horror

Kain finally returns in Blood Omen 2, but this latest installment in the series is missing some of what made the first Legacy of Kain such an enjoyable game.

Gameplay is very straightforward. Kain must progress through the world of Nosgoth by killing his enemies and solving puzzles. This is where some of the problems come in. Combat is all right, but Kain has very few options available to him. Attack, block, grab, and that's it. Occasionally you can use a Dark Gift (more on that in a minute) in battle, but it's nothing more than a stronger attack. Boss battles are usually more interesting, but in general, combat leaves something to be desired. The puzzles in the game are all very simple, and so they get tedious. Finally, the game is linear in the extreme. There is never a time when you can deviate from the path and explore a little; you're always on the one, pre-set course through the game.

Kain also has a number of Dark Gifts at his disposal, which he collects throughout the game. These can be pretty interesting. For example, you can change into mist (if there is mist present) and sneak past guards, or kill them stealthily, instantly. You can make insanely long jumps from one rooftop to another, like you'd see in The Matrix. You can control NPCs and force them to do your will. This is good stuff, but I wish there had been more of a focus on it, and that Kain had more varied abilities. The first Blood Omen had more variety.

Graphically, the game is fairly good. The atmosphere of Nosgoth is conveyed very well; it's definitely not a place you'd want to live, and it shows in the scenery, the ambient sound effects, and the bits of overheard conversation. The character models (other than Kain) seem relatively basic. There are some clipping problems as well. All in all, the graphics could be better for the XBox version of this game. They're decent, and get the job done, but it's not a game you'd use to show off the graphical power of the XBox.

The cutscenes in the game are top-notch. The first Blood Omen featured some of the best voice acting you could find on the PSX, and the quality does not disappoint here either. Plus, Kain is such a cool character, you look forward to seeing him interact with the other characters in the game (aside from drinking their blood, that is).

Ultimately, the game's many good points can't completely make up for the often-repetitive gameplay. Nosgoth is a fascinating world, and Kain a fun character to play, but the game can get boring at times, and with its very strict linearity, replay value is virtually zero. It's definitely worth a purchase, since you can now buy this at about half its original price (or less), but the first Blood Omen was the superior game.

Blood Omen 2 is the best of the Legacy of Kain games, barnone. The story, the gameplay, and the intangibles simply make this a fun and engaging game to play.

For those who aren't familiar with the series, Legacy of Kain's main hero/villain (depending on which game you're playing) is Kain, a vampire in the land of Nosgoth who eventually ends up taking over the entire world and plunging it into darkness. Blood Omen 2 takes place roughly 200 years after the first Blood Omen and after Kain's first attempt to conquer Nosgoth ended at the city of Meridian. Kain wakes up and sets out to destroy the Serafan Lord, the head of the Serafan order and the one who beat Kain two centuries earlier.

The game's controls are very basic, but to make sure you understand it, the story starts with a tutorial in the slums of Meridian. This helps you to get the mechanics down before you're thrown into battle. The fighting mechanics are very simple. You can do a three-hit combo or grab, hit, and throw your opponent. There are also several different kinds of weapons at your disposal, but they all pretty much do the same thing, although the speed and power of the attacks vary.

There are also several dark gifts for you to use in the game, including Mist, which lets you perform stealth kills, and Charm, which allows you to control the ordinary humans in the game. You can't get through the game without using these, so you really have to learn them well.

There's also a wide variety of enemies, ranging from knights to demons. Each battle is different as well, as each opponent blocks your attacks and uses their own. The boss battles are really the highlight of combat though, as each battle requires you to do more than just fight. You have to use your dark gifts in order to defeat them, for the most part, and you also must use ingenuity.

There are puzzles in the game, but they aren't nearly as challenging as the ones in the Soul Reaver games. Most of them take a little time to figure out, but eventually exploring and a good eye allow you to figure it out. I think the most time I spent on one puzzle is ten minutes.

The storyline and the cutscenes are also extremely engaging. The story is as good as any supernatural drama, with twists and turns that keep you interested in the story. There are also little touches in the gameplay, such as the regular humans conversing with each other.

The only complaint I have about this game is that it is too short. Part of that is because this game is so engaging and fun that you can end up spending hours playing it without even knowing it. But that is a minor thing.

Overall, this game is incredible and is a must-own for anyone who is a fan of either the Legacy of Kain series or action/horror games in general.

The Blood Omen series is very different from its sister series Soul Reaver (which I highly recommend). Don't get me wrong, this game is pretty cool at times. But I have a hard time getting past the lame combat system ( you have to hold down the left trigger and then press ONE button to attack). The blood drinking is cool, but the meter gets annoying. You have to constantly drink blood or the meter will run out and you'll die. This is also a very linear game, you have one path to go and thats all you can do, go forward down a straight path (I have a hard time believing in a huge city there is only one road or alley). BUT, this game is alot more accessible than the Soul Reaver series. People not familiar with the Legacy of Kain saga can pick up this game and have a good time. Soul reaver focuses more on building on the plot while Blood Omen focuses on action. If your a fan of action games with a good story I would definetly recommend picking up all of the Legacy of Kain games (Blood Omen and Soul Reaver tie in together). Start with the first Blood Omen, as is the start of this engrossing tale.