Aspyr’s Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is the highly-anticipated remaster and re-release of two of the 5th and 6th-generation’s most beloved action-adventure games. Released on December 10, 2024, the Soul Reaver remasters represent a project a long time coming, with rumors of a Soul Reaver remaster or remake floating around for years before being confirmed to be in development earlier in 2024. Both games are noteworthy for featuring stories and characters created by industry legend Amy Hennig, who would go on to help create and write the Uncharted series.
Critical reception to the remaster is very strong, lining up with the original positive reception both Soul Reaver games would receive upon their release. Most critics note that, while the gameplay elements of the Soul Reaver games might be beginning to show their age, the presentation, voice acting, and writing are still exemplary even in a modern context. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered currently sits at a respectable 78% review aggregate score along with a 94% “Very Positive” user score on Steam.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered Premise
©Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered gameplay screenshot – Original
The Soul Reaver games are the second and third chapters in the sprawling Legacy of Kain series that centers on the realm of Nosgoth and its race of vampires, led by the powerful vampire lord Kain. 1500 years after the events of Blood Omen, Kain restores the Vampire race to glory only for his rule to become despotic and threatened by outside powers. As a result, Kain turns on his lieutenant Raziel, killing him before he can potentially challenge Kain’s rule. One of Nosgoth’s Elder Gods, hoping to restore the natural order to the realm, resurrects Raziel and gifts him the Soul Reaver blade to exact revenge on Kain and return the realm to its former glory.
While the first game in the series, Blood Omen, is a top-down action RPG, the Soul Reaver games are full-3D action adventure games similar to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Players will traverse indoor and outdoor environments, defeat enemies, and solve puzzles using Raziel’s Vampiric and Wraith abilities. One of the Soul Reaver games’ signature mechanics is Raziel’s ability to shift between the material and spectral planes of existence in Nosgoth, using that ability to cross seemingly impossible paths or solve clever puzzles inside dilapidated temples. The remasters of both games maintain the same core gameplay as the original releases but include a hefty visual overhaul and some improvements to the controls. Notably, players can switch back and forth between the original visuals and the remastered presentation.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered Main Characters
©Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered gameplay screenshot – Original
Both of the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver games focus on Raziel, the former lieutenant of the powerful vampire Kain. When Raziel’s power begins to grow, Kain decides to kill him rather than risk a challenge to his rule. Upon dying, the Elder God resurrects Raziel, gifting him the Soul Reaver to exact revenge on Kain and restore natural order to Nosgoth. Throughout his journey, Raziel will meet with Kain’s former lieutenant Ariel as well as have to confront his four brothers in a story heavy with Shakespearean drama and biblical allegory. Main characters in the Soul Reaver games include:
Soul Reaver
- Raziel: The main character and protagonist of the Soul Reaver games. Raziel is a powerful vampire who becomes a wraith following his murder at the hands of Kain. He takes on the role of being a Soul Reaver to kill Kain and restore order to Nosgoth.
- Ariel: Ariel is a former lieutenant of Kain’s bound to one of the Pillars that protect Nosgoth. He acts as a mentor to Raziel throughout his journey.
- Kain: Kain is the former protagonist of the first game in the series who acts as the main antagonist of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. He chooses to kill his lieutenant Raziel to set a chain of events into motion that will allow him to retain his power and immortality while restoring Nosgoth.
Soul Reaver 2
- Raziel: Raziel returns in the sequel as the hero, this time facing off against the evil sorcerer Moebius. His journey takes him on a time-traveling quest where he discovers his free will is the key to saving Nosgoth.
- Janos: Janos is a character who is first mentioned in Blood Omen before finally getting introduced to players in Soul Reaver 2. He acts as a mentor to Raziel in the sequel.
- Moebius: Moebius is an evil sorcerer who tricked Kain into killing off the race of Vampires in Blood Omen and acts as the main antagonist of Soul Reaver 2.
