Legacy of Kain: Ascendance
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Critic Reviews for Legacy of Kain: Ascendance
I wanted this to be the triumphant return of Kain, Raziel, and the dark, strange world of Nosgoth, but what arrived was something draped in the series’ skin - not an evolution, but an uninspired reinvention.
In many ways, it's a step backwards and makes the franchise's most defining feature feel like a throwaway. It also just feels so bad to play, and if you were even a casual fan of Legacy of Kain back in the day, there's not much here I can really recommend outside of hearing Michael Bell and Simon Templeman again.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a fun addition to the series and offers a nice shift in the wider narrative. The mix of nostalgic and new characters works well and series fans will be excited to finally play as Raziel in vampire form in particular. The combat is solid if a little repetitive, and the weird shifts in visual style are off-putting at times, but this is a good little spinoff that hopefully promises more adventures in Nosgoth to come.
More than twenty years after Defiance, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance proves to be a crushing disappointment. Instead of honoring the saga's complex narrative background, the video game by Bit Bot Media offers a clumsy retcon that feels like an awful fan fiction. In terms of gameplay, we are faced with an uninspired 2D platformer devoid of any real challenge that can be completed in less than three hours, alternating between inconsistent visual styles and an annoying soundtrack. This is definitely not the game we deserved, especially after such a long wait.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a decent new addition to the franchise after 23 years. It tries to breathe life into the franchise, but it makes only a bare minimum attempt. Though the voice work and soundtrack are the standouts here, the action and platforming suffer from bad level design and bad enemy AI. Even the game's story suffers from simple and mediocre writing, something that was once a standout for the franchise.
