After 23 years, Legacy of Kain is back with a chunky retro platformer featuring M-rated pixel gore and "lore-heavy" PS1-inspired 3D for the true Kain sickos

News
By published

It might be a step short of a full series revival, but Legacy of Kain: Ascendance looks very cool

Two characters clash in key art for Legacy of Kain: Ascendance
(Image credit: Crystal Dynamics)

Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered made its debut at today's Sony State of Play, but it's not the only bit of news for fans of the long-dormant action-adventure series. We're also getting the first new series entry in decades in the form of Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, a retro-style 2D platformer telling a brand-new story.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is set to launch on March 31, 2026 across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, Switch, and PC. It features three playable characters with series mainstays Kain and Raziel being joined by Elaleth, a vampire previously introduced in the recent graphic novel. Each has a unique playstyle, and the chunky, M-rated pixel gore adds some flair to the visuals.

Ascendance is being developed by FreakZone Games, a studio with a long history of solid retro action titles – most notably including the Angry Video Game Nerd game. But the big focus this time is on story, as Ascendance features an array of anime-style cutscenes with much of the original voice cast, including Michael Bell as Raziel, Simon Templeman as Kain, Anna Gunn as Ariel, and Richard Doyle as Moebius.

While the game is mostly made up of 2D pixel art, there are also 3D segments inspired by the PS1 era – appropriate given the series' origins. A press release says these bits are "lore-heavy sequences that reward fans of the Legacy of Kain mythos," so it's clear the target audience is the most hardcore members of the long-suffering fandom.

Dustin Bailey
Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.