Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain

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Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Single-player

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain is an

BMG Interactive. It was released for the PlayStation in 1996. A Microsoft Windows port was developed by Semi Logic Entertainments and released jointly by Crystal Dynamics and Activision in 1997, which was rereleased digitally via GOG.com in 2021. The game is the first title in the Legacy of Kain
series.

In Blood Omen, the player follows

Circle of Nine
, a corrupt oligarchy of godlike sorcerers, but slowly begins to forsake humanity and view his transformation as a blessing.

Silicon Knights designed Blood Omen as "a game which adults would want to play", intending to evolve the action role-playing genre and bring artistic cinema to video game consoles. Reviewers praised its scope and storytelling, but criticized its lengthy loading times. After its release, a dispute arose concerning ownership of its intellectual property rights, after which Crystal Dynamics retained permission to continue the series with their 1999 sequel, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.

Gameplay

magic energy
.

Blood Omen is a

mutants yield green blood which poisons Kain, causing his health to deplete at a swifter rate.[6]

Over the course of the main quest, Kain acquires many items and abilities, which facilitate increasingly

non-player characters. There are 100 secrets present in the game, logged if the player uncovers hidden areas, switches, and dungeons; these encompass spirit forges, at which Kain may donate a significant portion of his blood in exchange for powerful battle artifacts. A day and night cycle passes progressively - at night, Kain's attacks become more potent, and during full moon phases, some sealed doors become accessible.[6]

Plot

Setting

Main article: Legacy of Kain

There is a Magical operation of maximum importance; the Initiation of a New Aeon. When it becomes necessary to utter a Word, the whole Planet must be bathed in blood...

— Blood Omen epigraph[Note 1]

Blood Omen introduces the land of Nosgoth, a

Malek, the Sarafan leader. Though the Sarafan disband, vampires continue to be persecuted.[11][12][13]

In the intervening years, new guardians have been summoned, Nosgoth's surviving vampires have retreated into hiding, and humanity has separated into two opposing factions: the kingdom of Willendorf, inspired by

Nupraptor the Mentalist turns his powers against his fellow Circle members, tainting the incumbent guardians with irrevocable madness and leaving the Pillars corrupt.[8][15] To restore balance to Nosgoth, Kain must overcome the Legions and kill the insane sorcerers; as each Circle member is purged and their token returned, their respective Pillar is cleansed, and when he heals all nine Pillars, replacement guardians can be born.[8][16]

Characters

Main article:
List of Legacy of Kain characters

Kain (voiced by

The Dark Entity (Jay), an otherworldly being capable of demonic possession who is the overall mastermind behind events, and a primary antagonist and final boss of Blood Omen, seeking to topple the Circle and the Pillars and establish its reign in Nosgoth.[2][8][19]

Story

During a journey, the human nobleman Kain is ambushed and killed by a band of assassins.[16] Mortanius offers him the chance to exact revenge; Kain assents, heedless of the cost, and awakes as a vampire.[20] Once he kills his attackers, Mortanius tells him that, while they were the instruments of his death, they were not the ultimate cause. In search of the truth, and a cure to his vampiric curse, Kain travels to the Pillars of Nosgoth.[21] There, Ariel explains that he has to destroy the Circle of Nine before he can realize peace.[22] Kain begins by tracking down and killing Nupraptor, and then confronts Malek, but their duel ends in a stalemate. To defeat Malek, Kain solicits the advice of the Oracle of Nosgoth.[23][24] The Oracle forewarns him of the Legions of the Nemesis, and instructs him to seek out Vorador, Malek's old adversary.[16] When the two meet, Vorador welcomes Kain, and offers his assistance, but urges the fledgling to embrace vampirism and refrain from interfering in the affairs of mankind.[12]

Haunted by the elder vampire, who serves as an example of what he will become if he fails to find a cure, Kain persists, and, in a decisive showdown, Vorador vanquishes Malek while Kain kills

Azimuth the Planer and recovers a time-streaming device, Ariel informs Kain that he must instead prioritize the war against The Nemesis, whose armies threaten to conquer Willendorf.[14][26] Kain convinces King Ottmar to rally his troops against the Legions in a final stand, but the battle proves disastrous. Ottmar perishes, the Willendorf forces are overwhelmed, and Kain, cornered, uses the time-streaming device to escape.[27][28] He emerges 50 years in the past, and kills the younger version of The Nemesis from this era—the beloved King William the Just—to trigger a temporal paradox which expunges the Legions from the timestream.[16][29][30] However, when Kain returns to the present day, he discovers that William's murder has sparked a renewed vampire purge.[31]

The Oracle of Nosgoth—revealed to be Moebius the Time Streamer, a member of the Circle—leads the genocidal crusade, and, having masterminded Kain's actions from the outset, consummates his trap by executing Vorador. Kain kills Moebius, but is left the last of his kind.

