Blood Omen 2 is a third-person action game and the second installment in the Legacy of Kain series. Players control the vampire Kain as he travels through Nosgoth, using combat, stealth, exploration, and puzzle-solving to progress. As the story unfolds, Kain gains new vampiric abilities that allow him to access previously inaccessible areas and confront stronger enemies. The game follows his attempt to regain power and establish control over Nosgoth.

400 years have passed since the vampire Kain damned the world in the original Blood Omen, choosing to rule the world in damnation rather than die for its salvation. Now Kain, who once controlled the land of Nosgoth with his vampire armies, finds his brethren slain and his dark powers stripped by a mysterious figure. To reclaim his rule and exact his vengeance, Kain must dispatch armies of zealot soldiers and overcome legions of demons in order to uncover the ominous plot that threatens the land he seeks to conquer.