Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered Review: A Bloody Good Remaster

Little by little, the cult favorites that defined much of my childhood and adolescence are starting to come back into prominence. After what seemed like an eternity that could only be conquered by the time-traveling escapades of Kain and Raziel themselves, someone finally remembered just how much potential there was in the Legacy of Kain series. While we are still without a new mainline game, which will be remedied by the March 31 release of Ascendance, the rest of the series has been getting all the love and affection they deserve with some outstanding remastered games.

The latest in that line is Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered, which served as a conclusion to the ongoing struggle between the titular Kain and his enemy turned time-traveling BFF Raziel. Defiance first released back in 2003, and was a game that I could not have been more excited about. As a long-time, hopelessly devoted follower of this mythic franchise, Defiance was the defining moment of 2003 in video games, for my money.

Now, over twenty years later, the game isn't just getting a remaster. It's following the trend of so many remasters today, including ones from this very franchise, where it's less of a simple port and more of a celebration of the game and its impact. Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered concerns itself not just with the quality of the game's modern presentation, but also with making sure the actual production and development history of the title is preserved for everyone.

This excellent package is headlined by one of the finest 3D action-adventure games of its era, and surrounds that with a bevy of extras, special features and historical documentation that is a dream come true for any Legacy of Kain fan. If you've spent any amount of time perusing this franchise's long history, as well as the development of Defiance itself, you're going to be absolutely head over heels for this spectacular re-issue of the Legacy of Kain's most fascinating hours.

The Coin Landed On It's Edge

The real star of this show is Legacy of Kain: Defiance, the unintentional finale to the series before it entered a long hibernation. It wasn't intended to be that way, but the franchise was never immune to the wills of fate that it so poignantly discusses in many of its most iconic moments. This classic action-adventure game is one that very clearly feels of its time.

That's not an inherently bad thing, but it certainly has all that sixth-generation charm, complete with a somewhat fidgety camera that doesn't seem to always have your best interests at heart. With the new and improved version, the team at PlayEveryWhere have added a more modern, agreeable camera that stays positioned behind Kain and Raziel.

It certainly lacks the cinematic flair of the original, but being able to actually complete some of the game's infamous platforming sections without the era-appropriate frustration is a welcome addition. I did find myself going back to the original camera quite often, but swapping between the two is fairly easy. It does take a few more menu clicks than I'd like, but it's not the worst thing in the world.

You can definitely feel the age in Defiance, and in spite of how much brilliant work that the team has put into it, there's not much that can be done to avoid that. I still feel like the game holds up and is a contender for the franchise's best entry, but it's one that you may feel the age on more prominently.

That being said, the game looks better than ever. The audio and visuals have always been standouts in this series, and the remastered version has put quite a bit of effort into making sure it retains all its signature gravitas. The voice acting and writing outclass a lot of modern games, with an operatic, theatrical allure that is almost intoxicating to listen to.

From Simon Templeton's sinister charm as Kain, to Michael Bell's naive heroism in the role of Raziel, this is a game that prioritizes both story and having good actors to tell that story. In some ways, the gameplay becomes secondary, acting as a barrier to the reward of hearing these legendary actors do their thing. This kind of rich, mythological storytelling isn't commonplace these days, and Legacy of Kain: Defiance is one of the last games of its kind to do that.

The Wheel Will Turn

While the main game is what you'll be spending most of your time doing in Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered, it cannot be overstated how brilliant the presentation is. The package is altogether stuffed with important historical catalogs of the game's development, as well as peaks at what could have been.

This type of presentation is what I've been begging to see more of, and stuff like this is thankfully not a rarity anymore. This isn't just about game preservation, but also about making sure that every ounce of the game, from its development to its finished product, is spoken for. It does so by showcasing the game from all angles, and the way it puts that on display is simply lovely.

One of the most fascinating things comes in the form of lost levels. These are snapshots of a game that once was, but being able to actually play this deleted content is like a goldmine for Kain fans. The finished game is masterful, but seeing the ambition left on the floor really shows how committed Crystal Dynamics was back in the day.

There's also a demo of Legacy of Kain: The Dark Prophecy, a proposed sixth game that would have been a direct sequel to Defiance. Although Defiance concludes the story of Kain and Raziel, The Dark Prophecy was poised to act as a continuation and put the titular vampire back in the spotlight as the playable character. Although they envisioned it as a sequel to Defiance, in many ways it always felt like a spiritual successor to Blood Omen 2.

To their credit, the original releases of most Legacy of Kain games were very high on special bonus features. They almost felt like DVD's of blockbuster movies, often with a strong emphasis on what went into making these games so special. Which makes the inclusion of some legacy content even more thrilling.

The original version had some absolutely lovely outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage of the voice recording sessions. Seeing acting legends like Tony Jay and Rene Auberjonois in such a casual setting as they record these lines was amazing, so it's a joy to see them lovingly preserved for this remastered version.

There's just so much here for Legacy of Kain fans to sink their proverbial teeth into. The main game is stellar, and the amount of development logs, playable deleted content and new looks at where the franchise could have gone tie the whole thing together. It's a spectacular package, and one that no Legacy of Kain fan is going to want to miss out on. If Blood Omen, the two games that star Kain as the solo lead, get even close to the same treatment in the near future, then we could be in for a treat very soon.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is the latest in Crystal Dynamics' efforts to bring the franchise back from the dead. It is packed to the brim with content, including deleted levels and a playable demo of one of the franchise's most compelling canceled entries. If you've been exploring the series for the first time thanks to the remasters, you're getting one of the most outstanding mainline titles in the franchise, and a deep dive into what made this game so special to begin with.