Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

n/a

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
US	2000	$49.9949.99^[3]	T-36802N
EU	2000-03^[1]
IT	2000		T-36803D-13
AU	2000	$89.9589.95^[4]
BR	2000		197256

ESRB

ELSPA

USK

SELL

ESRA

Tectoy

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Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is an action game developed by Crystal Dynamics. It is a sequel to Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, and was released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000.

Gameplay

Unlike Blood Omen which is a top-down 2D action game, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is a 3D third-person "Metroidvania" action game, where the player, Raziel, travels across the world of Nosgoth seeking to harvest the souls of the vampires, led by Kain, which betrayed him. Throughout the adventure Raziel obtains new powers and abilities allowing him to access new parts of the map. A mechanic also exists to allow the player to shift between the "material" and "spectral" world.

Versions

Soul Reaver was originally developed with the PlayStation in mind, and for its time was highly regarded for its seamless open-world levels (i.e. being able to traverse from one of the map the other without the need for loading screens) and sound design.

The Dreamcast version builds on what is seen on the PlayStation, running at 640x480 while targeting 60FPS (versus the 512x240 resolution of the PlayStation, where the game would target 30FPS). Draw distances are improved and polygon counts are increased for major characters such as Raziel and Kane (though levels and enemies use the same geometry as the PlayStation).

Textures are generally more compressed on the Dreamcast and exhibit compression artifacts not seen in the PlayStation version, however in other cases (such as on Raziel's character model) the textures were upgraded. The lack of affine texture warping, common in 3D PlayStation games (and aforementioned increase in screen resolution) generally leads to a better picture on the Dreamcast overall.

Both the PlayStation and Dreamcast fail to reach their target frame rate most of the time. On the PlayStation, busy scenes cause slowdown, with the frame rate dipping to between 20 and 30FPS. On the Dreamcast, a double-buffer V-sync option is used, meaning that when the game cannot handle 60FPS, it immediately targets 30FPS, creating a more jarring experience as it attempts to avoid screen tearing. This affects the Dreamcast most in larger environments, where thanks to the increased draw distance, more geometry is drawn.

Some effects, such as the snow, are hard-coded to update at 30FPS. Controls are also less fluid than on the PlayStation, due in part to the lack of buttons and second analogue stick. On the Dreamcast, the camera is mapped to the D-Pad, meaning it is more awkward to both move and control the camera at the same time.

While also ported to the PC, the PC version stems directly from the PlayStation original, and lacks the dynamic music of the console versions and higher resolution display of the Dreamcast version. Frame rate is also capped at 30FPS at all times.

A significant amount of content was cut from Soul Reaver, in part to reach development deadlines, but also due to technical challenges posed with the PlayStation hardware (remnants of this exist in the game in the form of dead end corridors, but also coverage of the game during development). The Dreamcast version does not re-add any of the missing content.

History

Legacy

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was set to be followed up by Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 on the Dreamcast, however Soul Reaver 2 would jump platforms to the PlayStation 2 and PC before being released in October 2001.

Magazine articles

Main article: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #127: "February 2000" (2000-01-11)
also published in:

GamePro (US) #139: "April 2000" (2000-0x-xx)^[5]

Print advert in Dreamcast Magazine (UK) #7: "No. 7" (2000-03-23)

Print advert in Dreamcast: Le Magazine Officiel (FR) #3: "Mars/Avril 2000" (2000-xx-xx)

Print advert in Consoles + (FR) #99: "Avril 2000" (2000-0x-xx)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

Arcade (UK)

PAL

75

^[6]

Consoles + (FR)

PAL

80

^[7]

Dreamcast Monthly (UK)

PAL

90

^[9]

DC-UK (UK)

PAL

90

^[10]

Dreamcast: Le Magazine Officiel (FR)

PAL

90

^[11]

Dreamcast Magazine (UK)

PAL

90

^[2]

Dreamplanet (ES)

PAL

87

^[12]

