But the thing that separates Soul Reaver 2 from other games of its ilk is pure polish and a refreshing air of quality throughout, and for this price, you can't go wrong. Other than that, it's a fairly straightforward time-hopping, soul-reaving romp, with hundreds of pathetic mortals to dispatch and vast gothic environs to explore. It's compelling stuff, provided you can forgive the heavy-handed (but quality) gothic overtones of the script.Īnother key to the game's success is the puzzle-solving, which though derivative of other genre favourites, also offers some surprising innovations, all stemming from the range of abilities that can be added to your symbiotic weapon, the accursed soul reaver.
Friend becomes foe, sworn enemy becomes unlikely ally, and god-like puppet-master becomes giant squid. But just when you think it's going to be a simple tale of bloodlust and soul-stealing, everything's turned on its head. Building strongly on the foundations laid down by its predecessor, SR2 again puts you in the undead hooves of Raziel, angst-ridden ex-vampire on a quest for bloody vengeance. Usually When the words soul and sucking appear together in a review it means we've been playing another bizarre French adventure game, but in this case it's a central element of one of the best action-adventure games of 2002.
