Doom, destruction, hell damn nation, and a bloody nice vampire called Kain! (Legacy of Kain - Blood Omen 2 (PS2))

Member Name: ps2update

Product:	Legacy of Kain - Blood Omen 2 (PS2)
Date:	07/05/02 (292 review reads)
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The Legacy Of Kain series has been around a good few years now with Blood Omen, and Soul Reaver on the PSONE, and Soul Reaver 2 on the PS2. It is fair to say that all three games have been successful and very enjoyable for patient and persistent gamers.
Vampire games are fairly rare with the exception of Vampire: The Masquerade on the PC there have been very few games where you can actually take on the role of a vampire. Blood Omen 2 allows you to take on the role of a vampire and who bigger than the proclaimed “most evil character in gaming history” than Kain. With quality games like Timesplitters, Tomb Raider, and Soul Reaver it wouldn’t be surprising if Blood Omen 2 were to become yet another AAA title from Eidos, we will soon see…

GRAPHICS

The graphics in Blood Omen 2 are simply gorgeous; this is one of the best looking titles on the PS2. The game is fully interactive with perfectly crafted flying bats, blazing fires, and authentic fog. The buildings and surroundings are nicely coloured and appropriate for the occasion. When watching cut scenes Eidos have taken special care to make the game as realistic as possible, unlike games such as Resident Evil that had speech and mouths moving at different intervals Blood Omen 2 is spot on when it comes to timing. Not only does Blood Omen 2 time the speech well but eyes blink, and noses move adding a sense of realism to the game.
When taking part in a fight the movements from Kain are realistic, when blocking he will block exactly as a trained martial arts specialist would, and when attacking he is very determined and malicious. Feeding is also a spectacular occasion graphically; blood will spurt up from Kain’s victims into his mouth, to add a touch of authenticity he wipes his mouth carefully after feeding making sure no blood is left on it.
The cut scenes serve as a pause after taking part in bloody battles, cut scenes have two purposes:
1. To give t
he player a short interval from a truly absorbing game.
2. To reveal more of the storyline, and plot.
Small details such as water lapping around, individual bricks, and the blood splattered across walls in dark allies add to the experience of Blood Omen 2. All the small details add up to make one superb game visually.
The gothic settings, and towns are so real that you actually get the feeling that you are actually there watching the events take place. People walking around on the streets respond to your movements and depending on whether your stance is aggressive, or cool depends on whether they keep staring at you, watching your every move.
This is one of the best games on the PS2 in terms of graphics, just think if results like this can be produced for Blood Omen 2, what is the next generation Tomb Raider going to look like? One thing’s for sure, and that is that it will have a hard time matching this game visually…
19/20

