Telekinetic force projectiles

Telekinetic force projectiles
Abilities article
Telekinetic force projectiles in Soul Reaver.
Introduced in	Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999)
Appearance(s)	Soul Reaver Soul Reaver 2

"This relic has infused you with the power to compress and manipulate space. As your symbiotic weapon, the Soul Reaver is also thus enhanced. You may focus and project an orb of kinetic energy to strike objects that are otherwise beyond your reach."

―Elder God

Telekinetic Force Projectiles, also known as Force Projectiles, Force Bolts or simply Telekinesis, was a basic telekinetic ability acquired by Raziel in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and used subsequently in Soul Reaver 2.

Profile

Telekinetic Force projectiles were first featured as an earned ability in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, where the ability was apparently evolved with the telekinetic abilities of the vampire Turel and his clan, the Turelim, in the events of Soul Reaver.^{[Soul Reaver]} When Raziel ventured into the Tomb of the Sarafan in Chapter 6, he discovered and fought Revived Adult Turelim, the Tomb Guardian. After he defeated the guardian a relic appeared, which granted Raziel the ability to fire telekinetic projectiles.^{[Soul Reaver/9]} Once gained, the ability allowed Raziel to aim and shoot a bolt of compressed telekinetic energy when unarmed (used like regular the projectile attacks of standard weaponry), which could be used to interact with the environment by breaking windows or moving blocks and to temporarily stun enemies; though not kill them, unless knocked onto a nearby environmental hazard. The ability also upgraded the Wraith-blade in such a way that when armed with the Reaver, it would shoot similar Reaver Bolts - these were apparently stronger than the ordinary projectiles, but still lacked the ability to kill outright unless imbued with elemental Fire.^{[Soul Reaver][Soul Reaver/9][Soul Reaver manual (US)][Soul Reaver manual (UK)][Soul Reaver strategy guide (Prima)]} Raziel would continue to use the ability throughout Soul Reaver, initially using it to move a far away block and reach a passageway to the Drowned Abbey.^{[Soul Reaver][Soul Reaver/9][Soul Reaver/10]}

• Soul Reaver 2 Force Projectile shot

1/2

Force Projectiles were retained in Soul Reaver 2 as an innate ability along with Reaver bolts. As before, Raziel could manually aim and shoot Telekinetic Force Projectiles to temporarily stun enemies or interact with certain objects or windows. If unarmed Raziel would fire ordinary force projectiles, but if armed with the Wraith Blade he would switch to firing Reaver bolts, several of which had their own special attributes.^{[Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2 manual][Soul Reaver 2 strategy guide (Prima)]}

In Legacy of Kain: Defiance the telekinetic abilities of both Raziel and Kain are superseded and united as the common ability 'Telekinesis(TK)'. Raziel's TK is notably lessened and projectile based compared to Kain's, but would be upgraded by the death of Turel to become Enhanced telekinesis bringing Raziel's TK abilities level with Kain's. Reaver bolts were absent entirely. ^{[Defiance][Defiance manual][Defiance strategy guide]}

Behind the scenes

About one third of the way into the game, Raziel will need to seek out the secret area which will give him a new projectile ability. Raziel can gather a ball of telekinetic energy and shoot the sphere out at enemies or other objects. On impact, the bad guys (and other pushable objects) are shoved backward. Fragile or breakable elements (e.g., windows, wooden barriers) are shattered by the impact of the force projectile as well. The projectile itself does no damage, but enemies can be forced into damaging or fatal environmental elements (e.g., slammed into a wall, pushed off an edge into water, pushed into fire, spikes, etc.).

―PSM issue 19

About 1/3 of the way into the game, Raziel acquires a new projectile ability - when otherwise unequipped (i.e., not carrying another item, and the Soul Reaver is not active), Raziel can gather a ball of telekinetic energy by holding the N button. The "force" projectile can be auto- or manually-aimed, like any other projectile. When the N button is released, the sphere of energy shoots out - on impact, enemies (and other pushable objects) are shoved backward. Fragile or breakable elements (e.g., windows, wooden barriers) are shattered by the impact of the force projectile.

The projectile itself does no damage, but enemies can be forced into damaging or fatal environmental elements (e.g., slammed into a wall, pushed off an edge into water, pushed into fire, spikes, etc.).

―Steve Starvis (Eidos)

Notes

• The Telekinetic Force Projectile is given several similar names; sources referred to it as Telekinetic Force Projectile(s),^{[Soul Reaver manual (US)][Soul Reaver manual (UK)][Soul Reaver 2 manual]} Force Projectile(s) and Force Bolts.^{[Soul Reaver 2 strategy guide (Prima)]}
• Both the Adult and Fledgling Turelim Vampires possess the ability to fire telekinetic projectiles,^{[Soul Reaver]} with clan leader Turel also having powerful telekinetic abilities.^{[Defiance][Defiance/10]} The Adult and Fledgling Rahabim fired similar appearing blue projectiles which not actually telekinetic, but were composed of a "kind of foul water bubble".
• The Telekinetic Force Projectile gained by Raziel in Soul Reaver comes from a Relic which appears after defeating the Tomb Guardian; and not by the consumption of his soul. This is highly unusual because all other abilities in the game (barring the Wraith Blade) are gained by consuming souls and the Tomb Guardian being a Turelim vampire presumably had the ability as well.^{[Soul Reaver][Soul Reaver/9]}
• When Raziel first discovered the ability to fire force bolts in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, he used two hands to fire them,^{[Soul Reaver]} but by Soul Reaver 2 he had become proficient enough to only use one^{[Soul Reaver 2]} - the same distinction is later used in Legacy of Kain: Defiance to highlight the difference between Raziel's and Kain's telekinetic abilities; with Kain using one hand whilst Raziel used two.^[Defiance]
• The originally planned ending to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver had the Telekinetic Force Projectile superseded by the more powerful Amplified Force Projectile ability, gained when Raziel defeated and consumed the soul of Turel, but this ability was removed from the final game along with Turel himself. Soul Reaver game files do feature is another less impressive Telekinetic Force Projectile style ability and it is likely that upon the removal of the Amplified ability, Raziel was given that ability and the ordinary ability was instead removed. Legacy of Kain: Defiance would feature the spiritual successor to the Amplified force projectile as Raziel finally defeated and consumed the soul of Turel to gain a slightly modified as 'Enhanced telekinesis', which brought his Telekinetic abilities level with Kain.^[Defiance]

See also

• Turelim
• Amplified force projectiles
• Reaver bolts
• Telekinesis (Blood Omen 2)
• Telekinesis (Defiance)
• Enhanced telekinesis
• Soul Reaver: Earned Abilities at Dark Chronicle (by Ardeth Silvereni ).

References

This article is about the Telekinetic projectile ability fired by Raziel when unarmed in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2. For the related Wraith Blade enhancement, see Reaver bolts. For the Telekinetic abilities presented in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, see Telekinesis (Defiance).