Good storytelling should be considered a meticulous art form that takes time to create; to be able to combine an engaging narrative with impressive dialogue into one well-rounded package must very difficult (Tolkien didn't just knock The Lord Of The Rings together on the back of an envelope one rainy afternoon, you know). Good storytelling in videogames is even more difficult; it must unfold in front of your eyes through the miracle of television, leaving little to the imagination. So why do so many videogames feel like there must have been god almighty scuffles between game developers at the envelope counter in post offices across the country during rainy afternoons? With obvious exceptions (Final Fantasy VII included - who did not cry when Aeris died) few videogames can be seen to have provided anything close to the strength of storyline presented throughout the Legacy of Kain series. I say series, purely because this game is most definitely part of an ongoing story. If you are unfamiliar with events of the previous games you may find yourself a little mystified as to what exactly is going on. Let me elaborate (deep breath)… Enter stage left, Kain is brutally murdered and reincarnated as a vampire, to discover that he is the Scion of Balance (or is he?) and chooses to save himself at the cost of the destruction of Nosgoth (Blood Omen 1). The now ruler of a desolate land, Kain, revives the Sarafan priests and creates an army of vampires with which to enforce his will upon the people. Enter stage right, Raziel, first born of the lieutenants in Kain's army who has the audacity to evolve wings before Kain. In a fit of rage Kain shreds Raziel's shiny new wings and casts him into the abyss. Raziel, now a wraith rather than a vampire, is rescued from the abyss by the Elder God who sends him to seek revenge on Kain. Raziel eliminates the remaining lieutenants of Kain's army but Kain escapes into a time portal with Raziel in tow. (Soul Reaver 1) More prophetic story developments follow, culminating with Raziel discovering that the Soul Reaver was made for specifically for him (Soul Reaver 2).

This is where Legacy of Kain: Defiance kicks off. Kain, still believing he is the Scion of Balance, wants answers and starts about seeking them, in his usual tactful fashion, from Moebius within the Sarafan stronghold (it's safe to say this won't involve international diplomacy). Meanwhile, back in the underworld, Raziel, is still joined with the reaver blade and spending his time defying the Elder God by refusing to take any further souls (hence the title of the game). To say any more would spoil the journey but as you can see this game brings together the series' two main opponents into a single overlapping storyline that will answer as many questions as it poses.

Like the story, if you have played any of the previous Legacy of Kain titles you will be familiar with the type of gameplay expected from Legacy of Kain: Defiance. This is standard third person action adventure fare, combining level exploration, combat and puzzle solving. The level design is suitably tailored to the flavor of the game, featuring many of the recognizable locations from the series, such as the pillars of Nosgoth, the Sarafan Stronghold and the Vampire Citadel. While many of the levels feel extensive, progression through them is artificially extended (through what is commonly known as Resident Evil syndrome), where you are sent away from a locked door to find a single object of great importance located at the other end of the map, only to have to traipse back to unlock the door before being allowed to continue the game. Navigation through the game's stages is confounded by the confusing layout of some of the indoor levels (such as the Sarafan Stronghold) and the lack of available in-game maps; at times the only way to tell you are progressing in the right direction is the activation of one of the in-level save points. The end result is an unnecessary feeling of being lost that frustrates and disconnects the player from what would otherwise be a convincing game world.

The major culprit for this, and arguably the game's biggest problem, is the new approach to the camera. Previous outings for the Legacy of Kain series have used a more than adequate follow camera setup; however, Legacy of Kain: Defiance has switched to using a fixed camera position, like Resident Evil. While this may give the game a more cinematic feel it plays havoc with just about every other aspect of the gameplay. As mentioned, level navigation becomes confusing (you will spend more time running into walls you cannot see than in any other game), jumping gaps is infuriating, and combat becomes needlessly frustrating as you struggle to fight enemies that are either off camera, or worse, where combat takes place behind scenery that totally obscures your view of the action.

If you can live with the camera problems, the combat is enjoyable (taking a big leaf from the Devil May Cry handbook of killing bad guys) and is a big step up from previous Legacy of Kain incarnations. Basic combat is comprised of a horizontal slash attack, an airlift attack and a telekinesis blow (more on this later). The system is designed to maximise the player's ability to put together custom combos for looking stylish and as you progress through the game gaining experience, more combo moves become available. The end result is that the combat can as be as exciting or simple as you desire.

Combat is not just a fun diversion; it is a necessity, as Kain and Raziel both continually lose health throughout the game. The only way to regain health is to feed; for Kain this involves draining the blood from your enemies while Raziel must suck up souls released from downed combatants. Both are accompanied by suitably gruesome animation sequences that never get old (although why enemies insist on just standing around watching you feed rather than taking advantage of your vulnerability must be considered one of life's great gaming mysteries).

Unlike previous Legacy of Kain titles, in Legacy of Kain: Defiance death in the material realm is fatal for Raziel whilst previously it only resulted in a return to the spirit realm. This is a rather puzzling change (answers on a postcard please) that does somewhat feel like lazy game development and removes some of the continuity from the series. An alternative to using stunned opponents for food is to use them to power your weapon, again accompanied by a gruesome animation, and a fully powered weapon is capable of releasing a spell attack to either stun or kill multiple enemies. A varied selection of sword spells are collected as you progress through the game, from dark missile power-ups to flame abilities, with which you set your enemies on fire (resulting in a satisfying animation of them running about like headless chickens looking for water). Additionally, as you progress health and telekinesis extending pickups are available, but only if you hunt for them.

Telekinesis is a wonderful addition to the combat based gameplay. With it Kain (and later Raziel) can grip far off enemies (think Darth Vader choke hold) and hurl them across the levels onto conveniently placed spikes or off high ledges to plummet to their death. Use it sparingly though, as your telekinesis meter depletes while doing this and once it's gone it takes time to recharge, leaving you open to attack. Telekinesis can also be used to break objects and push hard to reach buttons within the levels for solving some of the game's many puzzles. Sadly, the innovative level of the puzzles, so prevalent within the game's previous incarnations, seems to have been severely watered down for Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Raziel's use of level warping to explore and access hard to reach areas is rarely used and puzzles are suffering from the Resident Evil syndrome mentioned previously. The overall result is to take what was once a game that required a good degree of imaginative brainwork and exploration to progress and turn it into a very linear combat-based action adventure.

Visually, Legacy of Kain: Defiance has to rate as one of the most aesthetic games I've seen in a while. Character models and animations are detailed and level textures varied (although there is some glitching evident between characters and walls or doors). And the camera blurring effect used in the spirit realm must be seen to be believed. To complement the visuals, the level soundtracks are some of the best you will ever hear in a videogame, whilst enemies taunt you with threats of violence and cry in pain when attacked, plus the crying voices in the spirit realm are just plain disturbing. Great voice acting, such a strong point of the Legacy of Kain series, is still in evidence, making the game's characters feel powerful and believable when delivering plot-advancing dialogue.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance, despite its faults, is one of the most accomplished titles in the series (second only to the original Blood Omen) and is the best of the series in recent times. This game is a must play title if you are an ardent follower of the series, as it ties up all of the story threads and has a real ending. However, in doing so it has sacrificed a lot of the innovation that gave the first Legacy of Kain title such wow factor, this is not so much a game set in a world (with no load times) than it is an above average mainstream level based action adventure. And as such Legacy of Kain: Defiance presents little replay value, although, sometimes being bad, no matter for how short a time, can feel real good.

Reviewed by Darren Stevenson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).