Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered Review- One More for the Collection

Legacy of Kain fans have been going through the wringer for the last two decades. From sequel/spin-off projects getting canceled to getting excited at the prospects of a sequel, only to get disappointed, to entire studios getting shafted and games getting delisted, it’s not been an easy journey. The one good thing to come out of this was Soul Reaver 1 and 2 getting remastered, courtesy of Aspyr. It did not launch in the greatest state. That has since changed. I always say that remasters are the test runs to determine the IP interest and viability in the current market. This seems to be the case of LoK as well. Because we’re getting two different LoK games this month itself! The first one is Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered, and the second one is a brand-new 2D sidescroller called Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, the first original LoK project in a long time. This review is about the former. Ascendance will have to wait. LoK fans, we are so back.

Back in Time

Legacy of Kain: Defiance is the last released game in the Kain and Raziel saga, released in 2003. The game was positively received, but it was apparent that the series was getting saturated with back-to-back releases that mostly looked and played the same. A sequel titled Dark Prophecy was in development at Ritual Entertainment, but was canceled early in development. The series then went into a hiatus and was supposed to be revived by Dead Sun under a new publisher. That didn’t come into fruition either. A multiplayer spinoff titled Nosgoth didn’t even exit beta. Now, Crystal Dynamics and the LoK sit under the Embracer Group umbrella. It is unknown if the leaked LoK reboot is still in development or not. This brings us to the present. Ascendance is the closest we’re getting to a new game at the moment, and I’m actually excited for it. Sure, it’s a low-budget pixel action game and not the AAA sequel fans have been yearning for. But hey, LoK was completely dead 5 years ago. We’re at least getting there.

It’s not surprising that Crystal Dynamics chose to remaster Defiance over Blood Omen 2, the fourth game in the series that was released after Soul Reaver 2. It is the least liked game in the series and is mostly a self-contained story (not even a good one). Maybe we’ll get a Blood Omen 1+2 remastered collection sometime in the future. Until that happens, this is as close we’ll get to a “complete saga”.

Dynamic Duo

The original Legacy of Kain: Defiance is a pretty good game. Shocking, right? I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you whether a 23-year-old game is any good or not. The focus of this review is on the remaster, but some context is necessary. As I mentioned earlier, back in the day, Crystal Dynamics was churning out one LoK game after the other, and this didn’t leave space for radical gameplay changes. Defiance plays it safe when it comes to the gameplay. The biggest change is the ability to play as both Kain and Raziel, as well as its shift to more combo-driven combat (Vampire May Cry?). The other standout features of the series returned, such as well-designed puzzles, platforming, realm-shifting, and blood-sucking action. Crystal Dynamics and Amy Henning always excelled at storytelling, and Defiance is no exception.

Continuing where Soul Reaver 2 left off, it focuses on the rivalry and the unlikely partnership between Kain and his former lieutenant, Raziel. It tackles themes such as changing one’s destiny, religion, death, and the afterlife in memorable ways. The excellent voice acting and music complement the narrative. While not the peak game in the series, it’s a fun game and provides some much needed-closure to the saga.

Old Blood in New Bottle

As for the remaster, Crystal Dynamics and co-developer PlayEverywhere have done a great job in updating the visuals and several key elements of the gameplay. Lok: Defiance Remastered seems to have more money and budget put into it than the last one. In fact, the devs have gone beyond a routine remaster to uncover a plethora of archived and cut content from the game.

Building on the foundation set by Soul Reaver remasters, the visuals have been updated with upscaled textures, new lighting, and post­-processing effects. Similar to the last remaster, the graphics can be switched between the old and the remaster at the press of a button. There’s also an option to keep the original visuals but update the lighting only. Since Defiance is the newest in the series, it also looks the best. So, the remastered visuals are not a massive upgrade over the original graphics. The new models for Kain and Raziel will not be to everyone’s liking (Kain kind of looks like the Creeper tbh), but hey, you have the option to switch to classic visuals anytime. Much of the texture upscaling is also with the help of AI. This will also be a point of contention for many. However, they look fine and don’t detract from the original designs too much (unless you nitpick, of course). The cutscenes have been upscaled as well, and they look great. If you’ve played the Soul Reaver remaster, then expect a similar kind of treatment here.

The gameplay has seen two big changes. Anyone who’s played the original Defiance knows how much of a pain in the ass the fixed camera angles were. It was such a baffling decision, too, considering that the previous three games had a fully controllable third-person camera. Combine this with the bad controls (both for PC and consoles). To perform special moves, you had to press some awkward button combos. Thankfully, the remaster has fixed both of these issues. I never expected the devs to fix the camera, of all things, but they did. The game now features a proper third-person camera similar to SR1 and 2. You cannot modify the FOV in-game, but it’s far enough for platforming. Furthermore, the FOV automatically adjusts during combat, making it a much more enjoyable process as well. Those nostalgic for the classic camera can switch back to it by pressing a button/key at any time. This is how a remaster should approach changes.

Alongside the camera, the control scheme has also received enhancements. Defiance now controls akin to a modern action game and is all the better for it. I tried the game using both the controller and the KBM to find that both are equally feasible. However, I did run into issues when using a DualSense controller. Sometimes the game would lock me into combat mode, and no amount of button presses/controller reconnects would solve the issue. There were also moments when I wasn’t able to open the in­-game menu, and sometimes, the controller even failed to register. I tried with Steam Input on and off and got similar results. The left analogue stick deadzone is also a bit overtuned, and playing with a controller with even the slightest stick drift can result in jittery movement as the characters switch between run/sneak. I do not know if this is a DualSense issue or a “me” issue.

The Extras

The additions/extras don’t stop there. The Photo Mode makes a return in LoK: Defiance Remastered. Crystal Dynamics didn’t need to add new character skins to the game, but they did. Kain and Raziel can now switch to a handful of different skins, and they all look pretty damn nice. There’s now a comprehensive lore compendium that comes in super handy to catch up on previous events and lore. It’s adorned with unreleased concept art and behind-the-scenes photos.

Perhaps the biggest additions in this remaster are the cut levels and an unreleased demo for ‘Dark Prophecy’ (only available in the Deluxe Edition). It’s going to hit different with the hardcore fans who stuck with the series in its highs and lows. The Deluxe Edition also includes three short digital comic books for your perusal pleasure.

The Deluxe Edition is priced very fairly (as far as regional pricing is concerned) and costs the same as Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered. If you’d rather wait, then you can purchase the Heart of Darkness Collection, a bundle that includes Defiance Remastered + the upcoming Ascendance and a few extra skins.  It sucks that you cannot get the Defiance Remastered pre-order bonus if you pre-order the Heart of Darkness Collection. AFAIK, the Shifter Skin Pack and Ascendance Skin Pack are not mutually exclusive.

Real Talk

Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered feels like a heartfelt tribute to the series and its devoted fanbase. The developers have not only enhanced the visuals and refined the camera and controls, but also included a wealth of bonus features and previously cut content. Taken together, these additions feel like a long-overdue gesture of goodwill toward the community that has kept the franchise alive for years. I really hope Crystal Dynamics is testing the waters before making a long-awaited return to Nosgoth once more.

FINAL RATING: 86/100