Legacy of Kain | Fate vs Free Will
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- In Legacy of Kain, fate is viewed as unchangeable because all creatures are compelled to follow pre-ordained paths. In a universe so entrenched in inevitability, what part does free will play in all of this then?
This video contains spoilers for Blood Omen, Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2, Blood Omen 2 & Legacy of Kain Defiance which was made by Silicon Knights and Crystal Dynamics.
Huge thanks to these amazing artists. Credited as below. Please show them your support.
Lovecraftian horror abyssal zone by johnkimartist
www.deviantart...
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
Puppet Master by sallymarsh
www.deviantart...
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
Kain from the Back, in Awe at the Pillars by Patrick Johnson
the_hylden.artstation.com/projects/5lzBP
Kain - Awe at the Pillars by Patrick Johnson
the_hylden.artstation.com/projects/5lzBP
Kain Iron Armor by JLazarusEB
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Legacy of Kain Dead Sun Footage by Mamarobotnikneogaf
www.neogaf.com...
Wraith Raziel with Wraith Blade Drawn by Patrick Johnson
the_hylden.artstation.com/projects/rw4Re?album_id=760264
All other artwork are official promotional and concept art created for the series by the team at Crystal Dynamics
Music:
'Undertow' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au
@ScottBuckley
Blood Omen Soundtrack by Steve Henifin.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Soundtrack - composed by Kurt Harland & Jim Hedges
Soul Reaver 2 Soundtrack by Kurt Harland Jim Hedges.
I feel like you are single-handedly keeping this fandom alive and it’s wonderful. This franchise deserves a comeback.
I miss writing that was this good.
I feel like a full remake of the first blood omen game would be a good relaunching point for the series. updated graphics and an over the shoulder camera is what I’m seeing in my head
Ever since the franchise got bought I always hope the company that bought it announces something
i hope he's in the FB group. we be meme-ing yo!
@@Synful_SolesI agree, blood omen needs the most remaster, such a glorious game and story, that most gamers don't know about because it's antiquated.
however its story is better than pretty much every game out
"I am now, as before, your right hand...your sword". That line gives me chills every time. Michael Bell delivered that line perfectly
Your... soul reaver.
Well to be fair, thats not saying much. Michael Bell delivered every line perfectly. lol Of course that can also be said of literally every voice actor in this series. But I get your point. lol
Same profound vibe of Boromir's final words to Aragorn.
'To know, that the fate of the world hangs dependent on the advisedness of my every deed, can you even begin to conceive what action you would take in my position? I would choose integrity Kain.' And in the end Raziel did make such a choice.
Raziel did indeed choose the sacrifice in the end as he once boasted he would, but not before first learning the true weight and burden that come with such a choice are not so easy to bare, just as Kain said.
That "Poor William" line from Kain always striked me really hard.
right? 3x times the victim to history and then his final resting place destroyed by the sword. poor will indeed.
I want a game playing as William and being Manipulated by Moebius
You are such a blessing for every Legacy of Kain fan nowadays! Thank you so much
Agreed
2nd that comment thanks
3rd that comment @@mrhop9022
I'd argue that Free Will and Fate in Legacy of Kain *coexist* with each other and the reason why an argument could be made for both being true is because, as with a good chunk of the series' story, its like an Ouroboros. A snake eating its own tail, *a paradox* with no clear beginning or end.
I like this interpretation.
Reminds me of the predestination paradox. With the ability to time travel, any attempts to change fate ends up causing it to begin with. If you haven't, seek out the SyFy show 12 Monkeys. An excellent series exploring that idea.
Similar to fate and destiny, right?
Fate governs the path, destiny is the destination.
Your destiny might not be changeable, but your fate can at least be shifted in slight ways.
As existentialist beings we are bound to be free, we will ultimately be that which we are meant to be, whatever that may end up to be. Such as history abhors a paradox, so do we abhor this cursed tautology, and our fate assimilates our ultimate destiny - again, looking in retrospect, we make sense of everything as a series of causalities, judging by the ending: that thing came out to be this way, so it was meant to be like that, the whole world conspired to bring it into its fate.
The fiction is born when we imagine seeing our own future, so that glimpse of imagination ends up being the motor of both our fate and our destiny, the 1st defined by our (self?) imposed path, and the 2nd by the causality of our actions, the latter is ultimately driven by the former, as we act in ways we believe will lead us to our desires: we fight to make the "should-be" a reality.
