It’s been a couple of month since Crystal Dynamics revealed its beloved dark fantasy action-adventures Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 were poised to get the remaster treatment. And now, with the two-game bundle’s December release looming, remaster developer Aspyr has detailed a few of the enhancements the spruce-ups will bring.
All this comes via a post on the PlayStation Blog that’s mostly concerned with showing off the games’ bosses, so you might want to stay clear – and clear of the trailer below – if you’re new to the series or have forgotten everything in the 25- ish years since Soul Reaver 1 launched.
What we also get, though, is confirmation of remodelling, retexturing, and, in at least one case, re-sliming to enhance the original boss roster’s looks, and that’s on top of a “completely redesigned” model for protagonist Kain – necessary to “mitigate textural issues”.
“With the increased polygon count we felt it was important to bring his look a lot closer to the Kain we got to see in the original FMVs, which was a lot more detailed and showed more-or-less what the original intent was for the character,” Aspyr notes. “The original model in SR1 was especially limited so now both games have a Kain that looks consistent between the two titles.”
Those refreshed looks were at least partly expected, of course, thanks to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered’s announcement trailer, but Aspyr has also now confirmed a number of other new features. Both games now include a map and compass, for instance, that Aspr says “blends modern gameplay conveniences with the preservation of the explorative experience the original titles were known for.”
The compass “gently nudges the player in the right direction without giving away specific details of where to go”, while the map is described as “more of a reference tool than a guide”. Additionally, there’s a collection tracker, showing whether players have found all collectibles in each area. But for long-time fans looking to get a slightly more traditional Legacy of Kain experience, Soul Reaver 1 & 2’s remastered visuals can be switched out for those of the original, and the compass can be turned off in the settings menu.
Crystal Dynamics first hinted it was considering a Legacy of Kain revival back in 2022, when it surveyed fans asking if they’d be interested in seeing the series return. And now, some two years after 100,000 people responded positively, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is set to launch for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Series X/S, Switch, and PC on 10th December.