|
|
|
An excellent game for the fans of the series. | | lincetne nobis from Philadelphia PA says (1/Dec/2003): | Plot-- 97/100
To say anything about a Legacy of Kain game is to speak of its plot.
Ah, yes. As Kain himself says, in the opening sequence, “One must match move by move the machinations of fate, and thus defy the tyrannous stars.”
The plot does, indeed, follow right where Soul Reaver 2 left off.
Leaving out all spoilers, the plot is wonderful, deep, spiraling and satisfying. As enthralling as ever, those who have been following the series closely will undoubtedly enjoy Defiance. I myself do not find much issue with the plot in terms of content. For how the plot was placed, however, I find it bothersome. For a large portion of the game, information comes in short tidbits, during which time it seems as if there are hours and hours of the game in which the stage is merely being set up. I am assuming that this was done so for the reader to think about the new information that has been revealed to the gamer during this process. A nice thought, but at least, in practice, I doubt it works out that way.
Gameplay- 83/100
The gameplay itself was above average. While I feel Crystal Dynamics did an excellent job in keeping Kain's godliness while still rendering him playable, Raziel was a little bit of a letdown, after previous games. The combat system was structured to bear a resemblance to that of Capcom's Devil May Cry series, but it was far too limited in scope to do that effectivly. There were only a few special moves, (six, I think) per character, and they were unlocked based on experience. I don't know about anyone else, but I rarely used them.
I did like the addition of reaver spells to the game, though.
Graphics-- 96/100
They are absolutly magnificent. Defiance is beautiful; a work of art to behold. I can't count the number of times I stopped to look at the scenery around Raziel and Kain. My only concern was that some patterns were repeated here and there, but it was not a problem enough to detract from the experience of the game.
Kain and Raziel look fantastic. Their subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) movements are pure joy, at least from my standpoint. I can't count the number of times I smiled while seeing Kain matter-of-factly kick open doors and toss humans aside after feeding on them. And the realistic shadow feature in the game is excellent.
Music-- 75/100
As for the music of the game, I found it disappointingly mediorce. This is mainly because the previous games set the bar quite high. The music which comprises Defiance is basically just a rehash of tunes from the previous games, leaning heavily towards the Soul Reaver series side. While I love the music in Soul Reaver, I was expecting a few new and wonderful tracks to be present in Defiance, and they were absent. And while the music in the spectral realm was different, after a while it was tiring to hear the moaning and groaning of the spirits while I was moving around.
Voice Acting-- 100/100!
The voice acting is another story. The Legacy of Kain series has consistantly excelled in this aspect of its games, and Defiance does not fail to match the voice acting success of its predecessors. You won't find better voice acting in any game currently on the market, period. All of the voice actors have returned in Defiance. The character of Mortanius has a new voice actor, but this only adds to the greatness of the voice acting.
Replayability-- N/A
There isn't much replayability in Defiance for the casual gamer, however, I don't see where that matters very much as the Legacy of Kain series has always been a cult hit.
Overall Score--92/100
If you've been following the series, Defiance is a game you'll definatly not want to miss out on. If you haven't, then I'd suggest playing the previous games first.
| Defy Your Destiny in Legacy of Kain: Defiance | | GawdDawgs from Omaha, USA says (1/Dec/2003): | Legacy of Kain Defiance is the 5th installment in the Legacy of Kain series, starting with Blood Omen, Blood Omen 2, Soul Reaver, and Soul Reaver 2...Defiance picks up roughly where Soul Reaver 2 left off, although it is not necessary to play all 4 previous games to get a grasp on Defiance. In the Blood Omen series, you controlled the vampire Kain, and in the Soul Reaver series, you controlled the vampire-turned-wraith Raziel. In Defiance, both come together for the very first time as controllable characters.
But the last two installments, Soul Reaver 2 and Blood Omen 2, were very very lacking. Does Defiance redeem Eidos and Crystal Dynamics at long last? Yes. Yes it does and by a long shot.