Games in the Legacy of Kain Series
From its humble beginnings in the PS1 hidden gem Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, the Legacy of Kain series has grown to become one of the more beloved cult classic franchises from the 5th and 6th generation. In particular, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was a hugely important game for its time, innovating and pushing the envelope for what could be done in a 3D action-adventure game. Additionally, the story and voice acting of Soul Reaver helped contribute to the shift toward games becoming more cinematic, proving that the medium could tell compelling narratives that stand toe-to-toe with the best of film and literature. Games in the Legacy of Kain series include:
- Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PC, PlayStation, 1996)
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PC, PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast, 1999)
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 (PC, PlayStation 2, 2001)
- Blood Omen 2 (GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, 2002)
- Legacy of Kain: Defiance (PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, 2003)
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, 2024)
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered Cheats & Secrets
The original Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver features plenty of cheats for players to use toward gaining an advantage. Thankfully, all of those cheats remain usable in the new remaster. These cheats allow players to either bypass whole sections of each game or become incredibly powerful right at the game’s outset. The inputs players use to enter these cheats will differ depending on what platform you play Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered.
Conversely, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 does not feature cheats except for some that help unlock bonus features from the main menu. Because those features are unlocked by default in the remaster, the original cheats no longer work.
How to Enter Cheats in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
In order to enter any of the following cheats, players will need to pause the game at any point during gameplay. With the game paused, console players will need to hold one of the two front shoulder buttons down (L1 or R1 on PlayStation, LB or RB on Xbox) before entering the corresponding button combinations. PC players can simply enter the string of numbers for each cheat once they pause the game.
Note: PC Players using a controller instead of a mouse and keyboard can use the corresponding console button inputs. In other words, using a DualShock or DualSense controller means the PlayStation inputs will work while using an Xbox controller will allow the Xbox inputs to work, etc.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Cheats
Pause the game at any point and use the following button inputs to activate the corresponding cheat:
Note: Console players will need to pause and hold L1/R1/LB/RB before entering any of the following commands
Weapons & Health
| Cheat | PC | PlayStation | Xbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlock Fire Reaver | 342431623 | Triangle, Right, Down, Circle, Up | Down, Up, Right, Up, Down, Left, B, Right, Down |
| Activate Fire Reaver | 52364 | Triangle, Right, Down, Circle, Up | Y, Right, Down, B, Up |
| Kain Reaver | 76251124 | X, Circle, Right, Triangle, Left, Left, Right, Up | A, B, Right, Y, Left, Left, Right, Up |
| Ariel Reaver | 724451124 | X, Right, Up, Up, Triangle, Left, Left, Right, Up | A, Right, Up, Up, Y, Left, Left, Right, Up |
| Max Health | 263434 | Right, Circle, Down, Up, Down, Up | Right, B, Down, Up, Down, Up |
| Max Energy | 5232451 | Triangle, Right, Down, Right, Up, Triangle, Left | Y, Right, Down, Right, Up, Y, Left |
| Restore Health | 364141 | Down, Circle, Up, Left, Up, Left | Down, B, Up, Left, Up, Left |
| Lower Health | 16443 | Left, Circle, Up, Up, Down | Left, B, Up, Up, Down |
| Increase Health | 271543 | Right, X, Left, Triangle, Up, Down | Right, A, Left, Y, Up, Down |
| Restore Energy | 221523 | Right, Right, Left, Triangle, Right, Down | Right, Right, Left, Y, Right, Down |
Abilities
| Cheat | PC | PlayStation | Xbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlock All Abilities | 4432216213 | Up, Up, Down, Right, Right, Left, Circle, Right, Left, Down | Up, Up, Down, Right, Right, Left, B, Right, Left, Down |
| Phase-through Gates | 3661254 | Down, Circle, Circle, Left, Right, Triangle, Up | Down, B, B, Left, Right, Y, Up |
| Unlock Constrict Ability | 34226443 | Down, Up, Right, Right, Circle, Up, Up, Down | Down, Up, Right, Right, B, Up, Up, Down |
| Unlock Climb Ability | 538245 | Triangle, Down, L2, Right, Up, Down | Y, Down, Y, Right, Up, Down |
| Unlock Swim Ability | 4632614 | Up, Circle, Down, Right, Circle, Left, Up | Up, B, Down, Right, B, Left, Up |
| Unlock Projectile Ability | 126121 | Left, Right, Circle, Left, Right, Left | Left, Right, B, Left, Right, Left |
| Force Glyph | 31534 | Down, Left, Triangle, Down, Up | Down, Left, Y, Down, Up |
| Fire Glyph | 4424582 | Up, Up, Right, Up, Triangle, L2, Right | Up, Up, Right, Up, X, Y, Right |
| Stone Glyph | 3641322 | Down, Circle, Up, Left, Down, Right, Right | Down, B, Up, Left, Down, Right, Right |
| Sound Glyph | 2236443 | Right, Right, Down, Circle, Up, Up, Down | Right, Right, Down, B, Up, Up, Down |
| Sunlight Glyph | 16122441 | Left, Circle, Left, Right, Right, Up, Up, Left | Left, RT, Left, Right, Right, Up, Up, Left |
| Water Glyph | 36432 | Down, Circle, Up, Down, Right | Down, B, Up, Down, Right |
| Shift any time | 4432216213 | Up, Up, Down, Right, Right, Left, Circle, Right, Left Down | Up, Up, Down, Right, Right, Left, B, Right, Left Down |
Switch Cheats
The release of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered on the Switch marks the first time the games have been available on the platform. While it has not been confirmed yet, it’s likely that the above cheats will also work for the Nintendo Switch version. The inputs should be the same, just use the key below to change the buttons to the corresponding input on the Switch controller.
