Part 22

Following the intro, we jump right into the game.

Right around the corner, we discover some Sarafan...

...and make short work of them.

We need to get further inside the Stronghold - so, having learned some of Raziel's tricks at some point...

...and as seen in the intro, we also retain Mist Form, allowing us to pass through gates and the like.

Just like BO1.

Captive:
"Help me! Help me!"

Kain:
"Shh..."

Captive:
"Oh please, no..."

Kain:
"From time to time it is necessary to feed. And the unusual event of a feast prepared by the Sarafan must be savored."

Proceeding through the jail, we come to...

...this shiny thing. Collecting these extends Kain's (or Raziel's) health or mana. So we want them.

Another of Kain's new tricks is the ability to break walls that're already cracked.

But as he does so...

Sarafan Archer:
"What was that?"

Kain quickly grabs him using his telekinetic abilities...

...pulls him from the ledge...

...and onto this spike. Effective!

But on the other side of the room...

Kain:
"The touch of water was like acid to a vampire. I had to find another way to pass."

It seems Raziel has one-upped Kain in this regard.

Once again, the solution is a simple bit of jumping and climbing.

Kain his this nifty floating ability, now, too - he can glide much like Raziel can.

Shortly, we come to this curiously sealed door.

Kain:
"This passage undoubtedly led to the Time Streamer."

Kain:
"My prey was nearly in my grasp."

Kain:
"But the door had been sealed by a blessed barrier."

Kain:
"As I approached, the Reaver resonated in response."

Kain:
"Perhaps its dark sorcery could dispel these holy barriers."

Striking the barrier with the Reaver produces a response:
Kain:
"As I suspected, the Reaver was not yet powerful enough to shatter these barriers. But there was something to this..."

So for now, we'll have to take the only other available route.

Kain steps into a courtyard and finds himself confronted with 3 out of reach archers.

So we hurl two over the ledge in back of them, where we're treated to some delightful screams as they fall what must (judging by the duration of the scream) be one hell of a long way down...

...and pull the last off the ledge on this side, where we can kill him ourselves and replenish our health.

We come next to this courtyard, featuring a statue of Malek.

We can't do anything here just yet - but we'll be back.

We proceed, and a door slams shut behind us.

Kain:
"Locked. What a love of doors these pathetic humans have."

Hmmm.

Kain:
"This emblem was unmistakably of Vampire origin, and designed to enhance the Reaver's power."

Kain:
"But this coincidence seemed too convenient; Moebius clearly meant for me to find it."

Sure enough...

Sarafan 1:
"Sound the alarm!"

Sarafan 2:
"Vampire!"

Sarafan 3:
"Don't let him escape!"

Sarafan 4:
"Surround him!"

Sarafan 1:
"Surrender, fiend, and we will promise you an easy death."

Kain:
"I could promise you the same, but it would be a lie."

Killing his foes easilly, Kain finds another of these curious doors on the side of the room.

Kain:
"This barrier had a curious resonating effect on the Reaver."

Now that the Reaver has been enhanced by the emblem we came across earlier, the barrier shatters under the force of a blow.

It seems our passage through to Moebius is now secured.

On our way back...

One common puzzle type in the game involves having to do something to the environment with telekinesis.

In this case, we're going to tear down this column.

This allows us a platform to jump to and allows us to reach the balcony above.

We make our way back through mostly places we've already been to, and come at last to this door.

Shattering the ward with the Reaver, we proceed inside...

...and find a deep catacomb.

Oh, this. Can't leave this out. This has got to be the shittiest jumping puzzle any game has ever thrown at me in recent memory, particularly this early in the game when you're still trying to get the hang of the controls and the shitty fucking camera.

First order of business is to tear down these stones and make something to jump on.

No problem there. The problem comes in that once you jump, the camera has a tendancy to shift to a new angle, which royally fucks your jump. This would be a lot easier on a PS2 with an analog controller, but with a keyboard, this is a shitfest.

Aww hell.

Loading, please wait...

Aww hell.

Loading, please wait...

This goes on for several minutes, till the player finally tears themself away from the SR1/SR2/BO2 control scheme and sort of gets the hang of this one, and manages to master the fucking camera.

As an aside, I don't mind difficult games - in fact, I like them difficult. But when it's the controls or the camera that makes a game difficult, that's not cool. This is my one beef with this game, but fuck, it is a huge one. The learning curve for controls alone compared to the others is ridiculous.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest...

Past the jumping puzzle, we come to this door. A blast of telekinesis on this switch above it opens it, and...

Watch it here:

Video - Kain finds Moebius

We find Moebius talking to someone - seemingly himself (though we can deduce he is in fact communing with the Elder God).

Moebius:
"Yes... I understand..."

Moebius:
"...it will be done... the stage is set..."

Moebius:
"You needn't linger in the shadows, Kain."

Moebius, very unfriendly:
"It has been a long time, hasn't it?"

Kain:
"No banter, Moebius. You know why I'm here."

Moebius:
"Yes...Raziel. You sought to introduce your own pawn into this game, and now he's been swept from the board."

Kain:
"By your hand, I suspect. Where is he?"

Moebius:
"Perhaps you should ask "when"?"

Moebius, thoroughly enjoying himself:
"How humiliating it must be for you to come begging at my doorstep for answers."

Kain:
"Enough wordplay-"

Kain draws the Reaver.

Moebius:
"Don't threaten me, Kain."

Moebius uses his staff, and Kain falls to the floor, dropping the Reaver, clutching his chest.

Moebius:
"You see? I have the upper hand."

Moebius:
"How remarkable that the great Kain should succumb to the scepter's power like any common vampire."

Moebius:
"Still so arrogant after all these years - thinking you've devised some brilliant plan."

Moebius:
"You know nothing. You have read the signs but missed their meaning."

Moebius:
"You believe you are that myth of Vampire prophecy - the Scion of Balance - and that Raziel holds the key to fulfilling your destiny."

Moebius:
"But your messianic delusions have blinded you to Raziel's true nature. You have no idea what you've unleashed."

Kain reaches for the Reaver in vain.

Moebius:
"There was a time when you might have heeded wise counsel when it was offered."

Moebius:
"Now, your vanity has made you witless. You will have to learn the truth for yourself."

Moebius kicks the Reaver back to him.

Moebius:
"You'll be needing this."

Moebius:
"Your strength will return after I have departed. But by then, you will have more urgent concerns than pursuing me."

Moebius:
"Perhaps, when we next meet, you will have learned a little humility."

Moebius departs, and Kain stands. Suddenly, some shadow creatures spring into being.

Kain:
"These strange creatures seemed to manifest from the very shadows..."

Kain dispatches them easilly.

Kain:
"Moebius' attempt at stopping me was not one of his better efforts."

Kain:
"When I found him, it would be my turn to offer a few surprises."

Next time: We see what Raziel is up to.