Introduction

Welcome to our Let's Play of Legacy of Kain: Defiance, commentated by marasamune and myself. I'll be playing the PC version of this game, using an Xbox 360 controller bound to keyboard commands, since trying to play with the default keyboard setup is a huge pain in the ass.

Defiance is the fifth game in the Legacy of Kain series, released in late 2003 by Eidos for PS2, Xbox and PC. Previous games in the series include two Blood Omen and two Soul Reaver games, each starring characters Kain and Raziel respectively. While the previous games focused on one character alone, Defiance allows you to play alternately as both.


Kain is a vampire, and has been for many centuries. While he began Blood Omen looking relatively human, by the events of Defiance he has evolved to take a more demonic form. He's gained numerous vampiric powers like the ability to turn into mist, bats, or use telekinesis. Kain wields the material Soul Reaver sword, which has through time been possessed by numerous other people including Raziel and the Sarafan Lord.


Raziel was one of Kain's vampire lieutenants, until he evolved wings first. Kain broke Raziel's wings and cast him into a swirling abyss, where the water disfigured his vampire body and left him twisted and frail. He eventually awoke in a cavern beneath the abyss, where the Elder God explained that he'd spared Raziel from dying. Raziel became a wraith, needing to feed on souls to nourish the Elder God's hunger. After the Soul Reaver bound to Raziel during a fight with Kain, has wielded a spectral version of the sword.



People have been flip-flopping on their preferred host, so while the first few videos were put up to Viddler and people claimed they'd like Gamevee better, by the 12th video people apparently like Viddler more. So we're slowly working on getting the videos up on both sites, but it'll be patchy for a while. For now, any videos with a "[*]" after the part number have alternate hosts.

Level 1: Intro - Part 1 - Part 2
The first level of Defiance introduces you to Kain, and acts as a tutorial for the major gameplay mechanics. The goal of the level is to track down Mobius within the Sarafan Keep, while in turn restoring some power to the Soul Reaver via vampire relics.
The sound and video quality on this first video are fairly terrible, and I apologize. All these problems are cleared up by the second video.

Level 2: Intro - Part 1
The second tutorial level aims to get you used to playing as Raziel, and how his gameplay differs from that of Kain. Your goal is to escape the clutches of the Elder God, and make your way out of the ethereal realm. This is a relatively short level with somewhat sporadic commentary due to the large number of cutscenes.

Level 3: Part 1 - Part 2
We're back with Kain for the third level of the game, continuing through the Sarafan Keep and being introduced to a little more puzzle solving and a lot more action. In this level we also gain the Fire Reaver for Kain.

Level 4: Part 1 - Part 2
Raziel gains two new elements for his spirit Reaver in the fourth level, which takes about an hour to get through even on the best days. We're shown that Raziel's all whacked up in the future, and get our first taste of Reaver temples which are soon to become our bane.

Level 5: Part 1
In the fifth level, Kain obtains another part of the Balance emblem and kicks a whole bunch more ass with the Dimension Reaver. The level concludes in us progressing to the Vampire Citadel that will be featured in level 7.

Bonus: Part 1
Quick and dirty video to show a missed health rune, and a few of the cheats featured in the game.

Level 6 Part 1: Part 1
First half of Raziel's sixth level, in which we imbue the Reaver with the power of fire.

Level 6 Part 2: Part 1 - Part 2
Continuation of Raziel's sixth level, including the addition of the air Reaver to our collection and our departure for Vorador's Mansion.

Level 7: Part 1 - Part 2
Kain ventures into the vampire citadel in order to obtain another Reaver emblem, being the Lightning Reaver.

Level 8: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4
Vorador's Mansion can go fuck itself with various Hylden weapons. This MARATHON level consists of 1 hour and 33 minutes of video where Raziel obtains only one new Water Reaver power.

Level 9: Part 1
Kain's continuation through the Vampire Citadel that concludes with us obtaining the final piece of the Balance emblem and also leaving for Avernus Cathedral.

Level 10/11: Part 1
Level 10 takes us to Avernus Cathedral with Raziel, in which we receive the Earth reaver and face our first true boss fight. Also included in this video is the short level 11, including even more jaw-dropping action.
Edit: Evidently I didn't cut out the commentary on the final Mortanius cutscene. I'm aware that I'm a retard and forgot to cut out the commentary from over the final Mortainius cutscene. My apologies, but here's the cutscene re-recorded.

Level 12: Part 1
Raziel returns to Vorador's Mansion after leaving Avernus Cathedral with Janos' Heart of Darkness. However things are not as he left them, and shit has truly hit the fan.

Level 13: Part 1
The game begins to draw to a climax as Raziel and Janos arrive at the Vampire Citadel just as the bindings begin to fail. Raziel is given a trial, but not told it's purpose.

Level 14: Part 1
Holy balls on a cracker there is so much contained in this one level that you'll be scraping stuff out of your underwear for the better part of a week.

High resolution screenshots of all concept/rendered art:
http://ben.binaryiv.com/games/defiance/bonus/

Outtakes/Behind-The-Scenes videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bTT39cTZVI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS0Ks_ph5go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1p033rLKew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_mhON42HmE


Fanart
By Sangoeil