The series that has had so many hits is back with an actual sequel to the original Blood Omen. That's right, Blood Omen 2 is here and it is by far an excellent game. Blood Omen 2 is leading the pack of new games with vampire based stories. Through many games of Legacy of Kain, there has never been a sequal to the original. Soul Reaver has done remarkably well, so Eidos decided to focus on that. But now, Kain's return to gaming has been great. The story is fantastic, as usual. The graphics are crisp and clean. How does it measure up to the other games? Let's find out...

I saw Blood Omen 2. I drooled. I couldn't take my eyes off it. It's a good thing that Electronic Boutique is prepared for such things. Right as I took out my walllet to pay for the game, I couldn't help noticing that the back showed quite a bit of blood. I loved it on sight. I looked at the graphics. I liked them, but they weren't crisp. I decided going by screenshots was a dumb idea. I put the game into my X BOX and watched the opening sequence. Magnificent graphics. A summary of what happened since Blood Omen was perfectly executed. Time to play.

I got to the title screen where I was greeted by Kain, the Soul Reaver, and an eerie heart beat that went in rythum with the flashing "press start" icon. A good start. I went into the menu which looked like something from Altered Beast. Not bad in this case, but there's something odd about it. I started playing. After a beautiful movie sequence, I was sent to play as the ultimate villian, Kain.

The graphics in this game are awesome. I love them. They are very well done. The mouths move. The faces show some, not alot, just some emotion. The one problem I have is: where are the Sarafan's eyebrows? You can move without having unshaded borders being a problem. Most X BOX games don't have this problem but there are alot of games that do. There is some clipping problems but that is a very small problem and is to be expected. Every game I have ever played like Blood Omen 2 has some clipping problems. The actual look of the game is very gothic. It has the perfect setting for a vampire game. I wish other vampires could be so cool. Blood Omen 2 is the best game where you play as a vampire I have ever played. The entire legacy of Kain series has the reputation of being incredibly good. This is no exception.

The music is very eerie in this game. The sound of a beating heart also helps creep you out. This isn't repetative like in Blood Omen. No, this is classy music, where there is music. Blood Omen 2 doesn't seem to have a whole lot of music in it. That's a shame but maybe it's necessary to keep it from getting repetative. The voice acting is, as in every L.O.K. game, exquisite. Kain's voice is played by the great Simon Templemen once more. He truly has the perfect voice for Kain. The other characters have great voices and emote exceptionally well. The great thing about this series is particularly that the voice actors are the same from the past games. The screams of your victims can be heard by guards looming around the area, and even these are well done. It truly has great audio. If you have Dolby Digital 5.1, it's even better. Blood Omen 2 is set up to work perfectly with DD 5.1. Only the X BOX version though. Poor, poor PS2...heh heh.

The game is incredibly fun and addictive. The story line is well weaved throughout the game. The several different places to fight and explore are very true to the nature of Nosgoth. The enhanced character interation is something I've been waiting for since Soul Reaver. The fact that you can attack just about anyone is very cool and very true to actual environments. Kain moves a little too slow for my taste. I don't like that you can only have one weapon at a time either. The action can get slightly annoying when the enemy just won't stop coming, but that is just something you will have deal with. Enemies don't normally just come one at a time. The fighting style is refreshing. The puzzles are often but fairly easy. Blood Omen 2 gets an A for such good gameplay.

The controls are fairly new style to the L.O.K. series. The new block and fight style is perfect for my fighting game style. I have a problem with the holding the R button in order to strike though. The ability to float is an obvious spin off of gliding as Raziel, but it is a nice touch for those used to playing as Raziel. The controls aren't slow, but if you get frustrated, DO NOT TAKE IT OUT ON THE CONTROLLER. The X BOX controller is very nice for this game. There are plenty of buttons and the two analog sticks are put to good use. There's nothing wrong with the controls for the PS2. The PS2 controller is great for the game as well, but the X BOX controller just seems to fit a little better. I do congradulate the PS2 controller on its greatness for Soul Reaver 2. That might be one game that the X BOX controller won't be the best for, but we'll never know.

The game is fun, addictive, and bloody. The controls are the best I've seen in L.O.K. The graphics are beautiful. The audio abilities are just too good to put down. Blood Omen 2 is the real thing. Get it. Now. Go. Do it, Damn it!

• + Kain rocks!
• + When all else fails, you can stick it to 'em dark gift style
• + So much blood, so little time!
• + So many different enemies that can actually fight
• + Great story line
• + Voice acting is superb
• - Kain is a little slow
• - The Soul Reaver isn't as powerful as it should be
• - Still with the block puzzles
• ? What's up with that Moebius statue?
• ? Does he have to be in every game?
• ? Why does Vorador look different?

Overall (not an average): 9/10
I bet this freaks out those guys at the "agricultural" facility