Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2026
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance
Developer Bit Bot Media
Enter the dark world of Nosgoth – Ascendance is a fast paced, 2D action platformer built around fluid combat, vertical movement, vampiric powers, and skill-driven play. From the Steam store page
344 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 7, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
28
Rotten
65 positive · 171 negative
95% range 22–34%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 65 | 171 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
108 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Mostly Negative
135 of 470 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 344 · most liked firstFollow @wario64.bsky.social and repost for a chance to win 1 of 8 Steam codes for Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered (courtesy of @aspyr.com). Giveaway ends December 15th, 6 PM PT. Game is available now on Steam and consoles store.steampowered.com/app/2521380/...
unlabelledView post →The worst thing to happen to Legacy of Kain since Square Enix If you've ever had the misfortune of reading the awful comic 'Soul Reaver: The Dead Shall Rise', then there's literally no reason to play Ascendance. It's a direct adaptation (in most cases a page-by-page recreation) of the poorly written comic with nothing new to offer. And if you’re hoping the gameplay might redeem it, prepare to be disappointed. What you get is one of the most basic and lifeless platformers imaginable: combat…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What madness is this? What pitiful form has this franchise come to inhabit? I am a *diehard* LoK fan, have been since I first played Soul Reaver on the Dreamcast and cannot understate the amount of influence this series has had on me. After almost 25 years, I had never expected this franchise to come back. My friends can attest the squeals of joy I made when I first learned of the kickstarter prequel graphic novel this game was based off of. My boyfriend and I constantly quote the series to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i tried. i really tried. but you throwing me into 2 new characters that have never been established in the lore and expect me to know what's going on ? yeah no, i'm not buying your fanfic of a comicbook to know what's going on with those two. you must be out of your meds if you think you gonna convince LoK fans to derge through the first hour. oh and the gameplay? think of the most basic sidescrolling platformer game you can - this is it.... AVOID if you're a LoK fan/vet and value your sanity.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thanks to this game, I truly do understand the Elder God's words in Defiance, I have come to understand how oblivion can be a mercy.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓃'𝓉 𝓇𝒾𝓈𝑒 As a huge Legacy of Kain fan, it saddens me greatly to leave a negative review, but I simply cannot recommend this game in good conscience. So, there’s basically two sides to all this as far as I’m concerned: the gameplay and the story. Gameplay The gameplay itself is honestly okay, albeit rather basic. A simple pixel art platformer - it's not bad, but certainly not very impressive either. Definitely one of those games that would deserve a mixed rating,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game gave me the bitter taste of that terrible illusion: hope. What in the hell made you think long time fans waiting for twenty years wanted a game about your OC Elaleth. I can't even enjoy a segments about Kain or Raziel with out you shoehorning her in! The only reason I wouldn't request a refund is because you dragged the original voice actors into this. Update: Upon completing the game I feel like Bitbot should make a public apology.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →They just don't get it. This game is made by people who don't understand what made the previous Legacy of Kain games great, let alone understand what makes a game, at the bare minimum, fun. Gameplay wise, it is a tedious slog. The mechanics feel stiff and sluggish, enemies are faster and more acrobatic than you, a vampire. Enemies constantly run away from you to then suddenly jump in from a distance to re-engage and then run away again causing a gameplay loop that is at the same time…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was expecting Raziel or Kain to be the main protagonist(s) of this game, but what I got was mostly Raziel's Girl-Boss Karen of a sister. Not the least bit likeable from the near 90 minutes I played. And the controls are sluggish with really bad hit detection. This game is NOT worthy of the name "Legacy of Kain."
