[ Legacy of Kain: The Lost Worlds ]

Movie Rooms

article by Ben Lincoln

 

The "Movie rooms" (they are literally named movie 1, movie 2, movie 3, movie 4, movie5, and movie 6 in the game's data files) were used to create the "visions of the past and future" videos featured in the Chronoplast area of Soul Reaver.

These rooms were my happiest discovery upon examining the builds of the game from late May, and early June, 1999 (see Alpha and Beta Versions. They were not present in any other version of the games I'd ever come across, which led me to believe that perhaps they had only ever existed on systems within the Crystal Dynamics offices, and were likely lost. Their recovery means that for the first time, it is possible to get a detailed look at the areas and try to determine their original origins and perhaps provide answers to theories, or at least additional clues.

The movie 1 and movie 2 rooms appear to be essentially unmodified versions of the initial room in the Underworld, and the Sarafan Tomb.

movie 3 is a copy of Kain's throneroom.

Movie 3 Room
[ Movie3 - 01 ]
Movie3 - 01
       

This room includes the physical Soul Reaver sword, but it quickly drops through the floor upon shifting into the Material Realm.

 

movie 4 is where the truly interesting content begins. This is the room that was used to create the video of The Death of Ariel. It seems to have been made from discarded pieces of Raziel's territory, or the Sanctuary of the Clans.

Movie 4 Room
[ Movie4 - 01 ]
Movie4 - 01
[ Movie4 - 02 ]
Movie4 - 02
[ Movie4 - 03 ]
Movie4 - 03
[ Movie4 - 04 ]
Movie4 - 04
[ Movie4 - 05 ]
Movie4 - 05
[ Movie4 - 06 ]
Movie4 - 06
[ Movie4 - 07 ]
Movie4 - 07
[ Movie4 - 08 ]
Movie4 - 08
   

 

 

movie5 was used to make the video which is believed to depict Raziel at The Pinnacle of The Silenced Cathedral. With access to the full model for the room, the case for this being a part of the Silenced Cathedral is strengthened enormously. It is exactly the right shape, and the textures are identical to those used elsewhere in that area. However, this is clearly a model which does not appear anywhere in the final version of the game. It was either created specifically for the video, or was repurposed from deleted material.

Movie 5 Room
[ Movie5 - 01 ]
Movie5 - 01
[ Movie5 - 02 ]
Movie5 - 02
[ Movie5 - 03 ]
Movie5 - 03
[ Movie5 - 04 ]
Movie5 - 04
[ Movie5 - 05 ]
Movie5 - 05
[ Movie5 - 06 ]
Movie5 - 06
[ Movie5 - 07 ]
Movie5 - 07
[ Movie5 - 08 ]
Movie5 - 08
[ Movie5 - 09 ]
Movie5 - 09
[ Movie5 - 10 ]
Movie5 - 10

 

 

movie 6 was used to create the video which is believed to depict Raziel facing Kain at The Mountain Retreat. This is an extremely elaborate room which I will be adding additional screenshots of. It clearly began as a playable part of the game - there are wall sections with the "climbable" material texture leading to multiple doorways. The level of detail is at least as high as for any playable area in the final version of the game. It may have been intended as part of the retreat all along, or may have been e.g. the entrance to The Undercity and The Temple and been retextured with Kain's symbol when that area was removed.

In the 9 June build, it is possible to trigger a partial battle with Kain in this room, although he appears to be simply using the same logic as for the Chronoplast battle. If he is damaged sufficiently, his model becomes translucent and freezes.

Andrew Fradley kindly provided a screenshot of the area from an unreleased version of ModelEx which ahows more of the detail, including one of the walls with the climbable texture.

Movie 6 Room
[ Movie6 - 01 ]
Movie6 - 01
[ Movie6 - 02 ]
Movie6 - 02
[ Movie6 - 03 ]
Movie6 - 03
[ Movie6 - 04 ]
Movie6 - 04
[ Movie6 - 05 ]
Movie6 - 05
[ Movie6 - 06 ]
Movie6 - 06
[ Movie6 - 07 ]
Movie6 - 07
[ Andrew's image of the room ]
Andrew's image of the room
   

 

 
 
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