Story: 10/10
I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but the story of Defiance finally sums up almost every loose end that the other games created, and then some! It is a very engripping story that will have you guessing until its very climax. Some new and old faces will be returning as well as that wonderful dialogue that keeps this game alive with character. And unlike the previous two Soul Reaver installments, Defiance has an actual final ending - no ''to be continued'' nonsense as seen in the last ones. However, that doesn't mean the series ends with Defiance, for there very well could be another game. The story in Defiance is absolutely wonderful. Twists and turns where you never expected them, character and plot development is done marvellously. Your jaw will drop as the story unfolds before your very eyes. It answers most, but not all, questions raised by previous installments.
Gameplay: 9/10
The fighting engine has had a massive upgrade, and that is a very very good thing. The fighting is very fast paced now, and you can battle multiple enemies at once. It is very much like the combat found in Devil May Cry, although not as polished as DMC, it is damn close. You can juggle your enemies as well and perform lots of different combos and techniques. Kain and Raziel both wield one weapon - the reaver blade (different incarnations), but you can enhance them with magical auras that each have their own ability and spell effects. It is really quite amazing.
Another enhancement to the combat is the TK (telekinetic) system. You can pick up your enemies using TK and throw them onto spikes or torches to burn them. Push them and fling them around like a rag doll. It makes you feel like a bad ass, as it should - for Kain and Raziel are bad ass!
Another element is the puzzles. The puzzles have had a massive face lift as well. There are hardly any ''block puzzles'' that were so very monotonous in Soul Reaver one, there aren't any ''flip the switch and follow the glow'' found in Blood Omen 2. Instead, there are breakable walls and objects that reveal new rooms, or ''lock and key'' type of puzzles. You can als retrieve artifacts that will increase your TK meter and life meter.
One unique aspect to Defiance is the fact that you have to feed both yourself and your weapon. Kain and his Reaver sword feed from blood, while Raziel and his sword feed from souls of your conquered foes. This aspect is done wonderfully and never grows tedious.
There are also bosses in Defiance. Unlike previous installments however, they are much more combat oriented than puzzle oriented. The bosses are amazing, especially the ones towards the ending.
The gameplay is remarkable. It's so much different, and much, much better than all of the other Legacy of Kain games! This game is loads of fun, you'll have trouble trying to put down the controller.
Camera: 7/10
There is only one thing hampering down the gameplay, and that is the camera. The company tried to make the camera much like that of Ico, which is place camera setup. For the most part, it works pretty good. However, too many times you'll find yourself having to ''babysit'' the camera during fight scenes. Often times you'll be fighting something that you can't even see. Or there will be something in the forground that is blocking your view. In most games, that object would become invisible, but this is not the case in Defiance. Although not a huge deal, it happens often enough to take notice of it. And nobody has to like to work for the camera - it should work for you.
Sound/Audio: 10/10
The music is amazing, except that it's just a music from the previous Soul Reaver games, so it's really nothing new to your ears. But the music in the Soul Reaver games were magnificent and they work great for Defiance, setting the tone and mood perfectly. And like in all Legacy of Kain games, the voice acting is absolutely wonderful.
Graphics: 9/10
The graphics of Defiance are superb! Such rich and beautiful environments. The scenery is magnificent! Character models never looked so lifelike before, and unlike some other games on the PS2, they don't look all cartoony. Instead they look dark, and gothic-esque, and really great. The only thing hampering down the graphics is the framerate. A lot of the times, when youre by yourself the frame rate slows down a lot, even during cutscenes. It's actually kind of ridiculous sometimes. You can have a scene with loads of enemies around and the framerate would be much better than say, when your just walking around by yourself. This is a less than often occurance, but it still happens.
Replayability: 6/10
Once you beat Defiance, there's not much reason to play again very soon. There are some artifacts to get though that will unlock some behind the scenes and special concept art in the gallery though.
Final Thoughts
This is, by far, the best Legacy of Kain game to date. For fans of the series, you will not be disappointed and this is a must buy. For casual gamers, I think you're in for a pleasant surprise and might become a Legacy of Kain fan after playing this game. Even though this is the 5th game, do not be intimidated by that, because you don't have to play the other games to understand this game. It explains much of the past through cutscenes and what not.
