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This is a sub-page of Proto:Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PlayStation)/January 23, 1999.

To do:
Everything. Split section into sub-sections as it becomes needed. Need images everywhere.

This article goes roughly chronological, covering the existing material based on what is known of the originally intended level order. Most area names are based on the internal file name, with a more appropriate name to the side when it is relevant.

Underworld

While similar to the final version, there's a few notable changes.

Under1 (Elder God Room)#

Jan 23

Feb 4 - Feb 16

Final
  • The introductory cutscene is extremely rudimentary, only containing a few placeholder shots before ending abruptly.
  • The models used for cutscenes, particularly the swirling blue spiral in the center of the area, is not implemented in any of the alpha builds.
  • The area is overall darker, with some holes in the textures that were filled later on.
  • There is no pedestal present to repeat tips in this build. Its inclusion later on caused the fallen pillar pieces to be moved slightly.

Jan 23

Feb 4 - Feb 16

Final
  • The coloration of the training areas and Under 1-3 is quite different, resulting in a somewhat jarring contrast in tones that was corrected by the next build.

Train2 (Soul Tutorial)#

  • The pedestal in the middle used to have a different design, appearing more blocky with steps. This was redesigned by the next build to be the same as final's, barring minor vertex coloring differences.

Jan 23

Feb 4

Feb 16 - Final

Train6 (Exit to Underworld)#

  • In addition to the tunnel being lengthened, builds after February 16th made the Underworld inaccessible from Material.

Jan 23

Feb

May 12 - Final (Material)

May 12 - Final (Spectral)

Train7 (Underworld Exit Ruins)#

  • The walls sport torches, and there's no climbable wall or health upgrade present yet.
  • The planar portal is completely missing.

Train8 (Water Tutorial)#

  • This room is noticeably smaller and lacks the tutorial found in retail. Combined with the entrance to the Underworld, this seems to indicate the swimming tutorial was supposed to play upon exiting the Underworld as opposed to here, corroborated with the Feb 16th build playing the cutscene for the tutorial there.

Train 9 (Material Realm Fight Tutorial)#

To do:
When was the passage moved? Is the tunnel map piece truly different or just renamed?
  • The passage below contains the entrance to the Lighthouse. This would be moved to nearby the Silenced Cathedral. The corresponding map piece for this tunnel, Train 10, was deleted and renamed.

Raziel's Territory Ruins

Necropolis (Melchiah's Clan Territory)

Silenced Cathedral

Sanctuary of the Clans/The Pillars

Sarafan Tomb

Drowned Abbey (Rahab's Territory)

Ash Village

Oracle's Cave

  • This area is accessible right from Ash Village, rather then being located to its right. Unique to these builds is 'adda1' and 'adda2', which connect Ash Village to the Oracle's Cave area along with having an unused forge on the nearby cliff-side, possibly an older location for the Stone Forge.

Chronoplast

  • There is no looping hallway or visions, instead connecting to the Oracle's Cave via one long hallway with no door blocking it, which was corrected with a placeholder in the February 16th build. Kain is not present in any of these early builds.

Human Citadel

Undercity

Underneath the Human Citadel, accessible from the city 10 and city 11 maps unused in retail, is a cut level known as the Undercity. The internal map name 'underct' consists of 17 maps in all three of these early versions, but the area itself can't be completed without debug cheats due to unfinished coding.

Turel's Territory (Smokestack)