"Let's drop the moral posturing shall we? We both know there is no altruism in this pursuit, your reckless indignation brought you here; I counted on it! There's no shame in it Raziel, revenge is motivation enough; at least it's honest. Hate me, but do it honestly." Honesty is the best policy.
this truth business makes kain unfit for politics. Which is odd considering he's an emperor. of backstabbing clans. What, he's not a part of his own culture? Like he wasn't setting an example well enough for them to follow the ways of poppa, or the whole truth thing wasn't the face he put on for them. They were the brats, let them be spoiled....because they were spoiled and doomed from birth. Raziel is the hope for something better; raise him right with fatherly moralizing about how moral posturing is silly, but then insist on the moral of truthful actions. Odd mixture. Honesty born of just being tired of manipulative deception so you make yourself so powerful you no longer need to lie like all the other shadow creatures. These pillars are a spin free zone.
With regards to power and the freedom to be honest. I think Nitche in 'Beyond Good and Evil' said something like: True freedom is ability to stretch yourself out in all directions and face no resistance. @larrymcmacarroon9529
So true; his baritone voice is just so iconic; I also enjoyed his voice as Judge Lord Forto in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame and Megabyte in Reboot =)
I'm so happy that the remasters are 100% faithful in terms of story, characters, dialogue, voice acting and they just updated the graphics. This is how true remakes and remasters should be. Hopefully it will do well so we will get the Blood Omens and Defiance next. I NEED Defiance on my PS5.
I flip flop on the voices. I wonder if they should have got new actors and given you the option to switch to the originals like they let you do with the graphics That way they can guard fan response and if they do more they already have the actors lined up
@@georgehouliaras7239 but the problem is many of the prominent actors have passed so they will have to be replaced if the series actually carries on Tony Jay is gone and he is the central villain so you definitely need the Elder God Vorador is also very important This is why I feel it might be better to do it now to get people used to it
I will say the lipsync in both Soul Reaver and Defiance is one of the reasons I speak english now....I remember learning the dialogues and repeating them over and over!!! What an achievement that was back in the day!!!
I said it before, but man you are magician. You keep squeezing stone to get water, and produce more inside in the game. The biggest strength is your writing of narrative.
Kain still hasn't atoned for the vampires' greatest betrayal, their war against the Hylden. The Hylden knew the Elder God was an unnatural parasite and the vampires banished them. If Kain really wants to restore Nosgoth, he's going to have to make peace with the Hylden and work together to defeat the Elder God.
It's almost poetic that after manipulating practically everything throughout the entire LoK timeline, Mobeus had been manipulated himself from the very beginning.
And that Kain showed how for all his utilitarianism, he did love Raziel as if he was something like a son. The man who doomed the world because of his masters, redeemed it for his apprentices. I wonder if that's what I'll see in the "Naruto" fic "The Daemon of Pain". Nagato already rejected Obito/Madara. That's a start.
@@MagnosummitI'm honestly surprised I got that comment. "Naruto" is pretty popular, not to mention pretty deep in exploring human relationships and world politics.
@@JabamiLainNaruto is pretty popular for 2000 youngster shonen brats like you. Berserk is where my days are not fucking shonen over the top analyzing over explaination between two ninja trying to kill each other. I watched Naruto back in the day and I still loath shonens. So again dont compare masterpiece of LoK series with shonen garbage thank you.
@@MrEpz4321 in your opinion. Don’t buy then. I, personally, who live in my childhood, have enjoyed almost every remaster I’ve played, and that seems to be all I buy. No risk like a new game. I know this game is good, now it just looks better and plays on my current gen system!
I hope they're still working on some tweaks. If you look at the trailer you'll see that the effects for the wraithblade were still identical to the original ones in 1 and 2.
@@MrEpz4321 Depends whos remastering, some people don't care to faithfully commit to a game's vision and alter things to fit their own agendas or whatever bs
I believe kain wasn't actually jealous when he saw raziel's wings. You have to remember that kain was studying mobius the time streamer's time machine and prophecies. When he saw the wings, he knew what he had to do to set in motion the events that would lead to see his plans realized. Think of kain words at the first encounter and the final fight, think how he never displayed any jealousy for the rest of the game or later games. He was purposely leading raziel in a direction from the beginning.
You’re single handedly keeping the community alive. Thank you for your channel and all the LoK videos you produce! This game series is such a major part of my youth, and therefore my life, and it’s bittersweet to relive these memories. I hope a remaster comes one day. I don’t care how much they cost, it’ll be worth it.
Around four minutes in the video mentions that Ariel had deceived Kain. But I remember her telling him, straight up: "There is no cure for death, only release."
Ariel was leading him on the whole game. She tells him straight up when he’s the last guardian of the circle. She doesn’t know why- he shouldn’t kill himself. Good he didn’t.
I was 9 years old when my father bought me a video game magazine called Level. It also contained a game on CD called Soul Reaver. Because I didn't have a PC at the time, every Saturday I would go to my father's office and play on his computer there. I was excited, scared, I remember my hands and feet getting cold and I would start shivering so much that my father would bring me a radiator to warm me up. All the emotions were caused by that game. At the same time, at home, I would translate from the magazine and the game, with a dictionary, passages, lines, explanations, everything related to that game, because English was a foreign language and I was just learning it at school. I would translate everything and write it on paper, I had a book as I wrote. My father loved to watch me play it, even more, he would help me, advise me, guide me, and even press various keys on the keyboard for certain commands during the game. Now, my dad is in a better place, but he definitely smiles when he sees me playing Soul Reaver 1/2 remastered edition.
I can't wait to play through the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 - Remastered soon! I'll probably go back to your older videos to catch up on the lore, etc.
