- Publisher: Crystal Dynamics
- Release Date: Mar 31, 2026
- Also On: PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox Series X
- Summary:
- Developer: Bit Bot Media
- Genre(s): Action, Platformer, 2D
- # of players: No Online Multiplayer
- Cheats: On GameFAQs
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
-
Positive: 1 out of 15
-
Mixed: 10 out of 15
-
Negative: 4 out of 15
-
Mar 31, 2026Legacy of Kain: Ascendance does a great job at bringing us more Legacy of Kain lore, a new character and some interesting mechanics. After the Defiance remaster, I was not expecting to see yet another Legacy of Kain game being released, especially one that’s new. I think this is a great addition to the series, and the game does an excellent job at introducing Elaleth, along with some other characters. The story will be very familiar to fans of the series, and it certainly adds some nuanced stuff I did not expect to see. Moreover, the gameplay is very fast paced, engaging, even if at times it can become frustrating if you opt for a higher difficulty level. If you want to acquire all achievements, you will get quite a bit more gameplay out of the game, as it can take you 7-10 hours depending on the play style. Even if the game’s story is short, I found it very fun, and I am looking forward to replaying on a higher difficulty level, to spot any lore that I missed along the way.
-
Apr 15, 2026Like its cast, Ascendance struggles awkwardly against the tides of a fate already written in a stone. It's saved by some incredibly evocative music, presentation, and a genuine love for its forebearers – even if it shows that love in clumsy and sometimes baffling ways.
-
Apr 20, 2026Legacy of Kain: Ascendance isn’t that bad of a game. But it’s also likely not what fans were waiting for. Having three characters to play through twelve levels sounds good. But all three play similarly and they aren’t evenly featured—with Kain only playable once or twice. Legacy of Kain: Ascendace is okay. But longtime fans will be left still waiting for the next big game in the series.
-
Mar 31, 2026Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a chaotic mishmash of varying aesthetics and styles – a decent side-scroller wrapped up in a storyline that leaves a bad taste in my mouth and feels out of place within the series’ legacy. The enjoyable soundtrack and the final (?) return of Kain and Raziel aren’t enough for me to recommend this game.
-
Apr 7, 2026More than twenty years after Defiance, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance proves to be a bitter disappointment. Instead of honoring the saga’s complex narrative background, Bit Bot Media’s title offers a clumsy retcon that resembles terrible fan fiction. In terms of gameplay, we are presented with a banal 2D platformer—devoid of any real challenge—that can be completed in under three hours, all while cycling through inconsistent art styles and an annoying soundtrack. This is decidedly not the title we deserved, especially after such a long wait.
-
Apr 6, 2026Legacy of Kain: Ascendance arrives at a delicate moment for the franchise. After years of silence broken by the positive reception of the remasters, fans expected a high-quality return worthy of the series — but what they received was a title that seems to underestimate the very legacy it carries in its name.
-
Mar 31, 2026It's such a disappointment that I'm worried this will kill any chance of us getting a meatier Legacy of Kain game—but at the same time, given how Ascendance sets up Elaleth's further adventures, it might be better if Kain and his pals go back into their coffins.