| PlayStation | Switch | Xbox |
|---|---|---|
| X | B | A |
| Circle | A | B |
| Square | Y | X |
| Triangle | X | Y |
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered Achievements/Trophies
The new remasters of Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2 each contain several achievements/trophies for players to unlock by completing the corresponding in-game activity:
Soul Reaver Achievements/Trophies
| Achievement/Trophy | Description |
|---|---|
| Redeemer and Destroyer | Get all trophies in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PlayStation Platinum) |
| Elder God’s Agent | Complete your training and escape the Underworld |
| Womb of My Rebirth | Visit the place of your execution |
| Utter Desolation | Explore the ruins of your clan territory |
| Gardens of the Dead | Find the Necropolis |
| Fratricide | Defeat Melchiah |
| Your Destinies Are Intertwined | Obtain the Soul Reaver |
| The Reaver Is the Key | Open the entrance to the Citadel |
| Stifled Titan | Defeat Zephon |
| Know Thyself | Discover Kain’s secret |
| You Shall Pass | Defeat the Tomb Guardian |
| Desecrated Abbey | Explore the Drowned Abbey |
| Maladjusted | Defeat Rahab |
| Locked in Eternal Limbo | Examine the remains of the Ruined City |
| Your Thanks Are Premature | Defeat Dumah |
| Where Time Is But a Loop | Enter the Oracle’s Cave |
| Has This All Been Foretold? | Reach the Chronoplast chambers |
| You Nearly Had Me | Defeat Kain a second time |
| A Breach From Above | Infiltrate the Human Citadel |
| Cast Him In! | Throw a Vampire into the Lake of the Dead |
| Beyond Death | Jump into the Lake of the Dead |
| Primordial Flame | Obtain the Fire Reaver |
| Flipped Off | Kill a Vampire by flipping a block on them |
| Don’t Be Afraid | Reach the Human Citadel without killing any human enemies |
| A Hymn of Death | Activate the pipes in the Cathedral to kill the Zephonim |
| Untouchable | Block a Turelim Telekinesis with your own |
| Taken by Surprise | Perform 10 stealth kills |
| Dismembered | Remove all of Zephon’s legs |
| From This Summit | Get to the top of the Water Tower in the Human Citadel |
| Dissolution | Jump into a pool of water without the Swim ability |
| Double Impact | Kill 2 Vampires with the Force Glyph |
| Don’t Get Your Feet Wet | Reach the Abbey’s bell tower without touching the water |
| Ariel Remembers | Listen to all 5 of Ariel’s hints |
| You Are Persistent, Raziel | Leave a boss arena and come back |
| Spectral Talk | Talk to Dumah in the Spectral Realm before resurrecting him |
| Seek100 | Consume 100 Vampire souls in one playthrough |
| Unconscionable | Do not get hit by Kain in the first encounter |
| Not Without Purpose | Glide for 30 seconds without using an updraft |
| Backstabber | Hit Melchiah on his back |
| Between the Zones | Shift 50 times in one playthrough |
| Warp Factor | Activate all Warp Gates |
| Soul Spiral | Reach maximum Health capacity |
| Great Old One | Reach maximum Energy capacity |
| Alas, Poor Nupraptor | Obtain Force Glyph |
| Hammertime! | Obtain Stone Glyph |
| Soulraver | Obtain Sound Glyph |
| Firestarter | Obtain Fire Glyph |
| Hydromancer | Obtain Water Glyph |
| Daywalker | Obtain Sunlight Glyph |
| Lore Master | Obtain All Glyphs |
| Drowned Rat | Throw 10 Vampires into pools of water |
| Immolate | Scorch 10 Vampires |
| Big Stakes | Impale 10 Vampires |
| Wall Decor | Throw 10 Vampires into wall spikes |
| Energy Unbound | Use the Soul Reaver charge on 10 Vampires |
Soul Reaver 2 Achievements/Trophies
| Achievement/Trophy | Description |
|---|---|
| Reaver Convergence | Upgrade the Reaver blade |
| The Corruption of Pillars | Find and confront Kain |
| Darkness Is My Friend | Obtain the Dark Reaver |
| Interview With a Vampire | Have a chat with Vorador |
| Enlightening Sun | Obtain the Light Reaver |