@@VendettaActivist agreed it would need a remake or reboot sense too much of what it did is hard to fit into the full narrative like vorador and the eternal prison
Given all of the betrayal and manipulations in Nosgoth, is it any wonder 'hope' is such a bitter and terrible illusion? Thanks for another breakdown Strictly! Looking forward to your future videos concerning the LoK visual novel as well as a review of the Remastered Soul Reaver 1 and 2 =)
it is wild to think about this Kain was brought back to live as a vampire but a necromancer. A magic that basically is used exclusively by evil characters. But in the LoK series this is one of the few times that the nercomancer is actually the good guy and knew it was the only way to help balance the world
Your channel is gona get a lot mroe views bc of the remasters! So happy about that. I've watched all your LOK content. Happy to see newer stuff lately.
Not reMAKES but reMASTERS. And only Soul Reaver remakes are coming. SR1 is my favorite out of the 5 games but the most deserving of any cosmetic treatment is undoubtedly Blood Omen 1 which could have an outright third person RPG reMAKE! And after that Blood Omen 2. Soul Reaver 1 always got by really well for being the most perfect artistic representation of the franchise even with the cut content which eventually got retroactive retcon explained especially since you could emulate the sharper Dreamcast version on PC, and Soul Reaver 2 was the closest to the Defiance level of graphics out of the remainders. Now SR1 and 2 get to look like Defiance meanwhile BO1 is a relative clunky chore to play, especially on modern hardware. All this not without a caviat either... They are releasing some new SR1 prequel comic with an ugly modernist lazy artstyle (like when Batman TAS got bad) and some forced female token NEW character of some sorts inside it for the non-existing modern audience which is a barely populated extremely loud micro-cult without money to pay even for their own pandering.
Sun Tzu wrote in the Art of War that it's unwise to completely eradicate the enemy soldiers once their army was defeated. Instead, the bravest, most ferocious and most loyal enemy soldiers should be absorbed into your own ranks. As long as they're given an appropriate position, they'll fight for you just as loyally as they fought for their former commanders. Why? Because warriors only concern themselves with war, they don't actually care why they're fighting or for whom they fight. Kain knew that by resurrecting the Seraphan as his lieutenents that they'd serve him just as fanatically as they served the Circle of Nine.
Hey ! That was my mindset while playing "Infamous 2" ! I only spared the strongest enemies, in order to use them to build an army to use against the Beast That is, before I realized betraying them for Jonh was fairer, in the sense you got to fight back against all who helped manipulate you.
The vampire leiutenants did not know about their sarafan former lives though. And raziel was very upset when he found out he used to be sarafan. It's a major plot point in the series. So in this instance, if they knew they used to fight for the other side, they would have been very upset with knowing they now are fighting for the side they fought against while mortal men......
@@bxmully When Raziel told Rahab that they were Sarafan in their former life, Rahab simply replied "Does it matter?"... and Raziel, later in the series, resented the way he behaved as a Sarafan. And we saw the same thing in Blood Omen 2 when Kain's vampire generals willingly betrayed the vampires to serve the Hylden. It proves Sun Tzu's point: Warriors don't actually care why or for whom they fight, they only concern themselves with fighting.
You're completely right and wrong. Raziel did care. He took turns striking back against everyone who'd conscripted him. Elder's soul sucking party is poisoned due to Raziel sacrificing himself to improve the souls' standard of living, to strike back at China.
Dude this is a dope ass channel, these deep dives are done well, it's nice to see a channel that has good taste & knows good writing. I could watch these for hours.
Although it’s the only Legacy of Kain game to be on a Nintendo console, Until the remaster of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. As well as PlayStation consoles and Xbox consoles and PC for the remastered Soul Reaver games.
A shame you didn't draw more attention to the long deception Moebius between the final meetings of him and Raziel in SR2, and then again in Defiance in Vorador's Mansion for this topic. The greatest deceit Moebius played on the wraith was the idea of his free will in the matter, which Moebius at first full throatedly denies, then later confirms to be legitimate. To lie so thoroughly for so long, and to such near catastrophic end is possibly the greatest deception in the whole series second only to the Elder's very existence. Still, fantastic vid as always!
Facts and sometimes from unlikely sources, those that claim to care for us and claim to be what we have been looking for, fooling everyone around us too.
I could just listen to you talk about Legacy Of Kain for days. You bring out the intrigue and highlight it for everyone, and on behalf of the Legion, we thank you.
A truly awesome video as usual, highlighting an essential narrative aspect of the series as a whole. I always enjoy hearing your perspective on these topics; frequently an angle I hadn’t considered is highlighted. But I must also thank you specifically for bringing the fact that the remaster is coming out this December. Just over a month from my writing this. I hadn’t expected it for a year or more. Sometimes it’s nice being in this timeline
I love this so much. It's like that in the God of War Saga both Greek and Norse, that betrayal, deceit, manipulation, trust and corruption all festered as well as in the Game of Thrones.
@@JabamiLain It has never been confirmed or denied if that is still actually Athena in GOW3 or the god that was manipulating the downfall of the Olympians using her form to manipulate Kratos. Personally I am on the side of it not being Athena as no other god came back from the dead as a spirit unless some magic was being used like Zeus in Hel. Then again it looks like they dropped the chaos entity altogether as it has not shown up in the last two games.....so your side may actually be right at this point.
This might sound weird, but stories like "Legacy of Kain" always gave me more hope for humanity than stories like "Kingdom Hearts". The latter actually drained some of my faith for a time.
@@FrankNBeans9 don't get me wrong I do too. But ever since "KH 2", the story, aside from "BBS" and the mobile games, has been losing some of its former edge, with all the excessive forgiveness and free ressurections, the latter being confirmed to contradict much previously established lore.
@@JabamiLain I was agreeing with you. Soul Reaver is a man making a difference at all bleak odds. But Kingdom of hearts is all friends to save the world cliche in anime now in days.