Humanity was borne again (maybe together with that very fiction) when we discovered that we could bargain with the future: the fight with the angel until it blesses us... It's no surprise that God keeps promising the patriarchs in the Old Testament - like "do it, it will work out, I assure you, go on". As it's no surprise that mythology initially described deities as gods of places, then gods of action: man fish, because primordial Man fished before. Mythology is the circumference of reality, that is, the possible instantiations are all mapped out in the myths, as Einstein says 20:58 "imagination circles the world".
The struggle of free will is that we want to conciliate the being with the should-be, we want deities presiding promises and contracts, that's why we like strict logical systems that rule a (pre)set game, so that we know the outcomes of our actions, thus informed decisions can be made and free will be exercised. Without fate, free will seems like an illusion, a childish tantrum, merely ego driven.
Raziel sure seems like that sometimes, because he's outright rejecting fate and its influence over him, but as he discovers in the end, embracing (not merely resignated acception) his fate is an act of free will, and he becomes both champions, heaven and hell meet and the opposites touch one another, the Ouroboros eats itself. This cycle somehow seems different from the Wheel of Fate, presiding over life and death (or maybe it's just wishful thinking from my part).
Kinda like the knife question in Lost.
John is injured and needs help. A man comes out of nowhere, patches him up and gives him a knife.
Later on John goes back in time, runs into the guy, gives him the knife, and says "listen, I'm about to run into that clearing with a serious wound on my leg, patch me up then give me this knife."
So... Where did the knife come from? Nobody made it, it just travels in that endless loop.
It warms my heart seeing Legacy of Kain videos in 2023. Maybe one day we’ll get these classics ported to modern systems
I’m sure Moebius has one more trick up his sleeve. He was consumed by the Elder God but who knows the twists Sammy Hoenig can throw our way for the next Legacy of Kain
My favourite thing to happen was gog getting the original isometric game on it
we can only hope
Well you can get them all for PC and hook up a Playstation controller and play them that way. That's what I do.
While I hear the fans dump on BO2, getting THAT properly ported would be nice. It is on GoG & Steam, but it does not like modern hardware. So yes, ports please.
This series was only limited by the technology that was out at the time
The writing, the dialouge and world building are god tier
They dont make games this complex no more. Literally this is the best time travel game ever made . How is every word in this game hit so good ?
Because they gave Amy Hennig and her team creative freedom. No corporate mandate to nickel and dime via macrotransactions, no pandering to the "modern audience", no road maps or cosmetics. Just a complete, immersive, highly focused game with fathomless depths to explore. This is the result of a team of craftsmen painstakingly making a masterpiece, whereas modern AAA games are mass produced in an assembly line.
"I am, as before, your right hand. Your sword."
This, as the cumlination of the amazing LoK story, is the single best line ever written.
20 years after first hearing it it still makes me tear up because it's so good and so satisfying.
It was great, but the fight wasn't over. Fingers crossed it cones back.
This brings back so many memories and this is undoubtedly a classic game franchise among every video game franchise ever made
The very best stories are the ones that change the way we think, like a part of our very being. LoK is that for me, as well as many others too. What are memories, if not the bones of the soul?
"I would choose integrity, Kain!".
And Raziel did.
Love this series so much!
Interesting to ponder that by Raziel being the only character in the series with true free will. That left his actions with none. Since he was fated to be everything to everyone.
I think that is only what he and Kain thought. Or worse, what way were intended to think. In the end, even a flipped coin which lands on its edge is not a miracle, it is a determined outcome decided by the physical circumstances. Or in the case of Legacy of Kain, decided by fate.
This game is a literary masterpiece. The writing and plot twists are just gold. I can't think of any modern series that can stand up.
Perhaps the Armored Core series? About self aware robot(s) fighting for the chance to be rebuilt/reborn as artificial human(s).
ruclips.net/video/BukEiJ1AQAY/видео.html
@@Drevenhaven I love armoured core. It's a tragedy games like that aren't more popular. It's a good thing were getting 6
The Metal Gear Franchise should be given respected Credit with the similarity of the the whole Fate vs Free Will issue as well and how it embodies the same concepts like the Legacy of Kain Series did.
I swear you put that piano undertune just for tearjerking the audience during Raziel's sacrifice. Calling it now, Strickly Fantasy.
"Poor William..." Kain was the absolute GOAT.
