagery ever witnessed in an adventure game as well as solid gameplay and above average graphics, Blood Omen 2 is a more than satisfying action adventure game. While not for the faint of heart, or for younger gamers in general, Blood Omen 2 is a great title for the adult gamer and a worthy addition to the Legacy of Kain series as well as the PS2 library.

An excellent storyline with lots of blood and action. If you’re into this type of game, then we Recommend you pick it up, or at least give it a rental, as the experience is worth the time.

Well, the Blood Omen 2 is maybe a bit repetitive - still the same combats, puzzles and sucking action. I believe some gamers will get extremely bored, however I didn't. I found Blood Omen 2 very addictive for me If you are a Vampire fan, Blood Omen 2 is definitely worth playing!

Well, the Blood Omen 2 is maybe a bit repetitive - still the same combats, puzzles and sucking action. I believe some gamers will get extremely bored, however I didn't. I found Blood Omen 2 very addictive for me If you are a Vampire fan, Blood Omen 2 is definitely worth playing!

Well, the Blood Omen 2 is maybe a bit repetitive - still the same combats, puzzles and sucking action. I believe some gamers will get extremely bored, however I didn't. I found Blood Omen 2 very addictive for me If you are a Vampire fan, Blood Omen 2 is definitely worth playing!

Crystal Dynamics created a game that strikes an interesting balance between exploration, combat and puzzle solving. The dingy, antiquated atmosphere of Nosgoth has never looked so good, and some of the stages look absolutely stunning. Aside from the few nagging issues like intolerable collision-detection, choppy frame-rates and thoughtless puzzle-design, Blood Omen 2 is a memorable and entertaining addition to the Legacy of Kain series. Getting to the end credits of this game is going to cost you around 20 hours so take my advice and reserve a weekend or two to playing all the way through because when Blood Omen 2 is done with you, you're gonna need a lot more then a box of ouch-less Band-Aids.

Auch wenn Blood Omen 2 nicht das perfekte Spiel ist, hat es mir Spass gemacht, immer wieder etwas neues zu entdecken. Die Story ist recht spannend und es gibt hin und wieder interessante Wendungen. Leider hat Blood Omen 2 aber ein recht grosses Problem, man fühlt sich wie in einen Film hinein versetzt, den man Stück für Stück nachspielt. So fehlen mir eigentlich die schwierigen Aufgaben und Missionen, zusätzlich ist das Spiel ein bisschen zu linear aufgebaut. Wer allerdings auf ein unkompliziertes Action Spiel Wert legt, der liegt bei Blood Omen 2 goldrichtig und wird den Kauf nicht bereuen.

Cain ist mal eine erfrischende Abwechselung im sonst immer gleichen "guter Held" Action-Spiel. Er ist abgrundtief böse und arrogant und macht keinen Hehl daraus, dass er jedem dem er begegnet am liebsten die Kehle rausreissen möchte. Schade ist nur, dass ein Charakter mit soviel Potential zu blossem Hack-and-Slay und dummen Kisten-rumgeschiebe degradiert wird. Die Storyline an sich ist sehr packend und treibt das Spiel trotz der mitunter langweiligen Grafik voran. Wer also schon die vorangegangenen Teile mochte, oder einfach nur ein Spiel sucht, mit dem man Spass haben kann, der liegt hier goldrichtig.

Un titre particulièrement réussi et qui est tiré vers le haut par rapport à la version PS2 grâce à une réalisation beaucoup plus aboutie. La progression certes linéaire n'en est pas moins prenante, les amateurs du premier Blood Omen devraient apprécier le second et son passage à la 3D.

