Review: Soul Reaver Remastered – A Soulful Return to Gothic Glory

1999: The Year of Matrix, Spongebob, and Y2K Madness

What a year. The Matrix and Spongebob Squarepants both exploded into the pop culture zeitgeist. Time magazine crowned Albert Einstein as the “Person of the Century” in December, which—sure, I guess. Then there was Y2K: a time when people filled bathtubs and stocked up on water, convinced the millennium bug would ruin everything. Ironically, in smaller towns, the panic caused water shortages, which only added fuel to the chaos. And me? I wasn’t even born yet. I didn’t make my grand entrance until 2001, baby!

Before all that millennium madness, Crystal Dynamics dropped the second installment of The Legacy of Kain series: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, a game set 1,500 years after the events of the first title.

Discovering a Classic: My First Dive into Soul Reaver

As someone who hadn’t even heard of this series until the remastered version came out, I have to say: this game slaps. Between the deep lore, an incredible score, engaging gameplay, and a perfectly restrained graphical update, I’ve loved every moment of both Soul Reaver and its sequel, Defiance.

The Remaster: A Perfectly Polished Throwback

I love what Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics, and Saber Interactive have done with this remaster. Instead of a massive graphical overhaul, they took a restrained approach—sanding off the rough edges and adding a touch of polish. It’s perfect.

Honestly, when I first saw the trailer, it was the visuals that drew me in. I didn’t even know what the game was about. But after playing both titles, I’m fully hooked.

The remaster goes above and beyond with bonus content: galleries of fan art, cosplay, stunning concept art, and renders. There’s also the full OST (which I’ll definitely be using in my D&D campaign), detailed lore, and even outtake videos of the voice actors. It’s so much more effort than I expected, and this complete package shines for it.

Gameplay

I miss games like this. Soul Reaver is both ahead of its time and very much of its time. One of its standout mechanics is shifting between the material and spirit realms, which alters the world’s layout and opens up new paths. Similar mechanics have been used before, but this is the first time it’s been able to be done in real time. And for 1999? Damn, that’s ambitious.

Combat is engaging and thoughtfully designed. You can’t just easily dispatch enemies by wildly slashing at them – winning a fight requires more strategy. You also need to consume their souls before pulling out your weapon, or they’ll revive. Other enemies also require environmental kills, like sunlight or water, which adds variety.

That said, I understand the original criticism of repetitive gameplay. Constant M1 clicking during combat and pushing crates for environmental puzzles can get old fast. But honestly? I miss that simplicity.

A Nostalgic Throwback for a PS2 Kid

Even though I wasn’t even a twinkle in my dad’s eye when Soul Reaver came out, it hit me with major nostalgia. I grew up playing PS2 classics like Ratchet and Clank, Spider-Man 1, Spyro, and Crash Bandicoot. This game brought me back to a simpler time.

Unfortunately, I don’t think younger audiences will get it. Many wouldn’t make it five minutes into the gameplay without calling it “boring” or complaining about the graphics. In today’s world of flashy, fast-paced games, Soul Reaver feels like a relic of a different era—but a relic I’m so glad I experienced.

Conclusion

Soul Reaver is a solid, well-crafted game, and its sequel builds on everything that made the first great. This remaster has made me a fan of a series I’d never even heard of, and it absolutely deserves more love.

In fact, while the remaster is excellent, I’d argue the series deserves a full remake. Until then, I’m just grateful I had the chance to experience this piece of gaming history.