Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2

59%
Game Brain Score Based on 383 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 Game Cover
Online Extra Soul Reaver 2 plunges you into a dark world in which your character, Raziel, travels through time on a mission of revenge against Kain, the vampire that turned him into an undead warrior. The gothic realism of the background graphics is stunning, and the combat system is fluid. You'll
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"Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2" is a single-player horror action game with an intriguing story and phenomenal visuals. As Raziel, pursue Kain through time, uncovering the mysteries of Nosgoth's ancient races and the corruption of the Pillars. With over 40 abilities, engage in devious puzzles and epic combat, but be aware of the bugs that may hinder your experience.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 2
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

59%
Audience ScoreBased on 383 reviews
story108 positive mentions
stability21 negative mentions
  • The game features an engaging and complex storyline that continues the narrative from the first Soul Reaver, with excellent voice acting and character development.
  • The puzzles are more intricate and challenging compared to the first game, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
  • The graphics and atmosphere have improved significantly, creating a visually appealing environment that enhances the overall experience.
  • The PC port is plagued with technical issues, including frequent crashes, unresponsive controls, and problems with cutscenes not displaying correctly.
  • The combat system feels clunky and unbalanced, making encounters frustrating, especially with the lack of proper boss fights.
  • The game lacks the exploration elements of its predecessor, leading to a more linear experience that can feel repetitive.
  • story231 mentions

    The story of "Soul Reaver 2" is widely praised for its depth, complexity, and engaging narrative, continuing the saga of Raziel and his quest for knowledge and vengeance. Many reviewers highlight the exceptional voice acting and well-crafted characters, making the storyline a standout feature despite the game's technical shortcomings and clunky gameplay. While newcomers may find it challenging to grasp the plot without prior knowledge of the series, the overall consensus is that the story is compelling enough to warrant playing or even watching through cutscenes.

    • “The story is the obvious standout; I simply couldn't stop playing because of how hooked I was on the plot.”
    • “This game has an amazing story, but gameplay-wise is unsure what it wants to be.”
    • “The storytelling, the dialogues, the concept are amazing, but the gameplay goes from medium to bad compared to other games from the same generation.”
    • “Man, this game is rough - if it wasn't for the story it would be a hard pass.”
    • “A heavily dumbed down experience that relies too much on its storytelling.”
    • “While the story in this game continues to be very engaging, the enemy variety is sadly quite small, and there's rarely a reason to fight unless you are barred in by invisible forcewalls.”
  • gameplay84 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its linearity and repetitive nature, leading to significant backtracking and a lack of engaging mechanics compared to its predecessor, Soul Reaver. While some appreciate the improved combat mechanics and puzzle complexity, others criticize the dated controls, technical issues on PC, and the overwhelming presence of unskippable cutscenes that disrupt the flow of play. Overall, the game is often recommended for its story and atmosphere, but the gameplay itself is seen as mediocre at best.

    • “Thanks to their fun and addicting gameplay, they age perfectly and it's always a pleasure to return to them again and again.”
    • “The gameplay and level design are really quite linear.”
    • “Soul reaver 2 has more in-depth puzzles and improved weapon enhancements, it also introduces a number of elemental mechanics, as well as an increased number of enemies.”
    • “Gameplay on PC is horrible.”
    • “1/3 of my total gameplay was replaying sections of the game that I already did, and thanks to the multicore issue and scattered saves, I lost progress in a cutscene crash.”
    • “The gameplay itself is not really enough to appeal to everyone.”
  • graphics51 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the impressive visuals and gothic art style for its time, particularly in comparison to its predecessor. However, many users note that the graphics feel dated and are plagued by various issues, such as rendering problems and glitches, which detract from the overall experience. While the game showcases some graphical improvements and atmospheric design, it ultimately requires a remaster to meet modern standards.

    • “The beautiful game, level and character design are still here, with the visibly improved graphics!”
    • “The graphics are great for the time.”
    • “The gothic realism of the background graphics is stunning, and the combat system is fluid.”
    • “Not a perfect version of the amazing original; if you have never played the series before, then you will probably not enjoy it in its current state. Cinematics don't render properly without some graphic modification, and Raziel fell through the floor into the 'abyss' when I walked into a closed door. The story is great, however, this game definitely needs a remaster.”
    • “Graphics look so terribly dated too.”
    • “There are also a lot of graphic issues.”
  • stability23 mentions

    The game's stability is severely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and game-breaking bugs that render it nearly unplayable. Many players experience issues with controller support and graphical glitches, particularly on PC, leading to frustration and the need for various workarounds. Overall, the consensus is that the game is a buggy port that requires significant fixes to function properly.