@@jonnymars7164 pretty much, yeah. I mean, I know you can't change the world all by yourself, even Kain needed Raziel's help, and he needed Janos, Ariel and Vorador. But like, they did not shove down my throat they all had to be friends for it to happen, and made it clear who held the real power and intelligence in the group. Feelings aren't always enough. Kain would have failed in his quest if he wasn't the way he is while approaching his mission. I can accept Sora getting the Keyblade for his personality alone, since he worked hard to earn it, so the choice wouldn't prove a mistake. I can not accept how after 2, everyone decides to adopt his way of doing things and just let chance dictate their battles, hoping the enemy will just turn out to be simple or redeemable. That's weakness and puts people on a stale state.
Hey brother. Long tlme LOK fan. I just wanted to say how much I love your videos! I've fallen asleep listening to your LOK playlists many nights. Your breakdowns are 1000% spot on! Back in 2003 I posted my theory that LOK was based on ancient texts and I was ridiculed a bit so I just kept the gnosis to myself. Obviously I hadn't read kaballah, book of enoch, annunaki, etc etc until later but you are so tapped in to the lore! Thank you so much for all of the awesome content and breakdowns / character studies. Keep it up! And go deeper too! I think people are ready for it!!
I believe we have you to thank for the remake's existence. I remember you first talking about it some time back. In some way, you are the arbiter-the herald of this series' revival. Excellent video as always.
"Poor Whilliam..." Another amazing analysis video. To be honest, i hope that somehow these would never stop coming. I know it's not possible, you can only talk about one series so much, but i can still hope...
It's a shame they didn't keep it going after Defiance. As strange as it would sound, they could have just made a Blood Omen 3 since everything in Blood Omen 2 was actually the altered timeline resulting from what happens in soul reaver 2 and Defiance. After that, they could have branched a whole new Soul Reaver series off from it. I could imagine Kain resurrecting Raziel and his brethren as his vampire lieutenants all over again. But this time around he uses Raziel's soul from the Soul Reaver to resurrect his body as a vampire... I guess an additional butterfly effect that would result from this is that Melchiah wouldn't receive as weak of a portion of Kain's soul as he originally did. He'd still be the weakest, but wouldn't be in a state of perpetual decay as we all first knew him.
Thank you for taking the time to put these videos together. Love revisiting the legacy of kain series and these videos do a great job at igniting that fervor.
The not at all clumsily named "Blood Omen-Legacy of Kain-Soul Reaver-saga" plot still rocks heavy 25 years later. I remember being absolutely gripped by Raziels quest and his brothers. The whole idea of them all evolving into these monsters and the mechanics of having to dispatch enemies using the Van Helsing Handbook was amazing. Definitely one of the best game franchises for lore.
The transition from the elder god playing benefactor and you his easily motivated attack dog in SR. To the skepticism of Raziel, and the stark change in the elder gods demeanor, and of course the mother of all red flags an alliance with Moebius. It was all so well realized.
I like to rewatch the entire series in no commentary lets plays every now and then because the writing and voice acting was on a different level. In rewatching Soul Reaver you can kind of see the foreshadowing that Kain wasn't so much jealous of Raziel, but knew prophecy was coming to pass and he had to act accordingly for that coin of his to land on its edge. In the scene where he says to "toss him in" you can almost see the grim resolve and reluctance. Games were made different back in the day.
The voice acting in this series will forever be my favorite, I reckon. The face animation were well ahead of it's time when Soul Reaver 2 was first released in 2001.
Some stories capture our imaginations and stay with us long after we experience them. Their themes resonate with universal truths and profound emotions. These tales often explore complex characters grappling with difficult choices. The power of such narratives lies in their ability to transport us to other worlds. It is no wonder that they continue to be celebrated and revisited for generations.
IM so happy i could cry, this game is finally getting more attention. yes!! My childhood, this game is my SOUL its such an important part of my life and memories.
the LOK titles were the games that engraved the importance of truth onto me. Raziel was able to forgive Kain's deep betrayal because he sought out the truth behind it, as well as being able to sus out the elder god because he saw the truth behind the elder god's intent to push him so bad into trying to murder Kain. The games are the embodiment of the saying "The truth will set you free".
Come on , yall. This remaster needs to sell well if we want this franchise to continue in a big way! We were waiting for a chance. This is the time. Spread the word of this series. This is not a drill!!!!
While I will always champion your videos on the Legacy of Kain. I eagerly await your Elden Ring character series to continue. With Moag, Michalla, Rykard, & Melina at the top of my personal list. Also thank you for introducing people not only to the Legacy of Kain but the forgotten jewel that is the Legend of Dargoon.
Raziel on paper should be a character I absolutely detest with all my soul with how righteous and pompous he acts but Michael Bell just does such an amazing job at making him sound like someone I want to root for. That "setting my own path" speech would piss me off if said by anyone else. The themes of trust and betrayal the games tackle I connect to much more now than I did when I originally played the games a decade ago. I don't think I played the series since 2014 but I'm glad those remasters are coming out, just bummed no Defiance as of yet. But if Tomb Raider and the Angel of Darkness can get a remaster, it would be insane for Definace not to get one.
I wished we got an "Angel of Darkness" remake, and that they made it a trilogy, like they originally planned. For me, it was a flawed gem, but still a gem. And they should set it on the "Legends" trilogy timeline. If nothing else, so that we can get the Doppelganger back. ...I wonder if that game is the unconscious reason why I juxtaposition "Evangelion" and "Tomb Raider".
@@JabamiLain That game sounds like it needs a genuine remake than a remaster. Not even sure I will play it. Tomb Raider as a franchise seemed like it happened by accident.