Automatic sub. The fact that you know about Legacy of Kain is enough. The fact that you have created these perfectly executed videos summarizing how complex and amazing the storyline was is just gold. 💯💯💯
You're keeping the game stories strong man keep up the good work
This man is the true savior of Nosgoth by keeping the greatness of this series alive. Fantastic work.
As a long-time fan of the Legacy of Kain series, I have never thought of the coin allegory being applied to Raziel. Keep up the great LoK content!
10:56 - Watching Kain stand there at swordpoint while Raziel talks was always funny to me for some reason
Warms my heart to see LOK series go from nearly no reckoniztion to semi wide-spread
I have a idea. Ok, Raziel only had free will once he got the wraith blade.
Think about it, the wraith Raziel is technically an incarnation of the blade, and the wraith blade is obviously an incarnation of the blade. And what does Kain explain later?
"Two incarnations of the blade meet in time and space. A paradox is created, a temporal distortion powerful enough to derail history."
Raziel bound to the wraith blade is literally a walking temporal distortion because he and his symbiotic weapon are both incarnations of the soul reaver that are meeting in time and space.
And for the big events regarding Raziel, there's usually 4 incarnations of the blade meeting. There's Raziel himself, his wraith blade, the physical blade, and the wraith blade trapped inside the physical blade.
Could that be how he has free will? They say it's because of his remaking, but Raziel isn't the only vampire that became a wraith.
Do the other vampire wraiths also gain free will once entering the physical world again? It seems unlikely.
I think Raziel became a wraith exactly the same way the other dead vampires became wraiths.
But because they were all weak underlings, they had to go back into their bodies.
And Raziel being the second oldest and second most powerful Vampire in the world at the time was strong enough to manifest himself in other ways.
That and we don't exactly know what his dark gift was. So that could be why Dumah also had to go back into his own body.
I don't think the Elder raised Raziel, I think he just provided him easier access to the physical world.
He was just there waiting for Raziel and took credit for a power Raziel didn't understand or know he had.
But that's just my speculation.
I don't get to talk about or debate ideas regarding Legacy Of Kain with anyone else. So everyone please feel free to reply with your thoughts. This is my all time favorite Game series next to Silent Hill.
And my absolute favorite time travel story.
I always felt like Raziel didn’t have complete free will but more of the ability at key moments to choose freely, in a sense he’s the coin being flipped at these key moments throughout time but eventually the coin landed on its edge at all the right moments…. It’s a crazy game to think about I used to talk with my brother about this games lore so much
@@thanevakarian9762 That could be a real possibility that he only had free will at specific moments in time.
But even if he always had free will, he also was too entangled with Kain Moebius, Janos, and the Elder God to not be drawn down a fated path. But he did so willingly, intentionally or out of ignorance.
For example if he always had free will, he technically could have just opted to return to one of Moebius' time streaming devices, hit random buttons, and repeated that process until he was back in the SR1 era.
He could have just lived in that time ignoring everything Kain and the others were up to.
He could have always had that choice, he just chose not to, because that's not something he would do.
But it is fun to think about.
Oh no, you invited people to respond. 😊
Lots of wraiths come back, but only raziel was bent into a circle. His path is like a personal eternity... a wheel of his own. That's how he was removed from The wheel, by getting his soul spun in a substitute wheel, the reaver time loop that has no cut off point. He got his own ride. And look what happened. Free of Elder's wheel ("beyond his influence") Raziel was able to reach enlightenment at the end. Elder prevents regular Wheel of Fate souls from doing that. But Raz had a rare opportunity to graduate like a buddha from this life.
He killed Melchiah before joining with the wraith blade, though. So right from the start he was already free enough to change history in the main way he was brought back for. We don't notice his freedom early on because he never goes against the flow, just revenge all the time like he's told to do. And he's so confused and bounced around by events that he's never aware of times when he might have done better by taking a stand with his free will. So the freedom goes unused. Wasted. Elder would have been happy with the whole time loop going by like that, and in one timeline it did!
.....4 blades! Only 3 Raziels though at most. The physical blade don't count as another raziel, that's just an object. Still, 3 is a lot. There have been discussions about what it meant to start time changes with 3 instead of just 2. Eh. The big william paradox had only 2, and that's not a shabby paradox.
I'd be glad to see it if Raziel somehow passed his fate-resistant nature on to Kain somehow for the next chapter.
