The City of Lost Children
In 1998, Silicon Knights filed a suit against Crystal Dynamics for rights to the "Legacy of Kain" IP, requesting an injunction to prevent Crystal Dynamics from marketing the sequel. The two studios settled their legal dispute privately, and Crystal Dynamics and Eidos retained rights to the "Legacy of Kain" franchise, provided that "Soul Reaver" acknowledge Silicon Knights as the series' original creator. "Paradise Lost" was the original inspiration behind the concept, and sources such as Rabbinic lore, vampire mythology, Eastern myth and mysticism were also key influences. Visual cues were borrowed from films such as "The City of Lost Children" and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari", and H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. "Soul Reaver" was highly anticipated despite several delays, and was promoted on the covers of over ten game industry magazines, but schedule pressures forced Crystal Dynamics to cut content from the ending sequence. They intended to integrate the removed material into the sequel. "Soul Reaver 2" was inspired by time travel fiction and Kurt Rudolph's research into Gnosticism. It was slated to include more of "Blood Omen"'s role-playing game aspects and a wider breadth of acquirable abilities, though the team was handicapped by the release of the PlayStation 2.