Later Beta build
This version is almost identical to the retail of Soul Reaver. However, it still has a debug menu with limited options and ability to walk on air. Some textures, dialogue and music are different from the retail. Screenshots from this version can be found in this gallery.
List of features/glitches
- the game can be played from the beginning till the end, it does not freeze,
- it has a title screen from the early beta with changing characters,
- FMV and introductory cutscenes are those from the retail,
- spectral music is present, but still lacks the puzzle type (except Ruined City), Dumah Encounter and Underworld battle prototype version are no longer present (Drowned abbey is still a prototype),
- there is a music glitch when shifting to spectral when music is changed (a second of combat music is played before),
- flying is possible along with walking on air and walking through the walls,
- altered Debug menu is present with lesser options than in the earlier build, it can no longer be activated while walking on air,
- some of the dialogue and cutscenes are different (after defeating Melchiah and Zephon), the camera angles are distinct too,
- some of the textures are badly applied (Razielim Territory, Silenced Cathedral, Necropolis), some of them are missing (gate leading to Dumahˈs throne room),
- the glow of health coil is green,
- Glyphs are working but the amount of Eldritch energy stops at 24 (Sunlight Glyph consumes 16 orbs of energy, Fire Glyph 8, etc.) and Sound Glyph actually kills,
- getting the Sound Glyph is tricky, after ringing the bell, the bell disappears and the Sound Glyph keeps flying back and forth in the room but it is obtainable,
- after killing Morlock, there is a floating Force Glyph which Raziel obtains instead of an orb in the retail,
- Zephon takes more life and slashing his pouch with claws does not trigger laying an egg, his legs must be attacked first, his legs stay in motion even after his death,
- Zephonˈs sidechambers work and their purpose is to replenish Razielˈs health in the spectral realm because the main chamber has no souls to devour except two wraiths, however itˈs dangerous to go to the soul-dispenser rooms, because Zephon will attack Raziel remotely with his claw,
- phase through gates covers less distance,
- the order of the Warp gates when selecting them is different,
- Fire Reaver kills on a touch, has no finishing move, but the design of the projectile is finished now, it makes a fiery sound when swung,
- animation when imbuing the Reaver is awkward,
- the Reaver has a finishing move,
- the Reaverˈs projectile hurls the Sluagh away from you and makes them „bleed“ (they turn red),
- enemiesˈ projectiles have green colour,
- location of some enemies and weapons is different (there are Dumahim in the Lighthouse area, etc.),
- cutscene with the vampire wraith still occurs at Razielim Territory,
- Raziel needs shift at will to get to the Water Glyph, there is no planar portal after phasing through the fence in the channel,
- cocooned humans are now dead in the Cathedral and it has only one opening now,
- the pipes in the Silenced Cathedral are destroyed (room with the vampire hunters),
- Raziel opens the pipes with his left hand instead of right one in the retail,
- Raziel does not look at his enemies, he looks for destroyable or movable objects instead,
- weapons and the Reaver disappear during the cutscenes, but Raziel´s stance remains the same, as he is carrying them,
- Dumah has a taunt from the early build,
- Ruined City has a black sky in the room with Dumahˈs movable statue,
- the Chronoplast visions have a different look, the order of the future events is as follows: Raziel stands in the opening with a white and red Reaver, Raziel confronts Kain at his Retreat, Ariel is devoured,
- the Chronoplast chamber is much lighter, there are different camera angles, the Chronoplast portal consists of a whirling brown mass, there is no infinity symbol on the ground after going through the portal, and there is no cutscene immediately after Kainˈs escape,
- it has the shorter version of credits,
- staves put on ground are placed vertically,
- souls of the found dead vampires hover above their corpses infinitely and can not be devoured,
- there is a bug when descending hot air – Raziel will get „stuck“ and descend very slowly if you release his wings,
- weapons of vampire worshippers can no longer be picked up,
- during a cutscene, Raziel is placed not in the middle where he was standing (like in the abyss or sanctuary) but slightly to the right,
- there is Underworld material realm version music playing in the Underworld when starting a game
- sometimes thereˈs a sound glitch when Raziel slides on a wall or when an enemy burns in the water
Retail version features/glitches
- the most polished version,
- the flying bug is still present (PC and PS versions only, fixed in Dreamcast)
- no Debug Menu,
- no walking on air,
- the title screen is changed,
- Fire Reaver now looks and works differently,
- various objects and enemies are placed differently,
- snow and rain are wrongly executed – it snows or rains only at half screen unlike in the previous betas,
- most of the areas are now much darker (Chronoplast, Cathedral, etc.),
- music is distinct too and it has been completed (some tracks available in the betas are missing though),
- some of the cutscenes and angles during them have been altered from the previous beta,
- the order of the Chronoplast visions is changed from the previous beta,
- a very rare bug can occur, it will cause Raziel to walk very fast,
- phase through gates now covers a medium distance,
- sometimes there´s a sound glitch when Raziel slides on a wall or when an enemy burns in the water,
- thereˈs a glitch when enemies die sometimes – they die and reanimate immediately,
- during a cutscene, Raziel is placed not in the middle where he was standing (like in the abyss or sanctuary) but is placed slightly to the right
Screenshot Gallery
Title Screen
Side chamber
Zephon´s claw
The pot is not lit
Glitchy bell
Misplaced textures
Force Glyph appears after killing Morlock
Different stain glass texture
Early Fire Reaver
