gameassault.com - Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Review
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
MSRP: $19.99
Number of Players: 1
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Crystal Dynamics
Reviewer: Andrew Broas
Inspired by such classics as The Legend of Zelda and Landstalker,
Blood Omen took the action/RPG genre into a new realm of darkness where great
voice acting, a twisted storyline, and buckets of blood kept game players hacking and
slashing their way through Nosgoth for days on end. With the long awaited sequel on
its way, does it still stand up to today's standards? Well, yes and no.
In Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain you play the role of Kain, a man who was murdered
and then brought back from the dead after striking a deal with the Necromancer.
After being sent back to his homeland of Nosgoth to claim his revenge, Kain realizes he's
been transformed. His body now demands a blood sacrifice every now and then or he'll
die a second time. Kain must deal with becoming a vampire while seeking out revenge
on his assassins. Soon after killing his killers, Kain is told there is much more
behind his death than just a few men. The Necromancer informs Kain that there was a
huge plot against him involving the highest positions in the land. Now Kain's quest
really begins.
So, as you may have guessed, you spend the entire time traveling around Nosgoth going from
town to town sucking people's blood, killing various enemies, and getting hints from
talking to townspeople. You can even kill the townspeople and drink their blood if
you want. In fact, there will be times when you have to do this just to survive.
Kain can only go for so long without a drink and some of those towns can be awfully
inviting after a long trek through a dungeon.
As you may expect from a game released back in 1996, Blood Omen's graphics are a
bit on the ugly side. There are times when the environment seems unnecessarily dark.
This makes it hard to see items or switches that are crucial to advancing further
into the game. Things can get very frustrating when you're searching for a switch on
the wall you can't see. You acquire a light spell early in the game, so this can be
remedied so long as you have some magic handy. When the environments aren't overly
dark, they look nicely detailed with little touches like carpets on floors, dinnerware on
tables, or mud on dirt trails. There is even one town that is littered with dead
decaying bodies because it fell victim to the plague.
Characters and items are all nicely done. There is a
wide variety of enemies and townspeople to run into. When Kain acquires a new weapon
or armor, his in-game appearance will change to show off the new gear. This is a welcome
feature because it keeps looking at Kain from getting dull after a few hours.
Other things that deserve mention are the sounds and the Full Motion Animation. The
FMA in this game is as good as today's best offerings. Also, the voice acting is
exceptional. Kain's emotions are always clear and the dialogue never sounds
awkward. There is also a good deal of voice-over during gameplay. After
stepping on a marked area, Kain will begin to talk about events that have or will happen
as you explore the land. This is a great feature and it makes each area interesting
because Kain has something new to say about each place he visits.
Overall, Blood Omen is still a worthy purchase. At $19.99, it's well worth
visiting or revisiting in order to prepare for the sequel, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.
Graphics
6.5
The graphics are just too dark
at times and they're a bit dated by today's standards.
Sound & Music
9.0
Voice acting is top notch and
the moody soundtrack adds to the atmosphere.
Control
7.5
Overall, the control is OK,
but some weapons seem slow and you can't always pull off the combos you have in mind.
Replay Value
6.5
You'll probably put this one
in the closet after three weeks or so.
Fun Factor
8.0
Its a fun game while you're
still exploring everything. There are enough plot twists and interesting battles to
keep you hooked until you've finished exploring.
Overall
7.0
It's a fun game while it
lasts, but there isn't much replay and that's what brings it down.
Inspired by such classics as The Legend of Zelda and Landstalker,
Blood Omen took the action/RPG genre into a new realm of darkness where great
voice acting, a twisted storyline, and buckets of blood kept game players hacking and
slashing their way through Nosgoth for days on end. With the long awaited sequel on
its way, does it still stand up to today's standards? Well, yes and no. 
Characters and items are all nicely done. There is a
wide variety of enemies and townspeople to run into. When Kain acquires a new weapon
or armor, his in-game appearance will change to show off the new gear. This is a welcome
feature because it keeps looking at Kain from getting dull after a few hours.