I played this game in 2000 on the Dreamcast when I was 10. It FLOORED me. I was in another world, feeling every aha moment and every new discovery or progression in my soul. Getting a new ability and exploring Nosgoth with it, the dopamine hit was something else. Looking back, the game is so far ahead of 1999-2000. The streaming, dynamic music, story, im-sim-esque combat options and encounters, the questions about free will and fate.....this is truly a gem, deserving of its 92 rating and its cult following that still discusses the games to this day.
Soul Reaver 2 is one of my all time favourite games. I missed out on the original during my PlayStation and Dreamcast days but when I did get round to playing it I enjoyed it but really wish I had played it first.
My brother told me about this game and I didn't think it would be good because we have different tastes. However, Soul Reaver is now one of my favorite games. I'd really like to see a remake, with improved graphics and gameplay. Expanding the world would be a good idea as well.
What a great story! Thank you for sharing 😊 Absolutely agreed. A visual overhaul and modern controls would elevate this. Praying for a Night Dive remake!
To this day still my absolute favourite game franchise, yet unfortunately one of the most underrated.. it's really upsetting to have seen it end soo long ago, it does however.. make the community that more special
The demo is really good! It's the lighthouse, right? There's some stuff in that demo that was changed in the final game. So it's sort of its own unique game in itself!
I love getting to watch folks who grew up with these games gush about the impressive tech. That's a perspective you can't really find anywhere else! Like if I heard "The gex engine" before watching this, I wouldn't have taken it seriously, but now I know it was a UNIT!
The real-time deformation is genuinely revolutionary. And I cut a section out of the script talking about how this game has zero load times. That's an absolute game changer.
Really great video. You capture the excitement flawlessly and would certainly encourage anyone to try this (so already have and loved it). Only problem is the lack of voice actor samples when you’re saying how talented they are. Otherwise, fantastic
Thank you very much for your kind comment. I hear you about the actor samples. The same goes for the music too. But I'm so wary of ContentID these days, I didn't want the video getting a content strike. So I erred on the side of caution.
@The Game Show Very fair point. And I didn’t mean it as a strike against you. But I totally understand. I tell you what though, you got me to want to install it again and play it some more. I loved the game so much I was torn between naming my dog Raziel (if he was aggressive) and Razputin (if he was sweet and dopey) Edit: Got him in 2014 if that says anything about Raziel’s staying power
@@JoshuaJacobs83 You should reinstall and play. I did not regret playing this game this year. The controls are ropey, but I enjoyed all the good bits just as much as I did last time I plated. And that's rad about your dog!
The only flaw of this game is that it ends on a cliffhanger (oh and the box puzzles). Square Enix really needs to remake the Soul Reaver Trilogy into one, glorious game. They can even reuse the original voice samples, as the acting holds up to this day. Also, Blood Omen is an excellent game as well, with an equally great story. Definitely give it a chance if you haven't.
I'm inclined to agree to a point. While I am sad that so much content got cut from this game, it did eventually find its way into the sequels. I've always fancied a "definitive edition" realising the original vision for a single, self-contained story. I think the box puzzles are fine for one play through, but playing through multiple times they can get repetitive. The Wrace mod has an option to skip block puzzles though, so that's great!
Thank you mate! There's no need for shame inside your hobbies. None at all. If you get round to it, I'm sure you'll have a great time. But there's so many other games and life is too rich to worry about what you're missing. Enjoy yourself and have a great day x
Soul Reaver was my favorite game of all time for many years until I played The last of Us remastered on PlayStation 4 (never played the original on PS3). It took that long for me to find another game that even came close to absolutely captivating me with such a masterful level of epic storytelling and fantastic voice over work. I was practically obsessed with it for a period of time.The legacy of Kane series and especially Soul Reaver are still very near and dear to my heart as you can probably tell. Raziel has been my screen avatar ever since I created my RUclips account in 2011. Your affection for the game is quite obvious and I very much enjoyed hearing your thoughts on it. Cheers!
Oh man this video is such a pleasant surprise! I’ve been meaning to play through this franchise for the longest and hearing you talk about it is getting me more hyped to jump into. Vampires have been my jam lately. Absolutely love the vibes this game is giving. Great stuff, Matty!
We are definitely vampire bros right now 🙂 The rumours are that a remaster is coming so it might pay off to be a bit more patient. But I genuinely adore this game and can't recommend it enough. The series as a whole has a massive mythology and I really think you're gonna dig it.
