BLOOD OMEN: LEGACY OF KAIN (PC)
With gaming’s 21st Century protagonists designed to reflect an ever-stronger sense of moral responsibility, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain delivers a refreshing, persuasive reminder of why sometimes, it’s more fun to live on the dark side. As anti-heroes go, there are few, if any, who can hold a candle to Kain. Cynical and predatory, he’s unapologetically ruthless, delighting in the chaos sweeping Nosgoth. What should feel dated twenty-five years on, is instead invigorating, a perfect contrast to the asinine piety of many modern figureheads. There’s no worrying that an NPC might take a comment in the wrong spirit, or that you’ve accrued enough appreciation from citizens through good deeds. In Nosgoth, the distinction between good and evil is not so much blurred, as entirely irrelevant. To Kain, blood is blood, and no argument cannot be settled by his blade.
The titular nobleman is murdered during the opening by a band of assassins. After being reborn as a vampire, Kain is consumed with thoughts of vengeance and it isn’t long before he’s settled the score with his killers. With the hired hands dealt with, Kain is coaxed into finding the true perpetrator in his death. The fate of the land is in the balance and by claiming trophies from Nosgoth’s ‘Circle of Nine’, a band of flamboyant, dangerous personalities, Kain can restore the pillars, placing its fate in his hands.
A waste of blood: Kain is less than impressed by the spread of the plague
Blood Omen is a top-down RPG, with a hearty helping of hack ‘n’ slash elements. Nosgoth is a tremendously evocative land to explore, an uncommon example of a fully-realised, western-style fantasy realm in mid-nineties gaming. The gameplay is typified by accessible but challenging swordplay and strong, varied platforming. There are some despicably enjoyable spells and items that see the vampire liquefying or exploding his foes, whilst Kain can attain health and mana through drinking the blood of humans and the ghosts of those he’s vanquished, respectively. There’s an impressive range of enemies, encompassing shamans, magicians, vagabonds, wolves, beasts and skeletons, all with a deadly repertoire of attacks.
It’s not all blood ‘n’ guts violence, however. Like the best games of its kind, Blood Omen is hugely rewarding for the range of adventuring possibilities it poses. Exploration is boosted by the prospect of revisiting earlier areas, with a range of guises allowing Kain to access more of Nosgoth. As a werewolf, he can travel at great speed and leap to higher ground, opening up additional playing space. Changing into bat form provides one of the best fast travel systems of its time, with Kain able to access specific markers and large landmarks. Disguising Kain as a human allows him not only to walk amongst soldiers unhindered but also to coax some delightful dialogues from villagers which, unusually, are all delivered vocally and without subtitling or text boxes, lending it a unique theatrical quality. Finally, Kain’s mist form grants him the ability to pass through certain gates and walls, as well as otherwise-deadly water unharmed. There are one hundred secrets to unearth and they’re a lot of fun to find.
It’s not all blood ‘n’ guts violence, however. Like the best games of its kind, Blood Omen is hugely rewarding for the range of adventuring possibilities it poses. Exploration is boosted by the prospect of revisiting earlier areas, with a range of guises allowing Kain to access more of Nosgoth. As a werewolf, he can travel at great speed and leap to higher ground, opening up additional playing space. Changing into bat form provides one of the best fast travel systems of its time, with Kain able to access specific markers and large landmarks. Disguising Kain as a human allows him not only to walk amongst soldiers unhindered but also to coax some delightful dialogues from villagers which, unusually, are all delivered vocally and without subtitling or text boxes, lending it a unique theatrical quality. Finally, Kain’s mist form grants him the ability to pass through certain gates and walls, as well as otherwise-deadly water unharmed. There are one hundred secrets to unearth and they’re a lot of fun to find.
Nosgoth’s environment design is exquisite. Every dungeon, cave, mountain, town, castle and cathedral is truly a distinct entity, not only in its visual furnishings and small details but the enemies, traps and puzzles you’ll encounter. There are tonnes of highlights. Malek’s Bastion, a formidable, remote fortress in the snow. Vorador’s Mansion, a sordid retreat housing a vampire fallen to garish opulence. Willendorf City, home of a heartbroken King and an army that might prove Nosgoth’s last line of defence.
Some of the most impressive magic includes Kain’s ability to take possession of an enemy, meaning he can access areas otherwise out of reach. There are almost too many cool touches to give credence to, including an excellent day-and-night cycle that affects not only the look of the surroundings but also Kain’s strength, with rain and snow a potential hazard. There are even some caves that only open with the full moon!
Superb, mature storytelling helps elevate Blood Omen far above its contemporary competition. At the heart of it is Kain himself; a sensational, magnetic anti-hero who positively revels in the carnage of battle. His descriptions of the various antagonists he encounters drip with contempt, whilst thoughtful musings on the hamlets visited lend Nosgoth a depth that’s unrivalled amongst similar fare. Excellent scripting helps, but a significant amount of credit must go to Simon Templeman’s voicing of the character. You couldn’t image Kain as anyone else.
Some of the most impressive magic includes Kain’s ability to take possession of an enemy, meaning he can access areas otherwise out of reach. There are almost too many cool touches to give credence to, including an excellent day-and-night cycle that affects not only the look of the surroundings but also Kain’s strength, with rain and snow a potential hazard. There are even some caves that only open with the full moon!
