Are you ready to take on the mantle of Kain - the most evil character in gaming history? Blood Omen 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, which was released on PlayStation and PC in 1995. The game will be available on GameCube in January 2003. Crystal Dynamics of Menlo Park, USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eidos, is developing the game.

Four hundred years have passed since the evil vampire Kain damned the world in the original Blood Omen, choosing to rule the world in damnation rather than die for its salvation. Now Kain, who once controlled the land of Nosgoth with his vampire armies, returns to find his brethren slain and his dark powers stripped by a mysterious figure. To reclaim his rule and exact his vengeance, Kain must overcome legions of demons and dispatch armies of zealot soldiers in order to uncover the ominous plot that threatens the land he seeks to conquer.

Blood Omen 2, the latest instalment in the Legacy of Kain Series, is a mission-based action game with a focus on combat and stealth. An engrossing story drives the player through huge lushly detailed 3D environments. Kain starts the game with two supernatural abilities: "Mist" which shrouds Kain in mist enabling him to hide from his enemies, and "Fury" which is a combat special attack. Kain can then acquire new abilities by defeating the corresponding boss enemy that has that ability. For example when Kain kills the boss that uses a jumping ability to attack, Kain then gains the 'Super-Jump' ability enabling him to access treacherous new areas of Nosgoth.

Blood Omen 2 boasts an advanced artificial intelligence system that determines how characters in the game react to Kain. The inhabitants of Nosgoth react to Kain according to how he interacts with them and also according to how he has behaved up to that point in the game. If Kain mindlessly attacks people, this will attract unwanted attention, if he moves stealthily through the shadows the longer it will take for people to realise he is a vampire.

"Our main goal is to create a great, fun, and absorbing fantasy game," says Sam Newman, Producer on Blood Omen 2. "It's also to tell a great story, and to have the player become involved in our characters and our world. This game has what many games lack: a complex and believable world, a compelling main character, an amazing combat system, and a dramatic storyline."

Features:

• You are the vampire Kain - the most evil figure to grace a video game console
  
• Sophisticated combat system including offensive and defensive blocking manoeuvres, unstoppable attacks, nimble combos, and special moves
  
• Supernatural abilities including Mist, Fury, Super-jump, Charm (mind-control) and Speed plus other 'hidden' abilities
  
• Kain has several weapons at his disposal including swords, clubs, daggers and axes each with their own gruesome finishing move
  
• Lushly detailed gothic environment alive with the soon to be dead
  
• Intuitive AI behavioural response, watch peasants and enemy characters flee, call to arms or remain unaware as Kain moves stealthily through crowds or charges sword raised into open areas
  
• Dazzling in-game cinematic sequences that unfold the continuing epic of Nosgoth, and Kain's attempts to ultimately rule over it
  
• The combination of a dynamic action game with its accompanying dark mood and atmosphere makes for an intense and cinematic gaming experience