Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is celebrating its 25th anniversary with remastered versions of the first and second games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The remastered versions are developed by Aspyr, which also worked on Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, with Crystal Dynamics contributing the original source code and a complete set of assets. This provided the team at Aspyr with the foundation to faithfully bring back the same combat, puzzles, and boss fights to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered.
The goal of the game was to surprise and delight lifelong hardcore fans with additions that would enhance the overall experience without harming the original design intentions. With that in mind, Aspyr introduced control improvements, as the original Soul Reaver launched when the d-pad was the dominant control method. With the remastered version, players will be able to use the analog sticks on the DualShock 4 and DualSense in the original Soul Reaver. Camera upgrades include mapping camera control to the right stick. The original game didn’t have robust skyboxes since players couldn’t look up, so Aspyr had to also address that by creating some.
Other additions include trophies, a map and compass, a photo mode, and a few more surprises. The map is entirely new and was co-created by Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics, and key members of the Legacy of Kain community.
As for graphical updates, Aspyr aimed to make the games look the way you remember them. That means very subtle changes were made like adding a glow to Raziel’s eyes and the Wraith Blade, but overall the models are inspired by the look of the original pre-rendered cutscenes. Real-time shadows have been added and enemy and boss models have been upgraded. The remastered version also adds a day and night cycle, which was a legacy feature that was cut from the final release. Perhaps the best feature: the game includes a toggle to instantly switch between classic and modern game art.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered launches on December 10, 2024, for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
