So Moebius orchestrated all of this to get Janos killed, while Kain orchestrated everything to create two paradoxes (thus two timelines), while apparently this was all a trap set by something called the Hylden?
Well the story was great. Raziel is like a complete paradox in his own being. A champion of free will yet destined to become absorbed by the Reaver. Hated Kain for defaming his Sarafan corpse, only to see it was him who killed both himself and his brothers (for killing Janos, which was only possible thanks to his unaware wraith self), providing Kain with the corpses to revive. Gameplay wise the final confrontation with Raziel was horrible as it's impossible to lose, but the symbolism was great. Not only was it delicious and astute irony, it was also thematic. It showed Raziel renouncing his former self and his humanity, embracing his destiny as a vampire (and appreciating Kain's joke). Only to realize a few seconds later that his destiny is to be trapped in a sword. Poor Raziel
I liked the dialogue and chemistry between Kain and Raziel (they even share a few jokes!), though sometimes the faux-Shakespearean can get a bit excessive (I am thinking of the scene in William's chapel). I very much like how Raziel's view of Kain evolves, to the point where he is even defending his once hated enemy in one or two discussions. Though Kain was definitely the antagonist in Soul Reaver 1, I am not sure what to qualify him as in Soul Reaver 2. He does seem more benevolent but Kain is no less adept at manipulation than the others and I have no doubt he is still ambitious (he even says that the pillars belong to the vampires). Taht said, I liked his motivation. Kain is challenging history and fate in a magnificent time spanning gambit to fulfill his destiny as balance guardian and I'd like to think as emperor who simply doesn't want to rule a dying Nosgoth.
I am not exactly sure how the final paradox happened though. The Soul Reaver probably did not have the ability to steal souls at that point, so Raziel's soul being inside the blade (after the spectral reaver was absorbed) and outside being also absorbed, created a paradox. Why didn't the Reaver absorb Raziel in William's chapel? The only explanation I can think of is that this version of the Reaver was William's, which could not absorb souls at the time. But then why didn't it absorb its spectral self and then try to steal Raziel's soul? Confusing shit, I'd probably need to sit down and rethink the whole thing. But while I am sure that the whole 2 reavers create paradox thing was not really thought out in Blood Omen, it's still expertly crafted because IIRC in Blood Omen, you couldn't kill the nemesis without the reaver.
Things that I worry about. I hope the Elder God doesn't turn big bad evil. Its motivation of preserving the cycle of life and death, creation and destruction, is motivation enough and it made him sympathetic (even if it's likely that he's a parasitic being who draws on the wheel of fate). But when Nosgoth gets worse, he gets bigger and bigger and the demons who suspiciously sound like him, say mockingly "you think you can save Nosgoth?" Meh, I hope they have nothing to do with the Elder. I'd like him to be an antagonist, he can represent the tyranny of fate, time and mortality, or some creature that took on the mantle of enforcing that tyranny (it fits into the themes of the series). But please don't make him big bad evil.
Furthermore, I am not sure I like the implication that Kain was corrupted at birth by Nuprator's insanity. I can accept that his capacity of being the balance guardian was compromised and that in the eye of the pillar, he is corrupted. But I hope that it didn't affect his personality, motivation and desires at all. Same goes to Moebius and Mortanius. I guess they can keep it ambiguous and I'll believe my own interpretation.