Oh man, you've got no idea how much joy you brought me - I had no idea there was a band called Information Society. I listen to the album from which the incredible song that served as Soul Reaver's theme came from over and over now and I'm mesmerized by that song, simply because of how outlandish it is. I can't believe it wasn't specifically made for Soul Reaver and is just some random song.
I first played Soul Reaver as a demo on a game called Unholly War. I was blown away by Soul Rever and egerly awaited it's release. Some of the best story telling anf voice work, hands down.
There are some sections of the voiceover where you can hear the mic popping because I'm almost shouting at some points, because I'm so passionate about this game. I thought about re-recording them, but left them in as a reminder of how much I love this game 😻
This was my absolute favorite game series of all time! Now I’ve heard that they may be re-making this soon? Possibly on PS5? I can only imagine how good this would look on some of the newer gameplay platforms
I thought Defiance had a pretty decent conclusion. I'm definitely going to replay them all now though. So check back for my ultimate opinion in about a year!
I only played this when it was released all those years ago but, I was so engrossed in it from start to finish. I don't think I've played a more atmospheric game. I absolutely loved it.
Might be my favorite game too. It aged so well. I still think the shifting looks cool as hell. The way the gothic architecture changes is so cool when shifting. That aspect of the platforming is awesome. And the gliding. Of course the excellent production values. It really doesn't need a remake. Brings me back to my childhood. Was 9'when I first played it. Was rewatching it the other day on here and was very impressed with how well it aged.
Couldn't agree more! I would like a Night Dive remaster, just so I don't feel like I'm struggling as much when I'm trying to do some of the finer platforming. But it's otherwise perfect out of the box.
AFAIK the GOG version is your best bet for a legitimate working copy. I would still install the Wrace mod for controller support, save support and some QoL improvements too.
Oh yeah, an absolute classic! Not the most amazing gameplay ever, but the atmosphere and story really make it. Sometimes I just keep "Soul Reaver Movie" videos playing in the background as sort of an impromptu "audio book". The voice overs in this game are out of this world and forever etched into my brain.
If there's going to be a remaster of Soul Reaver I'll be the first to buy it if it comes out for PS5 but I hope blood Omen gets a remaster as well blood omen and legacy of Kain defiance are the only games in the franchise I've never played I did play a bit of the PC version of defiance trying to jump the platforms with the keyboard is impossible
Defiance is really good from what I remember, but I've not played it in a long time. Getting a Blood Omen remaster would be great. It's a really fun game with a fair bit of depth but I think the older 2D top-down visuals put people off playing it in the modern age. It's definitely still worth it if you're curious.
@@MattyStoked Blood Omen I played before Soul Reaver so Kain has been my guy since the very beginning. I love playing as him and he's such a great anti-hero. Hes hardcore no mercy to anyone.
This was really well edited and narrated retrospective on Soul Reaver, enjoyable to watch, thank you! Cool to see people talking about this after 23 years still. The only issue I have is with you recommending wrace's pc patch at all, while it enables controller support (digital movement only!), it is the worst version to play. Wrace replaced the soundtrack with tracks not meant for it (no dynamic music in pc version either), he also altered Raziel's appearance which imo hinders the artistic style, added badly translated achievements to it, inserted poorly implented debug menu which can screw up your game, new game plus with the game puzzles solved (what's the point?!), added broken save any time "feature", rain also completely disappears on higher than intended resolutions and there is a sound desynchronization if you play for over 1h in one go... Please do not support wrace and his makeshift patch! I disagree about the cut content removed was good but more, necessary - it hurt the game overall but at least they could finish and ship it. The cliffhanger was a huge disappointment, especially since they were promoting content which ended up being removed (it added about 2-3 hours gameplay). You can finish the retail game within 4,5h with everything unlocked so I'd certainly welcome extra stuff to do. Glad to hear you recommend the Dreamcast version at the end as the best. I've made a fan remaster mod for it recently if you're interested, check my channel out! It has its own issues but it surpasses the pc version easily. Bonus points for mentioning DBA by InSoc! 👍
The bit where you talk about the poor controls... Dude, this room! Jumping on the pillars of the Rahab boss room is a nightmare even on PS1. Maybe the worst part of the game when it comes to platforming.
I'm playing the PC port, which is a port of the Playstation game. The Dreamcast game came out a year later (I think) with better visuals and full analogue support. I've played all three and In honesty, the Dreamcast version is the best version of the game.
@@MattyStoked Blood Omen 2 is actually my favorite and the one I've replayed most over the 3 consoles it was on. Mainly because I owned a GC before I got a PS2 and it was the only newer LOK game on it I could play until I got a PS2.
The love you have for this game is really apparent when talking about it, and that is fantastic to me.
