this symbol throughout these ruins. I should have realized what it was they worshiped. Now there was no question. For this scene depicted the ancient Vampires' torment and despair as their curse cast them from the Wheel of Fate. So this was the god whose abandonment had driven them to madness and suicide. Finally I understood – it was not their bloodthirst, but their immortality that was the true nature of their enemies' curse. The wisest, strongest, most noble race – gulled by the voice of that old parasite. But I had seen him – and whatever he was, he was no god. Kain, after being presumed dead, returns, and reconciles with Raziel, who willingly enters the Soul Reaver. As he does so, he uses his powers to cleanse Kain of the corruption he inherited at birth as a Pillar guardian. Armed with the ancient sword once again, Kain is able to see and battle The Elder God for the first time, but is unable to destroy him. The story ends as he looks out at the Nosgoth landscape; though uncertain that he can ever restore the world, he contemplates Raziel's sacrifice and the "first bitter taste" of hope it has given him. Cultural impact Merchandise and promotion Several action figures and figurines of Kain have been created by Blue Box Interactive and the National Entertainment Collectibles Association in partnership with Eidos. He featured extensively in marketing for the Legacy of Kain series, including a $1 million advertising campaign for Soul Reaver. Beyond the games, he also appeared in Top Cow's promotional comics for Soul Reaver and Defiance, and was included alongside Raziel as a playable character in downloadable content for 2010's Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Reception Opinion on Kain's character has been largely positive in critical reviews of the Legacy of Kain games. Praise has frequently been directed towards Simon Templeman's voice acting, with IGN, Game Revolution and Adrenaline Vault citing Kain's soliloquies as "both gruesome and entertaining", "the best part [of the game's audio]" and "one of the best stints of voice acting ever recorded" respectively in their assessments of his debut in the original Blood Omen. For Blood Omen 2, although critics expressed disappointment with the game itself, they praised Kain's character nevertheless; GameSpot's Greg Kasavin branded him "a very intriguing protagonist" and "as memorable of a main character as they come", while IGN's