Legacy of Kain: Defiance

Life

Legacy of Kain: Defiance is the fifth in the Legacy of Kain series, a three-dimensional action/adventure set in an ornately gothic world. Building upon the convoluted story developed in Soul Reaver and Blood Omen, LoK: Defiance puts you in the shoes of not one, but two, anti-heroes: The ruthless vampire lord Kain and his spectral rival Raziel. While Kain dwells in the physical world and Raziel is doomed to return again and again to its ghostly equivalent, you will play both to explore a decadent world, alternating characters from chapter to chapter in growing anticipation of the inevitable confrontation and show-down.

The game setting is richly detailed, with huge levels full of the usual locked doors, almost-unreachable platforms and sundry goons. This will be familiar ground for any fan of the series, with old characters making reappearances, but Crystal Dynamics has made every effort through recap and cut-scene to make the story accessible to newcomers too.

The strength of the game lies in the twin characters Kain and Raziel — both are wielders of the dread Reaver blade, use extraordinary vampiric powers, have inextricably entwined destinies, and are platform-jumping, soul- and blood-drinking dervishes of destruction.

Kain’s story is dominated by clear-cut combat and exploration. Raziel’s, on the other hand, has more puzzle elements, with his ability to pass from world to world the key to passing certain obstacles. One or other of them is to be the saviour of the land, and the complex story drip-feeds the answers so as to keep you pushing on. Telekinetic attacks, shape changing, plane-shifting, sword attacks and finishing moves are all part of your arsenal and provide for a fighting dynamic where combos are the name of the game.
On first impression, the game looks and sounds great. The lovely textures and details conjure a decadent and opulent world, excellent lighting effects add to mood, and good frame-rate is maintained throughout.

The many cut scenes use the in-game engine, and transitions are excellent and drive the story forward. Similarly, the sound work is well staged and atmospheric, with the voices of the main protagonists being particularly evocative.
The view is from a fixed/swing camera position, with preset pans for certain locations; however, while it is fluid, this is one of the major problems with the game.

Simply speaking, the control system can be a nightmare. Originally ported from a console version, and designed to use a gamepad-type controller, the keyboard map is difficult. Coupled with this, the camera movement and your character’s view are often at odds, and in a game of fast mobile combat, it’s often fatal to have the view focus firmly on a nearby wall. Collision detection is also impaired, with some enemies targeting you through solid walls. Problems like these are aggravated by a checkpoint-based save game option, and the often immense levels are not helped by a lack of a map or compass feature. With this in mind, once the story is played through and revealed, and with no multi-player features, it’s unlikely this linear game bears re-playing.

These technical problems don’t detract completely from the game. The story in Defiance is very good, and the atmosphere and rounded characters really encourage you to delve into the plot. The graphics are lovely, with the shadow realm especially being wonderfully eerie. On top of all this, LoK: Defiance might offer closure to fans who have played through the entire series. Overall, the game is quite polished and offers 20 hours of good play to any fan of the genre.

Specs
Legacy Of Kain: Defiance
Requirements: Pentium 4 1.3Ghz or better, 256Mbyte RAM, 64Mbyte video memory with T&L, game-pad or analogue controller.
Rating: 72%
Price: €44.99
Contact: GameStop 01 872 4305
 
29/03/04

Read More: Gamer