<s>
Blood	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Crystal	O
Dynamics	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Eidos	O
Interactive	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Application
,	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
GameCube	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
fourth	O
title	O
in	O
the	O
Legacy	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kain	I-Application
series	O
and	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Blood	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
:	I-Application
Legacy	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kain	I-Application
,	O
with	O
Blood	O
Omen'''s	O
protagonist	O
,	O
the	O
vampire	B-Application
Kain	O
,	O
returning	O
as	O
the	O
central	O
character.Blood	O
Omen	O
2	O
chronologically	O
bridges	O
the	O
stories	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Blood	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
and	O
Legacy	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kain	I-Application
:	I-Application
Soul	I-Application
Reaver	I-Application
,	O
but	O
it	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
an	O
alternate	O
timeline	O
created	O
by	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Centuries	O
after	O
Blood	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
,	O
Kain	O
is	O
opposed	O
by	O
traitorous	O
vampires	B-Application
and	O
the	O
minions	O
of	O
The	O
Sarafan	O
Lord	O
,	O
and	O
sets	O
out	O
to	O
continue	O
his	O
ascent	O
to	O
power	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Crystal	O
Dynamics	O
 '	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
team	O
began	O
to	O
produce	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
a	O
secondary	O
crew	O
started	O
work	O
on	O
Blood	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
2	I-Application
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
sought	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
more	O
action-focused	O
entry	O
in	O
contrast	O
to	O
the	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
games	O
 '	O
emphasis	O
on	O
puzzle-solving	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
product	O
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
,	O
becoming	O
a	O
Sony	B-Device
's	I-Device
"	I-Device
Greatest	I-Device
Hits	I-Device
"	I-Device
title	O
,	O
but	O
received	O
average	O
reception	O
,	O
with	O
critics	O
citing	O
its	O
lower	O
production	O
values	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
innovation	O
relative	O
to	O
the	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
games	O
as	O
flaws	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
vampire	B-Application
,	O
Kain	O
,	O
refused	O
to	O
sacrifice	O
himself	O
to	O
restore	O
the	O
Pillars	B-Application
of	I-Application
Nosgoth	I-Application
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
Blood	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
:	I-Application
Legacy	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kain	I-Application
,	O
thus	O
damning	O
the	O
Pillars	O
and	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Nosgoth	O
to	O
an	O
eternity	O
of	O
depravity	O
and	O
decay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
his	O
refusal	O
,	O
Kain	O
built	O
a	O
vampire	B-Application
army	O
with	O
Vorador	O
's	O
help	O
and	O
attempted	O
to	O
conquer	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Four	O
hundred	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Blood	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
:	I-Application
Legacy	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kain	I-Application
,	O
Kain	O
awakes	O
in	O
Meridian	B-Application
,	O
Nosgoth	O
's	O
industrial	O
capital	O
city	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
greeted	O
by	O
a	O
vampire	B-Application
called	O
Umah	O
,	O
who	O
informs	O
Kain	O
that	O
he	O
has	O
been	O
asleep	O
for	O
two	O
hundred	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
hundred	O
years	O
before	O
,	O
Kain	O
's	O
conquest	O
of	O
Nosgoth	O
had	O
been	O
opposed	O
by	O
an	O
army	O
of	O
vampire	B-Application
hunters	O
called	O
the	O
Sarafan	O
Order	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Sarafan	O
Order	O
destroyed	O
Kain	O
's	O
army	O
,	O
and	O
Kain	O
himself	O
was	O
defeated	O
in	O
combat	O
by	O
their	O
leader	O
,	O
the	O
Sarafan	O
Lord	O
who	O
then	O
claimed	O
the	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
from	O
Kain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Employing	O
'	O
Glyph	B-Application
magic	I-Application
 '	O
-	O
a	O
new	O
kind	O
of	O
magic	O
,	O
deadly	O
to	O
vampires	B-Application
-	O
they	O
have	O
hunted	O
the	O
remaining	O
vampires	B-Application
to	O
near	O
extinction	O
:	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
several	O
vampires	B-Application
have	O
agreed	O
to	O
serve	O
the	O
Sarafan	O
out	O
of	O
self-preservation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Umah	O
is	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
Cabal	O
,	O
an	O
underground	O
resistance	O
movement	O
formed	O
