Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered

I'd love to say that one of the best action platformers ever made is back and better than ever, but I'd be lying. It's actually two of the best action platformers making their long-awaited comeback in Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered – games that were very close to the top of my list of games I thought would never get remakes.

This dark fantasy adventure saga puts you in control of Raziel, looking better than he's ever looked before. Courtesy of the mad lads over at Aspyr, this is exactly how you do a successful remaster. Take notes, Nintendo – Super Mario 3D All Stars could have used the love this new Legacy of Kain received.

Old and New

This epic collection features both Soul Reaver games in one convenient package, kind of like the recent Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered remastered collection. This makes the remastered versions the perfect way for newcomers to enjoy some of the best action platformers of the 90s. I know: that might sound sacrilegious for long-time fans, but trust me, it gets better.

Suppose you're not a fan of what Aspyr did to Soul Reaver, for some reason. Let's say you want to play the games exactly as they were in their PlayStation One incarnations. Have I got a surprise for you, then. You can easily switch between both old and new versions of every game, much like Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Cruel, Cruel World

The story of Soul Reaver remains as engaging as ever. Betrayed by his master, Raziel returns from the dead with a vendetta against all vampires. Using his trusty Wraith Blade, Raziel must use every tool at his disposal to dispatch the armies of the dark. Basically, it's a cool story of Castlevania-style revenge with lots of terrifying monsters in between.

Every aspect of the original Soul Reaver series has been upgraded in this remaster. In fact, I think calling it just a "remaster" might be selling the game short. The character models alone are enough to consider this a proper remake. Even so, Aspyr managed to modernize the game's look while keeping its PSOne charm intact.

Dark Avengers

The fact that both Soul Reaver games are included in this package is nothing short of impressive. With recent releases like Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP and Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered setting an iffy pricing precedent for remakes, this two-for-one deal is almost unbelievable. Especially when we consider the recently released Red Dead Redemption PC port – a full-price remake, of all things.

Still, I think the best part of the whole deal is that new players will get to experience Soul Reaver in its entirety in modern hardware, without losing the essence that turned it into a legendary series. When so many remasters miss the mark, it's great to see that there are still studios dedicated to elevating games to modern standards as they should.

Pros

• Every character model and level has been painstakingly recreated
• You can play both the original or remastered versions of each game
• The same epic story as the originals

Cons

• Some rare FPS hiccups here and there