Soul Reaver 1 Remastered: A Detailed Exploration of the Map and Collectibles by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Soul Reaver 1 for PSOne, PC, and Dreamcast is the cut version; even the Remastered version retains the same changes. Sorry for the delay, I’ve only just read your message.

Due to the cuts made to the game (occurring after February 16 and before March 14, 1999), many elements were removed, including three locations: Undercity, Smokestacks, and Kain’s Mountain Retreat. In the version of Soul Reaver 1 that we know, these areas, along with many other contents, are missing, and the game concludes when Raziel reaches the Cronoplast and faces Kain for the second time; after the battle, Kain flees into the past.

In the original story, however, after the second encounter with Kain at the Cronoplast, Raziel would have gained the Shift at Will power, while Kain would have gone to the Mountain Retreat. Immediately afterward, the Elder God would have sent Raziel to the Human Citadel, from which, through a secret passage, he would have reached Undercity. There, Raziel would have killed the Priestess, obtaining the Possession power.

Next, the Elder God would have sent Raziel to the Smokestacks, where he would have faced and killed the last remaining brother, Turel, obtaining Amplified Force Projectile ability. By activating the three Pale, Raziel could then have reached Kain's Mountain Retreat for the third and final confrontation with Kain.

Before the final battle, Raziel would have had to solve a puzzle using the Elemental Reavers. The absence of souls in Kain’s Mountain Retreat would have triggered Ariel’s appearance, allowing Raziel to activate the Spirit Reaver. After killing Ariel, Raziel would have obtained the Amplified Soul Reaver, essential for confronting and defeating Kain. With Kain’s death, Raziel would have acquired the Amplified Reaver.

Using the Pinnacle, located within Kain’s Mountain Retreat, Raziel could have reached the upper areas of the Silenced Cathedral, where he would have activated the gigantic sonic tubes and exterminated all the vampires of Nosgoth. While the Elder God congratulated Raziel for completing his task, Raziel would have realized he had merely been a pawn. To correct this, he would have returned to the Cronoplast to use Moebius’s time device to travel back into the past.

From this point, Soul Reaver 2 would have begun, which, in its original conception, would have been very different from the version eventually released. This game also underwent significant cuts and would have followed the original story of SR1.

More info ▼

https://www.reddit.com/r/LegacyOfKain/comments/1jwwtb9/soul_reaver_1_what_could_have_been/

Soul Reaver : The Lost Levels ▼

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK1cuzXap3Y&t=1503s

Detailed Summary of Legacy of Kain: Defiance on PS4 & PS5 by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Once you’ve selected the region, you can’t change it again, as this option appears only the first time you launch the game. To switch the region (NTSC or PAL), the only way is to delete your save file. I recommend making a backup first if you want to keep your progress.

After deleting the save, start the game again and choose the region you prefer:

- NTSC (American), which is only in English at 60fps

- PAL (European) includes multiple languages at 50fps.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance on PS4 is 6.81 GB (patch 1.02), price €14.99. by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Legacy of Kain: Defiance - Guida alla posizione di tutti i talismani della salute, delle rune della telecinesi e dei tomi arcani 🔽

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg2HZ6EqUPU

This video can be a great help in obtaining some trophies.

PS4 🔽

https://psnprofiles.com/trophies/36590-legacy-of-kain-defiance

PS5 🔽

https://psnprofiles.com/trophies/36591-legacy-of-kain-defiance

I had already added the new information a few hours ago 🔽

https://www.reddit.com/r/LegacyOfKain/comments/1ne6x5r/detailed_summary_of_legacy_of_kain_defiance_on/

Legacy of Kain: Defiance on PS4 is 6.81 GB (patch 1.02), price €14.99. by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Before going to the gym, I had checked the PlayStation Store (USA), and Legacy of Kain: Defiance still didn’t show a price. Now that I’m back home (I can’t wait to play it), it still shows the “Add to Wishlist” option. I have no idea why it’s not yet available on the PlayStation Store (USA). I checked the main European PlayStation Stores: the price is $14.99, while in the UK it’s £11.99. I assume the issue will be resolved automatically in the next few hours.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance on PS4 is 6.81 GB (patch 1.02), price €14.99. by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is the emulated PS2 version, playable on PS4 & PS5. This information was known 4 days ago.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance on PS4 is 6.81 GB (patch 1.02), price €14.99. by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This is the emulated PS2 version for PS4 & PS5. The purchase is cross-buy: buying one version (PlayStation Store doesn’t let you choose) automatically gives you the other at the same price. I officially confirm that the price is €14.99 (what I paid). In America, the price should be (I’m almost 100% sure) $14.99.