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)

NTSC-U

89

^[13]

Entsiklopediya igr dlya Dreamcast (RU)

83

^[14]

GameFan (US)

NTSC-U

75

^[15]

GamePro (US)

NTSC-U

85

^[16]

GameZine (UK)

80

^[17]

Gamers' Republic (US)

NTSC-U

91

^[18]

Incite Video Gaming (US)

NTSC-U

100

^[19]

Joypad (IT)

PAL

85

^[20]

MAN!AC (DE)

PAL

88

^[21]

Neo Plus (PL)

PAL

80

^[22]

Next Generation (US)

NTSC-U

75

^[23]

Official Dreamcast Magazine (UK)

PAL

70

^[24]

Official Dreamcast Magazine (US)

NTSC-U

80

^[3]

Playmag (FR)

PAL

70

^[25]

PSX Extreme (PL)

90

^[26]

Revista Oficial Dreamcast (ES)

PAL

80

^[8]

Strana Igr (RU)

78

^[27]

Techno (UK)

80

^[28]

	83
Based on 25 reviews

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Dreamcast, US
Cover
Disc Inlay

Dreamcast, UK
Cover
Disc

Dreamcast, DE
Cover
Disc

Dreamcast, FR
Cover
Disc

Dreamcast, IT
Cover

Dreamcast, ES
Cover

Dreamcast, BR
Cover
Disc

References

↑ File:CVG UK 220.pdf, page 23
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 File:DreamcastMagazine UK 06.pdf, page 58 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:DreamcastMagazine UK 06.pdf_p58" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 File:ODCM US 04.pdf, page 92 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ODCM US 04.pdf_p92" defined multiple times with different content
↑ File:Hyper AU 080.pdf, page 66
↑ GamePro, "April 2000" (US; 2000-0x-xx), page 70
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 File:Arcade UK 17.pdf, page 90 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Arcade UK 17.pdf_p90" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 File:ConsolesPlus FR 098.pdf, page 106 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ConsolesPlus FR 098.pdf_p106" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 File:ROD ES 05.pdf, page 52 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ROD ES 05.pdf_p52" defined multiple times with different content
↑ Dreamcast Monthly, "March 2000" (UK; 2000-02-17), page 20
↑ DC-UK, "March 2000" (UK; 2000-02-18), page 20
↑ Dreamcast: Le Magazine Officiel, "Mars/Avril 2000" (FR; 2000-xx-xx), page 78
↑ Dreamplanet, "Mayo 2000" (ES; 2000-0x-xx), page 36
↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "March 2000" (US; 2000-02-08), page 143
↑ Entsiklopediya igr dlya Dreamcast, "Izdaniye chetvertoye, dopolnennoye" (RU; 2002-xx-xx), page 108
↑ GameFan, "Volume 8, Issue 4: April 2000" (US; 2000-xx-xx), page 15
↑ GamePro, "April 2000" (US; 2000-0x-xx), page 116
↑ GameZine (UK) (+0:00)
↑ Gamers' Republic, "March 2000" (US; 2000-xx-xx), page 92
↑ Incite Video Gaming, "March 2000" (US; 2000-0x-xx), page 104
↑ Joypad, "Aprile 2000" (IT; 2000-0x-xx), page 64
↑ MAN!AC, "04/2000" (DE; 2000-03-04), page 64
↑ Neo Plus, "Maj 2000" (PL; 2000-xx-xx), page 42
↑ Next Generation, "May 2000" (US; 2000-04-18), page 98
↑ Official Dreamcast Magazine, "April 2000" (UK; 2000-03-09), page 80
↑ Playmag, "Mars 2000" (FR; 2000-0x-xx), page 118
↑ PSX Extreme, "03/2001" (PL; 2001-0x-xx), page 40
↑ Strana Igr, "Sentyabr 2000 2/2" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 21
↑ Techno (UK) (+0:00)

