Tue, Mar 20, 2012 | 10:39 GMT

Rumour: Crystal Dynamics on “Soul Reaver” reboot

VG247 has it on good authority that Crystal Dynamics is currently working on a full reboot of vampire series Legacy of Kain.

Crystal Dynamics is working on a reboot of “Soul Reaver,” VG247 has been told.

Details are anorexic, but our source has claimed the game is a full reworking of the vampire action classic, and includes a new art direction.

We have been previously told the project was aiming for a reveal this year – possibly at E3 – but new information has warned this may not be accurate.

It’s unclear where the new game will lie in the IP, and whether or not Raziel or Kain will lead. The series itself is Legacy of Kain; Kain is a noble murdered and revived as a vampire who embarks on a crusade to kill his assassins and be restored to human form.

The protagonist of Soul Reaver – the sequel to the series’s first title, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, which released in 1996 for PlayStation – is vampire-turned-wraith Raziel.

Soul Reaver – released in 1999 for PlayStation and PC, with a Dreamcast version following in 2000 – was a much-loved action adventure, and spawned a direct sequel in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 for PS2 and PC in 2001.

Two more games followed: Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain in 2002 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance for PS2, Xbox and PC in 2003.

Aside from some PSN releases, the series has been dormant ever since.

Crystal Dynamics is currently working on Square’s Tomb Raider reboot for release later this year. The studio has also confirmed it’s readying to announced a new IP in 2012. We’ve been told today this is an XBLA game.

We’ve reached out to Square Enix for comment, but no reply had been received at the time of writing.

26 comment-trail-alt Posted in: Action, Adventure, PC, PS3, Rumour, Square Enix, Xbox 360
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26 comments

#1

Colin Gallacher
20/03/12, 10:31 am

Oh shit…Raziel! :D

#2

YoungZer0
20/03/12, 10:33 am

This would be amazing!

#3

BraveArse
20/03/12, 10:37 am

Oh. My. God. Raziel is *still* my favourite gaming protagonist, and that world shifting mechanic….

Now tell me Rallisport Challenge is coming back.

#4

Maximum Payne
20/03/12, 10:37 am

Well yea after Tomb Raider reboot its completely possible.
But I always loved Kain more :D

#5

Blerk
20/03/12, 10:39 am

This had better be true, or there will be blood!

And Raziel to lead, please. He was always far more interesting than Kain.

#6

Patrick Garratt
20/03/12, 10:45 am

:D

#7

BraveArse
20/03/12, 10:47 am

I thought Kain was brilliant in the very first Kain game on the PS1 but i felt they ruined him in the later games. Raziel though…

Admittedly, he *was* a chinless wonder ( ahahahahaha ).

#8

Ercarret
20/03/12, 10:47 am

Yeah!

I think I played 10 minutes of one of the games. Don’t know which. But man, I liked the protagonist. Don’t know which one, though.

10 minutes at a friend’s house, then I got stuck, got mad, and never played it again. I don’t really know why I’m even a tiny bit excited about the possibility of a revival. But that protagonist was really cool. I guess that left a pretty big impression on my 13 year old self. :D

#9

SplatteredHouse
20/03/12, 10:52 am

Incredible! :D

#10

Maximum Payne
20/03/12, 10:54 am

When you think about it,its far better IMO that they doing new game instead of stupid HD collection with same camera,control problems,now old cut scenes and just unscaled graphics…

#11

absolutezero
20/03/12, 10:55 am

nope nope nope nope nope

Ill say that I would love a remake of Blood Omen, that would be amazing but a Soul Reaver game means Raziel. Raziel needs the Elder God and the Elder God NEEDS Tony Jay.

Its also going to be missing Amy Hennig.

So yeah, im pretty skeptical about this, I still think Crystal Dynamics are fantastic developers but theres just too many pieces missing now to bring Legacy of Kain back in the way it should be.

That and they never actually finished the original story in the first place so making a reboot is a bit cheeky.

