It looks like the Legacy of Kain series could be set to make a comeback, some 19 years after the last entry was released. Following its purchase of the venerable vampire IP in recent months, developer Crystal Dynamics polled fans on whether or not they would like to see the series return, and what form that return should take. The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, was a resounding 'yes'.
More than 100,000 people responded to the survey, and of that number, more than 70,000 completed it in its entirety. Apparently, when video game companies put out these kinds of questionnaires, they are lucky to get a couple of thousand respondents at best, so it's a sign that the Legacy of Kain fandom is alive and well.
As transcribed by VGC, Crystal Dynamics CEO Phil Rogers said during Embracer Group's recent earnings call that "we saw the news of our survey shared across social and press platforms, and we really felt this was a great way to reignite this passionate fan community with this legendary PC and console game series. Rest assured, we hear you loudly and clearly, and we will continue to update you on the what-if possibilities ahead for Legacy of Kain in the future.”
If you didn't know, the series began with Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, which was released on PS1 back in 1996. A sequel, called Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, followed in 1999 and is arguably the most famous entry in the franchise. Soul Reaver was directed by Amy Hennig, who later wrote and directed the Uncharted series with developer Naughty Dog.
Are you excited about the potential return of the Legacy of Kain franchise? What are your memories of these now long-in-the-tooth vampire action RPGs? Let us know in the comments section below.
[source embracer.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 33
A remake of Soul Reaver would be amazing.
I've always wanted to try these games but never really got around to it. I played the original PS1 game for a couple hours and kinda got sidetracked and never went back to it. I really think i should at some point before I'm dust.
@Bentleyma
as much as i like Raziel, i think the first Blood Omen need it more than soul reaver.
fantastic news, i really appreciate if they remake or remastered a Soul Reaver 👌
Oh yeah! Soul reaver remake!! Bring. It. On.
Let's do this! I have the feeling that overall a new Soul Reaver would have made more net profit than Avengers, if you set the right budget for the game.
This would have kept the bigwigs at Square happy! (probably not )
I was one that did the survey and hope they bring this series back.
Love LoK and Soul Reaver. Reboot probably makes most sense though personally i'd just like a continuation.
@Bentleyma as long as it is a full on remake (or just a new game/reboot) and not just a re-master. I've got the original on PC, and actually playing it again 20+ years later is rough. It's not even just "I'm used to modern control schemes and don't want to re-learn a different one". The original SR was a very early 3D game - devs were still working out exactly what "good" controls were, and a lot of those early ones were a pain in the arse - but we put up with it at the time because we were amazed at just being able to play 3D games and didn't have any better options
Remakes or new games would be awesome
Really cool, I love the series and I usually completed the whole saga once a year for some time. Recently got Soul Reaver 2 and Defiance via gog.com for 0.99eur each... But I'm willing to pay for a simple remaster or remake for playstation for sure. And a sequel oh that would be great.... But man Michael Bell is in his 80s...
@danlk1ng
The original PC port of Soul Reaver also wasn't very good. It had clunky controls, texture issues, and had a 30 fps cap (because they pretty much just dumped the PS1 code and called it a day without any real optimizing) when the Dreamcast version ran at 60.
Soul Reaver was bananas-awesome. I’d take a remake or new game; either would be a dream!
So they haven't heard us for the past 15 to 20 years?
(Elder) God, I'm ready!! Please Crystal Dynamics, bring a remastered collection of the 5 games (with subtitles please)! We must be reacquainted with the overall story, as the plot is the main feature of the franchise.
@BrotherFilmriss And Tony Jay, the Elder God voice actor, is already dead...
We listened to you and present our newest attempt, LoK Persona Mowing. You’ll take your vampire hero through vampire HS, detailed friends and classes will build relationships, then after 150 hours you can get into the mowing…
Yes!! Incredible news. Fingers crossed 🤞
Bout time i hope crystal dynamics does the franchise justice
LoK and Soul reaver are amazing games. Would love a reboot of both. I'm happy I answered that servey and they're listening to us.
I love this series. Played through all of them, even Blood Omen 2, which was rough. I was very disappointed when they never made a sequel to Defiance. The ending of that game set the series up to go in a new direction; would’ve been nice to see how the story went from there.
That being said, I also wouldn’t mind a reboot either. Maybe leave out all the time travel. They certainly went to some interesting places with those story elements - but I think a story about vampires and soul wraiths is interesting enough on its own without time paradoxes and destined fates. Kinda like how I’ve always felt about Star Trek - you already have space exploration and alien politics, you don’t need to throw time travel into the mix as well.
You beauty... Make it gritty, make it interesting. FFS don't make it woke!
I would love to see some more games. But I'll believe it when I see it.