GAMEPLAY

Blood Omen 2 combines a brilliant storyline, small puzzles, and action. The combination of these three essential ingredients for any game is pulled off brilliantly and makes for a very enjoyable game to play. The script is intelligent and doesn’t have the feeling of predictability behind it. The plot is unveiled slowly but effectively; Eidos clearly put a lot of time into deciding just when each event was to take place.
Puzzle elements of Blood Omen 2 are fairly simplistic; don’t expect to come across anything mind-boggling or riddles. The puzzles do however require a little bit of thinking although this usually involves pulling levers in a certain order, or moving blocks into certain areas then pulling levers to raise water levels. The puzzles certainly add to the whole experience of Blood Omen 2 for without them the whole kill, feed, repeat scenario may get a tad bit repetitive.
When playing the game you can interact with characters or listen into their conve
rsations. Conversations can prove humorous or informative. Locals seem to be very aware of the events, they will speak of the rumour about a vampire lurking the streets, and sometimes they’ll even praise the Serafan. The Serafan is a group that opposes vampires like Kain, they are his archenemy and Serafan guards patrol most of the locations. Serafan guards may ignore you if you just simply walk past them looking inconspicuous, but if you are to run up to them in an aggressive stance waving your weapon around, or if you are to kill in front of them then they will react and attempt to control you in less than reasonable ways – a typical method of control is a long sword to the stomach, harsh but effective. The AI is high, the Serafan are not stupid if you perform any vampire traits around them then they will make sure that you are punished, punishment for impostures in the city is death! Sometimes the Serafan will go for you even when you are looking particularly innocent (well as innocent as an evil genius like Kain can). If the Serafan has been told to look out for suspicious figures because there is a vampire about then you can bet that they are going to go for you if they see you.
There are of course ways to avoid guards, or potential threats lurking the streets, as Kain possesses several supernatural abilities. One of these abilities is called “mist”, when mist is activated Kain can hide in the fog, this means that stealth can come into play as well as simple hack, and slash style tactics. Other supernatural abilities include the ability to jump amazingly long distances, and the ability to control someone’s mind. There are many more abilities that Kain has in Blood Omen 2, as the game goes on and Kain gets more experienced he learns more abilities.
In Blood Omen 2 you can do battle with many different enemies; there are the standard street thugs, innocent locals, the deadly Serafan guards. As you get deeper into Blood Ome
n 2 the Serafan guards get stronger; the guards start off with swords but as the game progresses you will meet fully armoured Serafan guards wielding massive blades among other things.
Blood Omen 2 is one of the most enjoyable action games on the PS2 and when fighting you actually have to think; you simply can’t go into a fight just ready to slash the hell into your opponent because fights take more than that. Usually you have to do a great deal of blocking and jumping out of the way of deadly attacks, depending on the area you are in depends if you can use one of your spiritual abilities; the most frequent used in fights are “fury” for extra power, and “mist” so you can completely disappear.
Blood Omen 2 will leave you with a blood lust, thirsty for more vampire action. This game shows exactly what the PS2 is capable of, a truly emotive game, you wont be able to wait for the next instalment to come out.
24/25

SOUND

When playing Blood Omen 2 sound plays an important role, whether it’s the conversation of locals, the footsteps to tell you a guard is near by, or the clank of a sword it really does help carry the flow of the game.
The background sounds when playing the game normally are just the usual background noises. If you walk into a pub there is the constant hum of chit chat, if you are in a room with an open fire you will hear the roaring inferno blaze away, and if you are on the streets you will hear various things such as the cold wind, and locals conversing about events that coincidentally are about vampires, and Serafan – a very informed local group indeed.
Battle scenes occur fairly regularly in Blood Omen 2, and Eidos have made things easier for you as they have put high tempo music into the game every time you get near thugs, Serafan guards or any other type of enemy. This means that the music will still commence just to let you know that there is a guard nearby, even
if the Serafan guards aren't bothered by you!
The actual voices of Kain, and other characters are appropriate and I feel the characters have been portrayed exactly as they should be; there are no voices that sound out of character. The dialogue is intelligent and helps the story progress.
18/20

LIFESPAN

Each chapter is fairly lengthy in comparison with games of its ilk other than Tomb Raider. Blood Omen 2 is split into eleven chapters, and some chapters can last up to an hour depending on your ability. Sadly there is little you can do upon completing the game although you will go back to it now and again just for the pure satisfaction of ripping apart innocent people in true vampire style.
15/20

ORIGINALITY

Vampire games are fairly rare as far as things go, and when it comes to actually taking control of one it is truly a unique experience for PS2 gamers. Blood Omen 2 explores the character of Kain a vampire and really helps you empathise and get to know what it takes to be the mythical vampire. Original touches such as gliding down from enormous heights, reading minds, hiding in fog, and draining your victims from blood are all there. With the amount of action games now about it is hard to make an all-new original one but with the concept of Blood Omen 2 Eidos have done just that.
10/10

OVERALL

This is quite simply a masterpiece, it hasn’t been advertised as much as the likes of Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, or Grand Theft Auto but should certainly be well up there with the best of them. Blood Omen 2 is an alternative action adventure for PS2 gamers. Blood Omen 2 is a little gem, and should be treasured.

86%

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