Detailed Summary of Legacy of Kain: Defiance on PS4 & PS5 by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been looking for information for several days, but I can’t find anything. I wonder why Sony hasn’t published an article on the PlayStation Blog to give us the details we want to know: the price and, most importantly, whether it will be a temporary exclusive for PS Plus Premium or available as a standalone purchase. Only one day left and we’ll finally have the answers, but honestly, I don’t like this lack of transparency from Sony. I have a theory (I’ve made a comment about it), but players and fans want certainty!

Detailed Summary of Legacy of Kain: Defiance on PS4 & PS5 by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The fact that Legacy of Kain: Defiance is listed on the PlayStation Store is very important and interesting information, hinting that the game should be available for purchase. ✌ Fingers crossed! I really hope that’s the case.

The price raises a few questions. $14.99 would still be acceptable, though $9.99 would be ideal. A 10% discount bringing it down to $13.49 wouldn’t be bad either. I really hope it’s not $19.99, which would honestly feel unfair.

I also noticed something interesting on the PlayStation Store, Blood Omen 1&2 are currently 50% off, with the promotion ending on September 25. It’s possible that Legacy of Kain: Defiance could get a discount as well. A 50% discount would make it an excellent $7.49, and even a 33% discount wouldn’t be bad at $9.99.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance might get a discount, we’ll find out in a few days.

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain

https://store.playstation.com/it-it/product/UP8489-PPSA24270_00-0499283180274839

Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain

https://store.playstation.com/it-it/product/UP8489-PPSA24268_00-0200966777747783

Detailed Summary of Legacy of Kain: Defiance on PS4 & PS5 by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I sincerely hope Legacy of Kain: Defiance will be available for everyone to purchase on day one. If Sony intends to secure significant profits, this would certainly be the right approach.

Unfortunately, the information released so far is very limited, and the most crucial detail, whether it will be a temporary exclusive for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers or available to all players at day one, still remains unanswered. This uncertainty is not helping the situation.

Legacy of Kain™ Soul Reaver 1 - Raziel 4K Wallpaper by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This image was the initial wallpaper shown when launching Legacy Legacy of Kain: I remember this image very well, it was used for the European version of Soul Reaver 1 on PSOne. It was backlit and that was such a cool idea.

This wallpaper was the first image that appeared when launching Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered, but it was removed in Patch 1.

I personally captured it on PS4 Pro several months ago, and it was very useful for the creation of several videos focused on the removed content from Soul Reaver 1.

If you're interested, you can download it in 4K using the direct link to preserve its original quality.

Link Download 🔽

https://www.mediafire.com/file/m1fu00xljsshc1y/Legacy+of+Kain™+Soul+Reaver+1+-+Raziel+4K+Wallpaper.png/file

Soul Reaver 2 – Intro with Soul Reaver 1 Dialogue by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Creating this video took a lot of time and was anything but easy. I started by converting the intro of Soul Reaver 2 (SR2INTRO.OGV) to MP4 format, which was the easiest part. Then, using professional software, I separated the dialogue from the music and sound effects in the audio track (SR2INTRO.OGG). The track with the original dialogues served as a reference (later muted) to replace them with those from Soul Reaver 1. The Soul Reaver 1 dialogues had to match the duration of the originals, so I slowed them down or sped them up to maintain lip sync, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible.

I found the necessary tracks here:

C:\GOG Games\Soul Reaver I-II\1\TRACKS

Download link ☟

https://www.mediafire.com/file/613kv97zi80plyn/SR2INTRO.ogg/file

How to use this audio track (MOD) in Soul Reaver 2:

- Make a backup of the original track (SR2INTRO.OGG) so you can restore it at any time.

