Legacy of Kain just got its first new game in 23 years

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is out today on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. It is the first entirely new entry in the vampire saga since 2003. Developed by Bit Bot Media in collaboration with Crystal Dynamics, the game ditches the series' traditional 3D action-adventure roots for a 2D pixel-art format.

Players control returning protagonists Kain and Raziel (in both human and vampire forms) alongside a new playable character named Elaleth. The plot slots directly between the original Blood Omen and the first Soul Reaver. It explains how a human Raziel ended up serving Kain in the first place. This fills a narrative gap that has existed since the late nineties.

A different kind of Nosgoth

Rather than a sprawling open world, Ascendance is a chapter-based side-scroller. The developers built the combat and platforming around a stamina system that governs everything from evasive dashes to aerial gliding. Each of the playable characters has a distinct mechanical focus. Kain can phase through objects to avoid damage. Vampire Raziel uses his skeletal wings to navigate environmental puzzles. Elaleth introduces a highly aggressive combat style built around relentless offense.

The 2D pixel-art aesthetic might suggest a Metroidvania, but the game is strictly a linear action platformer. Players progress through discrete chapters and stages. There is no interconnected map to explore, and collectibles do not require backtracking with newly acquired powers. The focus is squarely on chaining melee strikes and managing momentum during combat encounters.

The story heavily adapts The Dead Shall Rise, a recent prequel comic that introduced Elaleth as Raziel's sister. The plot finally explains Raziel's deep-seated hatred for vampires. It filters decades-old family drama through a stamina bar and a dedicated dodge button.

The original voices return

The genre and art style are completely different, but Crystal Dynamics still managed to wrangle the original voice cast. Michael Bell and Simon Templeman reprise their roles as Raziel and Kain, respectively. Richard Doyle and Anna Gunn are also back to deliver the kind of verbose, scenery-chewing dialogue the franchise is known for.

The cutscenes utilize a mix of in-game pixel art and higher-fidelity animated sequences. These moments give the returning actors room to perform the theatrical, Shakespearean monologues that defined the PlayStation 2 era of the series.

The soundtrack is entirely new and has an original score by electronic artist Celldweller. The game relies heavily on this audio presentation to maintain the gothic atmosphere of the older titles, even when the visuals switch to retro pixel art.

A busy year for vampires

This release caps off a sudden revival period for the long-dormant franchise. After sitting untouched for two decades, the series returned in late 2024 with the Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered collection. Crystal Dynamics then followed up with Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered earlier this month.

Ascendance was originally announced in February alongside the Defiance remaster. It is available now through the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Steam. A Nintendo Switch version is in development but was delayed earlier this month.

Buyers can pick up the game on its own or as part of the Heart of Darkness Collection, which bundles it with the Defiance remaster. Turning a notoriously dense 3D narrative epic into a retro platformer is certainly an unexpected pivot, but after twenty years on ice, the vampires are finally out of the crypt.