Das übliche Problem, mit dem sich PC Spieler bei Konsolenumsetzungen herumärgern müssen, ist die Speicherfunktion. Gespeichert wird nicht der aktuelle Stand des Spiels, sondern der letzte erreichte Speicherpunkt. Nicht nur, dass das Spiel dadurch unnötig in die Länge gezogen wird, weil man mehrere Kämpfe wiederholen oder sich kleinere Zwischensequenzen ansehen muss, die natürlich nicht abgebrochen werden können, es verschwindet auch die Waffe, die Kain im Besitz hatte. Durch die gelegentlich überzogene Gewaltdarstellung im Spiel ist Blood Omen 2 definitiv kein Spiel für Kinderhände.

And so this chapter in the Kain Legacy rises above all the crate-pushing thanks to a solid story, cool array of Dark Gifts, and high frequency of wholly immoral acts of horrifically violent fun. You?ll probably wish there was more behind Blood Omen 2?s bloody fa?ade than just another 3D action/adventure?but then you?ll realize there?s not, and suck it up and un-live with it just fine.

Blood Omen 2 may be repetitive, overwrought, and fraught with unimaginative puzzles and enemies, but those of you dying for some bloody GameCube fun won’t get it much better than this.

Pas de surprises : Blood Omen II est meilleur que le I et bien moins bon que le III. Les amateurs de la saga de Kain ne seront pas dépaysés par ce jeu qui offre une jolie balade à la troisième personne dans une cité où les combats sont incessants. Blood Omen II s'adresse à un public plutôt jeune malgré un aspect un rien gore. C'est un jeu que ne renieront pas les amateurs des autres titres de la série, et il y en a.

Vergleicht man Blood Omen 2 mit den Referenztiteln auf anderen Systemen -allen voran Soul Reaver 2- werden die Schwächen offenbart: saubere, aber unausgereifte Grafik und ein weitestgehend herkömmliches Gameplay ohne große Überraschungen, dessen zweifellos vorhandene gute Ideen viel zu selten eingesetzt werden. So eignet sich Blood Omen 2 vor allem für Einsteiger, die etwas Action-Adventure-Luft schnuppern wollen und die eine schöne Story und gute Soundkulisse genießen wollen. Da es auf der Xbox momentan noch keine Alternative gibt, kann sich Kain auch dementsprechend problemlos an der Spitze platzieren. Aber man muss kein großer Prophet sein, wenn man sagt, dass er die Spitzenposition nicht so einfach halten kann, wie er sie errungen hat.

Kain continues his legacy on the Xbox. Our full review.

Blood Omen 2 continues the story of Kain, and presents an interesting character. Some of the game’s puzzles, however, are too simplistic and will fail to adequately challenge game players. The game has been ported to various platforms with mixed results. Yes, it works on the GameCube, and fits the platform’s abilities well. It does look good and play well, but players looking for more challenge will only find this a pleasant, albeit mild, diversion.

After playing Blood Omen 2 for the Xbox, you'll probably agree that one Legacy of Kain game--even if it isn't the best in the series--is better than none.

It's worth playing to those lonely for another vampire game or wanting a change of pace from all the first-person shooters.

И все же, несмотря на все эти технические недоработки и некоторое однообразие игрового процесса, Blood Omen 2 — классическая мрачная повесть о настоящем вампире, чего, увы, не скажешь о солнечном Soul Reaver 2.

Nine months and no enhancements later, Blood Omen 2 hits the ‘Cube. Surprisingly, it’s still darn good to be evil with Kain and his vampiring ways. Both the puzzles and combat are simplistic, but still offer enjoyment. The gothic atmosphere is a great setting for a game, too. I’d like to see some depth added to the series next time, with more of both speed and stealth. This and BloodRayne are almost dead even for gory action/adventure honors.

Une version Xbox plus soignée que son homologue sur PS2 d'un point de vue technique. L'aventure est la même, mais on ne peut s'empêcher de penser que le jeu a perdu de sa magie par rapport à l'épisode original. Si Blood Omen 2 n'est incontestablement pas le méga-hit que l'on attendait, il parvient tout de même à conserver en partie l'atmosphère particulière du jeu original pour proposer au final une aventure particulièrement jouissive, même si la progression se révèle toutefois assez linéaire.