Anarcrothe the Alchemist, who reveals that Mortanius is a guardian, and culpable for both Ariel and Kain's deaths.[34] Seduced by The Dark Entity, Mortanius was unwillingly controlled and forced to kill Ariel. To correct the imbalance, he created Kain, a creature potent enough to destroy the Circle.[8][19] Mortanius slays Anarcrothe, and then succumbs to possession from The Dark Entity (the latter one's actions being the reason behind everything that happened in Nosgoth) whom Kain defeats.[16] With only one Pillar left unrestored, Kain reaches an epiphany: he himself is the final insane Circle member, Ariel's unwitting successor as guardian of balance, culled in the brief interval between her death and the Pillars' corruption. The "cure" to vampirism which he sought is his own death.[18][35][36]

Players can choose whether to heal the world (an ending in which Kain sacrifices his life, ensuring the extinction of the vampires and restoration of Nosgoth) or damn the world, in which case the Pillars collapse, leaving Nosgoth an irredeemable wasteland, with Kain fully embracing his curse and living on as the most powerful entity in the land.[16][33] The latter choice is treated as the canon ending by the sequel, Soul Reaver.[37]

Development

Actor Simon Templeman delivered his first performance as the character of Kain.

Blood Omen originated as The Pillars of Nosgoth, a game proposal drafted circa 1993 by Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack and art director and writer Ken McCulloch.[3][4][17][38][39] In 1993, while Silicon Knights completed work on Dark Legions, Dyack met Crystal Dynamics producer Lyle Hall at a conference, and they shared their mutual ambition to build "epic" games with bigger budgets and higher expectations than the then-current industry standard.[4] Several publishers were sent The Pillars of Nosgoth, the science fiction concept Too Human, and a third competing Silicon Knights pitch. Too Human was almost pursued, but Crystal Dynamics—who felt that the high fantasy genre was a preferable choice—made a deal with Silicon Knights to produce The Pillars of Nosgoth.[4][17][40] Design work continued, with Amy Hennig at the helm as design manager, for approximately six to eight months before both parties reached agreement on the most suitable video game console to publish for. Hall, who had been "instantly taken" by the project, thought that "it was obvious this game deserved a [Legend of] Zelda-style take on a vampire action RPG", and assisted Dyack in convincing Crystal Dynamics to choose the newly announced PlayStation over the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and Sega Saturn.[3][4][41][42][43] Dyack and Hall believed that Blood Omen could help to evolve the action role-playing genre through strong writing and artistic, cinematic flair—Dyack summarized it as a game which adults would want to play.[4][17]

Central influences included

historical novel The Pillars of the Earth served as the inspiration behind the Pillars of Nosgoth.[3] The Soul Reaver sword, which was originally conceived as a weapon for Too Human, was transferred to Blood Omen's fictional universe, and would become a mainstay weapon in subsequent games in the Legacy of Kain series.[40][47]

The developers undertook a talent search for the game's voice cast, listening to dozens of tapes submitted by Hollywood voice actors.[48] Before the game's voice-over was recorded, Dyack expressed concern that the actors cast would be unable to convey McCulloch's complex dialogue. He later said, however, that their performances "blew him away", commenting that "after five minutes with Simon Templeman [...] we knew that there was no problem".[3]

Blood Omen's extended 3.5-year development period obliged Silicon Knights to double staff levels, and Crystal Dynamics flew employees to

trade fairs, Blood Omen was released for the PlayStation in November 1996.[4][17][50][51]

Activision and Crystal Dynamics published a Microsoft Windows port, developed by Semi Logic Entertainments, in 1997.[52] Work on a Saturn version was also commenced by Silicon Knights after the initial release. Employees at Crystal Dynamics, including Steve Groll, stated that the Saturn version was completed but that they could not find a publisher willing to release it.[53] The Silicon Knights website insisted that this "was simply not true" and that the Saturn version was never finished.[19]

Reception

Blood Omen was named the best game showcased at the inaugural E3 fair by DieHard GameFan in 1995.[17] A 2011 court filing revealed that it sold at least 320,082 units historically; Silicon Knights claimed it had sold 2 million copies in its lifetime, but did not substantiate this figure.[67] Crystal Dynamics viewed its commercial performance as "immensely successful", and remarkable for the time.[4][5]