Hey strictly Fantasy, there's a huge part of LOK that you haven't talked about that could make an interesting video. Vampirism as a whole. How the powers differ between Kain and his descendants. How he was barely bothered by the full power sun while the clans young can be killed by its weak polluted rays. How raziel's evolution of wings was a big deal about allowing him to get the areas other vampires couldn't, implying no one but Kain could shake shift. And how Kain, vorador, melchia, turel, rehab, dumah and zephon all evolved and theorizing why they evolved the way they did and what it says about them
Great video, as always. I noticed one thing and would like your elaboration on it. You said it was no wonder Kain refused the sacrifice and despised deception and liars (4:17). But he was never really honest with his children either. He hid their origins from him, he allowed for them to quarrel to some extent while he (in my opinion) sought for the way out of the dilemma. We do not now for certain when he started to try to right the wrongs Nosgoth had suffered but I personally believe it was not after a millenium. As you said, he felt betrayed and wanted to find truth. That must have motivated him to find a way of flipping the coin on its side. I assume he learned about Raziel as a wraith at some point, using the chronoplast or listening to Ariel. And it was when Raziel stood before him with his wings he knew that his visions meant and what he had to do. That is my belief. What do you think?
With TheLoadingCrew back to doing D&D Alignment videos, a collab with them to analyze the alignments of Kain and Raziel would be just what you'd both need to boost views and subs.
People seem to forget the LoK series was high on the theatrics, and the voice actors did a lot of the heavy lifting. Let's not forget what they brought to life: the writing. If we were to get a reboot or some type of sequel/prequel, we'd need that romanticized, dark tone. Betrayal, frateicide, the uncertainty of destiny, and replacing whole timelines. I fear that wander and awe could be lost. I am elated to have a true to form remaster, though. I believe in the preservation of games as art, and though the remaster of SR1+2 has tightened a few things (controls, camera), I believe it is the vision of LoK:SR when released, and I hope more studios/IPs follow.
I hope whenever the remaster comes out it’ll bring attention to the legacy of kain series and we get new games or at the very least blood omen remasters
"Let's drop the moral posturing shall we? We both know there is no altruism in this pursuit, your reckless indignation brought you here; I counted on it! There's no shame in it Raziel, revenge is motivation enough; at least it's honest. Hate me, but do it honestly." Honesty is the best policy.
Kain is Deified!😊
This is legit something I want to see politicians say to each other when.
this truth business makes kain unfit for politics. Which is odd considering he's an emperor. of backstabbing clans. What, he's not a part of his own culture? Like he wasn't setting an example well enough for them to follow the ways of poppa, or the whole truth thing wasn't the face he put on for them. They were the brats, let them be spoiled....because they were spoiled and doomed from birth. Raziel is the hope for something better; raise him right with fatherly moralizing about how moral posturing is silly, but then insist on the moral of truthful actions. Odd mixture. Honesty born of just being tired of manipulative deception so you make yourself so powerful you no longer need to lie like all the other shadow creatures. These pillars are a spin free zone.
@@larrymcmacarroon9529 Nicely said!
With regards to power and the freedom to be honest. I think Nitche in 'Beyond Good and Evil' said something like: True freedom is ability to stretch yourself out in all directions and face no resistance. @larrymcmacarroon9529
R.I.P. Tony Jay a most booming voice that captured emptiness. That game series raised the bar on voice acting in gaming imo.
An awesome individual indeed!
Tony Jay, Simon Templemen and Michael Bell are my top 3 favorite VAs of all time.
We lost Janos and Vorador too :c
CALL YOUR DOGS! THEY CAN FEAST ON YOUR CORPSES!
That man’s voice was epic. Loved him as the Elder God and Claude Frollo. Good voice to imagine when writing.
So true; his baritone voice is just so iconic; I also enjoyed his voice as Judge Lord Forto in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame and Megabyte in Reboot =)
I'm so happy that the remasters are 100% faithful in terms of story, characters, dialogue, voice acting and they just updated the graphics. This is how true remakes and remasters should be. Hopefully it will do well so we will get the Blood Omens and Defiance next. I NEED Defiance on my PS5.
I flip flop on the voices. I wonder if they should have got new actors and given you the option to switch to the originals like they let you do with the graphics
That way they can guard fan response and if they do more they already have the actors lined up
@@billmcdermott9647 Absolutely not. Resident Evil did that and the new actor for Leon, Claire, Jill and Ada are complete garbage.
I NEED DEFIANCE ON MY PS5 TOO!!!!
I preordered it,would be nice if they would add some of the deleted content in to the game
@@georgehouliaras7239 but the problem is many of the prominent actors have passed so they will have to be replaced if the series actually carries on
Tony Jay is gone and he is the central villain so you definitely need the Elder God
Vorador is also very important
This is why I feel it might be better to do it now to get people used to it
I will say the lipsync in both Soul Reaver and Defiance is one of the reasons I speak english now....I remember learning the dialogues and repeating them over and over!!! What an achievement that was back in the day!!!
Simom Templeman and his role as Kain surely helped me to learn English.
I said it before, but man you are magician. You keep squeezing stone to get water, and produce more inside in the game. The biggest strength is your writing of narrative.
Kain still hasn't atoned for the vampires' greatest betrayal, their war against the Hylden. The Hylden knew the Elder God was an unnatural parasite and the vampires banished them. If Kain really wants to restore Nosgoth, he's going to have to make peace with the Hylden and work together to defeat the Elder God.
We would have gotten that if the series hadn't been cancelled.
@@JabamiLainYup. That saddest thing that it was actually somewhat the plan for Kain's next adventure
@@KingOfMadCows once fucked some things cannot be unfucked
Aren't they corrupted beyond redemption after their banishment?
