Legacy of Kain: Ascendance – PS5 Review

Crystal Dynamics have been restarting the heart of the Legacy of Kain series with some stellar remasters. It led to speculation of a new game and that has, unfortunately, arrived. Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a petite slice of 2D platforming and combat that, rather than wet the appetite for something more substantial, feels like an advert for the director’s graphic novel. Bit Bot Media are at the helm.

The story takes direct influence from The Dead Shall Rise, a maligned adaptation that crowbars Raziel’s sister into the series. She’s not mentioned in the previous games and is wholly created for the comic. Whilst I’m not someone who’s that precious about the intricacies of lore, the series had a finished arc. Legacy of Kain: Ascendance sets itself before Raziel has his wings clipped, telling the tale of his youth with his sister Elalith. In the process, it seems to sledgehammer the motivations and events that have become so crucial to the series. By the conclusion, Elalith is given an importance that I don’t think is truly earned.

Elalith is confident, loud and definitely takes the lead as you head through twelve short chapters. Raziel acts as a co-protagonist but it feels like he plays second fiddle to his sibling. He’s still hunting vampires and lacks the mobility of the other games. In contrast, Elaleth has wings she can use to glide and bridge gaps. Despite this, movement and combat can still feel limiting. Both have a dash to evade trouble and they both deal out damage with basic strikes. Dashing and gliding are governed by a meter which, again, really limits what you can get away with.

As a result, level design can be simple and deals with occasional verticality. Checkpoints are plentiful but the gameplay never feels that compelling. There are secrets to uncover but I struggle to find are reason to do so. Health can be plentiful as you feed on enemies and prisoners alike. You ability to fly is governed by a depleting meter, although the elongated sections have plenty of orbs to replenish and point you in the right direction.

It is telling how slight this is. It’s over within a few hours and I don’t have a reason to replay it. There’s trinkets I can pick up but the levels don’t vary or expand in any interesting ways. What the game does do is throw a few visual styles into the mix. The gameplay sections are primarily pixelated. It’s got a couple of flourishes like particles giving away secrets or some genuinely nice, reflective water.

The more impressive moments come from a couple of polygonal scenes. There you get to see Kain and Ariel re-enact a pivotal moment from the series’ infancy. As an interactive experience, it’s minimal, allowing you to simply answer multiple choice questions. I would’ve loved that style to stick around for the actual platforming.  It could’ve given the game a striking, more interesting look. There’s also some animated cutscenes that certainly appear well produced. Unfortunately, it doesn’t lead to a cohesive experience.  There are some one-and-done segments that aren’t really capitalised on.

One of the strongest aspects of the whole series is the writing. Legacy of Kain: Ascendance falls short, in this regard. I can’t fault the performances, although Michael Bell aged voice is not the right choice for a young Raziel. His delivery is fine but you hear his advanced years quite clearly. I also just don’t think it has the gravitas of the older games. Having two portraits bash dialogue is not the most thrilling way to present a story.

I do think the soundtrack is bombastic. The volume in general is quite loud but the songs manage to convey a sense of urgency. The little chime that strikes when you reach a checkpoint is lovely. Enemies do have battle chatter but the frequency of them makes for often repeated lines. There was honestly a point where I just turned put the game on mute so I could get on with it.

But does the gameplay manage to save it? Not by a long shot. Combat is simplified and the platforming, whilst occasionally tricky, doesn’t have any finesse. The levels are constructed in blocky tiles and the way forward is usually clear. The fanciest things get are when Raziel or Elalith strike from above. They have effective overhead strikes that trivialise the bosses. That’s a shame because the boss encounters provide potential for the combat to be pushed to its limits. There’s a handful of them but strategy rarely needs to be considered. One boss is strictly damaged by the dive kick and a lot of enemies are susceptible to it. Even if they do get the better of you, they can fed on. You’ve got multiple difficulty levels to play with and, by default, it did feel fairly manageable. There’s not a great variety on offer but it’s not like a game this short would outlive it’s welcome.

It’s hard not be disappointed by this. After all the remasters, hopes were high that something new could come out of the series. Legacy of Kain: Ascendance feels like a promotional item for the graphic novel it’s based upon. It’s short, has basic combat and the writing simply isn’t up to snuff. It doesn’t feel like a grand return and the changing art styles, whilst admirable, make for a messy experience. I don’t think it was ever aiming for the heights of the old games but there’s nothing here to really hook me. It’s a game best forgotten.