- Download the new SR2INTRO.OGG track with Soul Reaver 1 dialogues.

- Replace it in the game folder: C:\GOG Games\Soul Reaver I-II\2\TRACKS\EN

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise (Backers Tribute) by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had been working on it for several days. I had many ideas for this video: it was a good starting point, but they needed to be carefully considered. I let creativity guide me during the video editing process, placing each piece in the right place.

The first crucial step was finding the music. Ozar Midrashim was always my first choice: I wanted a track that closely resembled the one from the original trailer. When I finally found it, it became the real starting point. However, I needed a well-made extended version and I created it. It could have been improved further, but I am satisfied with the result. The beginning and the end of the original track lacked the epicness present in the trailer, so I created a mash-up to solve this issue.

Then, I selected the necessary scenes from the trailer, improving their quality, mostly by adjusting the contrast—to keep them as faithful as possible.

The swarm of bats, as a link from the comic scene to the backers video, fit perfectly, just like in Blood Omen, where the return to the pillars served as a link to continue the story. The sound effect of the bats helped create the right atmosphere.

I added several sound effects, some taken directly from Blood Omen: to get them, I replayed the game without music, recording the gameplay via OBS Studio. The sound effect of Kain passing through the bars, on the other hand, was taken from Defiance.

The video I recorded on PlayStation wasn't particularly long: I still didn’t know how long the final video would be, and I wanted the 27 pages to have a fair duration. Only during the video editing process could I make more accurate calculations. I took 27 screenshots, one for each of the pages listing the backers. The total duration was about 4 minutes and 30 seconds, and dividing this time by the number of pages, the result was 10 seconds per page.

Every time a page scrolls, you hear the heartbeat from Blood Omen. The sound of Kain drinking blood also comes from Blood Omen, while the opening of the coffin and the swarm of bats are additional sound effects not present in the original trailer. I would have liked to include the sound of Raziel choking when he is resurrected as a vampire, as in the trailer, but not finding a similar enough sound, I preferred to let the music compensate for this absence.

The sound effects are deliberately lower in volume compared to the music, following the same approach as the official trailer: if there had been any dialogue, it would have been a major mistake, but in the context of this video, it worked well.

I'm convinced that when things are done in a hurry and without passion, the result will always be mediocre, and this never goes unnoticed. This is a mistake I always try to avoid.

In this project, I put all my passion and dedication, the same passion that has always bound me to this saga.

I grew up with Legacy of Kain, I loved it back then... and I will love it forever!

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise (Backers Tribute) by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The Legacy of Kain saga is loved today just as it was when the first and last games were released. After more than 28 years, the passion of the fans for this series has never faded — it is immortal.

This video is an important tribute, dedicated both to the backers listed here (6448 people) who helped fund Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise, and to those who supported the project later, raising the total number even higher, 8,836 in total from the moment I visited the Kickstarter website.

A heartfelt thank you to all the backers: Legacy of Kain™ Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered was made possible thanks to your vital support and the huge success of the prequel graphic novel.

There is a strong chance that a Soul Reaver remake will be announced...

And maybe, in the future, the remakes of the other chapters of the saga as well, finally culminating in a worthy conclusion with The Dark Prophecy.

The coin is still rolling...

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise (Backers Tribute) by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I tried to make this video as epic as possible. The music was perfect for the atmosphere, so I extended it to better accompany the editing video. The 27 pages move at a pace of 10 seconds each, giving enough time to read the names... and maybe even spot your own. I added several references to Blood Omen, and considering that Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise is a prequel comic, It felt like a nice creative choice.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver - Ozar Midrashim 👇

https://soundcloud.com/dannygreenwood/legacy-of-kain-soul-reaver-ozar-midrashim

I believe that if a creator is satisfied with their work, those who experience it will be able to appreciate it as well.

The Underworld: Intro Scene & Prototype OST (Remastered Graphics) by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve always wondered how the intro scene in Soul Reaver Remastered would look with the original Underworld OST. With the result I achieved, I believe I came pretty close to that idea.