@@stevenotto1456 yea. And Kain lost the ability to alter the timestream
It's almost poetic that after manipulating practically everything throughout the entire LoK timeline, Mobeus had been manipulated himself from the very beginning.
And that Kain showed how for all his utilitarianism, he did love Raziel as if he was something like a son. The man who doomed the world because of his masters, redeemed it for his apprentices.
I wonder if that's what I'll see in the "Naruto" fic "The Daemon of Pain". Nagato already rejected Obito/Madara. That's a start.
@@JabamiLainDont bring shonen naruto bullshit in Legacy of Kain. Stop tainting it whelp!
@@JabamiLain don't worry about that other comment. Fine to draw analogies between different series and games... Enjoy!
@@MagnosummitI'm honestly surprised I got that comment. "Naruto" is pretty popular, not to mention pretty deep in exploring human relationships and world politics.
@@JabamiLainNaruto is pretty popular for 2000 youngster shonen brats like you. Berserk is where my days are not fucking shonen over the top analyzing over explaination between two ninja trying to kill each other. I watched Naruto back in the day and I still loath shonens. So again dont compare masterpiece of LoK series with shonen garbage thank you.
Can't wait for the remaster. It can't come soon enough!
Just glad we found out 2 months before instead of 1 year or more! That would be absolute torture! 😂
Remasters are usually shit.
@@MrEpz4321 in your opinion. Don’t buy then. I, personally, who live in my childhood, have enjoyed almost every remaster I’ve played, and that seems to be all I buy. No risk like a new game. I know this game is good, now it just looks better and plays on my current gen system!
I hope they're still working on some tweaks. If you look at the trailer you'll see that the effects for the wraithblade were still identical to the original ones in 1 and 2.
@@MrEpz4321 Depends whos remastering, some people don't care to faithfully commit to a game's vision and alter things to fit their own agendas or whatever bs
I always welcome some more legacy of kain content. Especially this new resurgence because of the remasters.
It’s been just us for so long. New fans brings both good and bad things but I still welcome them all.
I agree with you. But more fans means more popularity and a better chance for further remasters.
@@IfYouInsistas do I.
I believe kain wasn't actually jealous when he saw raziel's wings. You have to remember that kain was studying mobius the time streamer's time machine and prophecies. When he saw the wings, he knew what he had to do to set in motion the events that would lead to see his plans realized.
Think of kain words at the first encounter and the final fight, think how he never displayed any jealousy for the rest of the game or later games. He was purposely leading raziel in a direction from the beginning.
He trusted in raziel’s pride. He knew raziel had the grit to see things through.
You’re single handedly keeping the community alive. Thank you for your channel and all the LoK videos you produce! This game series is such a major part of my youth, and therefore my life, and it’s bittersweet to relive these memories. I hope a remaster comes one day. I don’t care how much they cost, it’ll be worth it.
RainaAudron???????????????
Around four minutes in the video mentions that Ariel had deceived Kain. But I remember her telling him, straight up: "There is no cure for death, only release."
Ariel was leading him on the whole game. She tells him straight up when he’s the last guardian of the circle. She doesn’t know why- he shouldn’t kill himself. Good he didn’t.
@lonewanderer1328 why does this sound like chatgpt wrote it?
@@jackcoldstone7235 I'm DEAD inside but my soul lives on
I was 9 years old when my father bought me a video game magazine called Level. It also contained a game on CD called Soul Reaver. Because I didn't have a PC at the time, every Saturday I would go to my father's office and play on his computer there. I was excited, scared, I remember my hands and feet getting cold and I would start shivering so much that my father would bring me a radiator to warm me up. All the emotions were caused by that game. At the same time, at home, I would translate from the magazine and the game, with a dictionary, passages, lines, explanations, everything related to that game, because English was a foreign language and I was just learning it at school. I would translate everything and write it on paper, I had a book as I wrote. My father loved to watch me play it, even more, he would help me, advise me, guide me, and even press various keys on the keyboard for certain commands during the game. Now, my dad is in a better place, but he definitely smiles when he sees me playing Soul Reaver 1/2 remastered edition.
Strictly Fantasy, there are no words to describe your contribution and devotion to this franchise's lore. On behalf of all of us, thank you!!
I can't wait to play through the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 - Remastered soon!
I'll probably go back to your older videos to catch up on the lore, etc.
me too.
@@melanieschmidt673 same, never got a chance to play them as i never had a ps1/ps2 so can finally play it for myself
Wish they would remaster Blood Omen
@erictorres8496
Definitely, but I feel a remake would work better if done correctly.
@@VendettaActivist agreed it would need a remake or reboot sense too much of what it did is hard to fit into the full narrative like vorador and the eternal prison
I'm pumped for the remasters. Just caught onto your content and started binging it all. All great work!
Welcome aboard! Glad you're enjoying them :)
Given all of the betrayal and manipulations in Nosgoth, is it any wonder 'hope' is such a bitter and terrible illusion?
Thanks for another breakdown Strictly! Looking forward to your future videos concerning the LoK visual novel as well as a review of the Remastered Soul Reaver 1 and 2 =)
it is wild to think about this Kain was brought back to live as a vampire but a necromancer. A magic that basically is used exclusively by evil characters. But in the LoK series this is one of the few times that the nercomancer is actually the good guy and knew it was the only way to help balance the world
Maybe if the Soul Reaver remaster does well, They might then do some honest remakes of Blood Omen 1 & 2, maybe fix the story of 2 as well.
That would be awesome! Fingers crossed
Your channel is gona get a lot mroe views bc of the remasters!
So happy about that.
I've watched all your LOK content. Happy to see newer stuff lately.
After years of hoping for a remaster of the franchise its finally happening! I cannot wait to be able to play through it all over again!! 👏🙌
Right!? In my top 3 stories of all times. Never believed for a second that it would ever get touched again!