Review aggregator site

1UP.com's staff lauded the game in their synopsis, saying it offered "the best plot of any PlayStation game to date". They acknowledged its "moody" graphics and sound design, describing its art as "beautifully rendered", and its music as "genius".[55]

GameSpot's

Game Revolution regarded the plot as intelligent and thoughtful, and commented on the game being "surprisingly amoral".[59] Hugh Falk of PC Gamer echoed a complaint raised by both Gerstmann and Electronic Gaming Monthly that the graphics are excessively dark, and was disappointed in the artificial intelligence, but dismissed these as "minor" grievances with the conclusion that Blood Omen was an excellent entry in the role-playing genre.[66]

The game's cinematics and voice direction were considered exceptional by many publications, particularly relative to other titles of the day.[55][58][59][60][61][63][66][64][68] 1UP.com's writers referred to the cast as "actual talent" comparative to other actors in the medium.[55] Some reviewers, though, described the PlayStation iteration's loading times as particularly exorbitant and unsatisfactory. Next Generation and GamePro both decried these as "noticeable and at times intrusive", while IGN rebuked them as "agonizing", but said that they are common to disc-based games, and reasonably unobtrusive in Blood Omen.[63][64][68] Dyack rationalized the slowdown as a consequence of the PlayStation's random-access memory constraints on video data.[3] Baldric noted in his review that the Windows port alleviated, but did not fully amend, the issue.[59]

Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, and held it to be inferior to the PlayStation version, noting that the hi-res mode runs at a choppy frame rate on all but the most high-end PC hardware and arguing that the game is better played with a joypad than with a keyboard or joystick.[65]

Electronic Gaming Monthly named Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Role-Playing Game of the Year, explaining that, "This was a close race with Suikoden, but the dark and violent nature of Kain won. ... The excellent voice work, as well as the foreboding and violent cinemas, produced the perfect mood."[69]

Sequel

By the time Blood Omen was released, Crystal Dynamics had already secured a deal with Activision to publish a sequel.[70] Blood Omen did receive a sequel, but its production was impeded by a litigious battle between the game's stakeholders and developer.[39][71] In an interview conducted shortly after the PlayStation release, Dyack contemplated the possibility of creating a prequel centered around the character of Vorador - referring to it as part of the "Blood Omen series" - but mentioned that it was "extremely unlikely" that Silicon Knights would work with Crystal Dynamics again.[3] Subsequently, the relationship between both parties dissolved, and Crystal Dynamics - who had withdrawn from software publishing to focus exclusively on game development - announced their own follow-up in the form of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. In 1997, GameSpot divulged that Silicon Knights had filed a lawsuit against their former partner for ownership of the series, requesting an injunction to prevent Crystal Dynamics from publicizing Soul Reaver. Silicon Knights, they reported, accused Crystal Dynamics of plagiarizing their concept for a sequel.[39][72]

The dispute was settled in private, with Crystal Dynamics retaining the rights to the game, and permission to create derivative work using its characters, provided they credit Silicon Knights as the developer of Blood Omen in their sequel.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem.[5][76][77]

In 2012, NeoGAF member Mama Robotnik highlighted public records of the 1997 court case.[78][79] During the proceedings, Silicon Knights stated that they had ceded the Blood Omen intellectual property to Crystal Dynamics under "financial duress". Among other assertions, they claimed that Crystal Dynamics had breached an agreement in late 1996 by selling certain publishing rights to the game—and any potential sequels—to Activision for $2,000,000.[71] Silicon Knights alleged that Crystal Dynamics had failed to inform them of their intention to leave the publishing business, and had misrepresented themselves to Activision as Blood Omen's developer. The documents revealed that Activision commissioned Crystal Dynamics to develop a project codenamed "Kain II", but—dissatisfied with its quality—contracted Silicon Knights to create a competing proposal. Supposedly, Crystal Dynamics then disparaged Silicon Knights to Activision, while directly, and indirectly, approaching some of its staff to join them in working on their prototype.[71][78][79]

When the case was resolved, control of the Legacy of Kain trademark belonged to Crystal Dynamics, and Kain II was either canceled or superseded when Shifter became Soul Reaver.[39][79] Though Crystal Dynamics staff who worked on Soul Reaver declined to comment on the discovery, Dyack had previously affirmed that "[they] tried to take it over".[76][79][80] He said that "many people ask us if we like the direction they have gone in but it is so alien to what we created it is pointless to answer now. We understand that some people love the Soul Reaver series and we think that is great. However, it is not what we would ever have done".[76] In a 2008 interview, he elaborated his sentiment that "if you look at Legacy of Kain where it is right now -- so diluted, so dysfunctional -- as a property itself, it's pretty much gone in a completely different direction than we would have ever taken it. [...] Even if the developer's good, and I think Crystal Dynamics is not a bad developer, you get this dilution of the content, because the original author is gone".[47]

In January 2020, Denis Dyack announced a spiritual successor to Legacy of Kain called Deadhaus Sonata,[81] which is a free-to-play cooperative action role-playing video game.

