New look: Blood Omen 2

Today, Eidos Interactive and Crystal Dynamics gave us a look at Blood Omen 2, the newest vampire game set in the world of Nosgoth. Blood Omen 2 is, simultaneously, the sequel to the first Legacy of Kain game, and the fourth game in the series. It stars series figurehead Kain, the dark lord of vampires, and bringer of apocalypse, and is set thousands of years before the events in Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2.

Blood Omen 2 is a heavily combat-based game--much more so than the last two Legacy of Kain games. The game's combat engine is relatively deep and detailed, allowing for a great variety of attacks based on the use of different weapons. As Kain is limited to the weapons he picks off the bodies of slain enemies, playing seems to involve constantly reevaluating your equipment set based on the defeat of armed enemies. The weapons that producer Sam Newman used in his demo included a sword, a heavy axe, a retractable staff, a dagger, and a truncheon. Kain's fighting animations differ with each weapon--when using the axe, his movements are hefty and deliberate, while when using the dagger, his stabs are swift and repeated. Blocking also factors heavily into the game's battles, and the animations used for it are very dynamic--characters will block different parts of their bodies when attacked, lending combat a realistic feel. Also, in a manner very similar to classic beat 'em ups, you can grapple enemies--effectively picking them up with their necks--and either assault them with a combo-attack or slam them for massive damage. Depending on what weapon you're equipped with, the attacks will have varying effects--if you have a sword, for instance, you'll smack their foreheads with the pommel; and if you're equipped with an axe you'll most brutally cleave their groins.

As Kain's vampiric heritage grants him the ability to turn invisible at certain times, Blood Omen 2 will feature a heavy stealth-element. The environment effectively regulates this ability--Kain will only be able to vanish when he's standing in relatively dark areas, such as in the wake of a shadow, or among a cloud of mist. However, once invisible Kain can perform a variety of stealth-kills, of the most grisly variety. Much like the Tenchu games, where Kain stands in relation to his enemies dictates exactly how he'll kill them--if he's directly behind them, for instance, he'll reach through their backs, and rip out their hearts.

However, the ability to turn invisible is only one of Kain's three initial powers. He can also perform the so-called "silent glide," which allows him to slowly and noiselessly fall from great heights, and, of course, suck the blood of his slain enemies, in order to replenish his health. The animation for said ability is classic Blood Omen--Kain holds out his arm and acquires a grim expression, and the blood will magically stream from the corpse and into his open mouth. Six other "dark gifts" will be available to Kain as he defeats the vampiric members of the Sarafon--the three revealed by Crystal Dynamics include charm, super jump, and force blast. Charm allows you to effectively posses commoners and have them carry out your will, while force blasts destroy certain types of barriers. The self-explanatory super jump allows you to clear enormous heights.

The game seems to be shaping up very nicely. We'll have a full preview up next week, complete with all manner of story and gameplay information. So, stay tuned. In the meantime, check out the new screens provided by Eidos.