Fans of the series for the most part should be pleased
User Rating: 8 | Legacy of Kain: Defiance PS2
I for one found this game to be more fun than the guys at gamespot. Maybe I was able to overlook some of the flaws because I am a big fan of the story these games offer. Defiance doesn't disappoint in that area either. For the first time you get to play as Kain and Raziel. This was a really good idea and keeps things fresh throughout. Both characters have basically the same moves and control the same. Gamespot really didn't like that but it didn't bother me because I felt being able to play as both and their subtle differences made the gameplay different. Both characters wield the Soul Reaver as a weapon although Kain has it in physical form and Raziel has it in energy form. Special moves become available for both characters as you progress. This game offers up the best combat that the series has ever offered. The camera can become frustrating because you don't have complete control over it anymore but it not so bad as to make the combat not any fun. Defiance also has the best graphics of the series and of course the excellent voice acting returns. There are also some boss fights late in the game which Soul Reaver 2 didn't possess. The fights are quite fun as well. A couple of things that I didn't like about this game is the camera that I mentioned earlier and the fact that this game feels more linear than the previous Soul Reaver's. I thought the amount of exploration the original had is what sets it apart from the others. This game is pretty long for an action game. It will take around twenty hours to beat which can be bad because the combat begins to feel somewhat monotonous. There is also no map or hint system to tell you where to go next. This didn't bother me but just a few times because this game is broke down into chapters. Then again it would have been helpful to have a map.
Overall I walked away pleased after I finished defiance. A lot of questions get answered which fans of the series will surely be interested in. The ending though once again leaves you with a taste that something else could happen. If you haven't played this series then this is not where you would want to start because you would be lost and probably couldn't look over some of the flaws this game possesses. But if you have played the other games then you should play Defiance.
