The Legacy of Kain series will be returning soon. However, the creators made sure that the first and second Soul Reaver in the updated version offered something more than an improved setting.
Legacy of Kain Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered will be released on December 10 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC. Therefore, developers from Aspyr Media revealed on PlayStation Blog more information about what the new version of the games first released in 1999 and 2001 will offer.
The obvious improvement is to improve the texture quality while retaining the original character. But, in addition, the creators looked at the design of the mattress and improved them.
Melchiah received a full texture overhaul, with darker skin and a smoother body feel. The bones and skeletal representation are now more realistic and sharper, and his eye color has been changed to match his original appearance.
Sometimes developers decided to make more changes than just improving their appearance.
Zephon was too devastating, so we repainted his face.
Rahab‘s head has been rebuilt so that her eyes now glow red, giving her a menacing look. We also changed the fangs to look more vampiric and made the skin color a bit more grey.
Dumah’s armor is now much dirtier and has mold and blood on it (thinking it was damaged for centuries).
Kain’s models in both Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2 had to be completely redesigned to reduce texture issues. Due to the increase in polygon count, we felt it was important to make his appearance much closer to the Cain we saw in the original FMVs, which was much more detailed and showed more or less the original intentions were for the character. The original model in SR1 was particularly limited, so now both games have Kain, which looks consistent between the two titles.
However, apart from the visual aspect, the developers have improved some aspects of the game. That is, they added a map developed in collaboration with artists from Crystal Dynamics and a compass that can be turned off.
In the original versions of the games, players often wandered through the vast, winding landscapes of Nosgoth, relying heavily on memory and environmental cues.
The inclusion of a map and compass represents a thoughtful development that combines modern gameplay features while retaining the exploratory experience that the original titles were famous for. The compass gently guides the player in the right direction without giving away details about where to go or what to do next, and the map is more of a place information in the guide.
We’ve also included a collectibles tracker for each health and energy upgrade, so you know if you’ve earned the collectibles in each area. All of Nosgoth’s key features are present and carefully tweaked based on setting and gameplay.
For fans who may feel that these changes are a big departure from the original games, we’ve made sure to include a feature to turn off the compass.
In addition to its gameplay utility, the map is also a stunning work of art created in collaboration with our team of developers, community advisors, artists and designers at Crystal Dynamics. We knew accuracy was paramount, so we worked hard to draw from original art, design documents, and in-game instructions. We’ve also included community reviews to make sure nothing was missed.
Thanks to these efforts, the map is accurate enough to find in a new bonus table for folklore readers – indicating where each story goes in.
In terms of design direction, the designers at Crystal Dynamics used a full ink approach that blends beautifully with the existing graphics to create a stunning new way to view the world of Nosgoth.
The map and compass are there to serve as welcome tools for exploration, ensuring that the revamped versions remain both an homage to the classics and a modern, more player-friendly experience.
2024-10-22 18:20:00
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