@@larrymcmacarroon9529 I tried to make sense of this once and went cross eyed. The current timeline's Reaver seems to be caught in an ever expanding cycle. The original Reaver was forged by Vorador, enchanted by the Circle, and entrusted to Janos Audron. He then kept the blade safe for millennia until it was stolen by the Sarafen. The third paradox then occurs when Raziel is saved from merging with the Reaver to become the Soul Reaver by Kain.
The Reaver remains the Reaver up until Raziel merges with the blade at the end of the game. But when does the blade enter history from there? Who knows but maybe it doesn't matter because we know it will travel does the line of events, end up in Avernus, be destroyed by Kain in battle with Raziel, and become bound to him to repeat the cycle again. . . and again. About the only scenario that I could think would end the multiplication of Raziels would be if the wraith blade Raziel's soul is released into death when its younger self is merged with the blade. Other than that, there's a near infinite number of Raziels in that sword-shaped prison.
There's also a lot of questions regarding events in timelines 1 (theoretically the unaltered timeline) , 2 (before the first Reaver Paradox where Kain kills William), and 3 (before the Reaver Paradox where Raziel spares Kain instead of killing him) since the current timeline is at least the 5th that we know of (the 4th being the one where Raziel merges with the blade in the Sarafan Stronghold). Its a good thing the games narrative is so good that it doesn't prompt one to dwell on these questions often as they are mind-boggling in their implications.
@@sypherthe297th2 oh don't worry about infinite raziels building up in the blade in 2023. That was an early mislead for us to be horrified and mystified by, but it was laid to rest in Defiance when the wraithblade went free. That was its reward for shoving Raziel in there, its motivation for turning against him. The nightmare did indeed end. One Raziel in, one out and free. Confirmed.
Also, if he was on trip 888 around the loop he would have had nonstop deja vu. But everything was a fresh surprise to Raziel, strongly hinting in-game that he only lived out one trip around the loop.
The loop did expand, but only the one time we witnessed. Which let Raziel take control of his personal eternity and make it his. He used it like an editing bay to drop a new album on the timeline. Thanks to his work as a timeline producer Vampires just debuted at #1 on the hot 100 fate chart.
These videos of yours are absolutely astounding. You never cease to amaze in how you explain and review this franchise. I think Kain did somewhat have free will after he became a vampire as he said that his destiny was forever changed.
I have some video ideas for you
1)Vampires during Kain empires
2) Humans during Kain empire
3)vampires during the blood omen 1 and 2 era
4) the vampire generals of Kain during blood omen 2
5) the whole of ancient vampires and their society
6) the pillar gurdians all of them
7) the kingdoms and empires that existed in nosgoths history
8) famous eras in nossgoth
9) any of the lore that comes from multi-player game nosgoth
10) lore from the canceled games like Dark prophecy and black sun
im not gonna lie, at my 15 years old seeing Raziel sacrificing himself in the end really pissed me off. was a poor ending for a character i loved so much. but now after years passed and all the pondering upon the complete story of the legacy of kain, i realize it is a fitting end and it dont leave bitter taste in my mouth anymore.
Did you watch cowboy Bebop? Ending pissed me off pretty much the same way but I can't say much if you haven't seen it because you should see it
@@willlauzon3744 oh i watched it, and can completely understand why you are pissed
You hate it, but rather what you hate is that Raziel had no other options but the choice that he took.
Bro, I love your dedication and love for the LOK series. Continue keeping it alive! 🙌
I just want to say thank you for continuing to make video essays of one of my favorite video game series of all time. Your videos are always a delight and your narration top notch. I would be here and welcome any other video games you'd wish to explore. Keep up the great work!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!
"Freedom is always sacrificed to fate dear hunter. Or are you truly here by choice?" Dracula SotN
Dracula what is a man a miserable pile of secrets imagine Kain fighting Simon Belmont or alucard!
When I first played Soul reaver I had enjoyed this game as if it was a movie. Little did I realize that a beautiful story was told in all five games.
I kind of find it almost poetic that both Kain and Mobius talk about Raziel as this uncontrolable monster, yet in the end he manages to be the true messiah to both Vampire and Hylden for both prophecies thus transforming him into the true Soul Reaver for Kain to wield.
And you explaining every detail about it helps it make me love even more, thanks for that. And I love the voice actor for Kain since he voiced Dr. Doom from the fantastic four tas back in then 90's.
These games have perhaps the greatest videogame story ever told. So eloquent and thoughtful.