Thank you so much. I'm glad the love pours of of this one ❤️
The innovation of this game was astonishing , not only you can act like a vampire, also you can do interdimensional travels to solve puzzles.
It's just the best.
I played this game in 2000 on the Dreamcast when I was 10. It FLOORED me. I was in another world, feeling every aha moment and every new discovery or progression in my soul. Getting a new ability and exploring Nosgoth with it, the dopamine hit was something else. Looking back, the game is so far ahead of 1999-2000. The streaming, dynamic music, story, im-sim-esque combat options and encounters, the questions about free will and fate.....this is truly a gem, deserving of its 92 rating and its cult following that still discusses the games to this day.
I cannot agree more. You've nailed it there. The lasting impact of the atmosphere and storytelling has not dulled one bit in 20 years.
You are worthy!
My favorite game of all time, the reason i'm now a storyteller
Best game ever! 💙
I've played legacy of kain: soul reaver about a hundred times. I know this game by heart! Even when raziel & kain r talking I be getting into it.
DAMN IT KAIN YOU ARE NOT GOD
Soul Reaver 2 is one of my all time favourite games. I missed out on the original during my PlayStation and Dreamcast days but when I did get round to playing it I enjoyed it but really wish I had played it first.
Hey it doesn't matter how you got there, as long as you got there!
This was so great! Honestly, it's just a good time hearing you talk about a game you love so much.
The Game Show of the future is going to be solidly me gushing about games I love.
Soul Reaver was the perfect game for the edgy 90s teenager. Who else played this absolute banger?
I love this game i just recently remembered this game I played it on ps2 lok soul reaver 2 I miss so MUCH Ima GO on steam and purchase this bad boy
My brother told me about this game and I didn't think it would be good because we have different tastes. However, Soul Reaver is now one of my favorite games. I'd really like to see a remake, with improved graphics and gameplay. Expanding the world would be a good idea as well.
What a great story! Thank you for sharing 😊 Absolutely agreed. A visual overhaul and modern controls would elevate this. Praying for a Night Dive remake!
To this day still my absolute favourite game franchise, yet unfortunately one of the most underrated.. it's really upsetting to have seen it end soo long ago, it does however.. make the community that more special
Weird that it's so underrated now, and yet it was one of the biggest franchises going in the early 2000s
@@MattyStoked most definitely!, It deserves a spotlight and hopefully a revival! The story full circle was a masterpiece
These games should have been remastered on newer hardware ages ago.
Back when games came w/ a demo I’d play the crap outta the demo for this game - it was so atmospheric & awesome
The demo is really good! It's the lighthouse, right? There's some stuff in that demo that was changed in the final game. So it's sort of its own unique game in itself!
I love getting to watch folks who grew up with these games gush about the impressive tech. That's a perspective you can't really find anywhere else! Like if I heard "The gex engine" before watching this, I wouldn't have taken it seriously, but now I know it was a UNIT!
The real-time deformation is genuinely revolutionary. And I cut a section out of the script talking about how this game has zero load times. That's an absolute game changer.
And let's not forget: such a huge world and no loading screens
Really great video. You capture the excitement flawlessly and would certainly encourage anyone to try this (so already have and loved it). Only problem is the lack of voice actor samples when you’re saying how talented they are. Otherwise, fantastic
Thank you very much for your kind comment. I hear you about the actor samples. The same goes for the music too. But I'm so wary of ContentID these days, I didn't want the video getting a content strike. So I erred on the side of caution.
@The Game Show Very fair point. And I didn’t mean it as a strike against you. But I totally understand. I tell you what though, you got me to want to install it again and play it some more. I loved the game so much I was torn between naming my dog Raziel (if he was aggressive) and Razputin (if he was sweet and dopey)
Edit: Got him in 2014 if that says anything about Raziel’s staying power
@@JoshuaJacobs83 You should reinstall and play. I did not regret playing this game this year. The controls are ropey, but I enjoyed all the good bits just as much as I did last time I plated. And that's rad about your dog!
@The Game Show I actually am now! Based on your recommendation lol
The only flaw of this game is that it ends on a cliffhanger (oh and the box puzzles). Square Enix really needs to remake the Soul Reaver Trilogy into one, glorious game. They can even reuse the original voice samples, as the acting holds up to this day.
Also, Blood Omen is an excellent game as well, with an equally great story. Definitely give it a chance if you haven't.
I'm inclined to agree to a point. While I am sad that so much content got cut from this game, it did eventually find its way into the sequels. I've always fancied a "definitive edition" realising the original vision for a single, self-contained story. I think the box puzzles are fine for one play through, but playing through multiple times they can get repetitive. The Wrace mod has an option to skip block puzzles though, so that's great!
