Legacy of Kain: Defiance

cool game, i prefer the first one, then the second, this on last spot, a little recycle scenarios and almost no bosses like the second game but ok

This game absolutely rules. The story is second to none. This entire series is a masterpiece, plain and simple. If you want a game that will take you on the ride of a lifetime, buy this game!

This is an amazing game, and a great tie up to the soul reaver saga, but gods I hope that if ever they remake this (and I hope they will), that they’ll fix the stupid camera control, or essentially lack thereof.
The amount of times I’ve died as Kain falling into water because I can’t judge distance from one stone to another is insane.
The director should be ashamed for allowing such a critical piece of the Soul Reaver trilogy to be fumbled like this.
It’s like the developers never played the game. Either that or they were told “do it like this” and never questioned it.

A fitting conclusion to the Legacy of Kain storyline! Give us more remakes and new LoK games!!

Love this game, love the series. But the camera is horrendous.

Controls are also a nightmare. I felt for my first chapter of the game playing as Kain, I felt as though I was fucking around with the controls more than actually playing.

Controller support is nonexistent, I had my controller SLIGHTLY working, but for telekinesis it just went to hell.

remaster this game, damn.

Vae victis

Great story, and amazing voice acting!

false god

I played the Soul Reaver/Defiance trilogy in my teen years and absolutely loved the story. Loved the concept and was really stoked for it. Now, having recently re-played the remasters of Soul Reaver 1 and 2, Defiance really falls behind in every aspect. My memories of it was that it was a great game, but having about 15+ years of gaming on my back, I really can't recommend the game besides for story purposes and "finishing" the trilogy (and I putting quotes since the story actually was never finished and Defiance ends on a kinda open ending).

I think this game is the one that really needs the most a Remaster, but I think that isn't going to be enough; but a Remake it is needed. A whole gameplay revamp (pun intended) needs to be done imediately. For starters, the camera is atrocious; and having the other 2 games played 3rd person view, never understood why they choose to go back to the old ways with the fixed camera. Not only is really annoying to play around with it, but at times it actually plays against you since it doesn't let you see what the hell are you doing; sometimes even being stuck until some other animation unlocks it. Truly bad. Then its the switching between characters, which even tho at the time was something innovative and maybe even wanted, now feels like crap and really breaks the momentum. Fighting is mostly hell, that sometimes is balanced out with the power of the reavers; but not always. Puzzles/exploration isn't hard, but there were a lot of repetition back to back; like for example you get to a corner room where you fight some guys so the doors open, then you go through the door and a bit more forward you reach another corner room and the same thing again. Or fighting the stupid statues near a portal, going through the portal, and having to fight them again.

All of that, plus the outdated graphics and controls really puts the third and last installment down the bottom. I really hope that the remaster in the first two gets enough motion for a remake of this one, and why not a new 4th and final installment to finish the story properly. I know is wishful thinking at this point, with more than 20 years passed, but I guy can dream. For now this game falls down with a modest 4.

stupid camera

Loved the game!

Shame the final part was cancelled.

a classic game

What you've read here about the story is true. It wraps the story up wonderfully. The gameplay is more hit/miss. You can see some amazing ideas in here. SR1 was a great game but lacked engaging combat. SR2 tried to fix that by just giving you a bunch of stuff to fight. Defiance tries to fix it by giving you actual moves and combos to use. They succeed in this regard, but the game will just throw enemies at you at all times. You'll fight over and over and over. You'll earn every combo quickly because there are so many enemies. It really drags the game out. Couple that with the camera that is so clearly trying its best, but you know it would be the first thing to go in the event of a remake. It's the weakest game of the series, but that is not saying much in a series that sets such a high story bar. If you played the other games, you're going to need to check this out anyway. Overall, you won't regret it.

this game kicks ass but the controller support is sooooo baddddd

I really liked the models upgrade and characterization, comparing to the last 2 games (excluding the remaster, as it`s models are clearly very well made). The reaver swithcing system is also a great add-on and the combat is way more fluid compared to the last game (SR2).

One improvement that could have been made is a more "puzzle-like" environment in it's design, as seen in SR1. I think that could've added a little more complexity and mistry to the game. The reaver puzzles are very repetitive and have less identity, compared to the previous titles, and could really be improved.
Although all theses aspects, it's being great experience to go through all the 3 games.

This game needs to be remastered asap!

Want to know how s**t plays?

Here you go....this game will show you.

A lot of thumbs up reviews are talking about how awesome the LoK universe is to justify the crap gameplay. It could be Shakespeare, but if it is unplayable...the game still sucks. Bad camera angles, horrible jumping....

I don't know how I got through this on X-Box way back in the day if it was like this.