The two soul reaver games are among my best experience in video games. Those phenomenal music and voice acting (Kain Raziel Morbius Elder god) were well ahead of 1999 and 2001. Still the music is in my mind, the one at SR1 intro when Kain said "cast him in" to other sarafan/vampire brothers to throw Raziel.
Even Defience with a repetitive gameplay and shallow puzzles, the story was fantastic. Oh God I love the series
Tomb raider, Hitman, Sleeping dogs, these three games has been an amazing Reboot, And i want Legacy of kain Reboot, with God of war 2018 Rpg camera and fighting mechanic.
mid open world and two different maps of the souls world and living world, all this was answered in the survey.
Remake is perfect for us, but its not for the new generation players who never played soul reaver.
so they need to make a game for old and new generation of players and that's why it must be a reboot with RPG and open world mechanics.
@Truegamer79 I've also never played any of the games before, but have been curious about them.
Oh man! I am so happy about this.
I love thus series. I hope they do it right. I sure left all the feedback they need to hit it outta the park. 😁
@KidBoruto You must play the Soul reaver duology. It's in essence a single game split in two. Possibly the best story in an adventure game. The writing, the characters, the world, the music... it's such a singular experience.
Though, i understand it might be difficult to do these days. Maybe they will remaster them.
I really can't say more without spoilers. I can say that they are masterpieces by Amy Hennig, of Uncharted fame. She became my favorite developer once i played the games.
@R-Soub dude... no. You can't do open world. The LoK games are all about the narrative. If you go open world the story pacing and quality will suffer and it will be a bust.
You were on the right track if you compare it to tomb raider and god of war reboots. The games were always semi open metroivania style. They have to stick to that.
Open world would be something completely different that will fail to meet expectations. We got enough open worlds.
@KidBoruto
I've always kinda had a liking to things that are considered dark or macabre. The original legacy of kain from what I've played seems like a gory version of zelda. It even has similar style overhead dungeons and spells/magic abilities. The narration is pretty cool too. Great voice work overall. I'd really like to finish it some day if i can just put aside my modern games for some good old retro goodness!
@Nem @Me don't misunderstand, I hate open world, but it's the only way that this reboot will make us play more than 25 hours and I hope it will be a trilogy like tomb Raider, but hope it will be more rpg elements and the combat hope it's gow style
There is no shooting, thata why it must be gow style
Crystal Dynamics: We have a survey to gauge interest on this IP.
Me: Sure I'll apply. Never played any in the series but I want to see it do well with a reboot/remake/sequel. I said I want it to stay true to the originals, not so much the modernisation of skill trees and other 'has to be an RPG, open world this and that because everyone else does'. Tomb Raider rebooted for a trilogy was fine but I don't want 'everything' to be an RPG.
I think it being it's own direction is a better idea, whatever vampire like stuff they have in mind to put a spin on like God of War does Greek (and Norso) or Darksiders does the four horsemen among other IPs using mythologies or stories (2 being my favourite hack n slash RPG combo that no one else seems to bother attempting, Forspoken is interesting of magic/platforming/open world and Bayonetta combat flexible but still). I put it in that sort of a way (I kept my responses in a document but that's my brief memory) as well as pointing out Akuji the Heartless (a Crystal Dynamics game before the Blood Omen/Kain games) and Gex (to see if any staff there would notice that too as well as Akuji at least in the had I seen footage/reviews or played the game textboxes, got to put those titles/some easter eggs in my response ).
Crystal Dynamics: We are doing something with the IP after gauging interest.
Me: Good to see but your gauging interest survey made it kind of clear you wanted to do it regardless of interest seeking but weren't sure how many newcomers or old fans were really interested, so glad for this announcement that the IP is coming back but still. XD I wonder what others said in their survey responses but at the same time I think it is cool to see come back just not with too much modernisation keep it to it's strengths please. Not everything needs an open world, souls or otherwise formula. Make it stand out. No clunky combat like souls/GOW2018+ just make it fun and existing with abilities, lore and so on. Even if never played a game in the series ever.
I agree with others, no garbage of game design, or characterisation, make it a modern game of the same strengths or a return for the series. Sly 4 was cool to see with a studio that worked on the collection. Yooka Laylee was from the old Rare staff. Rift Apart was remixed ideas I hated but Spiderman seemed to have newcomers that made better content than the old staff that worked on 2016/Rift Apart that are missing the point with what Crack in Time did in story and side content not just 'we borrowed the jet boots and rifts as well as kept the skill tree from 2007' yeah thanks Insomniac that's not what I wanted you to borrow from if you wanted to improve the ideas from it, sigh. Well bye bye mod systems of old and the flying in space sectors/moons, or actually better use of the rifts and get rid of the skill trees I hate them stop using them I don't feel compelled to use them.
I’d love them to remake Soul Reaver 1&2 and Legacy of Kain Defiance.
I’ve played the Blood Omens so would love to play a remake of those as well.
Raziel would probably get censored though
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