Si Blood Omen 2 n'est incontestablement pas le méga-hit que l'on attendait, il parvient tout de même à conserver l'ambiance particulière du jeu original pour proposer au final une aventure particulièrement jouissive. La progression est toutefois assez linéaire et le jeu n'est pas le plus impressionnant que l'on ait pu voir sur PS2, d'autant que cette version souffre de quelques problèmes de frame-rate difficilement pardonnables.

Ondanks enkele minpuntjes toch een vrij geslaagde console port, waarin je in de huid kan kruipen van een echte badass vampier.

Blood Omen 2 sorgt mit seiner Mischung aus Vampir-Edelkitsch und dem recht intelligenten Spielprinzip richtig für Spaß. Das Kampfsystem könnte zwar ein paar mehr Specialmoves vertragen, aber dank der eingängigen Steuerung und den stimmungsvollen Animationen kann man sich hochmotiviert durch Nosgoth kloppen. Auf Dauer nervig ist nur der Zwang, ständig Blut trinken zu müssen – vor allem, weil es immer länger dauert, bis Kain seinen Durst gestillt hat. Spielerisch ist Blood Omen 2 zwar in Ordnung, trotzdem habe ich es dauerhaft von meiner Festplatte verbannt. Ich finde es nicht lustig, unschuldige Bürger auf grausamste Art zu foltern oder sterbenden Polygon-Figuren einen finalen Tritt zu verpassen. Alle diese Schockeffekte sind überflüssig und offenkundig nur enthalten, um den Verkauf anzukurbeln.

Blood Omen 2 is a fairly straightforward action adventure game, only with a lot more blood and a better main character than you'd normally find in such a game.

Steeped in story and atmosphere, Kain's comeback is rough around every edge.

Der erhoffte enge Zweikampf mit Raziel löst sich leider in Wohlgefallen auf. Grafisch eine ganze Klasse schlechter als Soul Reaver 2 und dazu noch mit teils massiven Problemen behaftet können nur die Story und der famose Sound-Hintergrund ansatzweise Gefahr für Kains Kontrahenten bieten. Zwar liegt der Schwerpunkt bei Blood Omen 2 mehr auf den Kämpfen als bei Soul Reaver 2, das doch sehr Rästel-lastig ist, doch die Art und Weise wie die Kämpfe zelebriert werden, bleibt ebenfalls hinter den Erwartungen zurück und ist auf Dauer zu simpel, um für langanhaltende Freude zu sorgen. Einzig die viel zu selten einzusetzenden Spezialfähigkeiten Kains und das Blut-Management sorgen dafür, dass Blood Omen 2 gelegentlich aus dem Durchschnitt heraus kommt. Und das ist eindeutig zu wenig, um Raziel die Stirn zu bieten - selbst ShadowMan Mike Le Roi kann an Kain vorbeiziehen.

And with the first paragraph I shall end the confusion... Blood Omen 2 is the sequel to the original isometric Legacy of Kain game that graced the PSX. Those Soul Reaver titles, while taking place in the same universe, are different takes on the same Kain fiction.

Blood Omen 2 does have its strong points, but, much like the original, its fiendish main character is the best thing about it.

Une version GameCube qui s'est fait attendre longtemps pour finalement proposer un contenu identique aux autres versions consoles. Dommage. L'aventure est la même, mais on ne peut s'empêcher de penser que le jeu a perdu de sa magie par rapport à l'épisode original. Mais si Blood Omen 2 n'est incontestablement pas le méga-hit que l'on attendait, il parvient tout de même à conserver en partie l'atmosphère particulière du jeu original pour proposer au final une aventure particulièrement jouissive, même si la progression se révèle toutefois assez linéaire.