Cool atmosphere + s**tty gameplay = s**tty game. And that my readers, is the demise of Nosgoth.

man, CD actually made an effort to create the most unplayable game for life hahah
you will never be able to see the front of any direction you are walking, then there are some jumps that the camera position will just ruin

Idk how I was able to play this like 10 years ago or more, but either way, LOK lore is just awesome

I'm only tolerating it because of the lore tbh, otherwise I wouldn't be playing it hah

Don't get this game if you are not a fan of LOK or get desperate with old mechanics

<3 Silicon Knights / Denis Dyack - Amy Hennig / Crystal Dynamics <3

while the game itself is amazing, this game is absolutely MEANT to be played on controller and as it has very very very very very very poor controller support it makes it an absolute nightmare to play. the game does a have a game pad and keyboard option but it takes a bit of remapping to get to work well and the for some reason the diagonal stick inputs makes you sneak but id rather deal with that than playing with just key board. i couldn't get the enable steam controller thing to work so.

Should have gotten a sequel.

awesome

i don't actually recommend, only because you cannot use controller unless you emulate i believe. platforming is impossible on keyboard and mouse due to fast movements. other than that, i legit only bought this game for a singular song within a level.

Unplayable. The keyboard set is abysmal and the controler support dose not work. You can’t even set your own keys as it won’t reconsider the buttons on the controller. It’s a shame.

Much like Blood Omen 2 and Soul Reaver 2, this game is prone to crashing randomly.
However that doesn't stop this from being an excellent game and a story worth seeing through to the end.

Although I love the game series and the story, Defiance is NOT a good game gameplay-wise, and I actually cannot recommend it. I wanted to give it a thumbs down, but it has so many great moments that I cannot do so.

On the plus side:
+ great story, especially if you know the predecessors
+ great music (although most is reused from the predecessors)
+ great graphics
+ The fighting system is fast-paced and fun. Interactions with the environment. Stuff breaks in battle or you can set enemies on fire or throw into the abyss.
+ Some bosses have creative and unique fighting patterns.

On the downside:
- The camera is artistic and makes it look like a movie but it is a struggle to play with it. In jump sequences the camera often makes you jump astray or even switch angles in crucial moments. You have no overview over the room. Sometimes you don't see ill-positioned enemies or fight behind a wall.
- The puzzles are easy, not to say dull. Mostly they are just find-the-key style puzzles.
- Timed puzzles in combination with weird camera angles are a pain.
- The same enemy types attack you over and over, usually with no way to skip them.
- The game feels overly long and repetive with the same reavers you already got in the previous games, getting new elements just to get another element that you need as a key to move on with the story.
- You have to run through the very same environments over and over.

So if you consider playing it, know what you are getting yourself into: A lot of frustrating moments that pay back with great animatic scenes if you struggle through them.

This review is very biased since I played this game when I was around 6 years old and to me this is an utterly exceptional game, so beware.

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ASTONISHING STORY, UNPARALLELED GAMEPLAY, EDUCATIONAL GRAPHICS!

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Why Astonishing Story you may ask?

The story builds upon Blood Omen 1, Kiiiiinda but not really Blood Omen 2;
And more recently and most importantly, Soul Reaver 1 & Soul Reaver 2.
Only these latter ones are more recommended to udnerstand the main storyline, the rest can be pieced together.

The story deals with Time paradoxes & timetravel, Enigmatic mysteries within a complex fictional world, Ethical & Philosophical dilemmas, and a Dramatically culminating Finale!

These pair exceptionally with the phenomenal soundtrack, the, at times, eerie atmosphere, and most impactfully, the sublime voice acting & eloquent speech utilised.

Truly a Masterpiece which shan't soon leave my heart.

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Why Unparalleled Gameplay you may ask?

This is a unique combination of
"Damn, for the time when this was made, this is amazing!"
"The buttons are easy to pick up, and combos are not too difficult to make straight away!"
"Hmm, not needing the mouse is actually kinda liberating!"
And
" DAMN THIS BLOODY CAMERA WON'T LET ME SEE THE COLLECTABLES?"
"WHY WON'T YOU FRICKIN SELECT THE ENEMY THAT BLOODY WELL ATTACKS ME??"
"THESE WRETCHED FISH THINGS ARE DARNED IMMORTAL!"

Truly, the ups & downs of a veritable adventure! Comparable only to a ride between the Fires of Hell when you feel like you can't beat any living thing (later in the game) , a Migrane-inducing Mocking Maze when you are hopelessly lost in Vorador's Mansion , and a Telenovela's Tear-Draining Drama if you don't expect the ending and was as invested as I was at 6 years old.
...an unforgettable experience! :D

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And Why the Educational Graphics you may ask?