[:File:CVG_UK_220.pdf_p23-1] File:CVG UK 220.pdf, page 23

[:File:DreamcastMagazine_UK_06.pdf_p58-2] 2.0 ^2.1 File:DreamcastMagazine UK 06.pdf, page 58 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:DreamcastMagazine UK 06.pdf_p58" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:ODCM_US_04.pdf_p92-3] 3.0 ^3.1 File:ODCM US 04.pdf, page 92 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ODCM US 04.pdf_p92" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:Hyper_AU_080.pdf_p66-4] File:Hyper AU 080.pdf, page 66

[:File:GamePro_US_139.pdf_p70-5] GamePro, "April 2000" (US; 2000-0x-xx), page 70

[:File:Arcade_UK_17.pdf_p90-6] 6.0 ^6.1 File:Arcade UK 17.pdf, page 90 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Arcade UK 17.pdf_p90" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:ConsolesPlus_FR_098.pdf_p106-7] 7.0 ^7.1 File:ConsolesPlus FR 098.pdf, page 106 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ConsolesPlus FR 098.pdf_p106" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:ROD_ES_05.pdf_p52-8] 8.0 ^8.1 File:ROD ES 05.pdf, page 52 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ROD ES 05.pdf_p52" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:DreamcastMonthly_UK_06.pdf_p20-9] Dreamcast Monthly, "March 2000" (UK; 2000-02-17), page 20

[:File:DCUK_UK_07.pdf_p20-10] DC-UK, "March 2000" (UK; 2000-02-18), page 20

[:File:DLMO_FR_03.pdf_p78-11] Dreamcast: Le Magazine Officiel, "Mars/Avril 2000" (FR; 2000-xx-xx), page 78

[:File:Dreamplanet_ES_05.pdf_p36-12] Dreamplanet, "Mayo 2000" (ES; 2000-0x-xx), page 36

[:File:EGM_US_128.pdf_p143-13] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "March 2000" (US; 2000-02-08), page 143

[14] Entsiklopediya igr dlya Dreamcast, "Izdaniye chetvertoye, dopolnennoye" (RU; 2002-xx-xx), page 108

[:File:GameFan_US_0804.pdf_p15-15] GameFan, "Volume 8, Issue 4: April 2000" (US; 2000-xx-xx), page 15

[:File:GamePro_US_139.pdf_p116-16] GamePro, "April 2000" (US; 2000-0x-xx), page 116

[gamezine2000-02-25-17] GameZine (UK) (+0:00)

[:File:GamersRepublic_US_22.pdf_p92-18] Gamers' Republic, "March 2000" (US; 2000-xx-xx), page 92

[:File:InciteVideoGaming_US_4.pdf_p104-19] Incite Video Gaming, "March 2000" (US; 2000-0x-xx), page 104

[:File:Joypad_IT_04.pdf_p64-20] Joypad, "Aprile 2000" (IT; 2000-0x-xx), page 64

[:File:MAN.21AC_DE_2000-04.pdf_p64-21] MAN!AC, "04/2000" (DE; 2000-03-04), page 64

[22] Neo Plus, "Maj 2000" (PL; 2000-xx-xx), page 42

[:File:NextGeneration_US_65.pdf_p98-23] Next Generation, "May 2000" (US; 2000-04-18), page 98

[:File:ODM_UK_06.pdf_p80-24] Official Dreamcast Magazine, "April 2000" (UK; 2000-03-09), page 80

[:File:Playmag_FR_45.pdf_p118-25] Playmag, "Mars 2000" (FR; 2000-0x-xx), page 118

[26] PSX Extreme, "03/2001" (PL; 2001-0x-xx), page 40

[27] Strana Igr, "Sentyabr 2000 2/2" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 21

[techno2000-03-23-28] Techno (UK) (+0:00)

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Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

From Sega Retro

Contents

Gameplay

Versions

History

Legacy

Magazine articles

Promotional material

Physical scans

References