Let The Wheel Of Fate Churn Again!– ‘Soul Reaver’ 1 & 2 Remastered Is Coming

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I was not expecting to wake up to this news. From the first days I was introduced to the mythology and lore of the Legacy of Kain series, I have been hopelessly enthralled by it. Even now, all these years later, it’s hard for me not to point to it as a fundamental part of my creative inspiration. The storytelling in this time-twisted tale is memorable and heavily infused with morality, magic, and responsibility from the perspective of monsters grappling with free will, fate, and choice.

Deeper than the benchmark storytelling, the gameplay of the Soul Reaver games was nothing short of revolutionary. The ability to slip in and out of the world-between-worlds gave a kind of “first-hand” perspective adding an element of free-roaming exploration to a space I had only read about in my Sword & Sorcery novels and D&D books.

More than anything that had come before, save perhaps Gargoyles Quest, Soul Reaver and its predecessor Legacy of Kain opened the video game space for me, showing me themes and elements I loved showcased in a way that spoke to my core fandoms. They inspired me to create worlds that did not just need to be black and white or good and evil, and that concepts like faith and alignment are only good or evil when viewed through particular lenses.

The news I woke up to this morning was that Aspyr and Crystal Dynamics have teamed up to bring back the two games Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 in remastered form. These will be launching on December 10, 2024 for PC and consoles.

This collection will be the original games with higher-resolution textures, improved models, visual effects, and a new photo mode. Players will be able to toggle between the original and remastered visuals while experiencing a new updated camera system, improved controls, and better performance. As someone who has played a port of the old game on a new-gen console, I’m delighted because the camera and controls did not come over well and made gameplay almost impossible. There will also be an interactive lore map, new concept art, and apparently lost levels.

Launching just in time for the 25th anniversary of the original Soul Reaver, this remastered bundle will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam for $29.99, with a 10% discount on pre-orders before release day.

I’m honestly thrilled and will be getting this day one.

Until next time, “Redeem yourself… or, if you prefer, avenge yourself.”