Proto:Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PlayStation)

This page details one or more prototype versions of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PlayStation).

To do: Fully cover the many alpha and beta prototypes, along with the Fire Glyph demo. Go into more detail for the debug menu changes between the May-July builds. Get screenshot comparisons for every map change throughout the builds for less work later, along with a map list to help with formatting. The wiki covers many aspects. Cover the Apr 14th prototype

Soul Reaver had a bit of a tumultuous development cycle. Initially intended to be released late 1998, the game underwent significant delays that resulted in multiple areas, bosses, and abilities in being cut. Prototypes have emerged over the last few years, helping to shed light on this content.

Note: While not entirely correct terminology, the community around Soul Reaver commonly refer to the builds between January and February as the 'Alpha' builds, and the builds starting from May as the 'Beta' builds, so it is used here.

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Demos

Lighthouse Demo The earliest prototype, included in many demo discs.

Alpha Builds

January 23, 1999 The earliest full prototype, containing a lot of deleted material.

February 4, 1999 Prototype

• First build with voice files present.

February 16, 1999 Prototype

• Some cutscenes now have audio.
• Raziel's back has a flipped polygon in-game, resulting in a hole.
• Only version known to have part of Kain's Retreat implemented, albeit lacking textures for the throne room.

Beta Builds

Apr 14, 1999 prototype

• Demos and cheats are present as options from the main menu. The demos menu options appear to be a placeholder however and can't be selected.
• The undercity, retreat, and smokestack areas are still present as levels in the debug menu, but the files themselves have been removed from the game. Certain cut elements however are in a more advanced state, indicating more work was put into them before being excised.
• Many areas are in the process of being relocated to their final areas, leading to many broken room connections.

May 12, 1999 Prototype

• One of the first prototypes recovered, origin unknown.
• Undercity, Turel's Lair, Kain's Retreat and most of the Forges have been removed. A few testing areas and the Fire Glyph demo area are still present.
• Chronoplast visions have not been recorded, and simply display the Crystal Dynamics logo as a placeholder.
• The title screen is closer to the final game, but has a mountainous background behind Raziel.

June 1, 1999 Prototype

• First beta with the movie rooms used to create the Chronoplast visions.
• After slaying Ariel in the Chronoplast vision, the Reaver turns red and black as opposed to orange.
• Debug menus are disabled in this, the June 10, June 18, July 2, and July 14 builds, but can still be accessed with cheat codes.

June 18, 1999 Prototype

• Movie rooms and testing areas are removed.