Eidos had quite the lineup this year, including another addition to the seemingly endless string of Legacy of Kain games. Legacy of Kain: Defiance combines a lot of features from the original Soul Reaver title, but brings in a few new features to spice things up. While the enhanced content seems to work well in the world of Kain, the graphical brilliance, bone crunching sounds and improved environmental interactivity don't seem to make up for the repetitive nature of these titles. Crystal Dynamics has returned for the Fall 2003 release of the title, and they continue to remind us that they are not Silicon Knights.

Eidos' press release says, "Legacy of Kain: Defiance will offer an extensive list of features completely new to the Legacy of Kain franchise. Both Raziel and Kain make appearances as fully playable characters in all of their blood sucking, soul devouring glory. A groundbreaking cinematic in-game camera is unveiled, capturing every moment of the action as well as showing breathtaking environments from the best possible point of view. The completely 're-vamped' combat system promises to be accessible, responsive and satisfying, allowing for non-stop action and thrilling combo moves unique to each character. The inclusion of the new 'telekinesis' feature will play a fundamental role in not only deepening the combat system, but level and puzzle progression as well. Visceral and sinister feeding events take these brothers in blood back to their dark and twisted roots, as they must devour the blood and souls of hordes of human, demonic and undead foes to satisfy their hideous appetites."

Aside from the horrible puns, the description left me a little worried about how well the storyline would be fleshed out in Defiance. One of the defining features of the Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver universe is the depth of the storyline. Crystal Dynamics has apparently decided to abandon some of the story and puzzles in favor of a more action-oriented title. While I love action, I think that in a hack-and-slash title such as this the story is usually the only saving grace.

The action that Eidos has offered up is enjoyable from what I played. The new telekinesis feature is a lot of fun to mess around with, as tossing your enemies through statues and into walls can prove to be quite enjoyable. In addition, the lift attacks and mid-air combos add a lot to the playability of the game. The "soul suck" remains a standard feature, allowing the player to take the energy of their foes when they've reached their last breath.

The graphics are stunning for the series. I didn't really notice how much of a difference the cinematic camera made, but the details involved in the characters and environments are just plain great. When you break a statue with an enemy, the statue shatters. When you toss an enemy against a wall, he leaves a trail of blood as he slides down it. The attention to small details in this game will be something I look forward to enjoying in the full version.

I've been playing the Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver series since the first release on the Dreamcast, and I feel that the additional titles have been somewhat lackluster in comparison to the original. The finishing moves and combat have become stale after repeated use and the soul suck just isn't as cool as it used to be. The ability to play as both Kain and Raziel might be enough to draw me to pick up Defiance when it comes out, but I've felt jaded on the series since Silicon Knights left the fray. I have every hope that the combined talents of the two playable characters will make for a unique experience, and perhaps instill new hope for the future of the franchise. In the meantime, I'll likely just stick to replaying Soul Reaver.