Legacy of Kain : Soul ReaverBy : Ruffry1321 Soul Reaver marks a new evolution in the adventure genre. The shift is subtle, but as you play, it reveals itself. No other game in recent memory has integrated the environment with the gameplay as much as Soul Reaver. Instead of backgrounds for the action, the environments are the action. If you don't pay attention to world around you, you'll never fulfill your quest and restore the balance that Nosgoth has lost. And, in turn, you take charge of Raziel's quest and guide him to his final reckoning with Kain. Everything in the story of Soul Reaver is consistent with the way the game actually plays. You begin in the Spectral Plane, which is a kind of ghostly world that exists alongside the "real world" of the Material Plane. While in the Spectral Plane, Raziel cannot interact with physical objects, like weapons, doors, or switches. However, time is meaningless in the Spectral Plane, and Raziel's power slowly recharges when he's there. The incredible graphics have a hand in that. Although it's entirely 3-D, Soul Reaver has the most detailed and darkly beautiful graphics I've seen on the PSX. Walls are etched with fine carvings and intricate designs; floors and ceilings hold dazzling patterns and subtle secrets; even Raziel himself is clad in scarred skin and frayed fabric. What makes the environments in Soul Reaver so much more amazing is that there are two versions of every location in the game. The Spectral Plane twists the straight lines of the Material Plane and bathes everything in shimmering blue and green light. This game does so many things right that it's hard to mention them all-- incredible music, nice cut-scenes, good acting and dialogue, nifty references to the first game, and so much more. However, there are a few things it does wrong. You'll see a few graphics glitches and a little clipping. And while getting through Soul Reaver's puzzles I sometimes felt less like Raziel, dark avenger, and more like Raziel, dark civil engineer.
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