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Crystal Dynamics |
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Eidos |
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Action Adventure |
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Playstation 2, Xbox |
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| Release Date |
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USA - 11.11.03
Europe - 02.06.04 |
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Legacy of Kain: Defiance (PS2)
Review by: Artavan Mkhikian (12.23.03)
<< PREVIOUS - Intro // Sound & Presentation
Innovation:
Defiance shifts the focus of the Legacy of Kain series from slow tempo,
puzzle-heavy adventure to fast-paced, combat-intensive action. This is
certainly a welcome change, since the main reason earler installments
shied away from frequent fighting was the lack of an enjoyable battle
system. Defiance features a completely overhauled, fleshed-out combat
engine similar in many respects to Capcom's revolutionary Devil May Cry
engine. Kain and Raziel each have access to an arsenal of over twenty
standard attacks and maneuvers, five special attacks acquired through
battle experience, and over a dozen elemental spells unlocked by
upgrading their respective Reaver blades. Likewise, the variety in enemy
design is the best it has ever been, with spellcasters of every elemental
alignment imaginable and lots of new supernatural creatures.
Of course, the biggest change brought about by Defiance is the inclusion
of both Kain and Raziel as playable characters. Unfortunately, the
complexity of the plot makes it impossible to let the player choose which
character to use in each segment. Control shifts from Kain to Raziel and back
at arbitrary, predetermined points as the game progresses. In fact, having
two separate characters to use doesn't diversify the gameplay of Defiance
nearly as much as one would expect. Kain and Raziel are quite a bit like Ryu
and Ken in this regard - only minor differences separate their play styles.
However, the inclusion of both characters does add another dimension to the
storytelling techniques at the developer's disposal since the two most
important figures in the plot can make progress simultaneously without having
to be in the same shot.
Yet despite these efforts, much of the game's core is borrowed directly from
Soul Reaver 2, which was little more than an upgrade of Soul Reaver. The
obstacles, the puzzles, and many of the quests are essentially identical to
those in previous games, generally consisting of moving blocks around to
open doors, killing groups of enemies to disable magic barriers, and
upgrading weapons to unlock new areas. How many times must Raziel obtain the
Fire Reaver enhancement for it to stick? With two fully developed playable
characters, why is Defiance still a strictly one-player game? It would have
been awesome to play through the game cooperatively and finish it by facing
off against one another to decide between two possible endings.
Fans of the series will welcome the changes introduced in Defiance, but
casual gamers will see it as simply more of the same; or perhaps worse - as
yet another game following the popular trend of immitating Capcom's Devil
May Cry.
Innovation Score: 5 / 10
Gameplay:
Anyone familiar with the Legacy of Kain series will be astonished and
delighted to hear that Defiance contains a battle system developed enough
that it may actually be possible to make an entertaining combo video of the
game. No, they didn't add a combo meter to count hits against opponents that
can't block anyway. Rather, Crystal Dynamics has succeeded in creating a
combat engine that doesn't depend on restrictions to come across as advanced
- a design obstacle they were unable to avoid in Blood Omen 2.
The combat engine in Defiance is varied enough and balanced enough that the
best attack sequence changes from situation to situation, and often depends
on the player's style. The most damaging combos require precise timing to
maximize the number of hits following a launcher jump-cancel. Accidentally
performing the wrong move can quickly bring the hovering hero to the ground
into a large group of enemies waiting to strike. Thankfully, the freqent
battle situations are kept enjoyable due to responsive controls, effective
evade maneuvers, and the wise design choice of granting Kain and Raziel
complete invincibility while performing the close-range finishing attacks
necessary to replenish their life energy.
Defeating many of the boss enemies faced by Kain and Raziel requires a
drastic change in strategy or a specific puzzle solution. Contrarary to what
some reviewers have claimed, it's definately not possible to go through the
entire game by simply mashing on the attack button. While most of the generic
opponents encountered throughout the game are easy to deal with, the relative
rarity of opponents that must be beaten in order to progress should eliminate
any complaints regarding the tediousness of combat entirely. Special opponents
can not be defeated by mashing alone, and anyone bored with generic opponents
should avoid them altogether or try being more creative with the available
attack options. Combat elements such as wavedashing, off the ground attacks,
telekinetic relaunching, and the ability to ignite whole enemy groups into
blazes by knocking around one burning opponent are just some of the many
entertaining ways to show Moebius' army who's boss.
The puzzles in Defiance are some of the most refined yet. Perhaps the most
intriguing part of the game is traversing a level as one of the characters,
knowing that the other must pass through it as well. The brilliant level
design is most apparent in these instances because the player is given hints
of unreachable areas that are left to explore with the other character,
creating an unique air of curiosity that leads one to search every corner
for secret passageways or breakable walls. Easy access to Quest and Sub-Quest
information ensures that it's always clear what needs to be done next,
despite the absence of level maps.
Neither Kain nor Raziel can be killed by any normal means, so losing all
health or jumping into something deadly simply transports the hero to the
last checkpoint triggered. Game progress can be saved through the pause
menu at any point, allowing the player to resume play from the most recent
checkpoint. A simple system, but easily the most efficient overall.
The only problems in the gameplay department are due to camera angle
difficulties and lighting troubles. The default camera placement is entirely
arbitrary, moving into predetermined spots as the player moves from area to
area. This can cause a great deal of disorientation, and can easily lead to
instant death for Kain due to his vampiric weakness toward water. Another
common annoyance occurs when phasing through gates. Since the camera always
changes orientation during the move, attempting to continue forward by
pressing the same direction will lead the character back through the gate.
Also, at some instances during the darker levels, the lighting gets to be so
bad that it's impossible to make out where the doors are located. Anyone who
made it through Soul Reaver 2 will be glad to know that the horrendous
pitch-black caverns and swamps placed throughout that installment have been
reduced to a few minor instances in Defiance, and the option to change the
screen brightness mid-game is extremely helpful in dealing with this issue.
Gameplay Score: 8 / 10
NEXT >> Extras, Lifespan, & Summary
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