Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain

A: Bought the GOG version just in support of its DRM free release even though I have the original CD. Amazing atmosphere, great voice acting, interesting story, cool 2D graphics and fun gameplay. Has it all for a mid 90s game imo. Used to play it on a vintage Windows 98 system. Now I don't have to. Yay!

...well, not really... Gets compared to Zelda but to me seems more like a gothic version of Ys. Items and abilities are granted at a very quick pace, and the game is really well designed in terms of gently hinting at needing to use your new abilities; and though the game is most linear it offers just enough reward for re-checking areas. That kind of design might seem pretty standard - it's seen in games like Darksiders, Souls-series and countless Metroidvanias. But for '96 this is very sharp and conscientious design. If the screenshots on the store page look even somewhat interesting to you; this is a must-play. There are some fairly obvious janky elements to the game - gaudy 2D graphics, lots of Z-buffer drawing bugs, long pauses when music loops etc etc but all of these are completely forgivable as you press forward to just get a little bit further and enjoy the story along the way.

Wow. I am really impressed by this version. It is pixel perfect to the PSX version and the audio, the small arterial spray of blood when using your special abilities or attack and to top it off the horrible slowdown which plagued the original game is gone. The team that ported this did an amazing job, it obviously still is pixelated even by todays standards and that is ok. Part of what made this game was the audio, the voice over work which was/is still phenomenal and sets the tone and tenor of the game and it did an excellent job doing so. It fully immerses you into Kain's world, especially when the villagers attack again. Kain's entire character is built over the course of his travels and quests and by the end you will be feeling for him and his story. The game is still powerful storytelling all these years later. The audio work is good, clear and intact. Nothing has been pared away in this version, everything I played so far resembles the original game perfectly. I do not believe it is an emulator version based on the quality of this version, but if it is it is the BEST emulator work I've seen for a PSX game. I highly recommend buying this and for the guys my age it is well worth it and a truly stunning walk down memory lane.

Decades have come and gone, but the origin of the deified vampire Kain and his quest for restoring the Pillars of Nosgoth was never brought back ever since it was first told. The story of his dark rebirth and his lust for vengeance went cold and dark throughout the ages. But as they say, 'vengeance is best served cold'. Now, at long last, the complete story arc of the Legacy of Kain Saga is available for every PC player, thanks to GOG. Note that this game comes in the form of a "Sword & Sorcery" 2D top-down perspective action game with a bit of puzzle solving that takes place in a sort of "Open world"- the Lands of Nosgoth-, and that it was first released in the quite distant past of 1996. This was the third videogame made by 'Silicon Knights', the creators of the renowned 'Eternal Darkness' Saga. If you want to experience the origins of a well written, tragic vampire story, I would highly recommend that you buy and play it, and gaze to the Pillars of Nosgoth for yourself.

I've waited so long for Legacy of Kain Blood Omen to appear on GoG