Remake is coming booooyyyys
I am hopeful. This game is almost as niche as "Nier/Drakengard". And those remain on top.
@waldirnacarath At last...
Not reMAKES but reMASTERS. And only Soul Reaver remakes are coming.
SR1 is my favorite out of the 5 games but the most deserving of any cosmetic treatment is undoubtedly Blood Omen 1 which could have an outright third person RPG reMAKE!
And after that Blood Omen 2.
Soul Reaver 1 always got by really well for being the most perfect artistic representation of the franchise even with the cut content which eventually got retroactive retcon explained especially since you could emulate the sharper Dreamcast version on PC, and Soul Reaver 2 was the closest to the Defiance level of graphics out of the remainders.
Now SR1 and 2 get to look like Defiance meanwhile BO1 is a relative clunky chore to play, especially on modern hardware.
All this not without a caviat either...
They are releasing some new SR1 prequel comic with an ugly modernist lazy artstyle (like when Batman TAS got bad) and some forced female token NEW character of some sorts inside it for the non-existing modern audience which is a barely populated extremely loud micro-cult without money to pay even for their own pandering.
Sun Tzu wrote in the Art of War that it's unwise to completely eradicate the enemy soldiers once their army was defeated. Instead, the bravest, most ferocious and most loyal enemy soldiers should be absorbed into your own ranks. As long as they're given an appropriate position, they'll fight for you just as loyally as they fought for their former commanders. Why? Because warriors only concern themselves with war, they don't actually care why they're fighting or for whom they fight. Kain knew that by resurrecting the Seraphan as his lieutenents that they'd serve him just as fanatically as they served the Circle of Nine.
Hey ! That was my mindset while playing "Infamous 2" ! I only spared the strongest enemies, in order to use them to build an army to use against the Beast
That is, before I realized betraying them for Jonh was fairer, in the sense you got to fight back against all who helped manipulate you.
The vampire leiutenants did not know about their sarafan former lives though. And raziel was very upset when he found out he used to be sarafan. It's a major plot point in the series.
So in this instance, if they knew they used to fight for the other side, they would have been very upset with knowing they now are fighting for the side they fought against while mortal men......
@@bxmully When Raziel told Rahab that they were Sarafan in their former life, Rahab simply replied "Does it matter?"... and Raziel, later in the series, resented the way he behaved as a Sarafan. And we saw the same thing in Blood Omen 2 when Kain's vampire generals willingly betrayed the vampires to serve the Hylden. It proves Sun Tzu's point: Warriors don't actually care why or for whom they fight, they only concern themselves with fighting.
You're completely right and wrong. Raziel did care. He took turns striking back against everyone who'd conscripted him. Elder's soul sucking party is poisoned due to Raziel sacrificing himself to improve the souls' standard of living, to strike back at China.
What a great time for you to make more videos with the up coming remasters coming out, hope you do some videos on your thoughts of it
I am a simple man I see a legacy of kain contents? I click faster than the light! Thank you so much
Mate I got hyped as hell as soon as I saw that you posted a new Video. Legend
Thank you for making so much LoK content.
And thank you for a making a Legacy of Kain movie :) Lets hope the future is bright for this series 🤞
Dude this is a dope ass channel, these deep dives are done well, it's nice to see a channel that has good taste & knows good writing. I could watch these for hours.
Hope to see your channel grow with the new wave of fans being introduced to the game
I'm so happy they remastering the games now all we need is defiance please keep up the good videos up we need you now more than ever🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤
Blood Omen 2 was one of my Fav Games as a Kid.
Although it’s the only Legacy of Kain game to be on a Nintendo console,
Until the remaster of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2.
As well as PlayStation consoles and Xbox consoles and PC for the remastered Soul Reaver games.
A shame you didn't draw more attention to the long deception Moebius between the final meetings of him and Raziel in SR2, and then again in Defiance in Vorador's Mansion for this topic. The greatest deceit Moebius played on the wraith was the idea of his free will in the matter, which Moebius at first full throatedly denies, then later confirms to be legitimate. To lie so thoroughly for so long, and to such near catastrophic end is possibly the greatest deception in the whole series second only to the Elder's very existence.
Still, fantastic vid as always!
These videos are always a treat!
Manipulation comes in different forms and in the least expected time, when we're at the peak of our lives or when we're at the bottom of it.
Facts and sometimes from unlikely sources, those that claim to care for us and claim to be what we have been looking for, fooling everyone around us too.
Magnificent Thumbnail Godspeed.
I could just listen to you talk about Legacy Of Kain for days. You bring out the intrigue and highlight it for everyone, and on behalf of the Legion, we thank you.
Waiting for more of your content after the remasters release! Your channel is the GOAT in terms of LOK lore. Also your voice/tone is just incredible.
A truly awesome video as usual, highlighting an essential narrative aspect of the series as a whole. I always enjoy hearing your perspective on these topics; frequently an angle I hadn’t considered is highlighted.
But I must also thank you specifically for bringing the fact that the remaster is coming out this December. Just over a month from my writing this. I hadn’t expected it for a year or more.
Sometimes it’s nice being in this timeline
I’m a simple mortal being, see new LoK vid drops and all is good in Nosgoth
I love this so much. It's like that in the God of War Saga both Greek and Norse, that betrayal, deceit, manipulation, trust and corruption all festered as well as in the Game of Thrones.
There's one crucial difference. Kain genuinely does care for Raziel, in spite of all his manipulations.
Athena became no better than Ares.
LoK and GoT have something else in common. They will both remain unfinished.
@@JabamiLain It has never been confirmed or denied if that is still actually Athena in GOW3 or the god that was manipulating the downfall of the Olympians using her form to manipulate Kratos. Personally I am on the side of it not being Athena as no other god came back from the dead as a spirit unless some magic was being used like Zeus in Hel. Then again it looks like they dropped the chaos entity altogether as it has not shown up in the last two games.....so your side may actually be right at this point.