These games had some of the best writing and voice acting back in a time when you couldn’t skip cutscenes I genuinely wish that the ip gets a revival soon I know a lot of the og voice cast isn’t with us anymore but I’m sure the right team could stick the landing with enough dedication to the lore and a good development cycle
Even all these years later I still tear up a bit at Raziels Sacrifice and Speech and Kains Reaction to it Raziel was a vampire with a heart and not heartless
The Legacy of Kain series is among my favorite stories ever told and one that I so often think about. When people claim videogames aren't art, I point to this series as being on the same level as Shakespeare. Long after I've finished playing through the series and I still think about it and will gladly watch any videos talking about it.
Facts. Just like in the Metal Gear franchise, the same was said. In one Codec Conversation, they mentioned a Shakespearean line saying, *"All the World's a Stage and We're merely players....But players can influence the play."* And it's true, Fate does decide in the long run, but Fate can be influenced by the Players.
@@usamazahid3882 Metal Gear is a different beast altogether. Kojima's games tend to accommodate for all types of player behavior. There is always a ton of content some people may never see. And since he thinks outside the box, accessing that content can be wildly creative. He really utilizes the entire medium to create the most abstract player interactivity.
@@Lockn3s5 True, but it did share some similarities with LOK, with different Characters embodying themselves. I mean think about this, Solid Snake (Metal Gear) and Raziel (LOK) embodying the integrity, when they were different. Raziel was a cold, cruel and ruthless as a human, and when he became a Vampire and a Wraith, he saw things differently and learned from his own experiences with integrity. Same goes with Solid Snake, once as a cold and emotionless soldier, before he saw things in a different light with Integrity in his own right and regaining his humanity. You then have others like the manipulators in Moebius (LOK) and Ocelot (Metal Gear), Atoners like Mortanius (LOK) and Otacon (Metal Gear), and then you have the Masterminds like the Elder God (LOK) and The Patriots (Metal Gear) etc. I could go on.
@@usamazahid3882 I have never juxtaposed these two games before but you do make some points. I just don't think there is much that can compare to Legacy of Kain. But if you were looking at character archetypes they do share similarities.
@@Lockn3s5 Facts. To each his own.
Raziel is a walking Reaver Paradox. Wielding the spectral blade there are always 2 versions of the Reaver in the same place.
Thank you for all your hard work in deep diving this beautiful series
I just saw one of the best videos I've ever watched on RUclips. Thank you for your time and thoughts.
I can’t wait for the remakes, your channel is going to boom even more
By the gods I've let this video sit on for far too long, I have to thank you for making excellent studies like this.
I often pondered about all these ideas long ago, ever since playing the first game as it came out. So very few pieces of media were able to have such a deep story, and leave you with questions not just about the game but about the life we live and decisions we make.
I'm so glad Amy's vision will not be forgotten and that a lot of people still share such passion and love for this franchise.
Thankyou for spending the time and energy that went into creating this wonderful video. Thankyou for stoking the flames and fuelling the fire that is our love for this series alive.
Taking humans' natural defenses (not counting guns, armor, etc, just complete natural defenses) into account, we should be near the bottom of the food chain. Our ability to choose to be at the top, even over genuine apex predators like bears, is a great example of overcoming what nature would intend by sheer will
Another outstanding video my dude. 20 years old and these games still resonate so strongly, and your video essays bring that to life and keep the torch burning. Thank you.
I can't describe what it means to still see people talking about this series. It's got so many wonderful philosophical ideas that feel prime for discussion and in depth looks, but I've only seen a handful of channels cover it.
I always thought of free will like a greenhouse. You have only so much space, so many pots to plant in. There IS a limitation there, but within that limitation, there is possibility. You might want to plant an apple tree, and you can't because of space constraints, but you absolutely can plant any other plants that would fit. Limitations don't remove free will, just constrains it. Even then, a smaller infinity is still infinity.
grafting fixes size restraints. can have a tree that fits the greenhouse grafted with other larger trees
@@usern4metak3ns Well, you just showed the constraints were even less than I demonstrated.
@@usern4metak3ns Humans 'can practice mindfullness, patience, store knowledge in books,
But people 'are limited by their circumstances,
Whether they 'live in an environment that teaches mental discipline,
Whether writing has been invented.
'Might be limit to the number of grafts an 'individual can have,
Even in some far off future of technologies.
@@vinaris6885 as long as the grafts aren't harmful to the base plant, the limits of grafting are fewer than the benefits.
also some limits are fine.
i always love at 12:12 Kain s like "I might of overestimated Raziel" and braces himself to die.
