Aspyr has detailed and explained the changes made to the two remastered versions of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.
Every boss encounter in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is designed to challenge the player’s mastery of Raziel’s abilities. The goal with the character models was to improve the textures as much as possible while making sure they fit into the apocalyptic world. Melchiah is the first of Kain’s lieutenants that Raziel must defeat. This battle takes place in the Necropolis, where Melchiah pursues Raziel while phasing through gates that render the spectral realm unsafe. Strategically use the environment to expose Melchiah’s weaknesses and use his own devices against him. Melchiah has been given a complete texture overhaul with darker skin and a slimmer body feel. The bones and skeletal mapping are now more realistic and gory, and his eye color has been adjusted to match the original look.
Fought in a dilapidated cathedral, Zephon has evolved into an insect-like creature that has merged with the towering structure. You’ll need to climb to the highest chambers and willingly become entangled in order to confront him. Search the room for any elemental advantages that might aid you in this endeavor. Zephon was too desaturated, so they’ve completely repainted his face. Fighting Rahab in a flooded abbey. Rahab is completely immune to water, which is deadly to Raziel. Use Raziel’s agility to dodge Rahab’s deadly melee and ranged attacks by jumping, and use your newly acquired telekinetic projectile ability to exploit Rahab’s extreme vulnerability to sunlight. Rahab’s head has been redesigned to give his eyes a reddish glow, giving him a more menacing look. They’ve also changed the fangs to look more vampiric and made his skin tone a bit grayer. In a desolate fortress, Dumah awaits resurrection. Like his other brethren, Dumah is invulnerable to all attacks, so Raziel must be cunning and lure him to a flame powerful enough to melt even the hardest metal, while avoiding the tremendous earthquakes caused by Dumah’s incredible strength. Dumah’s armor is now much dirtier, with stains of mold and blood all over it (considering he has been impaled for centuries).
Raziel first confronts Kain at the Pillars, where he must be quick and hit Kain three times to obtain the Soul Reaver. The second encounter takes place in the Chronoplast, where the tiered arena makes dodging even more difficult. Watch your target’s movements closely and hurry to strike him with the Soul Reaver. If you cannot reach him in time, use the telekinetic projectile to stop Kain from using his powerful lightning attack. The encounter is intense and dramatic, but I won’t spoil how it ends. The models for Kain in both Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2 had to be completely redesigned to reduce texture issues. With the increased polygon count, they felt it was important to bring his look much closer to the Kain you saw in the original FMVs, which was much more detailed and more or less what the original intent for the character was. The original model in the first Soul Reaver was particularly limited, so now both games have a Kain that looks consistent between the two titles.
In the original games, players often found themselves wandering the vast, twisting landscapes of Nosgoth, relying heavily on memory and environmental clues to navigate. The introduction of the map and compass marks a thoughtful expansion that blends modern gameplay conveniences with the preservation of the exploratory experience the original titles were known for. The compass gently nudges the player in the right direction without giving away specific details of where to go or what to do next, and the map is more of a reference tool than a guide. They’ve also included a collection tracker for all health and energy power-ups, so you’ll know if you’ve gotten all the collectibles in each area. All of the major Nosgoth features are present and accurately condensed based on setting and gameplay. For fans who may feel that these additions are a major departure from the original games, they’ve made sure to include a compass toggle feature.
In addition to its gameplay utility, the map is also a beautiful piece of art created in collaboration with the development team, community advisors, artists and designers at Crystal Dynamics. They knew that accuracy was paramount, so they worked hard to draw from the original source art, design documents, and game lore. They also incorporated community reviews to make sure nothing was overlooked. As a result of these efforts, the map is accurate enough to be featured in the new Lore Reader bonus menu, which identifies the location of each lore entry. In terms of design direction, Crystal Dynamics designers used a heavily inked approach that blends beautifully with the existing art, creating a stunning new way to visualize the world of Nosgoth. The map and compass serve as welcome tools for exploration, ensuring that the remastered versions remain both a tribute to the classics and a modernized, more player-friendly experience.
The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered will be available on December 12th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Source: Gematsu, PlayStation Blog
