The sequel to the dark action adventure game Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain is finally out and the delays were well worth it. Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Interactive have delivered a game unparalleled in scope and level of excellence previously not seen on the PlayStation. The first game was an average action-adventure title with a unique vampirism-based story which, at the time, distinguished itself from similar titles. The sequel is an entirely different game transforming Nosgoth into a vast 3D world. Gone are the annoying load times which plagued the original.  But the improvements don't stop there.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver continues the story of Kain and his brood of vampires. It is 1,000 years since the events of the first game and Kain, rather than sacrificing his existence to save his world , has decided to rule it.  Bringing to his side a legion of vampire lieutenants, he has virtually wiped out humanity and replaced it with his vampire followers. Kain's lieutenants normally followed without question.  However, Raziel, one of Kain's servants evolves wings before Kain. Thus Raziel is punished and thrown into the abyss where he burns in agony. There, he discovers a mysterious greater power, known only as the Elder, that is starved for the souls which remain trapped in the vampiric bodies eternally remaining in Nosgoth. The Elder sets Raziel on a path to take revenge upon Kain and restore human souls to the Elder.

The opening story is told through a fantastic introductory FMV sequence which successfully sets the tone and fills the gamer in on the history of Nosgoth. Upon controlling Raziel, the player is led through a step by step tutorial of the game's mechanics by the Elder who acts as guide throughout the adventure. 

The world of Nosgoth is presented in glorious 3D splendor with huge levels, all containing a great amount of detail. Enemies are well animated and each has a unique death action.  Raziel himself is polygon-based, but moves flawlessly -- especially when performing actions such as moving blocks to solve the numerous puzzles. 

The game's music blends in to the action so flawlessly that the player won't even notice it.  The dark graphics and subdued music bring out the gothic flavor of the game. The most impressive element of the presentation is the voice acting, possibly the best ever done in any PlayStation game. 

Soul Reaver offers a huge non-linear world to explore. Although there are areas that the player must visit to go on to the next level, other areas are still open and, if found, can be explored at leisure. To tackle the various challenges which await him, Raziel can jump, run, crawl, move blocks, flip blocks, glide on his broken wings, and swim. 

In addition to the basic starting moves, each boss provides a new ability such as phasing through gates and climbing up special walls.  Intricate to Raziel's existence is the ability to morph between the real material realm and the ghostly spectral realm.  Moving between the two is essential for 
solving the many puzzles which litter his path. Raziel can only open doors and move physical objects in the material realm. To sustain his existence he must suck out the souls of his enemies which is indicated by a life swirl meter. Once this life meter runs out, Raziel goes back to the spectral realm where he slowly regains his energy. The spectral realm contains numerous portals for entrance back to the material realm. In this way, Raziel is basically invincible. If killed in the spectral realm then Raziel simply starts over in the beginning Elder chamber. Another fascinating aspect of the two realms is that ledges, columns and walls will shift proportions as Raziel goes between realms so that if a ledge is to high to jump to in the material realm, it becomes lower in the spectral realm. Thus going between realms allows the player to progress through otherwise impassable areas. 

Combat is against many undead monsters which cannot be killed in normal ways. Raziel can hit his enemies with his claws but this will only stun them which allows them to recover. To permanently dispatch an enemy, Raziel can use an assortment of weapons. Spears can skewer the enemy, sunlight or torches will burn them, and water will similarly dispatch a nasty villain.  One of the cooler aspects of the game is that Raziel can pick up objects such as spears and torches directly off of walls which are part of the background environment. At one point in the game, Raziel acquires the awesome Soul Reaver Sword which is an attachment to his body and, in addition to acting as a powerful weapon, it sustains him in the material realm. 

Fighting and exploring are only one half of the game. The rest is filled with hundreds of intriguing puzzles. Most of these involve moving blocks around or flipping switches.  All of these puzzles are so clever and unique that they are never tedious. In fact, this game is so addictive that you can spend hours trying to solve cool puzzles or exploring your environment. This is one game where play time becomes meaningless because it seems so big and yet so much fun you'll never want to stop. Added to the main game are lots of secret items such as Artifacts which increase Raziel's life meter or Power Glyphs which give special magic attacks. The entire game can be beaten without discovering any of these secrets, but each one helps tremendously in boss fights.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is a true masterpiece which proves once again the potential of the PlayStation, even in the waning years of its life. A perfect blend between exploration and puzzle-solving brings the action/adventure genre to a whole new level. Soul Reaver is a game which 
succeeds in pushing the envelope in a way that the Tomb Raider sequels were never able to do. While the Tomb Raider sequels were copies of the original, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, for the first time, is a sequel that provides a true evolution in gaming.