Lets Keep Kain sacred!
Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen was a turning point in my gaming life. A friend of mine and I went out and bought each other gifts for Christmas one year. With a $10 budget, there wasn’t a huge selection, so I went to best buy and picked out the only game I could find that I thought would really appeal to him. He’s kind of a meat head that loves to work out and get buff, plus he likes destruction a lot, so The Incredible Hulk for Playstation seemed like a great idea. Sadly, I was very wrong on this, but the game he got me was Blood Omen. Since I was a black magic, Marilyn Manson loving, horror nut, he felt like this game was a perfect fit for me.
He was right, and from that first opening sequence, I was hooked. I didn’t like Blood Omen 2 much, but I still played it a number of times because I couldn’t get enough of the main protagonist Kain. The thing that separated Kain from other games at the time, was the intense storytelling, and the graphic imagery. Few vampires have ever, or will ever, be as awesome as Kain was. Simon Templeton voice acting was perfect. The casting couldn’t have been better.
The game was nearly perfect for me with one major exception. The game play was horrendous. I’m not kidding when I say that either. It was bad. But the story kept me playing it over and over again despite its many flaws. Amy Henning (Naughty Dog / Uncharted) wrote this story, and it shows.
It wasn’t too long after this that Raziel came into my life with Soul Reaver. While this game wasn’t perfect, it was a vast improvement from Blood Omen in nearly every way. While the story was better in BO, the game play here was a breath of fresh air. This game, while incomplete, was a lot of fun to play, and it tightened the grip the LOK series already had on my heart. I remember playing it over and over, until the second one released on the PS2. Noted as an immediate continuation from the original, it helped patch the holes that 1 left, and brought us further into the world. All the games in this series (except BO2 which had its moments), including Defiance, were great when it came to the story.
Thats where my point comes in. With a reboot of Soul Reaver being rumored, it got me thinking about the sanctity of series that I hold so dear. While the games weren’t amazing, they do hold a special place in a lot of people’s hearts. From the rumors that are being passed around, it seems they are planning on changing the story line up, and creating something new and fresh. Is this something we really want? Personally, I’d love it if a Twin Snakes like remake came out, and that was that. With a series like LoK, a lot goes into the nostalgia of the fans that could be easily ruined.
Number one: if they got different voice actors, it would be an absolute travesty. This game thrives on the excellent work of all the actors. A few could be replaced without anyone noticing, but Kain and Raziel have to stay the same. I couldn’t imagine a Nozgoth without them.
Number two: the atmosphere of the game needs to stay the same. Granted, it’s about vampires, but we’ve learned recently that this fact doesn’t hold a story in the darker realms. Without a dark, brooding story, there is no reason to remake this. The more uncompromising, the better.
Number three: The character models can’t be changed too much. You mess with the icons of Kain and Raziel, and it won’t be the same. These characters have 5 games between them and their visages have become legendary in the video gaming world.
All of these things need to remain the same if Soul Reaver will maintain its status with the fans. Shrinking Lara Crofts breasts is one thing, but changing Kain, or Raziel is unforgiveable! There is potential for this game to be great, but there is also a lot of room for the developers to royally screw this up. As a major fan, I don’t want to see two of my favorite characters dragged through the mud. If you love Kain, and or Raziel, take the time to contact Crystal Dynamics and voice your concerns. Don’t be rude, just tell them you opinion. We don’t want another Mass Effect debacle.