Hands-onSoul Reaver 2 PS2

We were mightily impressed by the strides that Soul Reaver 2 has taken graphically. In some of the more polished areas of the game, where lighting and textures have been fully implemented, the effects were as impressive as anything we've seen before. Soul Reaver 2 is replete with impressive weather effects, such as the splashing of raindrops over Raziel's shoulders, and atmospheric fog. Underwater areas featured realistically swaying reeds, fish that would react in response to Raziel's movements, and a surface layer that convincingly ebbed and flowed. The hazy underwater fogging effect was distinctly different from that found on land, and the transition between the two was seamless. You could really tell that a lot of hard work was put into creating the highly detailed textures used throughout Soul Reaver 2's environments. The effect that the addition of proper lighting, shading and reflection has had on areas that weren't very impressive in the E3 demo was phenomena--this looked like an all-new game. Perhaps most impressive of all is that new areas were constantly streaming as Raziel was exploring, allowing the game to maintain its silky smooth 60 fps.

Soul Reaver 2's audible features appear to be just as promising. When walking over cobblestone covered in snow, Raziel's footsteps would conform to the patch of ground he was walking on, shifting from squish to stomp nicely. Soul Reaver 2 will feature the same voice acting team and Hollywood direction that put together the previous game's top-notch performances. A few additions have been made to the cast, including that of Rene Auberjonois, who played Security Chief Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

We got a chance to play in one of the areas heavily populated by enemies to try out some of the new combat options available to Raziel. To make recognition of targeted opponents easier, a red circle indicator appears under the currently auto-faced opponent. Raziel is now equipped with a pair of attack buttons--square and triangle--for light and heavy attacks, respectively. The attacks can be stringed into two or three hit, interchangeable combos, and each of the combos is individual to the weapon currently equipped, be it Raziel's claws and kicks, a captured enemy armament, or the Soul Reaver. Raziel is now also fully versed in blocking, dodging, and crouching maneuvers, which can be used to hit low enemies or trip up opponents. The many new combat options available, as well as the trademark fatalities and soul-sucking, made fighting in Soul Reaver 2 enjoyable, which works well with the game's new system of forced combats. In the original Soul Reaver, players would frequently avoid enemies entirely, much to the chagrin of the developers that spent so much time outfitting Raziel with his combatative abilities. Soul Reaver 2 will force players into combat situations in many ways: by having enemies hold crucial keys, by locking Raziel into rooms in trap door-like scenarios, or by erecting impenetrable demon barriers, that can only be bypassed upon defeat of the enemies.

Crystal Dynamics has made it clear that fans of the mythology will feel right at home with Soul Reaver 2's story. Characters and events from Blood Omen and Soul Reaver are explored more thoroughly, and the ties have been painstakingly made to Raziel's current quest. Those worrying about Soul Reaver 2's length will be glad to learn that there's approximately four times as much dialogue than in the previous game. Details that were first revealed in Blood Omen have been kept intact, from the most obscure of symbols down to the exact positioning of pillars. To address one of the issues players had with Soul Reaver--namely, that of getting lost or not realizing the next goals--a number of gameplay changes have been implemented. Raziel's monologues are frequently explicit about conveying directions, and are often accompanied by views of the player's next destination. To further eliminate wandering moments, players now have access to a compass and an in-game map, which happens to be true to the map printed with the original Blood Omen.

We're excited about how Soul Reaver 2 is taking shape, and will keep you posted with the latest information. Take a look at our exclusive new screenshots, and stay tuned for more information on Soul Reaver 2 as it approaches release.