Legacy of Kain: Ascendance

For 20 years, and after a few failed attempts at rebooting the franchise, Legacy of Kain has lain dormant. Fans like myself have wondered if there would ever be another Soul Reaver, Blood Omen, or a new title featuring some of the best vampiric legends in media. But finally, after a resurgence of remastered titles from the golden era of gaming, The Legacy of Kain series is back with a 2D side-scrolling hack and slash in Ascendance. Acting as a soft return and reboot to the franchise, does Ascendance bring new hope for a series coming back from the grave?

Revenge is best served cold

I feel like many fans had the same reaction when seeing Ascendance for the first time, one of surprise, joy, and a dash of bewilderment at the prospect of a Legacy of Kain game being a hack-and-slash side scroller. Not just a random spin-off, but the main title bringing the series back from the dead.

But there was promise. If the game could capture three core elements that made the original titles beloved cult classics, then Ascendance could have been the worthy return to form and the saving grace we fans needed. A captivating, Shakespearean gothic tale with vast character development and booming presentation to match. A strong sense of lateral thinking and problem-solving. And combat that, while not the focus, still had some depth, with clever mechanics here and there.

Ascendance gets the first one right, and the other two… It’s a bit more complicated.

What we get is a mishmash of ideas and underdeveloped gameplay mechanics, which show flashes of potential, but ultimately feel like they needed more focus and a bit more risk taken to properly develop the core experience.

The story is interesting, as we see the return of Raziel and Kain, alongside newcomer Elaleth, who also happens to be Raziel’s sister. It’s worth noting that this is adapted from the comic The Dead Shall Rise, which was a Kickstarter success, but it also retcons a significant portion of the series’s story. Whether this is to introduce new characters, such as Elaleth or not, I can accept parallel timelines given the franchise’s focus on time travel and looping realities.

Elaleth is a vampire on a quest for vengeance against her brother, Raziel, aiming to bring back her beloved, who was murdered in cold blood by him. What follows over this four-hour romp is a twisted tale of time travel, double crossing, and a visualised reworking of established lore, particularly around how Raziel came to be. Legacy of Kain has always thrived on its looping narrative of greed, bloodshed, and impossible events, and seeing what came before and after Soul Reaver in motion is still a treat nonetheless.

That said, there are some issues. The new elements feel unwarranted, and the retcon never feels fully justified. It creates moments where character motivations feel weaker, with events happening less because of deep emotional reasoning or tragic inevitability, and more because of convenience or misjudgment. Some of the most pivotal moments in the series lose their weight in this new context. Time travel has always enhanced the tragedy in Legacy of Kain, but here it can feel too convenient for certain characters and story beats, and at times unnecessary to tie into the original lore.

There is still a sense of grandeur here, helped massively by the return of the original voice cast, including Michael Bell, Simon Templeman, Richard Doyle and Anna Gunn, even if they sound a little older now. It’s still fantastic to hear them again. I also give a lot of credit to the presentation and art direction. While there are perhaps too many visual styles at play, from 2D pixel art to animated cutscenes, still images that don’t always look great, and even moments done in a low-poly PS1 style, the pixel art itself can look genuinely striking.

The sound design is strong, largely due to the stellar voice work, and the music is often very good. It can lean a little too heavily into rock and becomes repetitive in places, but there are standout moments, especially Kain’s theme, which is excellent.

Even so, Elaleth as a character feels somewhat unearned, especially when compared to how strong the original lore stands without her. The story also ends quite abruptly, almost as if a few scenes were cut, leaving more questions than answers, and not in the way the series usually intends.

Pixel vampiric mayhem

The Legacy of Kain games have always incorporated a mixture of gameplay elements, usually with engaging and refined results. Both Soul Reaver titles were heavily focused on problem-solving and lateral thinking, with the Shift mechanics offering world-bending level design. Combat often infused deduction and brutality, with bosses feeling more like trick encounters than straight fights. Blood Omen offered a very different experience as a top-down RPG, while its sequel blended platforming, stealth, and exploration.

Ascendance attempts to follow that same philosophy, mixing side-scrolling combat, platforming, and boss battles in the hope of creating a satisfying experience. Yet lacks the depth and graceful craftsmanship from the previous games to make it fulfilling and exhilarating. And while the other games had multiple gameplay elements mixed together, they did have depth and complexity at their heart.

There is a solid groundwork here, and I do appreciate the variety at play. The core side-scrolling gameplay is fine, and combat is servicable, with you being able to slash, jump kick, dodge, and counter. But there’s very little beyond that.

Combat feels limited, seeing as there is only one main attack (no heavy, light or combos) with parrying being inconsistent, and a lack of meaningful abilities outside of Kain turning into mist or occasional moments of flight. Spells would've been a nice inclusion, or having a larger, varied roster of enemies would've benefited overall. Plus, the enemy AI can be easily exploited when it's not being utterly dumbfounded or b-lining you relentlessly. Along with the level design does little to support or enhance the combat.

This is where the biggest issues lie. Level design often feels clunky and overly long, with little in the way of compelling exploration unless you’re particularly invested in finding lore. Arenas can feel claustrophobic, never quite allowing you to move as freely as you need to to get the most out of combat. Encounters can swing from slow and heavy to overly frantic and frustrating, with enemies rushing you or causing awkward movement near ledges.

Levels tend to outstay their welcome, and while there are some neat platforming moments, there are just as many frustrating ones. The HP drain mechanic, while thematically fitting, limits exploration and makes it harder to fully enjoy combat encounters. Flying enemies in particular are incredibly frustrating, especially during one overly long flying section.

There are still some genuinely good moments. A horseback chase adds variety, boss fights are generally enjoyable even if they can be exploited, and there is a strong puzzle section involving Kain and Ariel. When the level design opens up and the pacing settles, particularly in Kain’s levels and some of Raziel’s, the game does start to click. Unfortunately, it never quite sustains that momentum, and repetition soon sets in again.

Overall?

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance was meant to be a promising, fresh start and revival for a beloved series. While there are strong ideas here, alongside some genuinely good moments, it never quite becomes the return it needed to be. The voice acting, art style, and flashes of engaging gameplay make it worth checking out for fans, but clunky level design, repetition, and underdeveloped ideas hold it back from being something truly special.

++ The art style and direction can be very nice and atmospheric
++ Amazing for original cast members to return
+ Some interesting story elements, setpieces, and action

-- The story retconning feels unjustified and revokes much of the original's compelling narrative beats
-- Combat lacks depth, and level design is often clunky and restrictive
- Poor design choices, including annoying enemy placements, and overly long levels

A review key for Legacy of Kain: Ascendance was kindly provided by the publisher