    • “It runs great for the most part for me, combat feels great, not too clunky.”
    • “It freezes at startup, and if I manage to get past that, the controller support refuses to recognize the buttons on my gamepad!”
    • “I'm sorry to say it, but most of us can't even play and encounter game-breaking bugs like freezes, crashes, and whatnot.”
    • “Sadly, on Windows 10 and some other newer operating systems, the game can present some major glitches that make it unplayable.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many reviewers praising the iconic and unforgettable soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and complements the story. While some noted occasional issues, such as music not playing during a cut-scene, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. However, a few critics found certain songs to be bland and unmemorable, indicating a mixed experience for some players.

    • “The soundtrack is very iconic and unfortunately the most important part which is the gameplay is at best okay.”
    • “The music is unforgettable 20 years later.”
    • “The atmosphere, the soundtrack, the voice acting, the script, the story - a true masterpiece.”
    • “As for the game, the plot is really cool (especially if you're into vampires), the soundtrack is very iconic and unfortunately the most important part, which is the gameplay, is at best okay.”
    • “Imagine if in Ocarina of Time there was only one song to be played and it solved all the puzzles.”
    • “I'll recommend it for the menu music at least.”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its compelling blend of excellent storytelling, outstanding voice acting, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the unique alien ambiance of the spirit-plane and the gothic sound design, which together create a rich and immersive environment. Overall, the game's atmosphere is regarded as a standout feature, contributing significantly to its status as a masterpiece.

    • “The music is also still so great and perfectly underlines the game's atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere, the soundtrack, the voice acting, the script, the story - a true masterpiece.”
    • “Sound design imbues the atmosphere with a gothicness and darkness.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the puzzles and overall pacing are enjoyable, the combat can become repetitive and tedious due to a lack of new moves and abilities. Some puzzles are also criticized for being vague and simplistic, leading to a sense of backtracking that detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite these issues, fans of the original may appreciate the story contributions and the nostalgic elements.

    • “The combat can get repetitive and a little tedious at times.”
    • “Instead of a wonderfully crafted 3D Metroidvania like the original, it's a massive back and forth between the same path with a few 'puzzles' that range from putting your sword into a door to pick up an item and bring it here, which makes me ironically miss the overabundance of block puzzles from the original. Combat is okay, but the game's lack of new moves and abilities means it gets tedious fast, especially since it lacks bosses.”
    • “The soul reaver can now kill enemies much faster (at the cost of souls and health), and can now be summoned when not at full health, but that isn't always enough to make things easier or less tedious.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback; while it runs smoothly on PS2, players have encountered bugs that can disrupt gameplay, such as getting stuck between realms. Additionally, there are limitations in supporting higher resolutions like 1080p and 4K, which detracts from the overall experience despite the strong performance and engaging story.

    • “There are bugs where you are stuck in between realms, which annoyed me quite a lot, but on PS2, the game runs smoothly.”
    • “I don't normally leave reviews, but I wanted to give anyone who wants to try this a heads up on the performance.”
    • “You can't get full optimization for your 1080 monitors, let alone 4K!”
    • “With all my complaints, I at least stuck around because of the performance and story.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is likened to a less amusing version of "Groundhog Day," with players finding the concept of time amusing but ultimately lacking in comedic execution. While some technical issues, like a broken auto-aim system, were addressed through workarounds, they did not enhance the overall humor or prevent crashes.

    • “Time is a funny thing, isn't it?”
    • “Tried out several workarounds suggested in forums, but while those at least repaired the hilariously broken auto-aim system, this didn't prevent the game from crashing at random intervals.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is noted for its continuity and engaging storytelling, though some reviewers feel it lacks significant progression. The character design is praised for its brilliance, complemented by improved graphics, but overall, the development may feel stagnant to some players.

    • “The beautiful game, level and character design are still here, with the visibly improved graphics!”
    • “The character design is brilliant.”
    • “While this game definitely keeps the story and character developments rolling, it just kind of treads water with the rest.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks the depth needed to make me care about their journeys.”
    • “I was hoping for more growth and transformation, but the characters remain static throughout the game.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is considered low, with some users noting a lack of compelling reasons to return. However, the original version's sidequests were highlighted as a strong factor that enhanced its replay value.

    • “But you probably won't come back to it for its replay value.”
    • “One of the most replayable elements of the original was its side quests.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users express frustration with the puzzles, describing them as overly simplistic and unchallenging, leading to feelings of disappointment and emotional distress.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

95% average critic score

Buy Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2

Play time

1hMedian play time
1hAverage play time
10hMain story
14hCompletionist
1-1hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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