Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain

The Good
For anyone who's played the Zelda games, this one will be a treat especially since action/adventures of this sort are rare on the PC. The storyline is intricate and detailed and the ambience of Nosgoth (the gameworld) is suitably dark (I especially liked the way the colored lighting enhanced the moodiness). The voice overs for your character (Kain) also add to the atmosphere. As in the Zelda games your magical and shapechanging abilities and weaponry are steadily expanded as you progress. If you're a fan of vampires then this game will surely appeal to you.

The Bad
Despite the acquisition of new weapons and offensive spells the combat quickly gets repetitive, and since combat is the central focus of the game this could put off a lot of people. Personally, I found the storyline to be the most important factor in keeping me playing till the end. The graphics are also very pixelated and blocky by today's glorious hi-res, true-color standards. Traversing back and forth through the world of Nosgoth can also get tedious (although this is helped somewhat by the teleportation system introduced early in the game). I would have liked the inclusion of more interaction and conversation with the NPCs. Also, you can only save at designated save game points which I found to be annoying since it sometimes meant trudging through already-covered territory upon reloading.

The Bottom Line
Heavy on action and light on dialogue. This is definitely an action-adventure and not an RPG. It is far removed from the generally cutesy atmosphere of the Zelda games. If you can appreciate the twists and turns of the storyline you will definitely want to play through the game. Playing as an anti-hero character is a refreshing change. Anne Rice and Dracula fans, this one's for you.

The Good
Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen, is an action RPG, from marvelous Canuck developer Silicon Knights. It has been compared to many other action RPG’s, this is unfair as Blood Omen is so unique such comparisons do it little justice.

In Blood Omen you are Kain an insignificant noble whom is attacked and slain by some brigands. Kain is sent to Nosgoth’s(The world in which the game takes place.) version of hell, where he makes a deal to come back as a vampire to exact his vengeance. This however is just the beginning of Kain’s quest. Along the way Kain will slay his enemies, drink their blood, solve puzzles, improve his abilities, find spells weapons and armor, and right century old wrongs. Eventually Kain will have to decide to save Nosgoth or enslave it. The plot is well written and gradually unfolds as you finish dungeons. It is one of the game’s strongest parts.

The Graphics in Blood Omen are 2D-Top down. Similar to many other action RPG’s. Unlike the majority of these, the graphics are realistic not cartoony. They were good at the time of the games initial release and still stand out as one of the Playstation’s better looking 2D games. As Kain finds and equips different types of armor and weapons it shows on his sprite. (PC gamers are used to this, most Console gamers are probably not.) The spells all look good without being over the top. Feeding on hapless humans is always fun to watch. Using your flamesword to incinerate foes is a 2D treat.

In the sound department Kain, also excels. The voice actors all do an amazing job. Particularly, the voice of Kain, which is fortunate as you will hear him a lot. The sound effects from the screams of your enemies, to the clanging of swords on swords all sound like they should, which is to say good. Music in Blood Omen is scarce, which is a shame considering how good it is. Then again I don’t expect a game like this to be full of music.

The Gameplay in Kain, has you traveling through Nosgoth, exploring the it’s towns, dungeons, and wilderness. Finding secrets is a major part of the game, as many of the secret items will be an incredible help on your adventure. And it all helps you get a better rank when you finish the game. Kain has lots of tricks at his disposal. He can fight with weapons, and spells. He can transform into a bat, wolf, and even a human. And on full moons he can gain access to Moon Caves, which contain special items. The bread and butter of the gameplay is of course the dungeons.

The Bad
The bad of Kain comes from the Playstation load times. Everything needs to load. Bringing up menus, is particularly bad. You need to access it often, the quick menu’s help somewhat but not enough, and there is no quick menu for weapons. The game is also very difficult at the beginning. As you progress it does get easier. This is hardly the most difficult game ever as some may try to claim, but it does pack it’s challenges.

The Bottom Line
This is a totally unique RPG experience. RPG and horror fans should check this one out. As well as new Silicon Knights fans, this game is quite the compliment to Eternal Darkness. And it comes in two flavors PC and Playstation.

The Good
Movies had Bram Stoker's Dracula and Interview with a Vampire. Windows had Vampire: The Masquerade. Play Station had Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Well, yes it was later introduced to Windows but I have a policy: STAY OUT OF EACH OTHER'S PLATFORM!

Uh...erm...yes. Got that out. Back to the game. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain was an extremely interesting game. It had features that would envy the average game:

• A great storyline on how Kain the Noble became Kain the Lord of Vampires and much more. Though the intro was kind of weak (about Kain himself, I mean), truthfully said.
• Exquisite graphics...not the greatest of graphics tell you the truth, but they made it such a way that it was well suited for the game: Dark, dark and (you guessed it) dark. Black and red, Soothing really.
• Difficulty: Ouch. Yes, I must admit the game was quite difficult. But of course we veterans (ahem) only play the hardest level. Anything less is only for (censored). It’s NOT the most difficult game one will ever play, but not as difficult to get you too frustrated and provoking to kick your leg through the TV screen.
• Great variation of spells and weapons. Now this game introduced a great innovation in weapons, spells and armor. How so? Well, just because you get a new weapon or new spell doesn't mean you stop using the old ones. One uniqueness of this game is that (mostly) every weapon, armor, and spell have there own uniqueness. Each have their own use situated for different events. In addition to different animation approaches. Example: Let’s say you want to just ‘mow’ down your enemies. The double-bladed axe would be great for that purpose – twirling your axe like Tasmanian Devil gone Barbarian - and combining that with the Flesh Armor (nice name, eh – Flesh?), you don’t have to suck their blood. The armor does it for you. Or if you prefer the ‘conventional’ approach (my favorite), you can ‘whack’ them senseless with your spiked mace (would love to see the close-up) of which they don’t die, they just sort of stand there until you honor them with a bit to the neck.
• Yes, you just got to love the different variations on how to kill someone. That’s where the spells and items come in. Forget shooter action games – they all either die by bullet or bomb. Now with spells (and items – basically magic items) on the other hand, you can for example ‘Implode’ them – See their guts blow up from inside. Blood Shower? Imagine what a spell with this name can do? Muahahahaha! Yes, give me 10, 20, 100 enemies. With this spells you suck the blood out of them simultaneously. You just got to see all the blood flying from different directions to your mouth. Refreshing spell really. Pentalich Tarots – Can’t make up your mind? Let fate do it for you! Cards with random death sentences! (Each card sold separately…hehe)
• Sound. Ah…music to your ears of helpless victims screaming awaiting their final doom. Fabulous sound especially the sound of blood…lots of blood. Muahahaha!
• Amoral. Evil. Sadistic. You name it. This game has all of that, but enough as not to offend anyone. Genius really. Pure genius.
  
  **The Bad**
  Not enough blood. Bram Stoker's Dracula the Movie didn't have enough blood in it either. Muahahahaha! But honestly, the puzzles can get pretty frustrating sometimes (but still not frustrating enough to whack the console). Good thing we have internet now. Viva la Walkthrough! Though I didn't have it back then (sigh).
  
  **The Bottom Line**
  I can see you in red...dripping red. Uh...ehem. Yes, great game. Worth every penny. Muahahahahahahaha! (sorry had to say that)