Because though the graphics are trend-setters for their time, in reality some Fortnite kids may feel offended when seeing the pixelation of the past efforts and tribulations.
At least, however, like my teachers said that books stimulate imagination because you aren't spoon-fed graphics into the eye bulbs, so I shall too use this argument in favour of lesser-dense resolutions in videogames :)

[hr][/hr]

I hope you will enjoy the game almost as much as I did, and wish you may not lose yourself on the journey!
Take care :))

Best video game story there is

good game, camera sucks due to fixed camera angles but i enjoy the action hack and slash of dmc to push through it and its story is still pretty good if you've been keeping up with LOK.

10 points out of 10, a game from childhood. Combined with the new remastered versions of the first two, you can complete the full story (about Raziel and Kain), remember and rethink this story once again. It's a great game and there aren't many like it these days. However, it's a pity that the gameplay can be a bit archaic.

One of the best single player games of all time. With the new remaster of SR1 I hope the entire LoK series get's the same modern exposure.

amazing

One of my favorite games as a kid was Legacy of Kain. Recently I started replaying old games because I wanted no drama and all in all fun experience. Did not disappoint. 10 out of 10 in every aspect. I personally don't mind old graphics. I care more about the story and gameplay. No problem with "annoying camera" here, its as I remember it.

Amy Hennig where you at?

Please come back and finish the story, my god its a beautiful story.

I started my legacy of Kain journey only recently, though i had played a little of SR2 when i was younger, playing them all back to back...i don't think i've played such well crafted and beautiful story that's touched my heart in such a short time...

My favourite game series is the Prince of Persia series and honestly the Legacy of Kain series has become one of my favourites of all time.

The voice acting
The story
The emotion..

i loved every bit of my journey and i implore you all to please pick up these games up and play them yourself.

Incredible story 10/10

Goog

Story is the only good thing about this game, horrible combat, horrible camera, and horrible platformings, it's a shit game with a good story.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance is a great game, but the camera makes it a chore to play. It will randomly jerk, making me lose focus of my character. For a game from 2003, despite the technological limitations back then. I can name numerous games with far better controls. My word of advice is to get the game on a discount just for the story if you are a fan of Legacy of Kain series; otherwise, the controls and gameplay mechanics leave a lot to be desired.

Horrible camera gameplay, incredible story.

In my eyes Defiance is the best the Legacy Of Kain series has to offer, rather than being the titular action adventure the Soul reaver games were known for , Defiance adapted a Character Action with platforming on the side format and while the Puzzles from Soul Reaver 1 and the almost mosiac level design is missed the improvement in combat more than makes up for it for not having them although the combo is pretty finnicky and combo almost alway never work as you expect because its very similar to fighting games . Combine that with the Story that Concludes Raziel's Journey and you got a Second look diamond which never got the recognition it deserved.Highly Recommended ! especially if you have completed Soul Reaver 2 , if the combat controls could be tightened you'd have best possible version of this game here is to hope that Aspyr is working on just that when that Defiance Remaster comes out

Note: if you're playing with a controller which you should be , go to settings set the controls to Gamepad + keyboard and set Secondary Stick to Z-RX and set gamepad type to Analog.

I paid 80 cents for this game and I feel I was ripped off, the camera makes it almost unplayable, if I knew the camera would be this bad I'd have downloaded it on piratebay
The story is good but the playability is pure garbage, let's hope they remaster this game, the remasters are worth the money because they are great to play, in here you have to wait for the camera to catch up or to attempt a course of action 20x because the camera will screw with your commands

a true classic that i hope one day would get a remake

Now would be the perfect time to get some STEAMDECK support for this game since the remasters are doing so well of the previous games.

Replaying this game now in 2024 has been a sobering experience.

EDIT: I pushed passed the issues mentioned in the review and actually finished my replay. I still hold firm to the serious issues with the auto-camera, and way too much combat. But that aside, if you can endure the issues, the game is as great as I remembered it. Not an ideal ending to the series, since it's not a proper ending, but probably as best as we can get considering the situation that we might never get any other game.

Now, back to the actual review.

While the story/dialogue and writing is decent in Defiance, and the reveals to the plot significant, it's not really to the level of Soul Reaver 2; which I'm now convinced it thoroughly surpasses this one.

But what drags this game considerably is the gameplay. They got rid of the amazing puzzles from Soul Reaver 1 and 2, which I admit were decently challenging, and I assume company leadership decided that's a no-go for the audience of 2003, when this came out? So they wanted to streamline and make the game accessible to the most mainstream audience.

