Blood Omen 2 4/4/2002 | 1:35 am Dan Zdziarski (Danzego)

Two sides of a coin. That's a phrase which may come to mind if you're a fan of the Legacy of Kain Series, which consists of Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen, Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2, and now Blood Omen 2. In the very first game of this series, the starring part went to that of Kain; an evil character, yet you found yourself feeling sympathetic for his cause. In Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2, players assumed the role of Raziel and Kain was made to be the villain that he truly is. Now, with Blood Omen 2, once again you must assume the role of Kain and continue on in his search of ultimate power. The chronology of the series isn't exactly something easy to follow (the Soul Reaver installments takes place MANY years after the events in Blood Omen regardless of the fact they were released as the second and third parts), but who's counting?

The events of the original game in the series are long and forgotten by the time Blood Omen 2 rolls around. Heck, even Kain himself doesn't remember what happened. However, this is due to a few unfortunate events which have caused him to lose his memory. Between the end of Blood Omen and the beginning of Blood Omen 2, Kain became the commander of a vampiric army with the rule of Nosgoth as its goal. Another group made up of humans, the Sarafan, formed to combat this threat to the land. At war for many years, this epic struggle climaxed with the victory of the Sarafan and the downfall of Kain at the hands of the Sarafan Lord.

As is always the case with these types of stories, Kain wasn't REALLY dead. As a matter of fact, he was resting peacefully after being saved and nursed back to health by the new rebellion against the Sarafan led by Kain's own kind. Apparently, they feel that the Sarafan believing Kain to be dead makes him the key in their continuing struggle for Nosgoth. While Kain may have lost his memory, prompting the ever convenient explanation of what's been going on since his defeat, he hasn't lost that evil touch that only Kain can convey so well. He's out for revenge, ladies and gentleman!!!

Naturally, the 200 years or so since Kain's rise and fall has caused his world to look a bit different than what he was used to. Crystal Dynamics has done a very nice job in bringing this world to the Xbox. While it may not be the best looking graphics we've seen to date on the system, the towns, slums, underground passages, etc. in Blood Omen 2 are quite the impressive lot and the drab colors used throughout the Gothic-esque scenery provide a complementary tone to the overall presentation of the game. The main characters such as Kain, the Sarafan army, and his once "allies turned foe" are rendered quite well and move at a nice, consistent pace.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for most other characters. In Kain's travels throughout the highly varied settings (you never feel like you're seeing the same area twice), his encounters with the townsfolk upon which he feeds can get quite ugly. Not in a good way, like when Kain takes out yet another poor sap and drinks their blood from 5 or more feet away (an interesting sight, especially with the sound reminiscent to that of a toilet flushing that occurs with it). You'll also encounter another flaw during these times, namely unsightly clipping when taking someone out near a wall and parts of their bodies magically go through. Crystal Dynamics must have felt that the various inhabitants weren't worthy of that extra special treatment everything else got since you're just going to kill them anyway. From the pointed heads and squared hands/fingers they sport, you can see why they're considered "peasants" and generally looked down upon.

They aren't the smartest in the bunch either. Sure, they scream or run while Kain hacks and feeds off the person they were just talking to. But it seems these peasant's pointy heads allow them little in the way of memory as they can be found strolling about casually not long after the gory incident in question. Oh well, at least it makes them easier to track down, especially considering there's so many places they could have gone. Ya see, the stages in Blood Omen 2 can be summed up by saying they're huge and very long. Those expecting a short walk in the park from level to level are in for a surprise. When fifteen minutes becomes half an hour then THAT becomes an hour and you start wondering "man, when does this level end?", know that you may not even be within striking distance of the next one.

Kain's playability, for the most part, is fine by most standards. He has a nice array of Dark Gifts you earn throughout the game, one of which is Mist. It basically allows you to hide in the fog and perform stealth kills, another name for one hit fatalities when sneaking up behind foes and other folk. Other Dark Gifts you'll eventually use are Jump (for crossing ravines and across rooftops), Charm (a mind control tactic you use to make the townsfolk flip switches or turn wheels for various purposes, and Berserk (a quick series of devastating attacks), to name a few.

Not bad for a fellow hundreds of years old, right? Not quite. Kain really tends to show his age in one VERY frustrating instance: when turning around. Somewhere along the way, Kain must have fallen down the stairs and broke his hip because trying to make him turn to face another enemy in the heat of battle isn't as fast as one would expect from this vicious killer. Actually, that's a nice way of saying that Kain is SLOOWWWWW. It doesn't matter so much when you're looking for the next place to go in your quest, but it can be a strain on your patience when surrounded by a group of soldiers and one behind you starts hacking; there's little you can do but keep turning, hoping you get there in time. Thankfully, these same enemies learned their fighting tactics right out of an old school Kung Fu flick and will generally wait until you've finished an exchange with one foe before they take their turn. You can also switch from targeting each enemy a bit more quickly by pressing the D-Pad to set the next one in your sights, but it's not the most intuitive way Crystal Dynamics could have gotten the job done.

Sound-wise, a good job was done with Blood Omen 2. The music is subtle and slow throughout the stages; mostly there to set the mood. Another nice feature is the various environmental sounds you'll hear along the way like people screaming or the occasional animals doing their respective thing (bats flying, owls hooting...you get the point). The dialogue in the story is done by a capable cast with Simon Templeton once again manning the microphone for the voice of Kain.

Unlike Soul Reaver, however, there's a lot less going on in the story and Blood Omen 2 comes across as a really straightforward and barebones tale with little in the way of cut scenes. While some who really enjoyed the thick, involved story of Soul Reaver may be a tiny bit disappointed to find this installment lacking in that regard, those who just want to get on with the killing will find the ample yet barebones plot easy to swallow. Just a few minutes here and a few minutes there gets the point across and then it's on to the action once again. That's not to say that Blood Omen 2 is LACKING in any way, shape, or form, but it's surely not a tale the caliber of what the Soul Reaver games offered. What you WILL find quite similar to the Soul Reaver gamers are those inane, illogical "block puzzles" fans of the series have become oh so familiar with. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is up to the individual. While there's not enough of them to consist of the majority of the gameplay (killing foes takes the nod here), you certainly will encounter you're fair share of 'em.

So, ultimately, how does Blood Omen 2 do? Quite well, actually. It's a great romp in the killing fields with plenty of victims to take your frustration out on (and plenty of weapons to do it with) while regaining the land of Nosgoth. Blood Omen 2 does have its problems with Kain's decidedly annoying multi-foe situations (which would greatly benefit from a faster turning ratio) and the clipping problems you encounter in certain situations. But being that you don't find yourself in situations where these detract from the overall experience as much as it you might think, they're minor gripes that shouldn't turn away any interest you may have in the game. Blood Omen 2 certainly is a definite for fans of the Legacy of Kain Series and something others generally interested in the Action/Adventure genre should take a look into.

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