Its much like Palpatine in Episode 3 when he is doing the whole "im too weak, oh, please, dont kill me." At the last moment, his face is like "oh shit, im dead!" before Anakin saved him.
Thinking about it... 8 months later, I have the feeling that I'm alive just to lightly push others to pursue their own fates... I'm a school teacher you see, but at first, I studied journalism. Maybe my destiny was and still is, to teach someone I don't know a specific lesson I couldn't fathom or foresee, but I have the feeling that whatever the lesson is, I will be for the betterment of that person (or hopefully more that one)
18:50
:') The added music added more emphasis to this scene.
When I first played this as a kid, all the way up to this point in the game, I was entirely shocked trying to understand what tf was going on.
I love all your LoK lore essays and the dedication you put into them, but I think this is your best video so far. You truly got what this series is about and I love the work you're doing... hopefully, it can make more people to discover this amazing videogame.
This is why I always return here, we are all shackled to LoK!
What an astonishing, thought-provoking analysis! Love it, love it, love it!
The gameplay of this series has not aged well but the writing and dialogue has truly aged like fine wine
I'm so glad that there's still people out there appreciating this series. And then they make amazing videos so I can appreciate them appreciating the series! A win for all involved.
Damnit! That scene with that music... It made me tear up tears of brotherhood!
Thank you for your dedication to keeping LEGACY OF KAIN undead
Choices are either:
1. made for reasons, in which case they are determined.
2. made for no reasons, in which case they are random.
I see no way in which free will is possible.
Great video.
If you think about time theory. If you go back in time you shouldn't touch or in some cases even look or meet at yourself. Raziel is not only doing all that but having his physical, material reaver his prison and spiritual reaver what he'll eventually be from various timeliness meet.
19:50, years after, this part still gives me chills, it was so epic a conclusion to their struggles. One of my favorite series out there for sure.
Strictly the best channel about Legacy of Kain. Thank you, brother.
It's testament to have good the game is that as soon as a conversation starts ...I instantly remember all the dialogue...it was masterful writing and voice acting
You should appear in the new LoK game! Hahaha you are great continuing this fanbase
I love these analysis videos very thought provoking which is also why I love the Legacy of Kain. Come on whoever owns the IP please remake and remaster these games and release them for current consoles, we need this franchise back.
Hat's off to fan who caught the connection between raziel and the coin. This game is so damn good
Indeed, you are the best LOK analysis YT channel by far. Thank you so much my friend
When I first got into LoK, I was a Christian and just took fate as a foregone conclusion. This game series was what really made me think, both about my faith and fate. In a real way, I think this series helped to deprogram my mind from that indoctrination. I am still not sure about whether we have free will or not, but at least now I can consider it without a lifetime of programming getting in the way. I genuinely don't think I would ever have gotten to that point without Kain's monologue, portrayed so beautifully at the beginning of this video in SR2
I'm took the René Discartes approch of I think so there I'm. If we can't not know the future so we can't answear that question and so it is pointless because it can be both.
If fate is a thing we can't change it in the first place and if free will exist we choose a option in that moment and can never go back from. So either way we have the same outcome anyway. Regardless of faith or free will.
Very interesting! What denomination? I know some like Calvinists believe in Predestination. For others, Free Will is a fundamental truth.
@@davidcoughlin5897 The closest name I can give you is evangelical Baptist. In my case, that meant KJV only, believing the world was literally created in 6 days, thinking the Earth is about 6,000 years old. A lot of science denial baked in, in other words.
Man the awesome voice acting never ceases to amaze me. I wish the same people that did the Netflix Castlevania anime would buy the rights to Legacy of Kain and have all the yet available voice actors reprise their roles. What a glorious series that would be
Hell yea love seeing people talk about this epic series despite how long it's been for another game to release 🍻
Great choice of background music. Really sets in the with the theme of the episode, inescapable and always present weight of reality.
How do you do it mate? Every time I think there's nothing else left to milk out of this series you come out with another banger! And milking might be too strong of a word as you continue to release high quality content focusing on yet another aspect of this fantastic series. Thank you very much for that.
Can't believe it has been 20 years since Legacy of Kain Defiance. Still got my action figures, steel sword, and games. Actually want to make a novel series that will be inspired by LOK. I am VERY upset there has not been a remaster collection. I mean, Spyro, Metal Gear Solid, Crash, Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Dead Island, and so many other game series got HD collections. I have the games on GOG, but I'd rather play on PS5.