Schade. "Blood Omen 2" ist in meinen Augen eine echte Enttäuschung geworden. Wie sehr hatte ich mich auf das Spiel gefreut, aber selbst mit gutem Willen kann man nicht viel gutes Haar daran lassen. Wenn es nicht "Legacy of Kain" wäre, gäbe es wohl kaum einen guten Grund, viel Zeit mit "Blood Omen 2" zu verbringen. So macht es immerhin noch Spaß, sich mit den dunklen Gaben einen Weg durch die Gegnerscharen zu bahnen und seine finsteren Vampirphantasien auszuleben. Damit rettet sich der Titel noch einigermaßen in den mittelmäßigen Bereich.

In some ways, Blood Omen 2 is a simplistic, action-rich game. However, the story of Kain and Nosgoth, and the way the creators of the program unveil it is a drawing power. Kain is brutal, and will laugh evilly when dispatching helpless citizens begging for mercy. He is the embodiment of an antagonist portrayed as the protagonist.

Don't buy Blood Omen 2 for the graphics, the music or the story. Buy it for the gameplay and ONLY the gameplay! Soul Reaver-lovers will get what they paid for, and patient newcomers may find that BO2 is the game they've been dying to sink their teeth into.

Kain revient d'entre les morts (enfin, les vrais morts) pour accomplir sa vengeance. Les Séraphins ont repris le pouvoir sur Nosgoth, et vous n'allez pas les laisser faire.

Kain comes to Cube with minor improvements. Read our full review of this blood-sucking action-adventure.

We'll skip over the often juddering framerate, the inconsistencies of Kain's jumping and grabbing platforms (some he can, some he can't), the fact you can't skip any of the in-game cinemas, and other logical discrepancies (such as a rampaging demon on the final level that punches through solid walls and creates tunnels of rubble, but can't smash a window or large crate to grab you), and simply state the following: This is Soul Reaver Lite -- undoubtedly fun, but light on puzzle complexity, light on varying action, and unfortunately, more than a little insubstantial in the replayability department. If you're a fan of the series, you'd be wise to rent this for three nights, complete it, and howl at the moon for a little more innovation next time.

If you are a fan of the series, you're not missing a whole lot so save your cash for something else. If you have never played any of the games in the series, this will be a nice introduction to the series. There is a ton that I loved in the game, but there was also a lot that should have been given more attention to. I think if some of the bad areas of the game (as mentioned before) were corrected and enhanced, this could easily have been recommended for a purchase. I appreciate a good port, mind you, but little details make all the difference. If the rest of the game could have been on pace with the graphics, this could have been an AMAZING title.

Für Vampir Kain, der 200 Jahre durchgeschlafen hat, gibt es ein böses Erwachen: Sarafanen haben einen Staat geschaffen, in der Blutsauger keinen Platz haben. Also Klauen wetzen und Beißerchen scharf feilen: Es wird Zeit, die Regierung zu stürzen! Dafür schlüpfen Sie in den bleichen Körper von Kain und hinterlassen in elf großen Levels eine rote Spur.

Spass hat es aber dennoch gemacht, Nosgoth für 14-15 Spielstunden sein Reich nennen zu dürfen. Fans der Serie werden ohnehin zugreifen, um mehr über Kain und die Vampirkriege zu erfahren. Wer Neueinsteiger ist, sollte jedoch zuerst mit Soul Reaver 1 & 2 (beide zusammen von Eidos auf einer DVD Version mit Goodies erhältlich) beginnen, die für mich immer noch die Süchtigmacher dieses Genres sind. Danach wird man dann eh nicht umhin können, sich mit Blood Omen 2 beschäftigen zu wollen.

All things considered this is a good action game that throws the odd puzzle at you from time to time. The puzzles are never too difficult and won’t ever get to the point where you give up in frustration. Most of the time you’ll find yourself having to get past blockades that the Sarafan Lord has placed in your way. The game can get a little repetitive though as the combat and blood sucking seems like it’s never ending. Thankfully Kain acquires special abilities that enable him to take a stealthy approach from time to time.

