A video game staple beginning in 1996, the Legacy of Kain series is a beloved set of action games following the exploits of warring vampires in the land of Nosgoth. After the release of Legacy of Kain: Defiance in 2003, however, the franchise went frustratingly quiet (though there was a short-lived multiplayer game Nosgoth in 2014 that never properly left open beta).
Last year, however, saw the release of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered which, as the title implies, remastered the Soul Reaver games. Today we’re learning, however, that those games were a portend of what’s to come. Alongside a planned remaster of Legacy of Kain: Defiance, a brand new prequel Legacy of Kain game, subtitled Ascendance, is also on the way.
Ascendance will be published by Crystal Dynamics and developed by Bit Bot Media in association with FreakZone Games. Whether by design or coincidence, it seems to be following in the footsteps of games like the recent Shinobi: Art of Vengeance and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound – nostalgic 2D action games meant to revive dormant action franchises. The gameplay looks fast-paced and features three protagonists with different play styles. The gameplay is primarily pixelated, but Bit Bot Media and FreakZone Games are including other art styles like anime cutscenes, and even callbacks to the PlayStation visuals of the original games. The game also reunites the voice cast of the original games and have them reprise their various roles (including Breaking Bad‘s Anne Gunn as Ariel) and releases on March 31 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, Switch and PC.
Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is a remaster of the 2003 game with improvements beyond just visual fidelity. Along with updated character models for the main playable characters and improved lighting, the opening and closing cinematics, the camera controls, and the map system have been overhauled. The game will also include a photo mode and previously cut content and lost levels, including a look at a planned sequel that was cancelled early in development called Lok 6: Dark Prophecy Demo. Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered releases March 3 on just about every platform.
