Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Developer(s)Crystal Dynamics[a]
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
Director(s)Amy Hennig[5]
Producer(s)Andrew Bennett
Amy Hennig
Rosaura Sandoval[5]
Designer(s)Amy Hennig
Seth Carus
Richard Lemarchand[5]
Programmer(s)Carl Stika
Marc David[5]
Artist(s)Arnold Ayala[5]
Writer(s)Amy Hennig
Richard Lemarchand
Jim Curry[5]
Composer(s)Kurt Harland[5]
SeriesLegacy of Kain
Platform(s)PlayStation
Windows
Dreamcast
Evercade
ReleasePlayStation
Windows
  • NA: September 8, 1999
  • UK: September 18, 1999[3]
Dreamcast
  • NA: January 27, 2000
  • UK: February 25, 2000
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is an action-adventure video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released for the PlayStation and Windows in 1999 and for the Dreamcast in 2000. As the second game in the Legacy of Kain series, Soul Reaver is the sequel to Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Soul Reaver was followed by three games, one of which, Soul Reaver 2, is a direct sequel.

Taking place 1500 years after the events of Blood Omen, Soul Reaver chronicles the journey of the vampire-turned-wraith Raziel, lieutenant to the vampire lord Kain. Raziel is killed by Kain, but is revived by The Elder God to become his "soul reaver" and to exact revenge. Raziel shares this title with Kain's sword, the Soul Reaver, which he acquires during the game.

Crystal Dynamics began development of the game in 1997, but a deteriorating relationship with Silicon Knights, who had developed Blood Omen, created legal problems. This and other delays forced material originally planned for Soul Reaver to be instead released with later games of the series. Soul Reaver was generally well received by critics and praised for its intriguing gothic story and high-quality graphics. However, the game was criticized for simple and repetitive gameplay and an unsatisfying climax. By 2001, the game sold 1.5 million copies worldwide.

  1. ^ "The Software Store". Gloucester News. September 2, 1999. p. 28. Retrieved June 21, 2024. Available Friday 3rd September//Soul Reaver (PSX)
  2. ^ "Legacy of Kain 2: Soul Reaver". Chipsworld. June 21, 2024. Archived from the original on January 28, 2003. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Games Of 1999 ~ Europe". Gone Gold. Archived from the original on February 10, 2001. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  4. ^ "Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference Voice Cast was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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