| Legacy of Kain | |
|---|---|
 The series logo as of Legacy of Kain: Defiance | |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Developer(s) | Silicon Knights (1996–97) Crystal Dynamics (1999–2003) |
| Publisher(s) | Crystal Dynamics (1996–97) Eidos Interactive (1999–2003) |
| Creator(s) | Denis Dyack |
| Platform(s) | Dreamcast Evercade GameCube Microsoft Windows Nintendo Switch PlayStation PlayStation 2 PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox Xbox One Xbox Series X/S |
| First release | Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain November 1, 1996 |
| Latest release | Legacy of Kain: Defiance November 11, 2003 |
Legacy of Kain is a series of dark fantasy action-adventure video games primarily developed by Crystal Dynamics and formerly published by Eidos Interactive. The first title, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, was created by Silicon Knights in association with Crystal Dynamics, but, after a legal battle, Crystal Dynamics retained the rights to the game's intellectual property, and continued its story with four sequels. To date, five games comprise the series, all initially developed for video game consoles and later ported to Microsoft Windows. Focusing on the eponymous character of Kain, a vampire antihero, each title features action, exploration and puzzle-solving, with some role-playing game elements.
The series takes place in the fictional land of Nosgoth—a gothic fantasy setting—and revolves around Kain's quest to defy his fate and restore balance to the world. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver introduced another antihero protagonist, Raziel; the adventures of both characters culminate in Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Themes of destiny, free will, morality, redemption and the hero's journey recur in the storyline, which was inspired by ancient literature, horror fiction, Islamic art and culture, Shakespeare's plays, Jewish mysticism and gnosticism. The Legacy of Kain games have enjoyed critical success, particularly receiving praise for high-quality voice acting, narrative, and visuals, and, as a whole, had sold over 3.5 million copies by 2007. In 2022, Square Enix sold the rights of the series to the Embracer Group, who have expressed interest in developing sequels, remakes and remasters of Legacy of Kain.
Remastered versions of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2 will be released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on December 10, 2024.[1]
- ^ "Aspyr & Crystal Dynamics Reveal Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered, Launching Dec. 10, 2024, on PC & Consoles". Crystal Dynamics. September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.