Is Legacy of Kain: Ascendance Worth Buying? Short Answer No. But Enjoy Our Full Review, Rating & Parent Guide Anyway

Legacy of Kain is one of those franchises that shaped me as a gamer. Shakespearean dialogue, moral ambiguity, and complex characters outsmarting each other through time paradoxes are very rare in gaming, even when attempts are made at that level. From my first encounter with Raziel in the legendary original, through Soul Reaver 2 and Defiance, this series has always been something special to me. And that is precisely why this review is difficult to write.

Twenty-three years. That's how long we waited for a new game in the Legacy of Kain franchise. And what we got is a four-hour pixelated side-scroller based on a graphic novel that most fans didn't exactly welcome with open arms. The Dead Shall Rise, for those not in the loop, introduced Elaleth, Raziel's sister, into the series, along with a retcon that provoked serious resistance among fans due to its fan-fiction-like undertones. If that doesn't already smell off to you, just (don't) read on.

In the mood for something completely different? Check out our Screamer review!

SHOP OUR LATEST MERCH AT EBGAMES

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance A Franchise Built on Shakespearean Ambition  23 Years Later

Legacy of Kain is one of those franchises that shaped me as a gamer. Shakespearean dialogue, moral ambiguity, complex characters outsmarting each other through time paradoxes, very little in gaming even attempts something at that level. From my first encounter with Raziel in the legendary original, through Soul Reaver 2 and Defiance, this series has always been something special to me. And that is precisely why this review is difficult to write.

Twenty-three years. That's how long we waited for a new game in the Legacy of Kain franchise. And what we got is a four-hour pixelated side-scroller based on a graphic novel that most fans didn't exactly welcome with open arms. The Dead Shall Rise introduced Elaleth, Raziel's sister, along with a retcon that provoked serious resistance among fans due to its fan-fiction-like undertones.

Story and Narrative, Pure Fan Fiction or Legitimate Lore?

Ascendance takes you through three playable perspectives: Elaleth, Raziel in both human and vampire form, and Kain himself. The story jumps between time periods as Elaleth, driven by revenge for her murdered lover, hunts her brother, Raziel, across the history of Nosgoth. On paper, that sounds like typical Legacy of Kain, but in practice, it's a complete disappointment.

Elaleth is now the driving force behind virtually everything significant in this franchise, from that iconic opening scene of Soul Reaver to several other major events in Nosgoth's history. The problem isn't the mere existence of a new character operating behind the scenes; it's that it strips away the weight of the decisions Kain and Raziel made across five games. Their conflict, tragic precisely because it arose from pride, jealousy, and the inevitability of fate, is now merely the result of manipulation by a character whose motivation boils down to a romantic tragedy.

Elaleth herself is shockingly one-dimensional, angry from the first scene to the last, with the game doing almost nothing to give her depth beyond that single emotional register.

 Voice Acting, The One Bright Spot for Legacy of Kain: Ascendance Fans

The only real consolation for franchise fans is the return of the original voice actors. Simon Templeman still flawlessly embodies Kain's arrogance, and Michael Bell, now in his eighties, returns to Raziel with a voice that carries the weight of time. Hearing those voices again, after two decades of silence, is a bittersweet experience: you're simultaneously glad and heartbroken, because Legacy of Kain truly deserves better.

The script attempts to evoke that familiar tone of the series, pompous monologues, philosophical digressions about time and destiny, but rarely sounds authentic. The presentation compounds the problem: instead of directed cutscenes, you get static anime portraits with clumsy animations, occasional FMVs with PS1-era aesthetics, and two or three wildly inconsistent visual styles that leave the impression of a game that doesn't know what it wants to be.

Gameplay and Combat, A Low-Budget Side-Scroller That Coasts on Its Name

In a world that has Dead Cells, Hollow Knight, and a wealth of imaginative action side-scrollers, Ascendance positions itself firmly in the low-budget category. Controls for each character are painfully simple: jump, attack, dash, and each has only one or two special abilities that don't evolve meaningfully throughout the game. Elaleth can fly and dive-bomb enemies; Raziel, in human form, uses a slide and torches; while Kain transforms into mist and bats. It sounds varied on paper, but in practice it all reduces to the same uninspired loop.

The small amount of satisfaction in combat comes from perfectly timing a parry, which deals massive damage alongside a satisfying audio-visual effect. Beyond that, there's little to write home about.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance Character Imbalance and Platforming Issues

Particularly frustrating is the imbalance between the three playable characters. Playing as Elaleth is comically easy; you steamroll enemies, heal by drinking blood, and generous checkpoints mean death barely matters. Switch to Raziel, and you're in a different game entirely: scarce healing items, harder-hitting enemies, and unevenly placed checkpoints. Kain plows through enemies and is the most fun to play, but you only control him for about 30 minutes across the entire game, which is an absolute failure.

The platforming isn't any better. It's slow and imprecise, flying sections drain stamina in frustrating ways, levels are utterly uninspired, and enemy variety is minimal: two melee variants, two ranged, bats in three colors, and the occasional larger demon. Boss fights offer one mechanic per encounter and leave no impression.

In Conclusion, A Missed Opportunity After 23 Years

It's hard not to experience Ascendance as a missed opportunity. The Legacy of Kain franchise deserves a comeback; its mythology, characters, and tone still hold potential that very few franchises in the industry can match. Unfortunately, this isn't that comeback. Sparse mechanics, controversial narrative choices, an incoherent visual identity, and a runtime of barely four hours. At 20 euros, it's not much of a financial blow, but emotionally, it certainly is.

Crystal Dynamics is reportedly using this game as a barometer of interest in the franchise. But if this is the best they can offer after 23 years, it might be better for Kain and Raziel to remain in their sarcophagi until someone wakes them in a more dignified manner.

Gemini AI Summary

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a 2025 action side-scroller and the first entry in the Legacy of Kain franchise in over two decades. Priced at €20, the game introduces Elaleth, a new character retconned as Raziel's sister, as the central protagonist across three playable perspectives alongside Raziel and Kain. While the return of original voice actors Simon Templeman and Michael Bell provides genuine fan service, the game is hampered by a controversial narrative that retroactively weakens the franchise's established lore, one-dimensional characters, shallow, imbalanced combat mechanics, uninspired level design, and a poorly integrated visual presentation that mixes multiple art styles. At roughly four hours in length, Ascendance struggles to justify itself as a standalone release and represents a missed opportunity for a beloved franchise with enduring potential. Rated 4.5/10.

Rating

4.5/10, Ascendance squanders a decades-long wait with shallow combat, a one-dimensional new protagonist who retroactively damages the franchise's legacy, and a runtime so brief it barely justifies its existence as a standalone release.

Age Recommendation

16+

The game features vampire combat, a blood-drinking healing system, dark gothic themes, and narrative content involving murder, revenge, and manipulation. While there is no graphic gore or sexual content, the tone is consistently dark and brooding, the lore is dense and mature, and the emotional weight of themes like betrayal and vengeance makes it more appropriate for older teens and adults. The Legacy of Kain franchise has always carried a mature, literary tone, and even in this weaker entry, that DNA remains present enough to warrant keeping younger players away.