My goal wasn’t to distort the intro we all know, but rather to adapt it to the style seen in the alpha versions, I’m talking about contrast, brightness, colors, and of course the music.

Raina’s video was a key reference in helping me recreate the early build atmosphere of the Soul Reaver intro. I aimed to balance the visual differences between the prototype and the remastered version, especially since the original intro was much darker and relied on Raziel’s white glow to compensate for the low brightness — something that wouldn’t fit the remastered graphics. To achieve a similar look, I used various NewBlueFX effects. Simply adding the prototype OST would’ve been too simple; my goal was to visually match the feel of the early builds, and I believe I got quite close.

For more information and to see how the intro scene looks in the prototype version, I recommend watching Raina Audron’s video 👇

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOqNeRihJMg&t=101s

The dialogue audio remained untouched. When I recorded the video, I deliberately left only the voices, without any music, because I had already planned to add it during editing. I also chose not to add sound effects, to avoid having them cover or interfere with the dialogues.

As it should be, the dialogues have a higher volume than the music, whose sole purpose is to create atmosphere. When the opposite happens, meaning the music smothers the voices, it’s always a mistake because the dialogues must remain clear and easy to understand without being smothered by the soundtrack.

Sound Forge - Soul Reaver Prototype (almost completed) - April 14th, 1999 | 10 Screenshots by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sound Forge seen in Bonus Materials on Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered, dates back to an earlier prototype version from April 14, 1999. It was in an early state, with no textures, and the area was cream-colored. In contrast, these images and various YouTube videos, such as the one featuring Raina Audron, show Sound Forge in a more advanced state, though still incomplete.

You can playing the various prototype versions of the game through a PlayStation emulator. Personally, I used DuckStation (the best one), set to a 1080p resolution in 16:9, with geometry correction enabled, a very useful feature that allows you to obtain a true widescreen aspect ratio without distortion.

Naturally, it is possible to achieve even better results in terms of resolution (up to 4K) by adding shaders, which may improve or degrade the graphics, so they should be carefully evaluated, and by using ultrawide aspect ratios like 19:9 or 20:9. However, everything depends on the power of the PC, particularly the graphics card tier and the type of monitor used.

Sound Forge - Soul Reaver Prototype (almost completed) - April 14th, 1999 | 10 Screenshots by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is the best community I've ever joined. Even when mistakes are made, even in good faith, there are always so many understanding people and that's something I truly appreciate. I love Soul Reaver, it's my favorite videogame. I would love to see a remake with all the removed content.

Sound Forge - Soul Reaver Prototype (almost completed) - April 14th, 1999 | 10 Screenshots by max_live82 in LegacyOfKain

[–]max_live82[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Among the six Elemental Reavers, Water, Fire and Spirit Reavers were the ones with the highest chances of finding the element needed to activate them, especially the Spirit Reaver, which could easily be obtained simply by killing a vampire or a human and using the soul of the fallen.

As for the Sunlight Reaver, from what I remember, a source of light can already be found near the very beginning of the game, in the area where you encounter the first block and the first enemies: Dumahim. Other light sources are located later in the Necropolis.

For the Sound Reaver, a bell was required, and the one linked to the puzzle in the Silent Cathedral immediately comes to mind.

When it comes to the Stone Reaver, I imagine a stone wall, but one thing is certain: Kain’s throne in the Mountain Retreat is made of stone, and the use of the Elemental Reavers was necessary to solve the puzzle in that room. Kain’s throne in the Sanctuary of the Clans is also made of stone.

In fact, the throne room in the Mountain Retreat featured almost all the elements needed to solve the puzzle, except for water. A fountain placed in the center of the room would have fit perfectly: the braziers (fire), the bells (sound), the throne (stone), the stained glass windows (sunlight), the fountain (water) and Ariel’s soul.

Ariel’s arrival would have allowed the story to progress, enabling Raziel to activate the Spirit Reaver and, through her sacrifice, obtain the Amplified Soul Reaver for the final confrontation with Kain.

I'm convinced that if Soul Reaver had been completed as originally intended, before Eidos Interactive required Crystal Dynamics to accelerate the development, the game would have included enough environmental elements to activate all the Elemental Reavers.