of	O
vampires	B-Application
and	O
working	O
to	O
undermine	O
the	O
Sarafan	O
at	O
every	O
turn	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Cabal	O
hopes	O
that	O
Kain	O
will	O
destroy	O
the	O
Sarafan	O
Lord	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
traitorous	O
vampires	B-Application
that	O
protect	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kain	O
sets	O
out	O
to	O
get	O
his	O
revenge	O
,	O
reclaim	O
the	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
sword	O
from	O
the	O
Sarafan	O
Lord	O
,	O
and	O
continue	O
his	O
ascent	O
to	O
power	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
Raziel	O
's	O
soul	O
was	O
not	O
absorbed	O
into	O
the	O
physical	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
,	O
an	O
alternate	O
history	O
was	O
introduced	O
into	O
Blood	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
their	O
arrival	O
they	O
created	O
an	O
Industrial	O
Age	O
,	O
hunted	O
the	O
Vampire	B-Application
race	O
to	O
near	O
extinction	O
,	O
and	O
domesticated	O
humanity	O
through	O
harsh	O
martial	O
laws	O
and	O
overbearing	O
taxation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
Glyph	B-Application
magic	I-Application
is	O
used	O
to	O
power	O
Nosgoth	O
's	O
industrial	O
revolution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
surviving	O
vampires	B-Application
serve	O
the	O
Hylden	O
through	O
espionage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kain	O
is	O
then	O
told	O
to	O
seek	O
out	O
the	O
Seer	O
,	O
a	O
witch	O
that	O
lives	O
on	O
the	O
outskirts	O
of	O
Meridian	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Seer	O
explains	O
to	O
Kain	O
that	O
the	O
glyph	B-Application
magic	I-Application
that	O
is	O
supplying	O
Meridian	B-Application
with	O
power	O
is	O
also	O
being	O
used	O
to	O
power	O
The	O
Device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kain	O
does	O
not	O
know	O
Janos	O
yet	O
,	O
but	O
learns	O
he	O
is	O
the	O
last	O
true	O
ancient	O
vampire	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Janos	O
explains	O
to	O
the	O
gathered	O
vampires	B-Application
the	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
Hylden	O
and	O
their	O
plan	O
to	O
invade	O
Nosgoth	O
via	O
a	O
Hylden	O
Gate	O
,	O
located	O
in	O
the	O
ancient	O
Hylden	O
city	O
across	O
the	O
Great	O
Southern	O
Sea	O
from	O
Meridian	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Janos	O
cannot	O
transport	O
the	O
vampires	B-Application
there	O
immediately	O
as	O
the	O
city	O
is	O
protected	O
by	O
a	O
magical	O
barrier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
two	O
exchange	O
words	O
and	O
the	O
Hylden	O
Lord	O
attempts	O
to	O
strike	O
Kain	O
down	O
with	O
the	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
,	O
but	O
is	O
stopped	O
by	O
the	O
Nexus	O
Stone	O
that	O
protected	O
him	O
from	O
Kain	O
's	O
similar	O
attack	O
200	O
years	O
ago	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Hylden	O
Lord	O
grabs	O
Janos	O
and	O
throws	O
him	O
into	O
the	O
imploding	O
vortex	O
and	O
turns	O
to	O
Kain	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
now	O
in	O
possession	O
of	O
the	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Hylden	O
Lord	O
and	O
Kain	O
battle	O
one	O
final	O
time	O
,	O
but	O
armed	O
with	O
the	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
and	O
with	O
the	O
Nexus	O
Stone	O
gone	O
,	O
Kain	O
easily	O
defeats	O
the	O
Hylden	O
Lord	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Hylden	O
Lord	O
,	O
in	O
his	O
dying	O
breath	O
,	O
assures	O
Kain	O
that	O
the	O
war	O
between	O
Vampires	B-Application
and	O
Hylden	O
will	O
never	O
be	O
over	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
Demon	O
Realm	O
ensures	O
the	O
immortality	O
of	O
the	O
Hylden	O
race	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DevelopmentBlood	O
Omen	O
2	O
was	O
not	O
produced	O
with	O
the	O
involvement	O
of	O
the	O
Soul	B-Application
Reaver	I-Application
crew	O
,	O
instead	O
being	O
created	O
by	O
a	O
new	O
team	O
at	O
Crystal	O
Dynamics	O
under	O
the	O
direction	O
of	O
Glen	O
Schofield	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Xbox	B-Application
version	O
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
other	O
console	O
versions	O
received	O
"	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AllGame	O
gave	O
the	O
PS2	B-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
versions	O
three	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
saying	O
of	O
the	O
former	O
,	O
"	O
Even	O
with	O
the	O
ordinary	O
combat	O
and	O
rather	O
tedious	O
puzzles	O
,	O
Blood	O
Omen	O
2''	O
still	O
manages	O
to	O
be	O
compelling	O
enough	O
to	O
keep	O
you	O
playing	O
to	O
the	O
end	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
testament	O
to	O
the	O
overall	O
presentation	O
and	O
varied	O
locales	O
"	O
;	O
and	O
of	O
the	O
latter	O
,	O
"	O
Less	O
demanding	O
players	O
will	O
be	O
more	O
tolerant	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
repetitive	O
nature	O
,	O
while	O
others	O
will	O
yearn	O
for	O
something	O
juicier	O
to	O
sink	O
their	O
teeth	O
into.	O
"	O
</s>