Notes

  1. Magick in Theory and Practice, 1911, pages 96–97.[7]

References

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  9. ^ Kain: Nupraptor, with his blind act of vengeance, threatened to destroy all of Nosgoth. Each Circle member was bonded to the Pillar he served. The Pillars reflected the mental state of their servants, and as the minds of the Circle degenerated and descended farther into dementia, the Pillars crumbled. To restore them, each member of the Circle had to die, and the artifact that served as their link to the Pillar had to be returned. Only when all the Pillars were restored, did Ariel claim my curse would end. And so my hunt for Nupraptor began. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  10. ^ Kain: The book spoke of the birth of the Circle. The Circle served the Pillars, protectorates to the strange power that gives life to our land. At the unlikely death of a member, the Circle remains broken for a time, until the Pillars can call a worthy successor. I came upon another book of interest buried deep amongst the library's tomes. It spoke of a small cult that existed in Nosgoth, ages past. Wherever they traveled strange tales of human possession would follow. Little is known of the god they worshiped. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  11. ^ Kain: Hidden amidst the many obscure artifacts in that museum, I discovered an ancient chronicle. This passage caught my eye: "It was during these dark times infested with the plague of the undead, that the Circle brought the Sarafan to existence. Trained to be devoutly loyal to the Circle, and the perfect exterminators of the undead scourge, they were led to many victories by the righteous paladin, Malek. They cleansed the vampires with fire, and released their souls to more blessed realms. There is no wrath as terrible as that of the righteous." I had read enough. At once disgusted and intrigued, I placed the book back down in that museum. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  12. ^ a b c Vorador: After slaughtering six of the sheep I defeated their pathetic little shepherd – Malek. Since then our kind has not bothered with the cattle, except to feed. And I suggest you do the same. Meddling with the affairs of man can do us no good. Sarafan witchhunts are much too tedious to concern ourselves with. Am I understood Kain? Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
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  14. ^ a b Ariel: The Legions of the Nemesis are on the march from the north, crushing all in their path. 'Twas not too long ago that the Nemesis was known as William the Just, a caring and gentle benefactor of the land. But, as his army grew in strength and he himself grew in power, the veil of tyranny fell and one kingdom was not enough. So many cities, so many dead. Willendorf will be sure to follow. The Nemesis must be stopped or all shall be lost... / Kain: How can one stop an army? / Ariel: You must rally the forces of Willendorf; they are the last Hope of Nosgoth. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  15. ^ Kain: I came upon one of Nupraptor's serving girls, catatonic with fear, choking out half-words through bloodied, broken teeth. Although tempted by hunger, I stayed my hand, allowing her to tell her story... She spoke of her Lord Nupraptor, driven to insanity by the brutal slaying of his beloved Ariel. She spoke of his self-mutilation, sewing his eyes and lips shut to deny the outside world. Fueled by despair and hopelessness, he turned his magic on the Circle, infecting their minds with his madness. Nupraptor cared for nothing now, save his pathetic self-pity. Scars such as hers would never heal. Death would only be a mercy. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
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  20. ^ Kain: Vae victis–suffering to the conquered. Ironic that now I was the one suffering. Not anything as pedestrian as physical pain. Rather the cruel jab of impotent anger–the hunger for revenge. I didn't care if I was in Heaven or Hell–all I wanted was to kill my assassins. Sometimes you get what you wish for. The Necromancer Mortanius offered me a chance for vengeance. And like a fool, I jumped at his offer without considering the cost. Nothing is free. Not even revenge. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  21. ^ Mortanius: 'Tis not over, Kain. These fools were merely the instruments of your murder, not the cause. Look to their masters. Look to the Pillars and gain way to the Fortress of the Mind... Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  22. ^ Ariel: There is no cure for death. Only release. You must destroy the sorcery that is now poisoning Nosgoth. Only then will you realize peace. The Nine of the Protectors of Hope were sworn to use their powers to preserve our world. Now these pillars have been corrupted by a traitor. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  23. ^ Kain: Nupraptor was but the genesis–forever tainted by his madness, the Circle was beyond redemption. For them absolution lay only in death. In me, they would find their deliverance. But first I had to defeat their shepherd–Malek, defender of the Nine, lay in a keep far to the north, past Vasserbünde. It was time for me to test the wrath of the Pillar of Conflict. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  24. ^ Ariel: Ah, the lord returns empty-handed. Does the Sarafan elude you? Very well, go east of Malek's Bastion. The Oracle shall give you aid. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  25. ^ Kain: My visit with Vorador only strengthened my resolve. His power uncontested by mortals, he had fallen to another enemy. Decadence has claimed itself many a great warrior. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  26. ^ Ariel: Well done. You have found Moebius's toy. Azimuth, not content with summoning demonic thrall, stole the Time Streaming Device in order to gather creatures from other ages as well. Take care of the device, Kain. It will deliver you in time. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  27. ^ Kain: I entered the Court with the Dollmaker's head in one hand, and the doll containing the girl's soul in the other. I placed them both before the King and watched his eyes catch fire. With the doll in their possession, the Court's sorcerers could restore his daughter's soul. / Ottmar: I do not know that I can thank you enough, warrior. My kingdom is but a small price to pay for my daughter's life. Willendorf is yours, if you wish it! / Kain: 'Tis not your kingdom I desire, but your army, Ottmar. I require troops to vanquish the Horde that descends upon us from the North. / Ottmar: Very well. Courtiers, fetch me my armor and mace. There is war to be waged! Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  28. ^ Ottmar: The Nemesis and his Horde fall upon us, my friend. I fear I can defend Nosgoth no longer. The Nemesis must be destroyed. For my daughter, Kain; for the world... / Kain: The tide turned with Ottmar's death. I watched as the remaining survivors of the Armies of Hope fled to the safety of the forest. The battle had decided its victor; the fate of Nosgoth now lay in the Nemesis' hands. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  29. ^ Kain: Ah, so it seemed I was in the land of William the Just, fifty years before the battle I had just escaped would take place. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  30. ^ Kain: The stronghold of William the Just. 'Twas time for me to pay a visit to he who would become the Nemesis and force Nosgoth on its knees. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  31. ^ Kain: 'Twould seem the folly fell upon my own shoulders. With their sainted King William dead by my hand, the people of the land were consumed by a hunger all their own–for vampire blood. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  32. ^ Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics. I had been betrayed. In my haste, I had not realized it before. That sigil on his forehead. The Oracle of Nosgoth was in fact the Time Streamer Moebius. And I had followed his advice! How much of my quest was of his design? Willendorf? The Battle of the Last Stand? William the Just? Was this the trap he had fashioned for me?
  33. ^ a b Crystal Dynamics (October 31, 2001). Soul Reaver 2 (PlayStation 2). Eidos Interactive. Thirty years hence, I am presented with a dilemma – let's call it a two-sided coin. If the coin falls one way, I sacrifice myself and thus restore the Pillars. But as the last surviving vampire in Nosgoth, this would mean the annihilation of our species. Moebius made sure of that. If the coin lands on the reverse, I refuse the sacrifice and thus doom the Pillars to an eternity of collapse.
  34. ^ Anarcrothe: You betrayed us Mortanius! You had Kain killed and turned him into a monster. You set him upon us! / Mortanius: It had to be. Nupraptor's insanity poisoned all of our minds. The Circle had failed in its sworn duties. It had to be destroyed. Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics.
  35. ^ Silicon Knights (November 1, 1996). Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PlayStation). Crystal Dynamics. I am the last Pillar. The only survivor of the Circle of Nine. At my whim the world will be healed or damned.
  36. ^ Crystal Dynamics (October 31, 2001). Soul Reaver 2 (PlayStation 2). Eidos Interactive. As Ariel dies, I am being born to take her place as Balance Guardian. Such is my destiny. ... At the moment of my first cry, Ariel's beloved–the Guardian Nupraptor–finds her corpse. Wracked with grief and tormented by suspicions of treachery, Nupraptor plunges into a madness which overflows and infects all of the Guardians, who are symbiotically bound. Including me. The repercussions of Ariel's assassination were expertly calculated... The entire Circle descends into madness, and I am tainted at the moment of my birth–instantly rendered incapable of fulfilling the role destiny has prepared for me.
  37. ^ Johnny Ballgame (May 1998). "Sneak Previews: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver". GamePro. No. 116. IDG. p. 46. At the end of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, you're given the choice to either sacrifice yourself and bring peace to Nosgoth or become its evil dictator ... Soul Reaver picks up a millennium after Kain's dark decision to rule the world, wherein Kain recruited six souls from the underworld to help build his legion of vampires and wipe out the human race.
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External links

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