#12

Voiceofsoi
20/03/12, 11:52 am

So they got Corey Balrog to take the role Amy Hennig once filled… I’m excited but skeptical.

#13

Voiceofsoi
20/03/12, 11:53 am

@absolutezero Oh yeah! How can they possibly do Soul Reaver without Tony Jay?!?! Maybe the reason they’re remaking Soul Reaver is because they want the original voicework… That’s just hopeful thinking isn’t it?

#14

Gheritt White
20/03/12, 11:59 am

“And Raziel to lead, please. He was always far more interesting than Kain.”

^THIS^

If this is true, I will be *so* excited!!

#15

Telepathic.Geometry
20/03/12, 12:37 pm

Thank you Jesus. I’m secretly hoping that what they really mean is that they’re doing a HD remake of Soul Reaver, keeping all of the voice work and finishing off that telekinetic vampire boss’ level. Too much to ask?

#16

Takeshi
20/03/12, 12:38 pm

VG247, you guys better not be screwing with us. This is so my most-anticipated game if it’s true.

@absolutezero: Tony Jay was great, but I don’t really want that to be the reason why we’ll never see a new Soul Reaver game.

With Tomb Raider’s reboot looking amazing, I have complete faith in Crystal Dynamics. Do it!

#17

Bleak Harvest
20/03/12, 12:41 pm

@absolutezero Naturally, you said everything I wanted to say. HUGE concerns about this… but I’m just happy Soul Reaver fans come out the woodwork.

#18

freedoms_stain
20/03/12, 12:54 pm

@15, I’d love them to remake Soul Reaver with the originally planned ending too: http://legacyofkain.wikia.com/wiki/Original_Soul_Reaver_Storyline

#19

Razz
20/03/12, 1:57 pm

Never played this, always wanted to but I just didn’t get around to it. I hope they remake or at least remaster the entire Legacy of Kain series and release iton XBLA/PSN.

#20

TheWulf
20/03/12, 7:28 pm

This is kind of good news, but… I’m also kind of sadface about it.

Why a reboot?

The original games are still really good! They hadn’t made a single misstep.

#21

LegacyofKain
20/03/12, 9:17 pm

Kain is the best vampire ever

#22

The_Red
21/03/12, 7:59 am

Reboot with new art direction!? WHY THE HELL!? Why?
I want to love this news but that part is really worrying.

@20
Completely agreed.

#23

Gamemuch
21/03/12, 2:02 pm

I have a little faith, crystal dynamics are the only game company that haven’t failed me completely the last couple of years. With swtor and the mass effect 3 ending bioware, the 2nd last bastion of hope, have now finally dropped in my eyes.

Legacy of Kain was one of the last games which I truly enjoyed. Should this be true, that a reboot of legacy of kain: soulreaver is in the works, and it should it come out as every other games these days:

Simplified, with dummed down writing.

Without the brilliant shakespearean storytelling or the fatalistic topics the first games touched.

If it fails on providing these, I will commit suicide and write “Crystal Dynamics” did this, in my note :(

#24

Phoenixblight
21/03/12, 2:34 pm

@23

Well seeing the original writor who wrote most of the LoK series is now the writer for Uncharted. You better get ready because I doubt they will be able to replicate the original games especially without Amy.

#25

Alfasz87
09/04/12, 10:26 pm

Yesssss!!! Raziel could definitely use a reboot! Imagine our dearest soul-sucking blue wraith shifting between realms, swimming across the lake of the damned, stoking the soul-reaver through hordes of demons and armored corpses once again! (in highly detailed cutting edge graphics of course) Or even the chance to play as his former “vampire glory” self.. A re-telling of the story wouldn’t hurt at all, specially when you take new audiences into consideration. I just hope the continue to tell the story afterwards and let the world know Kain for all he is as well… *faints* this is too good to be just a rumor!! :)

#26

El_MUERkO
09/04/12, 11:39 pm

The first two games in the series were two of the best PS1 games ever made, epic, cinematic and tonnes of fun.

I’d love for someone to delve back into the mythos and make a worthy sequel!

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