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nah, this ain't it. This is basically just a hallway battle simulator with no meaningful progression system. All the things that made the previous entries special are missing: - no exploration - no atmosphere - no puzzles - and the music feels completely out of place for the LoK setting Which is a shame, because this game could have been great. If it had a semi-open world like Dracula's Castle from Symphony of the Night, which it is clearly inspired by, plus all of the qualities mentioned…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the greatest insult to anyone who grew up with the rest of the series. I couldn't manage more than 20 minutes without it starting to pollute one of the greatest narratives of all time. The rest of the reviews say it all. Don't buy this game. The series was better off dead than reviving it in such a terrible way. The voice talent is wasted on terrible writing. Its as if the writing team never played any of the Legacy of Kain games before. Play the remasters and be happy that this…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A new game for a beloved franchise and it misses so many marks. I'd rather wait another 20 years than get something half baked like this. Sorry. The controls are clunky and not as smooth as other side scrollers (Castlevania, Mega Man, etc..) and the plot is exactly like "The Dead Shall Rise" comic which *isn't good*. If you've read it, you dont need to get this or spend time watching it. Why? Why make a game over a comic? Why not something new like the rise of Kain's empire? Why make a game…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This a terrible game. The lore has been torn apart and shares none of the love and poetry the original script in the games prior had. The combat is slow and uninteresting. I love the franchise, but this game actually made me sad. Just give us Dark Prophecy written by the original writers and then leave the franchise well enough alone!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hello guys :) My favourite Video Game Series are : 🎮 Legacy Of Kain 🎮 Mass Effect 🎮 Resident Evil 🎮 Silent Hill 🎮 Dead Space 🎮 Fallout 🎮 The Elder Scrolls 🎮 Dark Souls 🎮 Metal Gear 🎮 Half Life 🎮 Tomb Raider 🎮 Quake #promosky #gamingsky #gaming
unlabelledView post →I'm not going to dog pile. My expectations were very tempered coming into this game. I wasn't expecting much more than what I got, a retelling of the comic that came out last year with some voice acting. With that in mind I'm marking it positive, for the voice actors and music. It was nice to hear the voices of Michael Bell and Simon Templeman for what might very well be the last time, at the very least I'm thankful for that.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Worlds most c*nty vampire turns into a handsome skeleton, I got my motivation back at 10pm and played ozar midrashim on loop #legacyofkain #soulreaver #raziel #bloodomen
unlabelledView post →If these developers think this is an acceptable final product for a game, they should not be allowed to develop anything else moving forward. The only solace here is that publishers will likely never support another project from this team if given the choice. As far as constructive criticism goes, it’s hard to provide because this is so far from being an entertaining game it’s insane. There is one attack per character you play as. All enemies move with the same slippery, strange walk cycles…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've figured it out. Mathias is a self-insert of the writer, Joshua Viola. Seriously, look up the comic character and his IMDB photo and tell me I'm wrong. He just wanted a hot goth mommy vampire to avenge him. Can respect, but I hate that LoK paid the price. As for the game part, it's pretty bland. Returning voice actors did great, while the newer are serviceable. Music is...well, it's there.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →so, first things first. i knew the story wasn't going to be great. shoe-horning in a secret character into an established story never goes over well. especially when you then attribute every important story event from the past to said new character. i bought this game knowing that, but still wanting to push the franchise forward. without support it simply wont happen. so, the game. it's bland. encourages the least inviting gameplay loop while excluding its own mechanics. stages are hallways…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →From the (Admittedly Little) I Have played So far this game just does not feel Official, it feels like someone's Fan Game, down to the Fanfic-y Writing Gameplay wise it's... I guess it's something, Not really much i can say on that But Hey it's there I Guess I'm Praying this is just here to keep people Interested while they work on A bigger Game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wrote about the TWO new Legacy of Kain projects www.gamespot.com/articles/leg...
unlabelledView post →It's taken me a while to try to review this because I love the Legacy of Kain franchise but I have to speak my mind (CAUTION:SPOILERS, not that it will matter anyways since this game is already bombed and truly deserves it.) So i played through the whole thing with the hope every second that it will get better, it will get better, I gave up as soon as the credits rolled and had to accept my fate. This game is by far the worst game I have played that I had high hopes for. I'm not even going to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mmm. Let's be precise. This won't be spoiler free. I don't need to talk about how "I'm a big fan of LOK" or whatever. Look at my profile pic, for gods sake. Gameplay: Fine, if not simple. It has a classic 90's platformer feel. The parry button is powerful and once you get the timing down it's an essential tool, alongside learning to cancel out of its locked in frames with a dodge. This is jumping, floating, one button fighting, dodging and platforming. It is inoffensive and serviceable. Blood…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Generative AI is the death of creativity. You have slaughtered a masterpiece.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Velociraptor has always been part of my fursona identity. Old artwork back from 2010 as proof! This was sort of my dark/alt side. The color scheme and jagged swirl is directly inspired by Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, which was a big game for me back in the day.
