10 Alternate Video Game Endings That DRASTICALLY Change The Story

Legacy of Kain is fondly remembered by those who indulged in its particular brand of gothic fantasy. The series' signature blend of Shakespearean vampires, Zelda-esque puzzles and glorious melodrama won the heart of many a moody adolescent back in the day, and its two-decade absence continues to be a sore spot among the fandom.

Still, it could be worse - had LoK's developers continued with their original ending, the series would have finished at the halfway point.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, the second of what would eventually be a four-game saga*, sees blue-skinned vampire Raziel hunting down his former master Kain (both of whom are pictured above). It's this pursuit that provides the backbone for the rest of the series, which means the plot would have been severely truncated has developers Crystal Dynamics gone with the original ending. Rather than Kain escaping through a convenient portal (as he does in the actual ending), the original had Raziel kill his former master, devour his soul, and wipe out every vampire in existence - including himself.

Conclusions don't come much more definitive than that, so it's a good thing the developers decided to keep the chase going so we could enjoy two more entries of high-concept vampire fang-fiction (sorry, terrible puns are this writer's dark urge).

* If there are any Kainanites moaning "But there are five Legacy of Kain games!", Blood Omen 2 is being ignored because it is a) a side story and b) crap.