The only thing hampering down this game from a near perfect score is the unpolished camera problems, and the framerate issues. Other than that, I'd rate Defiance a 9.4. This is a very good game that's a lot of fun. Eidos and Crystal Dynamics have redeemed themselves from their streak of less than average games of the past. Whether you rent or buy, this game will not disappoint you.
| Defiance Owns My Soul! | | hippiechk from Brick, New Jersey, USA says (25/Nov/2003): | It will own yours too!
I was expecting great things from it, but it far exceeded all of my expectations.
Defiance is the fifth game in the Legacy of Kain series. It is not necessary to have played the previous four games first, but I would highly recommend that you do. The story of Defiance can stand on it’s own, but if you play the other games first, you’ll have a much better and deeper understanding of the significant events of Defiance.
Story: 10/10
All I can say is WOW! This story totally blew me away. There were several things I expected to happen in this epic, and some of them did, but, they came about in ways I never dreamed of. The way the story unfolded. Excellent plot twists at almost every turn. And many surprises. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, Crystal Dynamics throws you a curve ball. I was not disappointed. And if you are a Legacy of Kain fan, you will not be either. If you’re not a Legacy of Kain fan yet, you will be after playing this game. Questions raised in the previous games are answered here. And many theories are put to rest. All makes sense in the end.
Game play: 10/10
Game play was excellent. A perfect balance of fighting, puzzle solving and exploration of the beautifully detailed landscapes.
The game’s levels are presented as chapters. You start off chapter one playing as Kain. Then you alternate between Kain and Raziel at every other chapter. Again, it adds to the overall balance of the game.
Fighting enemies was fun! Done similarly to the style of Devil May Cry, but better, I think. Both Kain and Raziel are equipped with one weapon each: Kain, the Blood Reaver; Raziel, the Wraith Blade. Both earn and find telekinetic powers and Reaver/Blade upgrades and enhancements. As a player, these provide you with several choices in how to fight and defeat your enemies. I found that to be a very nice added touch that makes the game play very different than most games out there today. Because in most games, there is only one way to defeat any given enemy.
Even though the controls for Kain and Raziel are identical, I found these characters actually play very differently. Kain is stronger, but he’s also larger and heavier which makes him slower, Raziel is tough, but smaller, lighter and much faster than Kain. Both have their advantages.
In Defiance, the fighting was fun. No battles were too difficult, or too easy. And there are enough fights to keep you occupied for a while. The game’s bosses were not outrageously difficult. But some of them presented enough of a challenge to make you have to think about how to progress. Every time you beat a boss, you are rewarded with a beautiful and sometimes mind blowing cinematic that moves the story along smoothly and seamlessly.
One extremely important aspect of Defiance’s game play, is that both Kain and Raziel need to feed throughout their adventures, as their health meters are slowly drained as they simply walk around. If you don’t feed them, they will die and the game will end. Kain feeds on the blood of his enemies, and Raziel, on his enemies’ souls. And they way they feed is gruesomely beautiful! Kain brutally and viciously grabs an enemy and sucks the blood from his/her neck before dropping him/her to the ground. Raziel violently rips the soul from an enemies’ body, devours it, and moves on. There are also health pots scattered throughout the game that either character can simply suck from, if needed. They are very helpful when your health is low and there are no enemies around to drain from, and sometimes, during a boss battle.
The puzzles were extremely well done. Again, not too easy, not too difficult. Nothing was ridiculously hidden, or ridiculously obvious. Puzzles presented a nice balance also, in that there were blocks to move, items to break, artifacts to find. And every puzzle yielded a nice reward.
Even though you play as both Kain and Raziel, Defiance looks and feels much like the two Soul Reaver titles, as opposed to the two Blood Omen titles. However, Defiance does present the best of both worlds flawlessly. Again, perfect balance.
Camera: 8/10
This is one of the (very) minor annoyances of Defiance. For the most part, the camera worked well enough. Though I terribly missed being able to have complete control over the camera at any time throughout the game, as it was in the previous games. In Defiance, you cannot control the camera yourself. Though you can use it too look around the area, or in first person view. But you simply cannot control the camera during a battle, or while just exploring.
