Soul Reaver 2 Review

8.6

Format PC

Developer Crystal Dynamics

Publisher Eidos Interactive

Genre Action

"It's not console rubbish, it's not!" snivelled Anthony Holden

I'll be perfectly honest with you. We were expecting this sequel to the first Soul Reaver outing, Legacy Of Kain (itself a follow-up to 1996's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain) to be pretty much more of the same. Sure there'd be a suitably next-gen graphical overhaul, but on the whole it would be a rushed job designed to meet the PS2's first big Christmas season. For this we owe developer Crystal Dynamics our sincerest apologies, as nothing could be further from the truth.

The first Soul Reaver was a surprisingly decent action/adventure outing, offering a refreshingly considered approach to a much-abused formula. It also introduced us to long-suffering protagonist Raziel, one of the genre's darker and more likeable heroes. However, what we couldn't possibly have foreseen was that the whole thing was just a protracted scene-setting exercise for the real meat of the franchise: Soul Reaver 2.

Where the first game was concerned mainly with obtaining new abilities and using them to solve fairly rudimentary puzzles, the sequel begins with a fully equipped Raziel, picking up precisely where the other game left off. Consequently, the designers have been forced to be far cleverer with the gameplay, further expanding Raziel's repertoire of skills, but also using the existing variables far more ingeniously. The result is an exceedingly polished and enjoyable game that excels in practically every department.

A soul-sucking tale
Possibly the most surprising aspect of Soul Reaver 2 is the storyline. While the dialogue is absurdly overblown at times, on the whole it's a compelling, intricate and well-paced yarn that actually keeps you guessing. Each of the major characters with whom you interact appears to help and deceive you by turns, and there's a refreshing lack of moral transparency at work. It's commendable to see such robust storytelling in a game that's essentially console-oriented.

The puzzles themselves are also extremely well constructed, if occasionally a little on the easy side, but there are more than enough variables to keep things interesting throughout. For a start there's the plane-shifting – Raziel's capacity to move between the material and spectral realms at will. This device functions on several levels, and is just one indication of the expertise evident in the game's design. Most significantly it's a puzzle-solving tool, each major puzzle area requiring you to shift planes in order to take advantage of different abilities and environmental features available in each realm. But it also functions as a punishment for 'dying' in the material plane, as life in the spectral plane is generally crippling to progress in and far less fun, as you can't interact with objects or use physical weapons. Thirdly, of course, it's a hugely aesthetically pleasing feature of the game, as shifting planes sees the environment morph fantastically around you in real time.

I'm reaving today
There's also the eponymous reaver itself, a symbiotic weapon immutably linked to Raziel. The reaver can be imbued with a variety of powers (light, darkness, fire and air), adding another level of depth to the puzzle mechanics, as well as being Raziel's most potent weapon. Refreshingly, the frequent combat in Soul Reaver 2 is rewarding in its own right, with a satisfying dodge-and-counter dynamic that makes battles consistently enjoyable.

There are countless other praiseworthy features that I could mention given the space, but instead I'll simply assure you that, generic in nature though it may be, this is still one of the most consistently entertaining and elegantly constructed games I have played in a long time. Indeed, it's among one of the finest action/adventures available on the PC.

Anthony Holden