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Legacy of Kain: Defiance
70 Score
Action · Adventure · Platformer

Legacy of Kain: Defiance

Crystal Dynamics  /  December 15, 2003  /  Rated Mature

Data last updated July 24, 2026

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Released

2003

Publisher

Square Enix

Time to beat

~1 hrs

Community

2,080

Legacy of Kain: Defiance is an action-adventure with a focus on the puzzles and the battles developed by Eidos. The game is the fifth and the last installment in the LoK series.

Gameplay

The series share a common mechanics — the third-person view, and the abilities mechanics — the protagonist can shapeshift and use various spells. However, Defiance brought new elements into the franchise as it implements the exp system meaning that skills and upgrades for powers can be bought for the points you gain through the progression further. Defiance is also strictly linear — there is no actual open-world and player is forced to complete the stages and chapters one by one in the given order.
Another difference is playable characters — this is the part in which player can gain control of Kain and Raziel. The last difference is the weaponry: both Kain and Raziel possess only Soul Reaver in its different iterations — the previous games featured a more extensive variety.

Plot

The title is the direct successor of Soul Reaver 2. The story centers around Kain saving Raziel and encountering Moebius the Time Streamer for the explanation of what is happening after the time paradox in the world of Nosgoth's. The characters are out for a quest of sticking Nosgoth out of the troubles they inflicted on it.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance is a 2003 action-adventure video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows. It is the fifth and final chronological game in the Legacy of Kain series.

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recommended
46.58%
exceptional
33.56%
skip
10.27%
meh
9.59%

Available on GOG · Steam

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