Which I can appreciate, since I'd love for this series to have garnered a bigger audience since it deserved it. The only issue is they replaced all of the decent puzzles with just a few of the most superficial ones; and a lot of combat. And I mean a lot. It's constant, unrelenting how much shit they throw at you; it almost feels it's just to keep you busy and prolong the game length.

While the combat is again more streamlined and feels better for the first hour of gameplay it quickly devolves into the same repetitive pattern and you really get tired of it. It might be flashier and feels better than in SR1/2, but the amount of it more than negates that little improvement.

They also made various other changes to the base game that are just annoying. No longer do you simply phase into the spectral real upon dying in the physical one. No, you suffer a reload and it moves you back to the last checkpoint. This might be due to some technical limitation, but they had no issue like this in SR1/2. It's just an annoying change, that it feels like was made at some point and they didn't bother improving it.

They also effectively killed almost any exploration the previous games had. SR2 did a bit of funneling of the player, but this is just ridiculous. The auto-camera almost takes you by the throat and shows you where you need to go.

But the most absolutely harebrained excruciating of a change they introduced in Defiance is the awful auto-camera that constantly reorients itself according to where you are on screen. Absolutely dreadful implementation. It wasn't ideal in the original Soul Reaver 1, and the remastered version got rid of it. They didn't do it in Soul Reaver 2, and that was amazing. Hands down the version implementation in the series. But here in Defiance they brought it back in the most awful way possible.

I find it hard to describe how awful to the experience the auto-camera is, but I will attempt to with a few examples. And these are quite constant, in the most annoying of places. They affect both combat and puzzles/platforming. While it is mildly annoying in combat, since you sometimes lose orientation, target the wrong enemy, and this further exacerbates the stun-locking nature of some of the attacks they do; it is nowhere close to how this impacts platforming especially.

The game every so often requires you to jump onto platforms, grab ledges, not fall off platforms, etc. And the camera orientation often either changes mid movement or is positioned in such a way that you cannot judge distance properly, cannot jump off at the last moment you need to in order to be able to grab some ledge. Absolutely infuriating of a shitty camera system. I remember being very annoying even back in 2003, but at this point it has killed my current run of it, since I didn't want to wait for a potential remastered version, like we received for SR1/2.

But in this state I cannot fathom grinding through endless repetitive shitty combat encounters, to then be jerked around with platforming annoyances, only to get at the good story. I can just watch a youtube playthrough or just the cinematic parts for that. I did not expect my run to end during Chapter 5, but I won't do this to myself.

I'll hopefully retry with a remastered version, if they will ever get to it. Otherwise I'm out. Soul Reaver 1 and 2 were masterful, fun and challenging in the right ways. This is not. I hope that if they do tackle a remaster they do something about the amount of combat. And about the auto-camera. I still cannot believe this shipped with that shitty of an implementation.

Score just based on story: 9/10.
overall score: 7/10, due to the grindy endless combat and the awful auto-camera that screws with you both in combat and especially in platforming. And also the loss of any solid exploration the previous games had.

[LAGACY OF KAIN DEFIANCE] was a good game i just don,t like the ending they kill off Raziel why didn,t they just
kill off kain to if was going to do this they should of kill both off would have made more sense wouldn,t been
bad if they would ever remake another one some day in are life time to continue defiance and resurrect raziel from the blade for unfinished business they did leave the end with questions Janos Audron was possessed by the Hilton and after fight with Raziel he got away. and other thing people probably don,t like is all the backtracking which you had to do the graphics the abilities got to play as the soul reaver and vampire all were good.

Right of the bat I'll say it is a very frustrating game, not in difficulty but in control.
the camera is ALL over the place where walking down a path can send you walking sideways off a bridge if you are not quick to adjust to the change, the game however does give you a buffer where pressing forward continues you walking in the direction you wanted but will easily shift you, Also there are moments where the camera will rotate causing what would be a horizontal jump to actually require a jump holding straight forward which would be towards the curved wall but as you do it curves, Causing moments where controlling the character are very unintuitive. Otherwise I'm playing for the amazing story that goes with it, and the combat is kinda good for an old title.

[H3]I also played it on PlayStation 1.

The port hold up pretty well. It's still worth buying today.

If this ever gets remastered, please improve the camera. I don't care if you don't touch a single art asset, just fix the camera.

It is a great game story wise, the conclusion of the legacy of kain saga, tho it is very hard to recommend in this state.
You will need at the very least to get a texture pack (aka modding) and become frustrated by trying to make a joypad work like it should, also the camera is a literal pain in the ass...
Still worth playing if you have the patience otherwise the steam release is not the best, especially if you think about modding it to make it somewhat more enjoyable.

It is also a real JOKE that the game is only available in english despite the original release being multi-language

I hope Aspyr is watching and is going to remaster this game

cool