We can never get this kind of storytelling in games. This is art.
I just discovered your channel. You do a wonderful job at explaining one of the best game series ever made.
Thanks bro, you really mske my month, i played soul reaver when i was a lil kid and i fall in love with the series... i admire ppl like you who continue to dig and analize the lore and meaning of this amazing game, thanks.
How accurate of you to have extrapolated the moral of the LoK story onto our everyday lives. I loved the constatation how every day leads us to virtually the same end - sleep, dreaming and eventually death. Very thought-provoking.
Also, it's been such an unfalsifiable experience listening to your essays and rediscovering the epic I used to play as a rather unthoughtful brat. Feels home, really. A time paradox of its own.
I still remember this game and it was my favorite it’s voice actors, it’s open world environment. And especially it’s thought provoking message.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
After playing this game many times, I was brought to tears watching Raziel's sacrifice at the end of the video. That heartfelt background music didn't help either (thanks a lot 😊). My second time playing the game is when I shed tears as Kain was standing strong with his glowing Soul Reaver sword.
My thoughts: we ALL have Free Will. We live, we grow, we learn, we choose. Yes, we will always be in situations that seem uncontrollable and uncomfortable, but we can choose to stay in that situation, or rise above it. Same goes for the people in our lives. Fate, can be scary and seem unavoidable, but it doesn't have to be that way. We can control our fate, our very existence. To me, Raziel was showing his Free Will since the moment he was introduced.
He chose to show his master Kain his newfound wings, regardless of the consequences.
He told the Elder God upon the first meeting that he "would choose oblivion" over his new existence.
He chose to pick up the Soul Reaver in its spectral form after his first battle with Kain.
He chose to kill his brethren brothers, despite his vengeance. He didn't have to.
He chose to go through the portal at the end of Soul Reaver 1 when the Elder God warned him that "once you cross this threshold, you are beyond my influence." He pursued Kain anyway.
He chose to disobey both Moebius and the Elder God in Soul Reaver 2, even after hearing them out about killing Kain.
And lastly, he chose to sacrifice himself, because I feel like that even though he knew that he could "never escape" his terrible destiny, he could use the time he had to find more answers and maybe, just maybe, create some form of change. And he did. Little as it was, he gave Kain not only his "right hand" and "sword" back, but also some "bitter taste of that terrible illusion, hope." That things can be better, if you "have the heart for the truth, and will to see it." Change happens when we fight for it. I think both Raziel and Kain both fought for change, in their own way. To show, that "one can only match, move by move, the machinations of Fate. And thus defy, the tyrannous stars." Thats what matters. Fate be damned. Be in control.
Amazing video. One of your best. Thank you, again and again for keeping this series going. Much appreciated. ❤🙂
Goddammit, I am so glad your channel exists. This has been a question I have been struggling with for some time. Also in writing my own story I am trying to believe for a second that some decisions can matter even if they are fated.
But the new perspective on our thoughts and expressing free will through our imaginations does give me some solace. Those ideas permeate the world and this universe we live in and can continue forever with the people we affect and what we choose to do with those imaginations!
Thank you for pushing against those thoughts and asking us to think on it :) this is a bigger contribution to our society and what needs to be expressed more.
Wonderful video!
I am studying Anglistics/Philosophy and your videos are super in-depth, I wish some of my lessons were as interesting and well put together as your videos.
I always thought of it as... a "divide by zero" kind of thing. Raziel has a spectral sword attached to his arm, right? And that sword is actually him from thousands of years in the future, after traveling to the past some time before him, and was near him for most of his life after Kain resurrected him. That spectral sword also had a spectral sword before he was eaten by the Reaver, and that spectral sword also had a spectral sword, and that one also had another one, and so on. So events in the far distant future are directly interacting with events in the distant past this way, in a long causality loop. There has to have been a series of events that started the first loop, and it's likely that there are thousands of loops, until the audience plays through the series. So... perhaps the series we know is just the last loop of a horrible future that was never supposed to happen. Each loop changing little things until they got what they wanted. Soul Reaver "Prime" could've just been one of the early loops, if you look at it that way.
You have insane timing, or maybe it's fated, I just finished Defiance right now and here is this video on my recommendations.
Keep up this work!
You are a Pillar now.
The Pillar of Remembrance.
A wonderful video, reminding all who watch to question their choices.