| History and Destiny Collide | Change history |
| Ariel’s Lament | Listen to Ariel’s spirit |
| The Ruined Aerie | Discover the remains of an ancient civilization |
| Lighter Even Than Kain | Obtain the Air Reaver |
| The Tenth Guardian | Master the Aerie and meet the legendary vampire |
| Ancient Flame | Obtain the Fire Reaver |
| Blade of Vengeance | Avenge Janos’ death |
| On the Outside | Go to the Sarafan Stronghold before visiting Janos |
| Drowned Rat II | Make a human drown in a body of water |
| Touch the Devil | Twist a Fire Demon’s neck with your bare hands |
| Split | Use an axe finisher on a Greater Thrall |
| Keep Your Distance | Kill a Fire Demon Groundling after a Fire Demon summons one |
| Inferno | Kill the Fire Demons within 1 minute at the Pillars |
| Not Without Purpose II | Glide for 25 seconds without using an updraft |
| Reaver of Souls | Feed the Reaver 30 times |
| Harvester of Souls | Feed yourself 30 times |
| Air Lift | Lift an enemy with the Air Reaver |
| Aerial Jump | Make a human jump into the air by using your feet in combat |
| Scare the Crows! | Frighten all Crows on the Dark Forge balcony |
| Your Sacrifice Was Rejected | Bring the wrong heart to the altar in Air Forge |
| Finish Him | Use every type of weapon finisher |
| What Sorcery Is This?! | Kill 3 Sorceresses in a row without taking damage |
| Vertical Rush | Complete Janos’ Aerie final interior puzzle in 15 minutes or less |
| Vampire Champion | Beat Soul Reaver 2 in under 6 hours |
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered Cheat FAQs
Do the original cheats from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2 work in the remasters?
Similar to other remasters of older Crystal Dynamics titles, all the working cheats from the original Soul Reaver games still work in Aspyr’s Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 remaster. Note that the inputs for using these cheats will differ depending on the platform.
What is the best order to play the Legacy of Kain games?
To fully understand and appreciate the sweeping gothic story at the heart of the Legacy of Kain games, it’s important to play them in order and see how each title’s Shakespearean drama plays out. Starting with the first game in the series and ending with the canonically last game will see players complete the titles in the following order:
- Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2
- Blood Omen 2
- Legacy of Kain: Defiance
The two Soul Reaver games tell the tale of Raziel just after the events of the first game in the series, focusing on one of Kain’s lieutenants rather than the titular vampire himself.
Is there a remaster of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain?
Despite being the first game in the series, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain has yet to receive a remaster. However, the game was recently made available for purchase as a standalone title on PSN. Players can now have their first experience with or replay one of the original PlayStation’s cult classic action RPGs. Previously, the game was generally unavailable on modern platforms.
How long to beat Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered?
Both the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver games are fairly brisk experiences. The original versions of each title will take players roughly 10-12 hours to beat. Those hoping to fully complete each game can extend that estimate to roughly 15 hours. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered packages both Soul Reaver games under one umbrella, meaning players hoping to complete both titles will spend somewhere between 25 and 30 hours depending on their completion percentage for each game.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered key art.