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     Everyone who played the first Soul Reaver remembers the hollow feeling left by the games abrupt and nearly nonexistent ending.  The game just sort of seemed to stop.  I even heard rumors that the game was shipped incomplete.  The craptacular conclusion was hard to take.  People around here screamed for a sequel.
      Ask and ye shall receive.  Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 has arrived, and it picks up directly where the first one let off.  In fact, the games introductory movie is the ending events of the first game.  The game picks up right from there.  Every ability you had from the first game you still have.  Swimming, climbing, phasing through walls, its all there.
      I do have a bit to gripe about in the combat engine.  It could have been a bit more tweaked.  More variety was needed in how weapons were wielded.  The auto face button can be a real drawback too, since you slow down when you press it, and enemies will rarely block a jab thrown when you run by.
      The writing is excellent though.  The story twists, turns, loops and basically just rocks.  Its deep, with conspiracies, treachery, and some
  interesting concluding moments.  Now that brings me to the conclusion.  Is the ending better than the last game?  Yes.  But it is still abrupt.  This game does not conclude the Soul Reaver series, it continues it and leads into what had best be a Soul Reaver 3, and soon.  I need to know how this all gets wrapped up!  NOW! (note, if you work for Eidos, and you email me the whole story and ruin it for me you'll be promptly killed) 
 
 

      Graphically, the game looks much like its Dreamcast predecessor, but with higher polys, and less framerate issues.  All the story is told through spoken dialog.  There are some nifty bonus features that include making of Soul Reaver sections, art, voice recording sessions, Previews of future Eidos Games (Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 for example).  Having played the first game makes this game better, but isn't completely necessary, as the booklet and intro wraps it up well enough.  This game was worth my time, I think it's worth yours too.