In a game that is certainly not for the squeamish, Kain spends the first few levels in the slums of a medieval city, wandering about slaughtering defenceless peasants. Just for effect, these helpless souls plead for their lives and whimper as you tear their heads off and drink their blood. This is really only a game for people who like playing the bad guy. And in this one you certainly get more brutality than you bargained for.

Vampires kick ass. It’s such a simple truth, a concept that has been passed down through the generations. When it comes to complete and utter coolness, vampires take the medal. The pale flesh, the mystical powers, even the never-ending thirst for blood make up one of the most feared characters ever conceived by the human mind. We’ve been graced with Dracula early on, a legacy that has helped cement countless other vampire tales and one of the most popular gaming franchises in gaming history. But in this current generation of consoles, what’s left for these creatures of the night? Unfortunately, Dracula’s heyday seems to have past with the previous generation. Aside from BloodRayne, the only video game with a heroic vampire is Blood Omen 2.

Blood Omen II is a solid action game but there are some problems for deaf gamers. The only text feedback in the game is when the controls and gameplay commands are being described to you by Umah in the first level. There are no subtitles and no mission briefings in text at all. What makes this hard to take is that it's exactly the same as last years PS2 version. Surely subtitles could have been added to give deaf gamers access to Blood Omen 2?

Overall, Blood Omen 2 is a very, very linear and repetitive game. But, the violence and easy gameplay make it a very simple game to get into, and if you're captured by the story then you'll play the game through. It's not too terribly long, but the longer you play the game the longer it feels, and the mind-numbing nature of it can drive you nuts. It's a pretty cool game to play, but don't expect Panzer Dragoon Orta in terms of gameplay and depth.

Overall, fans of dark fantasy or edgy adventure would do well to pick up Blood Omen 2, but be warned that this is one of the messiest, darkest, and most amoral titles to come along in some time. If that doesn’t bother you, you’re in for a treat.

So what can you "count" on from Blood Omen 2? Not much more than a heaping bowl of mediocrity that quickly turns soggy in drenched pints of blood. While fans of third-person adventures will find enough ubiquitous, familiar gameplay to keep playing, I'd recommend most of you to skip this breakfast.

It is hard to see whom this title would appeal to. The extremely simplistic nature of the title might appeal to young children but it is too bloody and violent to be suitable. While you may see the final mark as overly harsh for a game that is technically proficient, I would ask would you give a film a good rating merely for being in focus? This is a poor game and it hasn't become any better in the move to the GameCube. While titles may be a bit thin on the ground for Nintendo's machine, there are certainly far better offerings to be found.

So then overall the game looks as though it's a good one, that is until we get to the appropriateness for deaf gamers. The only text feedback in the game is where you are having the controls and gameplay commands being described to you by Umah in the first level. There are no subtitles. The cutscenes cannot be skipped and there are no mission briefings in text at all. This is a devastating note to finish on but Blood Omen 2 is going to be a poor experience for a deaf gamer which is a shame because had access, via subtitles etc., been provided then we would be looking at a score of at least 8/10 instead of the one we are forced to give it.

Such is the case with Blood Omen 2. Despite the original games technical flaws, it had enough heart and originality to become a true cult classic. After playing that troubled masterpiece years ago, I thought a blockbuster sequel would be a no-brainer. After all, what could be easier than to fix the technical problems and add a bit of polish? Sadly, of the three sequels released since then, none have managed to provide both story and gameplay at the same time. Blood Omen 2 doesnt provide either. I dont know how much more of this I can take and still call myself a fan of the series.

Blood Omen 2 should have been a much cooler game. Both Soul Reavers were a kick, so big things were expected from the latest in the Legacy of Kain series. Unfortunately, it falls short on almost all counts. The graphics have their problems, the gameplay is repetitive, and the play is far too linear. The saving grace is the actual story. If the Kain saga continues, let's hope it's in a better game.