Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered – PS5 Review

Perhaps it was inevitable to see Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered. After last year’s reworking of the two Soul Reaver games, it’s only right to give the follow-up the same treatment. As a game that doesn’t quite hold the same cache as the older titles, this Playstation 2-era effort retains some of the splendid presentation of the series whilst making some missteps in regards to pacing. Crystal Dynamics have loaded the package up with cut content and a demo which really helps celebrate the source material.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance rounds out the Soul Reaver trilogy in a fairly conclusive manner. Raziel is still trying to free himself from the eldritch God that’s enslaved him and Kain is in hot pursuit. The story alternates between the two protagonists across thirteen chapters that culminate in a final, satisfying resolution.

It’s written strongly and acted exquisitely by the main cast. It’s convincingly portrayed with the gravitas I’ve come to expect from the series. It’s brilliantly theatrical but it does lack actual conversation. It’s a game heavy with monologues and a lot of it pertains to lore or helpful hints that, dare I say, feel a bit on the nose. Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered throws these in all too freely and it really harmed the pacing. It’s hard to gain momentum when Raziel stops to look at murals. I would’ve prefer some exposition dump from one of the other characters but it makes the two stars feel surprisingly isolated.

As with the previous remasters, it is a product largely faithful to the original. There are updated graphics available by default and I do prefer those textures. There’s a sharper detail to them and the character models lose some of their Playstation 2 Vaseline for more convincing facial features. It’s still underpinned by the original geometry but it brings the look into something slightly more modern.

Quality of life features are slim on the ground. Most probably because checkpoints and saves are frequent enough not to require hard saves. There is a save game option in the pause menu but I didn’t feel the need to use it. One godsend is the ability to tap R2 to be pointed in the right direction. With one notable exception, levels don’t break from linearity but you do retread old ground a lot. The series has made the most of it’s level design but having dual protagonists often means one is trailing in the wake of the other.

Combat is probably where the game really shows its age. There is a soft lock-on but encounters often include multiple enemies. Outside of a couple of bosses, it doesn’t present a stern challenge but the weight in numbers can be a bother. Being boxed into a corner can be a nightmare, as can being stun-locked. Both playable characters operate in broadly the same manner with how they consume souls being slightly different.

There are special attacks outside of the typical light and heavy strikes. They have simple button combinations. On top of that the Reaver can be charged to imbue the weapon with an element in combat. It still remains a simplified character action setup, one that would be surpassed by the God of War games. With the soul stealing and blood sucking mechanic, it makes for a fairly forgiving time. Switching realms are typically short interludes, made shorter by the convenience of the breadcrumb trail.

I don’t know if switching between a traditional third-person camera and a fixed one was an option in the original. I prefer the behind-the-back perspective, particularly for combat. There are some boss fights where the fixed camera allows to see more of the arena. With so many fights come up against mobs, it can be beneficial but enemies have a tendency to wait their turn a little. You can pick them apart and sometimes death won’t reset an entire encounter.

I preferred Kain’s chapters. He felt more robust and doesn’t have to deal with switching between planes of existence. There’s a convenience to him that I like and, in general, his chapters were quicker paced. I think they do a good job of fleshing him out and, by the end, he and Raziel’s paths cross in some fantastic ways.

The extra content is quite substantial. As well as cut levels (although missing enemy placements) you have a large soundtrack to play and a demo for the unreleased Legacy of Kain: Dark Prophecy. I love that level of curation and there’s also a pile of lore to dive into for the world of Nosgoth. Crystal Dynamics do appear to be taking great care to preserve and laud their past and I can only commend that.

Whilst it’s far from the best of the series, Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered helps celebrate the series with a wealth of cut content and lore. The small changes they do make help make the experience a little smoother. You will not get lost but the pacing of the journey can be a little stop-start. The outstanding voice cast pulls it through, although I wish it didn’t rely so heavily on monologues.