Ballistics Report

Performance:
Soul Reaver runs at 1024x768x32 on my testbed Celeron 400 / TNT2 16meg just fine. Given that this is an excellent looking game, and it runs great in a pretty cheap system at an ideal resolution, we can't really ask for anything more, now can we? You don't even need a 3D card to play this bad boy, though not having a 3D card these days is like having a burrito without sour cream.

Graphics / Sound:
Soul Reaver is one of those games that makes everyone stop and look. "Oooh," they'll say, "he's impaling that guy." We live in a sick society, folks. There's always some sort of eye-candy going on, and it generally doesn't feel forced, which is always a bonus. Also, the cutscenes and pre-rendered scenes are always good lookin' or downright gorgeous. The sound itself is nothing interesting, but the voices recorded for the cutscenes are done fabulously and are quite fun to listen to.

Innovation:
There's nothing particularly innovative about Soul Reaver's gameplay; it's pretty standard console fare. No, what earned it high marks in this regard is the wonderfully written story, and the intelligent and oft-chilling dialogue. I truly haven't seen writing this good in a game in a long time. In fact, if there were a Legacy of Kain book, I'd probably buy it.

Learning Curve:
It's a console game - you jump, you slash, you kill. Actually, there's more to it than that, but it's all taught to you well in the start of the game / training phase. Games that do this always make me happy - well-integrated training is something every game should have. What drags down the score here is the necessity to learn the eccentricities of the camera in order to properly control Raziel. It's a real pain.

Game Play:
Soul Reaver is generally a pretty fun game to play. It's pretty simplistic but not TOO simplistic; there are puzzles that break up the jumping and fighting, but aren't too frustrating, and, well, kicking hell out of vampires (literally, I'd imagine) brings joy to anyone's eye. Only non-camera-related gameplay irritant is that there are a few rooms that rely on the challenge of "jump right or do it all over again." This is a big pet peeve of mine, and it's made harder with the awkward control brought by the camera.

Multiplayer: N/A
No dice. Some "who can suck (souls) harder" multiplayer action might've been neat, but we'll never know.