Legacy of Kain: Ascendance Reviews
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance follows the storyline of a brand new character, who has been retroactively insterted into the main canon in a minimalistic and repetitive side-scrolling game. With strong spin-off vibes, it might not be a good indication of the revival of a classic franchise.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance unfortunately falls flat in continuing such a cult classic franchise. While some of the writing and visuals still match the quality of its predecessors, the narrative feels forced, and the gameplay is often deeply frustrating and rife with issues. Overall, if this is indicative of the direction that the Legacy of Kain series could go in, then perhaps the series is better off being forgotten.
Even setting aside the technical limitations and the artistic confusion, it is the narrative shortcomings that deliver the most painful disappointment. While I can appreciate the intention and the effort, this is definitely not the right direction to breathe new life into the saga.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a painful example of how not to revive a legendary series. Phenomenal music, strong voice acting, and a few nostalgic flashes cannot save it from clumsy controls, repetitive 2D platforming, shallow combat, technical issues, and a story that feels painfully disconnected from what once made Nosgoth so special.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance has a heavy legacy on its shoulders but has failed to carry it forward, telling an excellent plot but with less than excellent gameplay.
Review in Italian | Read full review
All things considered, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a repetitive and derivative game in which the few interesting plot and gameplay elements are borrowed from titles that handled them infinitely better. We can’t recommend this title to longtime fans of the series precisely because of the various narrative retcons, but we can suggest it to die-hard fans of platformers or the very first Castlevania games. We had high hopes for this return, and while Ascendance really isn’t what we expected, we still hope to revisit the gloomy realms of Nosgoth sooner or later.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Is this a worthy addition to the Soul Reaver cannon? The retro action platformer design is a strange choice for a game world that inherently screams Metroidvania and the tacked on backstory is one I’m not sure we needed as much as we did a continuation. Don’t get me wrong, as a massive fan of the Soul Reaver franchise I feel like Nosgoth is one of the most underutilised game settings and, as with most fans, I’ve always wanted more games set in this universe. The Soul Reaver games has some of the best writing, music and voice acting in gaming and who wouldn’t want more on that level. And as much as I would love to continue immersing myself in Nosgoths fantastic world, I’m not sure this was the best way in which to have done it.
Bold as a reinterpretation, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance respects the saga’s dark tone and restores its theatrical flair, although its platforming formula ends up feeling too limited.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
This is not how you treat a beloved treasure, and even if another installment of the highest quality were to arrive, it would have a much harder time winning over disappointed fans.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
A lot of this could probably have been forgiven if Ascendance had delivered a stronger story. It wouldn’t magically fix the wildly inconsistent gameplay, but at least it would have given me a reason to come back for a second playthrough and really sink into the narrative. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case, and good voice acting alone isn’t enough to carry a replay for me. This isn’t an interactive story where the narrative is the main attraction, like a Telltale game, nor does it have the storytelling weight of something like The Last of Us. When both the gameplay and the story stumble, all that’s left is the lingering question of why this needed to be a Legacy of Kain game at all.
Legacy of Kain Ascendance successfully brings players back to Nosgoth through its strong narrative focus, atmospheric pixel art and the return of the series’ iconic characters. While its combat and level design lack depth, it remains an enjoyable tribute for longtime fans.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is an excruciating disappointment that won’t satisfy fans or appeal to newcomers. There could be a good game within the prequel setting but what we got isn’t even close to that. Even if you could excuse the confusing story with it’s baffling choice to retcon certain plot points, it still doesn’t make up for the terrible gameplay, horrendous level design and bizarre presentation choices.
Having become a fan of the series relatively recently, I can say that Legacy of Kain: Ascendance disappointed me. I admit it's bold in expanding the franchise's horizons into new genres and further exploring its universe. The soundtrack is very good, imposing and captivating, the voice acting is respectful, and it's good to see Raziel again. However, the game lacks the strength to attract new players based solely on its name and may alienate fans with its poorly developed story, amateurish gameplay, and, frankly, the emptiness of its existence. It's effectively a useless title for the series, and only the most bloodthirsty fans might be interested.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
For players who want to delve a little deeper into the Legacy of Kain universe, this is a great opportunity to explore its lore.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A masterful return for the franchise that honors its dark lore while introducing modern mechanics. It’s the gothic experience fans have been waiting for.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Ascendance brings us back to Nosgoth without reinventing it, but rather by expanding on its legacy—with strengths and limitations that make it as intriguing as it is inaccessible. Legacy of Kain: Ascendance exists in a constant tension between what the series was in its heyday, what it offers now, and what fans expect. It has interesting ideas, memorable moments, and a soundtrack that borders on exceptional, but it also suffers from limitations that affect its overall impact. It’s not the return I was hoping for, nor is it a viable entry point.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a game that frankly doesn’t just tarnish the franchise but outright hurts it. It feels like a cheap cash-in based on a polarizing graphic novel with no love and care for the series it’s representing. Waiting twenty-three years for this to be released feels like a massive slap in the face for fans. There’s only a boring and trite time to be had with this title, where the only good aspects are the soundtrack and the voice acting. The only other accolade I can gift Ascendance is that it has managed to dethrone Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 as the most dislikable title in the franchise. Hopefully, the fanbase can just emulate Raziel and forget this ever happened.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a decent return to Nosgoth that looks great, but it’s bogged down by repetitive levels and a story that talks way too much without saying half as much as the classics. It’s got the grit, but the flat narrative and annoying platforming stop it from being truly legendary.
I can’t wholeheartedly recommend this game to everyone. It simply doesn’t offer enough content to be a worthwhile choice for platformer fans. For fans of Legacy of Kain, however, it may be interesting, especially considering the role assigned to Elaleth. From my perspective, it’s worth checking out if Nosgoth drew you in with its dark atmosphere. In that case, Ascendance might turn out to be an enjoyable diversion for a few hours.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a solid effort that will likely resonate most with hardcore fans and completionists.
Review in Greek | Read full review