I thought of this while listening to the video, considering Mobius and Raziel, Kain and Vorador, and came to this thought on what free will is. I look at the choices that we as people often exercise, and find that what makes free will stand out are the choices we make that pull us from our everyday lives. A trip into another part of the city, a day off from work for a personal day or project, or even the decision to stay still and watch. The exercise of free will, is out willingness to break from routine. To embrace a change in the destiny of our day to day lives and willingness to push against chance and causality to explore a new option. It is the decision to act in spite of the final outcome and see if there can be a different result. The definition of Insanity is to repeat an action and expecting a different result from the determined outcome. Free Will is the chance to view insanity made reality, if only for a moment. Whrn we break from routine, we exercise free will over the fate we have prescribed for ourselves.
Oh boy...a cup of tea and a new video...the evening couldn't be better. Thank you!
I'm so glad I subscribed. I love your Legacy of Kain analysis and they always reignite my love for this stunning series. One could pry at the narrative for ages and continue to uncover ever greater depth of meaning and truly artistic moves at play in every step of the narrative.
He makes me want to do videos explaining my theories on Legacy Of Kain.
The greatest story line in a game ever!
Just imagine how great a series of films this would make.
Dialogue like auditory chocolate, legendary voice-acting, some of the best soundtracks I've heard in any series, breathtaking intrigue and manipulation, _and_ opened my eyes to existential questions. _LoK_ left a profound, indelible mark on my high school/early college years, and I am glad it did.
The comeback of this franchise is like a coin being tossed so many times it landed on its side... Thanks for tossing the coin and hoping it would land on its side for the franchise
This is an excellent video. I appreciate your commitment to this series.
Such complex, yet fascinating topic to think about - all thanks for your viewpoints and videos overall.
Excellent videos.
A brilliant video as always. I needed this. Times are hard and nothing beats a good lord vídeo after s hard day of work.
You my friend are a champion, keeping up with LOK media for us all to consume. I truly love your work, and am hyped all day when I see a notification about it, anticipation for the ride home when I can begin to listen.
Magnificent video! Your videos in regards of Soul Reaver are mindblowing ♡
Did you ever see the fan made end of the series via gmod? It was very satisfying and showed how Kain got to defeat the Older God and saved Raziel by restoration of his body by returning his soul.
Similar how enemies that got impaled and got returned by having the impaled body given a chance to heal itself.
I see you there, Max Payne Bonsai Tree reference. Always loved that one
Makes me so happy every time a new video comes out. Seriously the best
Legacy of Kain was the only game series that really got me to question everything in life. With its influences of Nietzchean and Gnostic philosophies. To this day I still question and contemplate if I truly have free will. And that is what makes this series my favorite video game series of all time. It really makes you think even when you are done playing the game. Those questions stay within you forcing you to consider all sorts of possibilities in your own existence.
I fall in love with this series almost every day.
You make some interesting points about free will being an illusion based on the nature of a person. Even when shown the path a person is perceived to "fated" to take, they will invariably come to a conclusion or path determined by who they are as a person. Determined by every neuron activation or chemical reaction in their brain. If it isn't free will, then it's certainly something far beyond our capability to truly predict and read by merit of the pure vastness of variables at work. Imagine being cognoscente of every planetary body in the solar system, every meteorite or asteroid, ever spec of space dust and debris and knowing where they will be at any given moment all at once. To me, that's like trying to understand Fate.
I finally get the time to watch this video in detail. Amazing as usual. Thank you so much!
Raziel being both champions is a new concept to me. I always looked at the two murals with different outcomes as modeling the two interactions with Kain. The first mural being Raziel defeating Kain when he took the Heart of Darkness from him, and the second, when Kain returns and Raziel is consumed into the reaver. Therefore, both murals played out, to create the middle mural, Kain, the Scion of Balance, holding the complete form of the reaver. This seams to make more sense to me, but if Hennig herself says it different, I can’t argue.
I didn't even watch the first minute of the video, I have already liked it, because to this day there hasn't been such compelling story in video games like Legacy of Kain. And to watch the video :D I wish this game comes back to life.
Whether it was fate or my free choice, I'm glad it led me to your videos back in the day. Just for the sake of people like you who keep LOK alive, I hope that one day we will see a sequel or a revival of the whole brand. Thank you.
This topic is exactly why I tattooed Raziel and Kain on my body so many years ago. This saga has truly been a lifechanger for me!