Superb, mature storytelling helps elevate Blood Omen far above its contemporary competition. At the heart of it is Kain himself; a sensational, magnetic anti-hero who positively revels in the carnage of battle. His descriptions of the various antagonists he encounters drip with contempt, whilst thoughtful musings on the hamlets visited lend Nosgoth a depth that’s unrivalled amongst similar fare. Excellent scripting helps, but a significant amount of credit must go to Simon Templeman’s voicing of the character. You couldn’t image Kain as anyone else.
Blood Omen is a hugely rewarding adventure, packed with spells, secrets and cool touches
A grandiose soundtrack matches the mood with a beautiful, old-school fantasy vibe bringing life, emotion and atmosphere to the settings. Visually, Blood Omen gives the familiar top-down 2D perspective of the early nineties a stark new coat of paint and whilst it might not have had gamers drooling over screenshots in the way new 3D titles of the time might have, it’s important to note the level of detail and craft that makes Nosgoth one-of-a-kind. Blood Omen also sports some sensational FMVs, some of the best of its generation.
Both the PC and PlayStation versions are excellent and there’s little to choose between the two, as they look, play, run and sound more or less identical. Nowadays, playing the PC version on modern hardware yields the benefit of lightning-fast loading times, whilst the original versions made for an altogether more leisurely adventure punctuated by frequent, lengthy screen transitions. There’s the odd bit of slow-down, where Kain appears to be walking through treacle, though this typically only occurs during battles with lots of projectiles being launched.
Kain’s pilgrimage passes more rapidly without the loading times, but it remains a long, satisfying experience and one you’ll be glued to, start to finish. Blood Omen has two very different endings, a slew of tricky (but not unfair) boss fights and a secret sequence of temples that I didn’t stumble across until what was likely my fourth or fifth playthrough. Playing as Kain now is, if anything, more appealing than it was in 1997. Precise, compact design, supremely atmospheric presentation and gleeful vampiric violence. It’s one of the most creative adventures of its era and a lesson in design from which modern open-world games could learn a thing or two.
Both the PC and PlayStation versions are excellent and there’s little to choose between the two, as they look, play, run and sound more or less identical. Nowadays, playing the PC version on modern hardware yields the benefit of lightning-fast loading times, whilst the original versions made for an altogether more leisurely adventure punctuated by frequent, lengthy screen transitions. There’s the odd bit of slow-down, where Kain appears to be walking through treacle, though this typically only occurs during battles with lots of projectiles being launched.
Kain’s pilgrimage passes more rapidly without the loading times, but it remains a long, satisfying experience and one you’ll be glued to, start to finish. Blood Omen has two very different endings, a slew of tricky (but not unfair) boss fights and a secret sequence of temples that I didn’t stumble across until what was likely my fourth or fifth playthrough. Playing as Kain now is, if anything, more appealing than it was in 1997. Precise, compact design, supremely atmospheric presentation and gleeful vampiric violence. It’s one of the most creative adventures of its era and a lesson in design from which modern open-world games could learn a thing or two.
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VERDICT
"Precise, compact design, supremely atmospheric presentation and gleeful vampiric violence. As anti-heroes go, there are few, if any, who can hold a candle to Kain. Blood Omen is one of the most creative adventures of its era." OVERALL: 9/10 |
PIXEL SECONDS: BLOOD OMEN: LEGACY OF KAIN (PS)
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain achieves a rare feat, sinking its teeth into you almost immediately. From its violently captivating opening FMV onwards, Silicon Knights crafted a mature, lore-drenched world begging to be explored. Nosgoth, a world shared by both human and vampire, is linked to the Nine Pillars which are guarded by human warriors. Kain, seeking vengeance after being murdered, becomes a vampire to help restore the balance of the world after Nuprator corrupts his fellow guardians. It’s an extremely well-told narrative, with notably excellent voice acting for the time and the ghoulishly directed cut-scenes remaining entrancing and Kain proves a likeable anti-hero. What follows is a top-down RPG where Kain gains further weapons and spells to become a truly powerful vampire and uncover secrets using newly discovered abilities in previous areas. Blood Omen still boasts a wonderful gothic style, impressive FMVs and excellent sound design with ace voice acting, sullied only by some noticeable loading issues and slowdown at points. Nevertheless, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain is one of the finest outings to emerge from the fifth generation. The action-RPG gameplay is refined to near-perfect effect, meaning those looking for an adult take on the Zelda-style of RPG should snap this up. [9] – Shane Battams © 2025
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain achieves a rare feat, sinking its teeth into you almost immediately. From its violently captivating opening FMV onwards, Silicon Knights crafted a mature, lore-drenched world begging to be explored. Nosgoth, a world shared by both human and vampire, is linked to the Nine Pillars which are guarded by human warriors. Kain, seeking vengeance after being murdered, becomes a vampire to help restore the balance of the world after Nuprator corrupts his fellow guardians. It’s an extremely well-told narrative, with notably excellent voice acting for the time and the ghoulishly directed cut-scenes remaining entrancing and Kain proves a likeable anti-hero. What follows is a top-down RPG where Kain gains further weapons and spells to become a truly powerful vampire and uncover secrets using newly discovered abilities in previous areas. Blood Omen still boasts a wonderful gothic style, impressive FMVs and excellent sound design with ace voice acting, sullied only by some noticeable loading issues and slowdown at points. Nevertheless, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain is one of the finest outings to emerge from the fifth generation. The action-RPG gameplay is refined to near-perfect effect, meaning those looking for an adult take on the Zelda-style of RPG should snap this up. [9] – Shane Battams © 2025
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