@@thorinhannahs4614 On that note, I agree.
@@JabamiLain Oh not just both Athena and Ares, but Zeus and Odin as well.
This might sound weird, but stories like "Legacy of Kain" always gave me more hope for humanity than stories like "Kingdom Hearts". The latter actually drained some of my faith for a time.
@@FrankNBeans9 don't get me wrong I do too. But ever since "KH 2", the story, aside from "BBS" and the mobile games, has been losing some of its former edge, with all the excessive forgiveness and free ressurections, the latter being confirmed to contradict much previously established lore.
Your right where one person can make a difference instead of me and all my friends
@@jonnymars7164 sorry, but I'm confused by your comment. Were you agreeing with me, or not ?
@@JabamiLain I was agreeing with you. Soul Reaver is a man making a difference at all bleak odds. But Kingdom of hearts is all friends to save the world cliche in anime now in days.
@@jonnymars7164 pretty much, yeah. I mean, I know you can't change the world all by yourself, even Kain needed Raziel's help, and he needed Janos, Ariel and Vorador.
But like, they did not shove down my throat they all had to be friends for it to happen, and made it clear who held the real power and intelligence in the group. Feelings aren't always enough. Kain would have failed in his quest if he wasn't the way he is while approaching his mission.
I can accept Sora getting the Keyblade for his personality alone, since he worked hard to earn it, so the choice wouldn't prove a mistake. I can not accept how after 2, everyone decides to adopt his way of doing things and just let chance dictate their battles, hoping the enemy will just turn out to be simple or redeemable. That's weakness and puts people on a stale state.
Hey brother. Long tlme LOK fan. I just wanted to say how much I love your videos! I've fallen asleep listening to your LOK playlists many nights. Your breakdowns are 1000% spot on! Back in 2003 I posted my theory that LOK was based on ancient texts and I was ridiculed a bit so I just kept the gnosis to myself. Obviously I hadn't read kaballah, book of enoch, annunaki, etc etc until later but you are so tapped in to the lore! Thank you so much for all of the awesome content and breakdowns / character studies. Keep it up! And go deeper too! I think people are ready for it!!
I love the deep dives in Legacy Of Kain series they're absolutely amazing & intriguing thanks for keeping it alive.
I believe we have you to thank for the remake's existence. I remember you first talking about it some time back. In some way, you are the arbiter-the herald of this series' revival. Excellent video as always.
Many thanks for another spectacular video your channel is absolutely epic!!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Damn, the animation in the Soul Reaver 2 cutscenes is still amazing after all this time
"Poor Whilliam..."
Another amazing analysis video. To be honest, i hope that somehow these would never stop coming. I know it's not possible, you can only talk about one series so much, but i can still hope...
It's a shame they didn't keep it going after Defiance. As strange as it would sound, they could have just made a Blood Omen 3 since everything in Blood Omen 2 was actually the altered timeline resulting from what happens in soul reaver 2 and Defiance.
After that, they could have branched a whole new Soul Reaver series off from it. I could imagine Kain resurrecting Raziel and his brethren as his vampire lieutenants all over again. But this time around he uses Raziel's soul from the Soul Reaver to resurrect his body as a vampire... I guess an additional butterfly effect that would result from this is that Melchiah wouldn't receive as weak of a portion of Kain's soul as he originally did. He'd still be the weakest, but wouldn't be in a state of perpetual decay as we all first knew him.
Love your videos man, listened so them on long trips around the country. I can't believe a game from PS1 era has such depth of writing and themes.
Thank you for taking the time to put these videos together. Love revisiting the legacy of kain series and these videos do a great job at igniting that fervor.
The not at all clumsily named "Blood Omen-Legacy of Kain-Soul Reaver-saga" plot still rocks heavy 25 years later. I remember being absolutely gripped by Raziels quest and his brothers. The whole idea of them all evolving into these monsters and the mechanics of having to dispatch enemies using the Van Helsing Handbook was amazing. Definitely one of the best game franchises for lore.
Brilliant as always man! Love everything you put up.
Miss your videos!!!! I always learn new things that i missed or makes me think of things in a different perspective
Oooh, I had no idea the Sould Reaver games were going to get a remaster! I'm so looking forward to that!
A new comic as well.
Christmas can't come soon enough.
Whenever I see anything about LOK from this channel, I give a like before watching, because I know it will be worth watching
This story is a cornerstone of my life. Soul Reaver is such an amazing tale.
The transition from the elder god playing benefactor and you his easily motivated attack dog in SR. To the skepticism of Raziel, and the stark change in the elder gods demeanor, and of course the mother of all red flags an alliance with Moebius. It was all so well realized.
I like to rewatch the entire series in no commentary lets plays every now and then because the writing and voice acting was on a different level. In rewatching Soul Reaver you can kind of see the foreshadowing that Kain wasn't so much jealous of Raziel, but knew prophecy was coming to pass and he had to act accordingly for that coin of his to land on its edge. In the scene where he says to "toss him in" you can almost see the grim resolve and reluctance. Games were made different back in the day.
Amazing video as always, you make the lore of this amazing game clear like vaati for ds.
Finally dreams of the remasters answered 🎉 my favourite quote “Kain’s parasitic empire”
Thank you for yet another insightful video!
the voice acting and the face animation in these games, are out standing.
The voice acting in this series will forever be my favorite, I reckon. The face animation were well ahead of it's time when Soul Reaver 2 was first released in 2001.
This channel will have so much content when the remaster comes.