unlabelledView post →You are probably looking at these reviews and thinking: no way the LoK series deserves a rating of "Mostly Negative". So I am going to sum it up in one sentence: Its a crap action game set in a popular franchise. If that is what you are looking for...well...congrats! You found it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lost In Cult x @cookandbecker.bsky.social x Crystal Dynamics present: Legacy of Kain: The Book of Nosgoth official encyclopedia and Legacy of Kain: Scourge of the Sarafan tabletop role-playing game. Back now on @backerkit.bsky.social👇 bit.ly/LoKTTRPG
unlabelledView post →Mediocre 2D platformer with a disrespectful fan fic of the brilliant Legacy Of Kain franchise bolted on to it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For years, fans argued about which game in the Legacy of Kain series was the worst. Legacy of Kain: Ascendance finally settles that debate. This is easily the weakest entry in the franchise - a project with not a single element done right. Even the return of the original voice actors feels off: their performances no longer match the characters they voiced decades ago, and it’s painfully noticeable. Just skip it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I will state the obvious as most are here BECAUSE we are fans of the Legacy of Kain series. I remember taking part in the survey asking about interest in the series again. I was one of those, for better or worse, that backed the Dead Shall Rise comic that this game is unfortunately based on, my name is even included, along with MANY others, in the Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remaster because of it. I even backed the Book of Nosgoth, the Sarafan TTRPG, & bought physical copies of all the “Fallen Brother”…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another Legacy of Kain game is seemingly coming to modern platforms soon. vgc.news/news/another...
unlabelledView post →If you approach an archer, what do you expect them to do? A. Take aim & shoot at you B. Jump around C. Blindly run off ledges D. Both B and C If you answered A before playing this game, you are in for a surprise! Second question, how would you feel if we got a new Star Wars game where you play as Luke and Leia's older sister ... Laura. Laura is a jedi and was behind the scenes, even meets Luke and Leia in the game, despite the movies or books never mentioning Laura. That's how it feels…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are only 2 things I like in this game, Wraith Raziels running animation and the Classic Sound of the Reaver blade soaring when you swing it.. If we are going to talk about everything I Do not like about this game it would take a few hours. This new character diminishes already established lore and puts her self at the center of certain events which tones down the meaningful events that Kain or Raziel experiences down to "it was my idea, i made it happen". Instead of adding into the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's been so long since we've had an installment in the Legacy of Kain series and I REALLY wanted to like this game. Unfortunately this game feels like a sub par retelling of a sub par comic that's held together with bubblegum made from janky mechanics. I got this bundled with the Defiance Remaster and still I feel like I paid too much for it. I cannot recommend anyone spend money on this fanfiction cash grab.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is not Legacy of Kain. The forced retcon to fit the new character is an offence to the series.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A waste of time. Not even as a Legacy of Kain fan can recommend it. THE GOOD: -Most of the original cast -Music overall is fine THE BAD: -The inconsistent art direction. At times there is pixel art, and suddendly 3D scenes that doesn't work quite well togheter. -The gameplay fells really yanky, and the level designs feels amateurish at most (a platformer filled with flies/burning bats/ stuff) -The story is really bad. It seems that it was based on a kinda despised by the community…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is likely to be the longest review for a game I've ever written, and I find that exhausting because there are much better (and worse) games to be spending the time talking about. Nonetheless, this is a new game in a series very close to my heart, and there is an absolute maelstrom of nonsense surrounding it mostly centered around a singular character. If you want me to talk about you know who, I'll be saving it for later, as I'd like the initial bulk to be focused on the actual game in its…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Chilling and Gaming! Join me this evening! Returning to Nosgoth after 2 years! Revived as a wraith! The game I been wanting to play on stream since I started streaming! Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver Remastered Artist @pandabeto.bsky.social www.twitch.tv/scintillavt
unlabelledView post →I expected nothing and still got disappointed... Gameplay and art wise it is a totally generic Castlevania from the 80s, but with worse combat, platforming and music. Repeatable enemies. Not much to do except mash buttons. And the voice acting and writing are not worthy of the Legacy of Kain name. This is the first game I ever refund on steam, but the decision was really fast and easy.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game installers used to be art. #LegacyOfKain
unlabelledView post →This is a perfect example of how to bring a franchise back and then kill it. it's might be the worst platformer I have ever played its like an 80's arcade game where there is objects flying at you all the time. they have shoehorned in a strange new story that kind of breaks the lore. it's really a strange mess don't recommend to fans fo the franchise.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Jim Curry, writer on Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and Akuji: The Heartless, and marketing for Gex and more, has passed away. (Read more: Game Developer)
unlabelledView post →I got as far as one of the NPCs yelling "They fly now?!" and I just can't. Legacy of Kain has some of the best writing ever, now reduced to quoting the bad Star Wars movies. To everyone who worked on this - you failed.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game solely to express interest in the Legacy Of Kain series in the hope that they finally give us what we want, an actual conclusion to the epic begun in Blood Omen and left in a bitter cliffhanger in Defiance. This is not that. It is a mediocre castlevania-like that tramples upon the existing lore, introducing new characters who do nothing for the series but diminish it. Do not buy this game if you want a good time, do not buy it if you remember and miss LoK. I hold out a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TLDR: Even if you were to completely separate this from the LoK series and judge it; it's still just a game that isn't very good. I wanted to believe the negative reviews were toxic fandom. I wanted to believe the negatives comments were misogyny. I wanted them to be the result of bigots and morons. Make no mistake, many of them are, but let's face it, this game fails in every aspect on it's own merits, with or without those crybabies. The fandom seems to be wholly upset about retconning, in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →moral of the story stop making revamps and pointless side stories of characters that didnt exist in the original games and continue the story from defience how it was originally planned its ok for any one that likes castlevania style games but its not legacy of kain
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1+2 Remastered is by far the best way to experience the classic games, but suffers from lack of much needed tweaks to fix some of the older issues. Luckily, it's perfect to play on the #SteamDeck. A copy was provided by Aspyr for review. steamdeckhq.com/game-reviews...
