I remember one of my elder brothers traded in the original Prince of Persia on the SNES for this shiny new Playstation game, and neither me or my siblings had no idea what we were getting tangled up in.
One of the very first games I ever played with a deep complex narrative, complete with a very likeable anti-hero and glorifying vampires as complete badasses in armour with fire swords and a treasure trove of spells to literally tear your enemies limb from limb; it blew apart my pre-conceived ideas that modern vampires were all whiny chuffs who hung around in the dark feeling sorry for themselves. Our vampire hero Kain didn't give a toss about anyone other than himself and certainly didn't dole out mercy to those he encountered on his journey to cure his vampirism.
The story goes much deeper than a simple quest however, and we discover a whole complex narrative delicately woven with time travel, free will, destiny and balance all as major themes. Kain as a character truly shines as the main attraction though, thanks to the great Simon Templeman bringing him to life. Kain is considered by many video game fans as one of the exemplary anti-heroes, and has developed over the series of Legacy of Kain games, remaining consistent and likable yet undergoing a conceivable change as his world changes around him. The Legacy of Kain games have often been praised for their polished voice talent and intricate, fascinating storyline, and the first game set the benchmark for the entire series.
As a game, it plays competently, and the top-down view makes up for the limited technology available at the time. The animations are good and fluid, and the combat, although restrained, makes for a challenging experience. I can always return to this game.
No comments:
Post a Comment