There were several times when I was fighting an enemy and I couldn’t see what I was doing as a wall or pillar or something would block my view. And I couldn’t change the angle of the camera to get a better view. Annoying, yes, but not a huge problem. However, the camera in Soul Reaver was much better.
Sound/Audio: 10/10
Superb! The voice acting is the pinnacle of this series’ audio. If any character’s voice were to be replaced by that of another actor, it simply wouldn’t work. The voice acting cast is top notch. You will not hear better anywhere, ever. Aside from the main characters, I especially loved the sounds and voices of the free floating souls in the underworld – calling out Raziel’s name, screaming in agony, begging for relief.
The music is also perfect. Beautifully done to set the mood and tone as you progress through the game. Never annoying, or overriding the speech. It was a nice mix of tracks from the previous games. Fans of the series will find it familiar.
Graphics: 10/10
Stunning! Breathtaking! Wow!
Never have I seen graphics and animation done so well in a game. Vividly bright colors bring the scenery to life. Many times I would stop to look around in first person view at the exquisitely detailed buildings, landscapes, murals, etc. And then there’s the characters themselves. More smoothly rendered than ever before, yet most retain their familiar appearances. They are all beautiful. Right down to the evil glances they exchange, the smirks on their faces, the shock, surprise and other emotions they express. Facial expressions are so realistic. And the lip-synching, flawless. Everything in this game is visually pleasing. The attention to every painstaking tiny detail is extremely obvious. And I am an artist, so I have a deep appreciation for such things.
Replayability: 8/10
There are no alternate endings. But to me, that doesn’t matter. In fact, it’s best that there are not. I will replay this game simply because the story is superb and I cannot get enough of it. The art and animation is beautiful to look at. And the game play is fun.
You don’t have to find every telekinetic power up, or health piece, or arcane tome to beat this game. And all the tomes are unlocked after you beat it anyway, along with all of the bonus materials.
So yes, I will replay even though there is nothing new to find, earn or see.
Bonus Materials: 10/10
As I've said, all bonuses are unlocked when you beat Defiance. Kain’s and Raziel’s tomes offer concept art from past games, some of it, never seen before. But the voice sessions’ out takes are by far, the best of the bonus materials. And these, can only be seen after you beat the game. They are hilarious! It’s fun to watch these people at work too.
Things I missed:
The Glyphs from Soul Reaver. I'd hoped they would be back in Defiance. They are not. And a map. No map available to help you navigate through the game. One is not really needed, but I would have liked to have had one anyway.
Final Thoughts:
This is, without a doubt, the best game in the Legacy of Kain series. In my opinion, the best game ever! It will be tough for any other game to even come close. Crystal Dynamics has redeemed themselves by tying up most loose ends, answering nagging questions, and even raising a few new ones (but not many). It is my belief that Crystal Dynamics has set the standard of what a video game should be.
It is the attention paid to all the fine details of the game that make it so perfect (except for the camera, but even that as I said, was minor). Details in the sound, the aflections and tones of the voices, the detailed renderings of the surrounding areas. It’s never been done so well before. Not even Final Fantasy can touch Defiance in these aspects.
The money spent on production is blatantly obvious. And I love them and thank them for not cutting corners and sparing no expense. Every little nuance of this game has grabbed me. Simply beautiful, and extremely well done. THANK YOU CRYSTAL DYNAMICS AND EIDOS! Defiance owns my soul!
| Great! so great it's better than you! lol | | LunarMouse from Kennewick, Washington, USA says (19/Nov/2003): | Ok. If you havnt played the other games in this series (BO and BO2, SR and SR2) i have two things to say:
1. you are missing out on quite possibly the best series of games EVER! yes EVER!
and B. most of this game wont make a damn lick of sense!
so i suggest going and playing those games first.
anyway, to this game. It is wonderfull. The graphics and the story are top notch, as per all the LoK seriheres. I would give this game a 10, except for one thing. THE STUPID CAMERA! MAN! this thing pissed me off so much while playing. EIDOS obviously was trying to make the whole game more cinematic like Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 2, but it didnt work so well for LoK:D. There were times that i couldnt see where i was going, and couldnt see the bad guys i was attacking. other than that, its a great game!
| | |
