[PSX] Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain

I decided to do my first review on one of my favorite games of all time.

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Developer: Silicon Knights and Activision
Platform: Sony Playstation and PC
Genre: Action/Role-Playing

The first installment in the long and complex Legacy of Kain series, Blood Omen is in a tie with Legacy of Kain: Defiance as my favorite LoK game. I have never done this, so show some mercy.


Story
In the old-time magical world of Nosgoth, there exists the beautiful Pillars of Nosgoth. Each pillar represents the elements that make up Nosgoth. Blood Omen opens to the slaughter of four Guardians. The Guardians were chosen from birth to be bound with the pillar they serve. The Vampire Vorador kills six, though we only see him kill four, of the Guardians before the defender of the Guardians arrives; Malek the Paladin. After a small battle, Vorador is victorious. We next see Malek chained, being spoken to by a Guardian named Mortanius. For failing the Circle, Malek's soul was fused to a set of magical armor, forever denying him the pleasure of the flesh. We now jump forward in time to another scene. A young woman named Ariel, who is the Guardian of the Pillar of Balance, is murdered. After we see her fall, we get a glance at the actual pillars. The Balance Pillar cracks and turns from a pristine white to a dark and corrupted hue. The opening scene ends and we meet our star. Kain. Kain is at a wandering nobleman and he has stopped in a bar in a small town.

The bartender tells Kain to leave. Kain leaves the pub but is attacked by a group of brigands. After a short and one-sided battle, Kain falls. He is then impaled upon a sword. So ends the Legacy of Kain, right? No! Kain awakens tied to two columns before a sea of fire. He realizes he is obviously still dead. The sword that ended his life still rests in his torso. A hooded figure walks over to him from behind. This was the Necromancer Mortanius. Mortanius offered Kain the one thing Kain desired. Revenge. Without thinking, Kain accepts the Necromancer's offer, grabbing the blade that took his life to seal the deal. "Nothing is free. Not even revenge." Kain's dark hair and white armor is transformed. His hair turns white and he is now in a suit of red and black armor. His skin and eyes have changed. Kain has changed. He is reborn as a vampire. "You will have the blood you hunger for."

Gameplay
The gameplay of Blood Omen is completely different from that of later games in the LoK series. In this game, there is a tradition armor and weapons system, along with magic.

Vampiric Gameplay:
The night/day dial and weather are very important to Kain. At day, his power is weak. It is better not to be out in the open at this time. At night, the vampire grows strong and it is ideal to travel and do difficult levels at this time. Weather is also important. Another vampiric weakness is water. Kain cannot go across the water. Unfortunately, the water comes down on you when it is raining and snowing. This will hurt Kain and slowly drain his health. Also a good idea to seek shelter when this happens. There is also a moon cycle. There are some areas that can only open when there is a full moon.

Of course, the most obvious thing is how Kain recovers his health. Blood. You must hurt an opponent and be careful not to kill them. They will be hurt and stand there, struggling to stay up. That is the moment in which you get your dark reward.

Weapons/Armor:
Kain's weapons and armor are obtained by going through levels. He cannot buy his own weapons. Some weapons and armor are obtained in the level you go through to progress in the game. However, weapons like the Flame Sword must be obtained by going through a completely optional level. These levels are sometimes referred to as "Shrines." There is nothing special about the system. It is ordinary for anyone who has played this kind of game. Some of the weapons and armor are made in conjunction to help his vampiric needs such as Flesh Armor which will drain the blood from the opponent automatically while Kain concentrates on the attack.

Magic:
Kain has great magic attacks. Some drain his magic power, while others are like items and you can only use it the number of times you collected it. The Heart of Darkness can either restore Kain's health or revive him when he dies. Repel defends Kain from spellcasters. Control Mind and Spirit Wrack allows Kain to control his enemies to attack others or perhaps scout ahead for other enemies.

Forms:
Kain unlocks different forms he can take throughout the game. There is the Wolf Guise which allows Kain to jump over areaks covered with spikes and climb cliffs and hiills. The Mist form allows him to travel across water and through a certain gate. Then there are the human guises which allow Kain to travel freely and without conflict. Also, he can talk to other people and have them divulge useful bits of information.

Extras:
There are two areas Kain can enter that will be of tremendous help. The Blood Fountains and the Spirit Forges. At Blood Fountains, Kain's health is restored and his stats increase. Or, he may be given protection. Beware being greedy. At Spirit Forges, Kain can send in his unwilling servants to give their blood to the Forges so he may receive useful items.

Graphics
Blood Omen is mainly a 2D game. There are a few cool FMVs in it that are good, and the cinematics of him flying as a bat to a location is just sweet. I had no qualms with the 2D look, because it is just too good a game to let that stop you.

Audio
I can't get enough of the music in Blood Omen. The theme in Nupraptor's Keep is just great and I love the way they keep bringing it back. The music of the opening scene is great and really lets you know just how evil Vorador is. I can't describe it well, but if you play it, the music will really draw you into the scene. Another example is the scene of the Battle of the Last Stand.

The voice-acting cannot be beaten. Simon Templeman as Kain, Tony Jay, who would later do the Elder God, as Mortanius and young king William, Richard Doyle as the evil and manipulative Moebius, as well as the psychotic Nupraptor. All these guys give a great performance. They really bring their lines alive and help you relate to their feeling. Templeman as Kain especially helped you understand Kain, when he was laughing while he slaughtered his enemies one by one.

Flaws
The only one is kind of a big one. There is an insane number of load-times. You'll had to wait for a few seconds for just about anything. Saving, opening up the status screen, entering a level, just about anything. I really don't mind, but it might but some people.

This game is old, but great. You want to find any copy of it you can get your hands on. I know I did a bad review and nothing I can say can ever convey to you how much this game kicks ass. Buy it and see for yourself.

(Apologies for any spelling errors)

Socre: 9.8