Bonus points for the “heel turn” wrestling lingo
This is on my list of shame, here’s hoping Nightdive pick this one up soon!
Lovely heartfelt analysis, mate.
Thank you mate! There's no need for shame inside your hobbies. None at all. If you get round to it, I'm sure you'll have a great time. But there's so many other games and life is too rich to worry about what you're missing. Enjoy yourself and have a great day x
Soul Reaver was my favorite game of all time for many years until I played The last of Us remastered on PlayStation 4 (never played the original on PS3). It took that long for me to find another game that even came close to absolutely captivating me with such a masterful level of epic storytelling and fantastic voice over work. I was practically obsessed with it for a period of time.The legacy of Kane series and especially Soul Reaver are still very near and dear to my heart as you can probably tell. Raziel has been my screen avatar ever since I created my RUclips account in 2011. Your affection for the game is quite obvious and I very much enjoyed hearing your thoughts on it. Cheers!
I love it! It's still my favourite game and I can't see it being knocked off the top spot.
Oh man this video is such a pleasant surprise! I’ve been meaning to play through this franchise for the longest and hearing you talk about it is getting me more hyped to jump into. Vampires have been my jam lately. Absolutely love the vibes this game is giving. Great stuff, Matty!
We are definitely vampire bros right now 🙂 The rumours are that a remaster is coming so it might pay off to be a bit more patient. But I genuinely adore this game and can't recommend it enough. The series as a whole has a massive mythology and I really think you're gonna dig it.
"The human race reached its cultural peak in 1990s" ya know what, I think you're right
I just think that 1998 was the peak of film, music and all entertainment. And I don't think I can be convinced otherwise.
Oh man, you've got no idea how much joy you brought me - I had no idea there was a band called Information Society. I listen to the album from which the incredible song that served as Soul Reaver's theme came from over and over now and I'm mesmerized by that song, simply because of how outlandish it is. I can't believe it wasn't specifically made for Soul Reaver and is just some random song.
Yeah, Information Society are one rad goth band. Well worth checking out for more spooky synth goodness :D
I first played Soul Reaver as a demo on a game called Unholly War. I was blown away by Soul Rever and egerly awaited it's release. Some of the best story telling anf voice work, hands down.
I know Unholy War and I know that demo. It was super bare bones, but it fired the imagination!
Absolutely beautiful video! It was wonderful to hear you gush about such a great game.
There are some sections of the voiceover where you can hear the mic popping because I'm almost shouting at some points, because I'm so passionate about this game. I thought about re-recording them, but left them in as a reminder of how much I love this game 😻
This was my absolute favorite game series of all time! Now I’ve heard that they may be re-making this soon? Possibly on PS5? I can only imagine how good this would look on some of the newer gameplay platforms
I wonder if the original audio would be utilized for a remake. Geting the right feel in the voice work would be key. RIP Tony Jay.
I'm still waiting for the proper conclusion that this series deserves...
I thought Defiance had a pretty decent conclusion. I'm definitely going to replay them all now though. So check back for my ultimate opinion in about a year!
Soul Reaver is my 2nd favorite game.
I really can't believe what they squeezed out of the Playstation with this game. Absolutely brilliant stuff!
I cut out a bit where I mentioned that this game has no loading times. For a 90s CD-based console, that's incredible.
I only played this when it was released all those years ago but, I was so engrossed in it from start to finish.
I don't think I've played a more atmospheric game. I absolutely loved it.
Same. It has firmly remained in my head and in my heart ever since. I can't get over it!
Might be my favorite game too. It aged so well. I still think the shifting looks cool as hell. The way the gothic architecture changes is so cool when shifting. That aspect of the platforming is awesome. And the gliding. Of course the excellent production values. It really doesn't need a remake. Brings me back to my childhood. Was 9'when I first played it. Was rewatching it the other day on here and was very impressed with how well it aged.
Couldn't agree more! I would like a Night Dive remaster, just so I don't feel like I'm struggling as much when I'm trying to do some of the finer platforming. But it's otherwise perfect out of the box.
Absolutely loved this when it came out. It was way ahead of its time.
Remake would be incredible as to new combat and places.
10/10 voices
Thank you for this upload yo! I love this
Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Love this game of the PS1 era. Classic vampire video game.
Do you know if the version for sale on GOG works okay at the moment?
AFAIK the GOG version is your best bet for a legitimate working copy. I would still install the Wrace mod for controller support, save support and some QoL improvements too.
