Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2

The Good
The first thing that I loved was the first thing that was presented; the opening movie was superb quality and it retold the ending of the previous game, Soul Reaver 1, but it did so truthfully and didn't drastically change things (such as retcon a few important details). After the FMV came a regular cutscene, which still had pretty good quality and... LIP-SYNCING! That's right, whereas in Soul Reaver 1 the mouth of a person didn't move, people actually talk now! Of course, the syncing isn't perfect - but it's still a MAJOR improvement.

Still on the grounds of graphics, every detail was great. I liked the Shade enemies and how they looked see-through yet dark, the many other enemies were improved from the previous game (most notably the Slaugh). Most items/structures that were rendered seemed quite smooth, though some still were noticeably rough-edged (but it was an early PS2 game... I think). Things such as the Soul Reaver weapon and Mobeius have also been "improved" (I place "improved" in inverted commas because some fans may not agree that this change was for the better).

Onto music, then. The first thing that hits you is that this game lacks that mighty kick-ass opening music of Soul Reaver 1, but on the bright side it does have a alright soundtrack despite its absence (If you can get around the fact that the music rarely plays in some areas of the game).

Gameplay. Luckily they've kept the same type of gameplay and perspective from SR1, and they've improved some minor details - such as removing the sometimes annoying and glitchy block puzzles (which are replaced by more creative and unique puzzles - such as the one in Janos' Retreat and in the Forges). The glide function was much more smoother, and gives you more air-time (yay!), and other minor details were improved. Over all, the biggest gameplay changes where the inclusion of Save Point markers and new Soul Reaver fonts and puzzles, along with a linear exploration.

Oh, and another note: Cutscenes were used in the last game for the sole purpose of Raziel's journey, but in this game, cutscenes forward the game and also provide interesting details and notes about Nosgoth and its inhabitants.

As for a fun factor, I'd say that despite its linear nature, Soul Reaver 2 is quite a fun game. Impalement, vampires, blood, souls, exploration, puzzles, evil dudes, expanded story! And did I mention impalement!? Of course the game is fun. If anything, its more fun than Soul Reaver 1 - and what's more, it isn't filled with (many) glitches!

The Bad
For those who have played Soul Reaver 1, you'll notice that this game doesn't have a soundtrack that was as good as SR1. The kick-ass music track that played practically throughout is absent here, and there's nothing that is as good in Soul Reaver 2. In fact, after playing SR2, you'll possibly be unable to recall the slightest bit of audio.

The game is also linear, but it removes the easiness of getting lost - which was almost always the case in SR1 (unless you used a walkthrough guide).

The Bottom Line
For a Legacy of Kain fan, this truly is a highlight of the series. I would recommended it to any Legacy of Kain fan, or anyone whose played any of the previous games (Blood Omen 1, Soul Reaver 1). For a player new to the series, I would still recommend it, but with the caution that the storyline may be hard to pick up. But apart from that, it's all good gaming, my fellow gaming friend.