Legacy of Kain: Ascendance Reviews
While Legacy of Kain: Ascendance tries to explore shifting visual styles and maintains the series’ focus on narrative, the actual gameplay feels like an afterthought. The stage design is lacklustre, and the combat system is too basic, showing little to no evolution throughout the playthrough. Above all, it is over before you know it.
Repetition, controls that feel a little sloppier than they should, and quite a few bugs prevent this title from ascending terribly high
Beyond the story, the voice acting – which reunites the original Legacy of Kain team – and the localization for our language are highlights of Ascendance. However, the many problems present ended up overshadowing the franchise's return. While playing, I found myself frustratedly thinking: "I expected more," "the series deserved more." The story ends with a hook for a future sequel. Who knows, maybe they'll get it right in a next game?! Just don't make high bets, because you might lose your wings like Raziel.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If this is how Crystal Dynamics envisions the future of the franchise, they’d be better off closing the coffin they’ve opened and burying it deep again, because Legacy of Kain: Ascendance has turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments of 2026. Anyone expecting the latest LoK installment to ride in like a mythical steed is bound to be let down - because Bit Bot Media is essentially trying to sell the same bloated, long-dead horse all over again in the hope of turning a profit.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
What could have been a grand return for a franchise that has been waiting for a new installment for over two decades turns out to be a mediocre letdown.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
For some, it’s business as usual; others, a massive missed opportunity to resurrect a much-loved franchise into the current generation. In that regard, I am privileged in the sense that at least my disappointment only lasted a weekend. “Vae victis” to all who purchased this game hoping for the best. You deserve better, Kain raisers.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a soulless game, afraid to take risks. Its gameplay is extremely simplistic, even compared to other games in a series that's over 20 years old, and it forgets what made it great: its compelling narrative.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
All in all, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a poor attempt to inject energy into a long-forgotten franchise.
There’s very little to redeem Legacy of Kain: Ascendance other than the fact that it’s short.
What little fun Legacy of Kain: Ascendance does offer, is quickly replaced by the feeling of boredom. With a distinct lack of replayability, forgettable boss fights, and poor level design, fans of the series will indeed wonder what has happened to the series, and its usual pedigree of strong character development through storytelling. Sadly, what Ascendance does well, is overshadowed by its painfully short runtime, and mediocre enemy designs.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance arrives at a delicate moment for the franchise. After years of silence broken by the positive reception of the remasters, fans expected a high-quality return worthy of the series — but what they received was a title that seems to underestimate the very legacy it carries in its name.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While some art assets are fine, with some decent music, I struggle to really find anything good about the whole package. The story is miserable, with extended dialogue sessions that, while voiced, are simply not entertaining. However, the biggest issue is the bland gameplay that does nothing to even stand out, providing combat and platforming that are dated, even by NES standards. The Dead Shall Rise was a hollow attempt at revisiting the lore, and Ascendance simply echoes that same attempt, offering a story that fans of the series simply didn’t take to.
The Legacy of Kain: Ascendance shows that the franchise can still challenge and please fans after all these years. It is both a trip down memory lane and a modern action experience, thanks to the vision of FreakZone Games and the help of Crystal Dynamics.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance tries to revive one of the most revered game series, but does so through controversial narrative choices, bare‑bones mechanics, and a runtime that barely justifies the game’s existence.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
We've thought about it, but Ascendance doesn't even manage to earn a 6, in our opinion. The developers' love for the Legacy of Kain saga is evident in the lore and the narrative structure. Everything else, however, is truly lacking. Ascendance is a very weak game, never fun or entertaining; it's playable from start to finish, but don't expect this to be the game that will resurrect Raziel from his eternal slumber.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a game that is hard to fully recommend, even to the most hardcore devotees. It is obvious that the developers have a lot of love for the franchise, and those fleeting moments where the lore lines up and the gameplay comes together do feel good. But it’s buried under clunky platforming and repetitive combat that aren’t so easy to forgive when similar titles in the genre are shining right now. It is not the triumphant return to form we have been waiting decades for, but rather a wobbly, albeit nostalgic, stepping stone. Hopefully, it shows the powers that be that there is still an audience hungry for Nosgoth, but this specific outing just misses the mark.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance may not be the triumphant return that long-time fans have hoped for, but it is a confident step toward bringing the series back into the spotlight. Its moody pixel art, stellar voice performances, and thunderous industrial-orchestral soundtrack capture the gothic soul of Nosgoth remarkably well, even in a new 2D form. While the straightforward combat and brief runtime keep it from reaching the heights of the series’ best entries, the game still delivers an entertaining slice of dark fantasy that respects the lore and legacy that came before it.
Unfortunately, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance fails to impress on a gameplay level. The controls feel too imprecise for a platformer, and the combat is rather dull. On the other hand, the writing and dialogue stand out—they fit perfectly within the series and are excellently delivered by the familiar voice actors. The soundtrack also deserves praise, but it is often far too intense in the wrong moments, undermining rather than enhancing the atmosphere. All in all, this trip to Nosgoth is only recommended for hardcore fans who are eager to pick up a few extra pieces of lore.
Review in German | Read full review
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is an example of a game I truly wanted to recommend because of my love for the series, but I simply cannot. Aside from the "packaging"—the beautiful graphics and superb voice acting—there is unfortunately little else to justify experiencing this game.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance fulfills its role as a return to the franchise. There is a legitimate attempt here to expand the universe, explore new perspectives, and make the experience more accessible. Still, its limitations are evident.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review