Oh yeah, an absolute classic! Not the most amazing gameplay ever, but the atmosphere and story really make it. Sometimes I just keep "Soul Reaver Movie" videos playing in the background as sort of an impromptu "audio book". The voice overs in this game are out of this world and forever etched into my brain.
Couldn't agree more! I don't think the voice acting has been beaten in this game.
Great game! Very nice memories!!! Good review!
Best series of all time
I'm late to the party. Just started playing. love the aesthetics, music and mechanics of this game.
I'd love to know how you feel once you finish the game. I love still talking about this game, all these years after it game out!
I Love Legacy of Kain Soulreaver it's my n1 favorite game of all time. And I'm 39 years old.
Whatever your age, you're right about Soul Reaver!
MGS tactical espionage was pretty up there with the voice, gameplay mechanics and just random cool stuff in the game for the time
But I will say LKSR is and always will be in my top 5 and now I can play 2 and defiance on my laptop 💪💪 thank you world
If there's going to be a remaster of Soul Reaver I'll be the first to buy it if it comes out for PS5 but I hope blood Omen gets a remaster as well blood omen and legacy of Kain defiance are the only games in the franchise I've never played I did play a bit of the PC version of defiance trying to jump the platforms with the keyboard is impossible
Defiance is really good from what I remember, but I've not played it in a long time. Getting a Blood Omen remaster would be great. It's a really fun game with a fair bit of depth but I think the older 2D top-down visuals put people off playing it in the modern age. It's definitely still worth it if you're curious.
@@MattyStoked Blood Omen I played before Soul Reaver so Kain has been my guy since the very beginning. I love playing as him and he's such a great anti-hero. Hes hardcore no mercy to anyone.
I was 10 years old when this came out absolutely best game
This was really well edited and narrated retrospective on Soul Reaver, enjoyable to watch, thank you! Cool to see people talking about this after 23 years still. The only issue I have is with you recommending wrace's pc patch at all, while it enables controller support (digital movement only!), it is the worst version to play. Wrace replaced the soundtrack with tracks not meant for it (no dynamic music in pc version either), he also altered Raziel's appearance which imo hinders the artistic style, added badly translated achievements to it, inserted poorly implented debug menu which can screw up your game, new game plus with the game puzzles solved (what's the point?!), added broken save any time "feature", rain also completely disappears on higher than intended resolutions and there is a sound desynchronization if you play for over 1h in one go... Please do not support wrace and his makeshift patch!
I disagree about the cut content removed was good but more, necessary - it hurt the game overall but at least they could finish and ship it. The cliffhanger was a huge disappointment, especially since they were promoting content which ended up being removed (it added about 2-3 hours gameplay). You can finish the retail game within 4,5h with everything unlocked so I'd certainly welcome extra stuff to do.
Glad to hear you recommend the Dreamcast version at the end as the best. I've made a fan remaster mod for it recently if you're interested, check my channel out! It has its own issues but it surpasses the pc version easily.
Bonus points for mentioning DBA by InSoc! 👍
I hope we get a remaster on switch
That would be amazing :D
This intro slapped.
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!
i put hours into this game loved it
Great game! Great video!
Thank you 👍
I love Crystal Dynamic
Such a great track record as a developer!
@@MattyStoked Amen! Also, I hope they will remake the Gex games
The bit where you talk about the poor controls... Dude, this room! Jumping on the pillars of the Rahab boss room is a nightmare even on PS1. Maybe the worst part of the game when it comes to platforming.
Hahaha I deliberately left that clip in and it drives ME crazy watching it 😁
Is this the playstation or dreamcast version?
I'm playing the PC port, which is a port of the Playstation game. The Dreamcast game came out a year later (I think) with better visuals and full analogue support. I've played all three and In honesty, the Dreamcast version is the best version of the game.
It's the most nostalgic game in the series for most people but it's honestly not my favorite. I do like what I've played from it though.
It was the first Kain game I played. Which is your favourite? I really enjoyed Defiance for what it was.
@@MattyStoked Blood Omen 2 is actually my favorite and the one I've replayed most over the 3 consoles it was on. Mainly because I owned a GC before I got a PS2 and it was the only newer LOK game on it I could play until I got a PS2.
❤
Wait!? Night dive might be making a remaster? don't tease my balls sir.
That's what the rumour mill is suggesting. I have no further insight to add, I'm just parroting what I've heard 🤷♂️
@@MattyStoked For the love of Nosgoth I hope it happens.
Yo if they do I hope they add in the cut content and extend/expand the game like how they did with ShadowMan.