Legacy of Kain: Ascendance

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a mixed bag. It was great to see a continuation of the world and characters from Nosgoth. The story is beautifully told and realized. The gameplay was really fun once I adapted to it. The different characters keep things feeling fresh. But the game is very linear, and there are no skill trees or RPG mechanics. There’s no way for the player to experiment with the game’s mechanics, and there’s not a lot of reason to keep playing once the story’s done. There are some of us who like nice, linear old-school action platform progression, though. The game also demands a lot of the player and has a lack of polish that works against those demands. I’m still so happy Legacy of Kain: Ascendance was made, though, and I really hope this leads to more games in the series.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is simultaneously everything we wanted and everything we didn’t from this franchise. Crystal Dynamics and Bit Bot Media skillfully use the character of Elaleth to recount the behind-the-scenes events that shaped Nosgoth, introducing a series of narrative elements that pave the way for the saga’s future. On the flip side, however, the artistic and gameplay offerings fail to satisfy those who have waited over 20 years for a new chapter. With the exception of the voice acting and a soundtrack that matches the quality of previous entries, Ascendance represents a technical step backward in every respect. For those who love 2D platformers or can look past a low-budget aesthetic and gameplay, there is a well-told story here; one that lays the groundwork for a future that will hopefully head in a different direction.

We’ve thought about it, but Ascendance doesn’t even manage to earn a 6, in our opinion. The developers’ love for the Legacy of Kain saga is evident in the lore and the narrative structure. Everything else, however, is truly lacking. Ascendance is a very weak game, never fun or entertaining; it’s playable from start to finish, but don’t expect this to be the game that will resurrect Raziel from his eternal slumber.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance fails to honor its lineage, delivering a shockingly brief three-hour experience. While the atmospheric music and original voice acting evoke nostalgia, the repetitive 2D combat and simplistic platforming feel dated. Despite an intriguing narrative tone, the controversial lore retcons and inconsistent difficulty result in a mediocre, uninspired revival.

There’s a fun concept in Ascendance right from the jump, reintroducing one of gaming’s most beloved vampire epics with a riff on one of their closest peers in the medium. However, the game is held back by some lackluster design choices and overall lack of depth. While the game can be fun, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance never quite matches the ambitions it set for itself.

The ultimate monkey’s paw. We should be reveling in the return of more Legacy of Kain, but instead, poor design decisions blunt the impact of this franchise return in nearly every conceivable way.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance unfortunately falls flat in continuing such a cult classic franchise. While some of the writing and visuals still match the quality of its predecessors, the narrative feels forced and the gameplay is often deeply frustrating and rife with issues. Overall, if this is indicative of the direction that the Legacy of Kain series could go in, then perhaps the series is better off being forgotten.

Pretty fun honestly. Story was decent, gameplay was solid& the music goes way harder then I expected. The art style is cool too and feels different without not feeling similar. Only real issue is its way too short. Felt like it was over right when I was getting into **** a perfect game but a cool little spinoff. Had fun with it.

Ascendance feels like a low-budget experiment; however, even though its gameplay is overly simplistic, I found revisiting the saga’s story to be excellent. If you’re not a fan of the series, stay away—this game isn’t for you.

The game has a great narrative with the voices that make the franchise a classic. The bad part is the game is repetitive and lacks the climax that make us realize we are fighting the final boss. This game should be treated more like a missing part of the story than a standalone game per se. It may content only the fans of the franchise due to it's story, not for the gameplay.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Ascendance is the bare minimum **** - a visual novel interspersed with primitive side scroller segments. Having to say this about a Legacy of Kain game is a travesty. What little good can be said is also tainted by disappointment. Some music is catchy but has no place in a Legacy of Kain game. It's lovely to hear the old voice cast back but they are largely misdirected and ultimately wasted on this game that feels more like fan fiction. The new character Elaleth is shoehorned into a story we all know, a story that was great without her and is now lessened by her inclusion. For this reason I choose to ignore Ascendance as a true Legacy of Kain game.