Edwin, come look at this! Seriously, come look at this! It’s that thing from your site bio. They’re doing a new one. Edw-0h wait, he’s on holiday today. Ah well, I guess I’ll have to aim my distictly non-Soul Reaver enthusiast eyes at Legacy of Kain: Ascendance. Ooh, Edwin, this nice marketing person claims it’ll appeal to veteran Kainers like you, despite being a bit of a new direction for the series.
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This is new and therefore special, but this is also old and therefore special is essentially the driving point made by an Xbox Wire post penned by Legacy of Kain: Ascendance lead writer Claribel Guerra. The game, a 2D action platformer revealed by Crystal Dynamics during last night’s PlayStation State of Play, is the first new Legacy of Kain since 2003’s Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Defiance, as it happens, is getting a remaster next month.
In Ascendance, you play as Kain, Raziel, and Elaleth – the former two voiced by returning voice actors Simon Templeman and Michael Bell. The game itself’s a weird mishmash. “Ascendance’s 2D side-scrolling presentation and pixel art aesthetic immediately stand out, evoking the era when the series first emerged,” Guerra wrote. “That approach is paired with PS1-era-inspired 3D sequences and anime-influenced cinematics, bringing major story moments to life while nodding to the franchise’s first leap into 3D with Soul Reaver. The experience centers on combat and atmosphere, challenging you to master movement, read enemy patterns, and stay in control under pressure.”
While there doesn’t look to have been many specifics of the story yet, Guerra insisted that “the world remains bleak and oppressive; the themes are heavy with fate, power, and consequence”. “The game’s narrative unfolds across multiple eras, connecting familiar characters and moments from the series’ history while expanding on ideas that were previously only implied,” they added.
So, they assert, old heads won’t be put off by the upping of pace in terms of actions. You’ll still be stopping to figure stuff out and take in key happenings, rather than locked in a constant rush.
Will that actually appeal to clapped-out Soul Reaver enthusiasts like my dear vaycaying colleague? We’ll find out when Legacy of Kain: Ascendance comes out on March 31st this year. Or just whenever Edwin’s back in. Either way, you can wishlist it on Steam.
