Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain

only became aware of this game last year but its such an enjoyable experience, very grateful for the no tweak install that supports modern resolutions, is cool with alt-tabbing, and support for my dualshock 4. more than that though is that this is yet another game where the licence has finally been addressed and now we can enjoy it legally and for a fair price, i can only hope this is just the start of this trend and we begin to see publishers update their libraries for modern OS'es and consoles.

The game is clunky, sure. Lack of an inventory wheel to switch weapons and armors is annoying. Combat's gonna seem simplistic, untill you get into the blood types, and the way different weapons and armour combo against different anemy types- at which point your mind gets blown as to how complex the system really is, for a 1995 game. Most importantly, the ATMOSPHERE. The spooky sountrack with the spirits wailing and thunder clapping. The world of Nosgoth is dying slowly, and you, Kain, get to feast on its decaying flesh, while also trying to save it- only because it'll save you. Or will it? I am 100% clouded by nostalgia, since this is one of the formative games of my childhood; but the story STILL HOLDS UP. The iconic voice acting that made Legacy of Kain what it is, it's here. Simon Templeman is flawless; the supporting cast is amazing, but at the same time the story flows without large info dumps or lengthy cutscenes. It's all about exploration, finding switches, killing things, finding secrets and growing increasingly stronger, while a truly epic plot unfolds around you. This game is a gem. All there is to it.

Despite having aged not so well in some aspects (inventory management is really clunky, especially when dealing with weapons/armors and no hotkeys; mid-'90s cgi cutscenes are.. well, let's say peculiar..), Blood Omen is still a solid action adventure with a zelda-like gameplay and some innovative ideas like a day-night cycle complete with moon phases which is also part of the gameplay itself (Kain is stronger at night, full moon grants added bonuses). Most importantly it's the game that sets the basis for the epic Legacy of Kain series: a dark plot and great voice acting really bring Nosgoth and its tragedies to life.

I remeber playing a demo of this game when I was 12 yrs old. I finished the game 25 yrs after playing the demo :) I finished all the other games in this universe and I can say that this game is in terms of story and depth of gameplay the best in the series and you have to know it is the only one made in 2D. I can see some flaws of course but you should try and rate this game as a piece of gaming history in my opinion. Great game and it is a must buy.

It runs well on a modern W11 PC. The game is very enjoyable, even for someone who, like me, has never played it before. Pour les francophones : un patch complet (texte + voix) est disponible sur le forum.