unlabelledView post →This is NOT a Legacy of Kain game. It's not even GOOD fanfiction. This is the Return to Silent Hill of LoK. Feels like there was no one who dared to say "No, this is wrong" with these people. Or maybe there was, but they didn't care cuz they "knew better". I don't even wanna keep playing it cuz hearing our amazing voice actors again after so long in something of this quality is just depressing knowing it'll probably be the last time. This is an INSULT. Just get the remasters for the extra…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're a fan of any of the previous Legacy Of Kain games, avoid this one completely. Not only is it a meh game gameplay wise but for some bizarre reason they decide to retcon so much regarding the plot. Key things that are incredibly important to the entire story of the Soul Reaver games and even onto Defiance are just changed for no good reason. Stick to the remasters this game is not what you're looking for if you're a fan of this franchise.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am a long time Legacy of Kain fan... and the things this game does to the lore is an affront to the story. I cannot state HOW MUCH this ruins the whole game. Paradoxes are created by the interaction of RAZIEL's Soul in the Soul Reaver making contact with itself... this game does not understand this. Furthermore, inserting Elaleth into the storyline and ALSO making her responsible for every major event AND having her interact with the other characters who never mention or remember her later...…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game night! Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Remastered Question for you all! Pecs or Glutes? www.twitch.tv/scintillavt
unlabelledView post →PlayStation Plus Game Catalog | September ▪️WWE 2K25 ▪️Persona 5 Tactica ▪️Fate/Samurai Remnant ▪️Green Hell ▪️Crow Country ▪️The Invincible ▪️Conscript PS Plus Premium ▪️Legacy of Kain: Defiance ➡️ blog.playstation.com/2025/09/10/p...
unlabelledView post →Terrible story aside the game is still terrible. The worst first level Ive played in years Enemy AI that reminds me of movie tie in videogames from the mid 90s Unskippable cutscenes which completely render this game useless to a speedrunners Your attack stops you dead in your tracks Horrible hit detection on everything A parry that I didnt even realize was in the game until I looked at end game stats and realized I didnt parry once Incredibly easy and way too short Boring bosses The game…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tl;dr - Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a clunky, mediocre homage to the SNES (or even NES) days of video games at best, and a subpar game overall. Sadly, it does not live up to the series’ legacy in many ways. Nor do I think Embracer ever gave a damn whether Legacy of Kain would be revived as a series or not. So, I can understand why a lot of folks are giving their impassioned review. While I did not take the final product personally and wish to give a more levelheaded opinion, that does not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a slap in the face to longtime fans of the series. Instead of wasting time on this, they should have worked on a game so the series can have a proper conclusion. But instead why not have a game made essentially from what seems like a fanfic.... Seriously... I had some semblance of hope that finally LoK has returned. The level design was mediocre. Combat was comBAD. It was nice to hear beloved Michael and Simon, but the voice acting did not fit at all. Maybe the dead shall stay dead.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Chuck Zimmerheld @chucktowski.com reviews Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, the first original Legacy of Kain game in over 20 years. giantbomb.com/reviews/lega...
unlabelledView post →With new legacy of Kain stuff being announced just wanted to share some of my fav pieces I’ve made over the years Genuinely one of my favourite game franchises and I’m glad to see it get the love it deserves #legacyofkain #soulreaver
unlabelledView post →The Lost in Cult Legacy of Kain encyclopaedia and role playing game are live on Backerkit! I am the writer for the TTRPG portion of this project www.backerkit.com/c/projects/l...
unlabelledView post →The video game franchise Legacy of Kain is getting a *checks notes* TTRPG that uses *checks notes again* MORK BORG.
unlabelledView post →the other game of the year nominees didn't have Raziel from Legacy of Kain in their games. possible correlation?
unlabelledView post →
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