Please Old Ones 🙏🏻 dare I push and wish for a Defiance remake tooooooooo😭😭🖤🖤what a gift to get these old gems back 🖤
F. YEAH we got another video! 😀
Some stories capture our imaginations and stay with us long after we experience them. Their themes resonate with universal truths and profound emotions. These tales often explore complex characters grappling with difficult choices. The power of such narratives lies in their ability to transport us to other worlds. It is no wonder that they continue to be celebrated and revisited for generations.
Tony Jay, Simon Templeman, Michael Bell... all it took to enslave my soul for ever. Well done gentlemen.
Best voice actors in gaming history.
IM so happy i could cry, this game is finally getting more attention. yes!! My childhood, this game is my SOUL its such an important part of my life and memories.
One of the favorite stories with philosophical themes (alongside MGS and earlier AC series)
pre-ordered it and have it in my library cant wait to play these again.
Cool ER panel. I hope the remaster rekindles the lore videos
The dialogue on these games has always been top notch.
the LOK titles were the games that engraved the importance of truth onto me. Raziel was able to forgive Kain's deep betrayal because he sought out the truth behind it, as well as being able to sus out the elder god because he saw the truth behind the elder god's intent to push him so bad into trying to murder Kain. The games are the embodiment of the saying "The truth will set you free".
I hope in the remasters all they do is upgrade the graphics, leave the script alone. it's perfect as it is.
Come on , yall. This remaster needs to sell well if we want this franchise to continue in a big way! We were waiting for a chance. This is the time. Spread the word of this series. This is not a drill!!!!
Love your work man. Keep it up
I CAN’T WAIT! …. This has been MY FAVORITE GAME SINCE DAY ONE.
While I will always champion your videos on the Legacy of Kain. I eagerly await your Elden Ring character series to continue. With Moag, Michalla, Rykard, & Melina at the top of my personal list. Also thank you for introducing people not only to the Legacy of Kain but the forgotten jewel that is the Legend of Dargoon.
Congratulacions for your vídeo, its a Very good work, i miss The Soul Reaver franchise, you até The best!
The finest voice acting in video game history
Raziel on paper should be a character I absolutely detest with all my soul with how righteous and pompous he acts but Michael Bell just does such an amazing job at making him sound like someone I want to root for. That "setting my own path" speech would piss me off if said by anyone else. The themes of trust and betrayal the games tackle I connect to much more now than I did when I originally played the games a decade ago. I don't think I played the series since 2014 but I'm glad those remasters are coming out, just bummed no Defiance as of yet. But if Tomb Raider and the Angel of Darkness can get a remaster, it would be insane for Definace not to get one.
I wished we got an "Angel of Darkness" remake, and that they made it a trilogy, like they originally planned. For me, it was a flawed gem, but still a gem.
And they should set it on the "Legends" trilogy timeline. If nothing else, so that we can get the Doppelganger back.
...I wonder if that game is the unconscious reason why I juxtaposition "Evangelion" and "Tomb Raider".
@@JabamiLain
That game sounds like it needs a genuine remake than a remaster. Not even sure I will play it. Tomb Raider as a franchise seemed like it happened by accident.
Hey strictly Fantasy, there's a huge part of LOK that you haven't talked about that could make an interesting video. Vampirism as a whole. How the powers differ between Kain and his descendants. How he was barely bothered by the full power sun while the clans young can be killed by its weak polluted rays. How raziel's evolution of wings was a big deal about allowing him to get the areas other vampires couldn't, implying no one but Kain could shake shift. And how Kain, vorador, melchia, turel, rehab, dumah and zephon all evolved and theorizing why they evolved the way they did and what it says about them
Awesome as ever!🫡
Let's see here, legacy of kain.... king killer chronicles.... the cosmere?! Wtf, where have you been all my life? Subscribed
Strictly Hickly! Thanks
Great video, as always. I noticed one thing and would like your elaboration on it. You said it was no wonder Kain refused the sacrifice and despised deception and liars (4:17). But he was never really honest with his children either. He hid their origins from him, he allowed for them to quarrel to some extent while he (in my opinion) sought for the way out of the dilemma. We do not now for certain when he started to try to right the wrongs Nosgoth had suffered but I personally believe it was not after a millenium. As you said, he felt betrayed and wanted to find truth. That must have motivated him to find a way of flipping the coin on its side. I assume he learned about Raziel as a wraith at some point, using the chronoplast or listening to Ariel. And it was when Raziel stood before him with his wings he knew that his visions meant and what he had to do. That is my belief. What do you think?
I believe it is confirmed that Kain didnt want to betray Raziel, but knew he had to in order to begin the domino of events.
With TheLoadingCrew back to doing D&D Alignment videos, a collab with them to analyze the alignments of Kain and Raziel would be just what you'd both need to boost views and subs.
Respect for using the Dreamcast version
Beautiful video, cheers
I enjoyed it, liked it, shared it!❤
Awesome video. Thank you
Great LoK content, keep it up
People seem to forget the LoK series was high on the theatrics, and the voice actors did a lot of the heavy lifting.
Let's not forget what they brought to life: the writing. If we were to get a reboot or some type of sequel/prequel, we'd need that romanticized, dark tone. Betrayal, frateicide, the uncertainty of destiny, and replacing whole timelines. I fear that wander and awe could be lost.
I am elated to have a true to form remaster, though. I believe in the preservation of games as art, and though the remaster of SR1+2 has tightened a few things (controls, camera), I believe it is the vision of LoK:SR when released, and I hope more studios/IPs follow.
Oh, so now I have to play as Raziel in Elden Ring. You've created this monster...
Keep dropping content 💪💪
A new Soul Reaver/LoK video, I watch. That's the rule.
Appreciate your content
I hope whenever the remaster comes out it’ll bring attention to the legacy of kain series and we get new games or at the very least blood omen remasters
Elder Kain with ears is haunting!