Soul Reaver begins with a gentle run through a training course, where Raziel's main abilities are first encountered. As well as usual moves - running, jumping, and that - he can glide using the shreds of his ruined wings, grab ledges and use weapons. The combat system is remarkably familiar. By holding a shoulder button, Raziel can 'lock' himself to an assailant. He can then rotate, dodge and strike. It's a direct lift from Ocarina of Time, but the battles themselves are a tad more grizzly.

Raziel is an eater of souls, and needs regular feeding to survive. As most of his opponents are vampires, he has to use 'finishing' moves to sever their souls from their bodies - from impaling them with a spear, to setting them on fire. This smacks of a gimmick (and, to a large extent, it is) but Raziel's executioner skills grow with experience. As, indeed, do his other abilities. At set points, he is gifted with new talents that allow him to progress further - like swimming, climbing, and using the titular Soul Reaver sword.

Another feature worthy of note is Raziel's ability to switch between Spectral and Material planes. Superficially, these are one and the same, if rather gloomy in palette terms for the former. Look closely, though, and there are often significant differences between the two. A sheer wall in one dimension can be an all-important pathway in the other, so regular 'plane-shifts' are essential. This, arguably, is the biggest 'lift' from the Zelda series - it was also an integral part of A Link to the Past on the SNES.

Soul Reaver is a vast, sprawling arcade adventure. In places inspired (by Zelda, mostly), and rarely less than professional, it's a PlayStation game that deserves the success its enviable billing will ensure. Thing is, it's difficult to decide who to thank: Nintendo or Crystal Dynamics...