A fantastic finish to an excellent series!
The series for Legacy Of Kain executes the job in its own way – the company, Silicon Knights (then, later on, Crystal Dynamics), used full-motion video sequences and superb voice acting (used in either FMV or in-cut scenes) to tell the plot, from beginning to end, with characters that are hard to forget. Throughout the entire series, Kain (hence the name Legacy Of Kain) has always returned, since he plays a pivotal role in the entire series. What make the series interesting to fans are the questions and answers it brings forth. The sequels, whether it may be Blood Omen or Soul Reaver (an entirely different series, but stays in the same universe sporting old/new characters) answers the questions, but the endings leave us dead on the trail, thus forcing gamers, such as myself, drooling for the final outcome.
This time, I suppose the fans of the series are blessed with Defiance, for the fifth game of the series (as a whole, mind you) delivers all the answers. Because the story has progressed so much, it is hard to reveal every single detail of the plot, from the genesis of the series to the last game made in the series. However, even when you are a newbie of the series, as you progress, the game does tell players of the game’s past while sharing new information of the story that hasn’t been revealed and was only kept in darkness for a short time.
Defiance picks up right after Soul Reaver 2 – Kain and Raziel are in the same world, but in different time periods and must meet up with each other for the inevitable to occur – a historic clash that would determine the fate of the world. Gamers portray both characters through chapters. In fact, there are thirteen chapters to be played out, first playing as Kain, finishing his chapter, thus moving to Raziel until he is done, and so on.
Gameplay is divided into three sections – exploration, puzzle solving, and combat, most arguably the best part of the gameplay. Exploration is key to unraveling the mysteries of Nosgoth, but puzzles play a key role as well, as it leads to new weapons and abilities for both Kain and Raziel. Most puzzles consist of rotation or pushing blocks to the correct place, leading them to be repetitive, but others require fast jumping and a lot of patience. Some of the puzzles take several days to accomplish, but when you finally solve the missing link, everything becomes clear and it leads you to a new sequence of the story itself.
The combat, however, is perhaps the most fun in Defiance. Both Raziel and Kain, while brandish the same blade in a different fashion, just about have the basic moves in their arsenal. You can either execute a flurry of sword slashes, use telekinesis to throw your adversaries into torches or spikes, or use spells that you earn along the way. The enemies are smart, blocking your moves and dodging your slashes in an attempt to strike back at the best opportunity. Some of the bosses require patience though, but are a lot of fun to play against.
Visually, Defiance one-ups its predecessors. The architecture remains the same, as players explore the realm the Nosgoth through forests, castles, ruins, temples, and a lot more creepy places that’s hard to imagine until you see it. The visuals are notched up a bit, thus making the environments a bit clearer to see, with neat effects, such as rain pouring down or torches flickering in the darkness, thrown in for good measure. The music cranks up the ambiance and is on par with the stunning visuals. The animation runs smoothly, but gets choppy when too much is happening at once.
In conclusion, should gamers enjoy a nice tale that sports a vampirish atmosphere of sorts should buy Legacy Of Kain: Defiance.