The last breath of Legacy of Kain brand under the wings of Square Enix. Nosgoth was to be something special

Previously, we delved into ‘Legacy of Kain: Dead Sun’, a title that marks the sixth addition in the Legacy of Kain series, created by the Climax Studios team. Simultaneously with this game’s development, another project was underway as well.

Originally conceived as a multiplayer aspect for “Dead Sun,” which unfortunately got canceled, Nosgoth instead blossomed into a standalone project by Psyonix. Despite never being released, it progressed significantly beyond Climax Studios’ game. Let’s explore its development journey.

Nosgoth torn by conflict

In Nosgoth, the narrative may take a backseat compared to other games within the Legacy of Kain series. However, developers made an effort to weave an engaging story within a dark fantasy world that is familiar to long-time followers of Kain and Raziel.

Following Raziel’s execution and the activation of the Chronoplast, Kain, the vampire ruler, appeared to abandon his dominion. This absence sparked a civil war among the blood-drinking clans. Taking advantage of this power vacuum, the people gradually regained power, rebuilding their civilization. The rebellion grew so strong that they eventually took the offensive, expanding their control over various regions of the land.

As the danger escalated, the vampires, eager to address it, would reach a consensus and unite under a single flag, marching together to combat their disobedient servants. Unbeknownst to us, we found ourselves smack in the midst of this grand conflict.

Free portion of blood

Initially, it was intended that the game Nosgoth would be distributed for free with optional in-app purchases. The team behind Psyonix had designed a multiplayer action game as a spin-off from the popular Legacy of Kain series.

The core element of the game revolves around multiplayer confrontations featuring humans versus vampires. What sets this game apart is the ability for players to switch allegiances, granting them an opportunity to understand the unique advantages and disadvantages of each faction. Given the stark differences between bloodsuckers and humans, moving from one side of the conflict to another offers a richer gaming experience.

A vampire is a man to another vampire

The main contrasts between humans and vampires can be seen in their combat tactics. Vampires excel in close-quarter fighting, while humans prefer to use ranged weapons at a distance. We have a variety of character classes available on both sides of the conflict.

In different scenarios, some might choose to send an explorer with a bow, a sorcerer hurling spells, or a marksman wielding a crossbow into combat. However, vampires prefer to use a stealthy assassin, a dominating monarch, or an airborne guardian in their battles. It’s beneficial to stick with one role because, over multiple games, a specific job accumulates experience points, granting access to advanced gear and abilities.

When it comes to vulnerabilities in humans versus vampires, close combat with vampires might make them more exposed or susceptible targets. However, humans possess a limited supply of ammunition, which they’d need to replenish at designated locations. On the other hand, only vampires are capable of flying, scaling objects, or swiftly attacking people using their fangs and claws.

It wasn’t immediately clear which side to take in the dispute, theoretically speaking. However, in reality, the local vampires showed people a grim taste of the Middle Ages, so the triumph of the other side was quite impressive.

Real blood war

In the game Nosgoth, there will be two distinct gameplay styles incorporated: The initial one is reminiscent of a traditional Deathmatch, in which both human and vampire characters engage in combat, with their primary objective being to eliminate each other and accumulate as many points as feasible. Victory would be achieved by the team that first reaches the predetermined point threshold or, if neither team achieves this goal before the countdown ends, the team with the most points would be declared the winner.

In the second game setting, called Flashpoint, players take on roles as either humans or vampires. Humans aim to seize control points scattered across the map, while vampires work tirelessly to thwart their efforts. The challenge intensifies with a countdown timer; if vampires can hold onto the control points for a specific duration before the time runs out, they emerge victorious.

Nosgoth Timeline

In May 2013, we received word informally about a project titled Nosgoth. It wasn’t until September that an official announcement was made. When followers of the brand learned that Square Enix intended to venture into the realm of free-to-play multiplayer games, they didn’t try to conceal their dismay. Given that everyone likely anticipated another single-player dark adventure, this news probably came as a surprise.

However, despite developers and the publisher not giving up, they invited chosen players to test their creation during closed alpha tests at the end of 2013. Approximately a year afterward, open beta testing for the game Nosgoth began in January 2015, allowing anyone interested to participate.

The results indicated that the game Nosgoth was unlikely to thrive. Critics in the gaming industry gave this project unfavorable reviews, pointing out its limited content or issues with gameplay balance. Moreover, its connection to the Legacy of Kain brand, which was more symbolic than substantial, and the technical glitches it encountered were significant factors. Despite these drawbacks, the game demonstrated some promise due to its visually appealing graphics and engaging gameplay mechanics.

Despite Square Enix having faith in the project’s success, they ultimately chose to discontinue it. In April 2016, a Japanese publisher announced that the Nosgoth servers would be terminated on May 31, 2016. The official game forums, however, were deactivated on June 14th of the same year. Consequently, any remaining traces of this game were eliminated.

What happened next?

Following the termination of Nosgoth, Square Enix chose not to discuss or explore the possibility of resurrecting the Legend of Kain brand any more. It wasn’t until December 2024 that we finally saw its return with the release of the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered collection.

Nevertheless, the team responsible for this venture, Psyonix, was yet to achieve its most significant triumph. Their creation, Rocket League, debuted on PC and PS4 in 2015 and eventually expanded to other platforms, ultimately securing worldwide commercial success.

2025-02-27 04:03