On the surface, Code Vein II tends to promise a lot. The beautiful character designs, the post-apocalyptic worldbuilding, the time-traversal between two eras, and a bittersweet tale of making the right choice for the past, so a future can be mended. Such a strong backdrop, right? Yet, all through my experience with the game, these words constantly rang true: “I wish I had lower expectations.”
After all, it’s a promise we often fall for, just as I did. The hope shared by craftsmen who are supposed to deliver powerful stories and tight mechanics. Unfortunately, promise is where Code Vein II meets its demise. There’s little in the name of satisfaction and joy. Mostly, it’s a retrospective on lost potential and how Code Vein IIcould have been a great game.
On the surface, Code Vein II‘s writing shows a lot of depth and development.
The game’s combat and looting system is pretty phenomenal, and I wish Bandai Namco continued to build on those strengths instead of juggling too many things at once.
A Cheat Code in Vein
There is no reason for Code Vein II to be so complex. However, that’s the reality that game design developers often face when they try to shuffle too many talents at once. There’s music, there’s art direction, there’s combat mechanics, yet there’s so little to love here.
Code Vein II’s premise is nothing short of simple, either: You’re a Revenant Hunter, tasked with the sole purpose of restoring peace as you travel between two timelines. How, exactly? Well, you must go back in time to alter key events. This is given to you as a choice, except it doesn’t feel like one. In my time with the game, every decision I made felt unique in the moment but seldom had an impact on the narrative. This felt like a cheat code the writers used in hopes of making sense of the larger picture eventually. Does it, though? Not so much.
Despite its gloomy themes, Code Vein II’s world can look expansive… until you explore it.
This could have been handled better if the writing hadn’t been subpar. Even the dialog between characters struggle with nuance; self-descriptions come off as edgy, lore explanations make little sense, and chemistry between two beings rarely finds a place to call home. If a game is trying to convince me that there are, indeed, two protagonists, perhaps having some kind of relationship between them would be a good idea.
The game’s core systems, like Formae and Blood Codes, are words often thrown around so you can make sense of them. But, just like any worldbuilding philosophy, magic doesn’t need to be explained to feel magical. And if it does, it demands simpler tones. Neither of which holds for Code Vein II, unfortunately.
Code Red for Novelty
Setting aside the game’s storytelling elements, it’s time to piece together the puzzle of its looting and combat system. There’s a lot to pick from: unique weapon types, tons of usable items, their synergies, and upgrades. The Soulslike-loving child in me went, “Ooo, what’s that big sword in there?” every time I explored a new region of the map or defeated an enemy that promised decent loot.
This is where Code Vein II’s strength lies. The looter-slasher mechanics have been explored at length, and never left me feeling dissatisfied. I mostly stuck to dual blades or greatswords, but I’m sure several other weapon types work well towards the endgame content. While gaining new weapons and testing fighting styles is no problem, there’s little to no incentive to acquire new loot. When I was testing out new weapons, I felt good. When I wasn’t, I felt indifferent.
There are endless playstyles to be explored in Code Vein II. Which one will take your fancy?
However—yes, expect a lot of “howevers” in this review—the battle system leaves a bitter aftertaste due to enemy types. See, bosses are excellent; they look sharp, they have interesting movesets, and most of them will give you a really, really tough time. But the mobs? The little minions and ambitiously devilish beings are where the problems start rising. They become repetitive and often exist just for the sake of it. This hurts the level design, too, which we’ll get to in a little bit.
Since enemies reset at every save point, I expect a soulslike game to have decent variety and animations (movesets) that keep the combat interesting when I’m farming for resources, getting to a boss point over and over again, or simply trying out flashy moves after obtaining a new weapon. To play the devil’s advocate here, Code Vein II does have enemy variety; the problem being it’s a vast ocean with little depth.
The Frenemies We Make Along The Way
A big part of Code Vein II’s combat and exploration mechanics is tied to your companion. Every region of the map tells a different tale of history, where once thrived a being who, for lore-based reasons, felt important in the eyes of the world. These beings then become a part of you and move around with you. They fight with you, talk to you, and make sure almost every word that comes out of their mouths fits the game’s lukewarm, edgy tone.
Ignore their words, and they’re a bit more tolerable. Their AI works most of the time when exploring the map, but it may give you a rough time during boss fights. When you cross paths with strong, powerful beings, your companion may just feel lost during important movesets or fail to keep up with your attacks. This happened quite a few times with me, and I stopped expecting much from my allies. Instead, I solely relied on them to revive me when my health ran out.
Combat and conversation often go hand in hand, even if they don’t always synergize well.
Once again, companionship is a loose term here, because your character doesn’t say much and fails to build any significant bonds with these fellow fighters. And even if there may seem to be some chemistry, it feels a bit forced. You’ll most likely notice companions as a change of personality and attacks, rather than a switch in friends or fellowship. I’m unsure why the devs chose to keep companions as an important part of the gameplay, because the difficulty spikes (when they’re not around) can feel quite confusing.
On one hand, you may start relying on your teammate during fights. On the other hand, their unpredictable behavior may keep you from building this trust in the first place. Personally, I would have relied on a solo run instead of counting on their “expertise”, but they are great placeholders for distractions. Use it or lose it, right?
When All Else Fails, Being Unique Helps…?
Code Vein II’s marketing around its style and story leads to a form of hope that’s unfair to players. How could you walk into a game about significant beings (Revenants) without ever seeing the light of day where its narrative shines? Speaking of light, it’s fun to be a vampiristic being who isn’t pulling any punches, even if you have little to no idea as to why they’re able to do so.
As mentioned earlier, Code Vein II shines with its looting and builds. Builds (modified through Blood Codes) can make the experience extremely unique to you, which may not be the case for someone else. My dual-sword-and-shield-wielding hero slashed through enemies, while someone else’s build could have taken slow, heavy hits with their greatsword.
Focusing on my character’s will and motivation helped me progress through parts of the game that otherwise felt dry (lore-wise).
Now, there’s a reason why your builds and characters shine. Not because they’re awesome enough to, but because the rest of the landscape falls short. Between the tones of gray, brown, and black, Code Vein II’s world isn’t something that’ll truly sit in your memory. Every level, to me, felt like a half-designed project that was greenlit a bit too early. Even a golden sneeze of fairy dust in this environment would feel like a breath of fresh air.
It’s not just visual aesthetic, either. Broken bridges, shady corners, and jump-scare enemies are placed in a theme-park-esque environment in the form of dungeons or plot pieces that are yet to be figured out. I found myself lost in many of these regions, and the motivation to explore quickly fizzled out. Usually, when this happens in a game, I look to YouTube videos that can help me figure things out. These are things you can’t really do as a review, so I’ll ask for your sympathies now. Thanks.
An Unlikable Soulslike
Code Vein II’s jumbled mess of an experience is further let down by its optimization. I played the game on a base PS5, and the framerates almost always struggled. Soulslike fans understand the frustration around cameras being locked and messed with during boss fights… now, imagine this with frames that constantly drop, especially during important moments.
I decided (with a lot of courage) to let this slide and focus only on the game. Thus, you have a 1500-word review with 50ish words of complaining about optimization. On top of this, Code Vein II remains a big piece of the puzzle in a world littered with puzzling Soulslike at the moment. Usually, a second entry into a series like this one does something that would surprise fans (in a good way), but I fail to see that happening for Code Vein II.
The interiors in Code Vein II can be captivating, often holding stories and characters you’d want to get to know better.
Modern Soulslike aren’t about repeating the same formula that worked for previous games in the subgenre. They’re more like fragments of imagination built on the foundations of success. Somewhere along the way, Code Vein II’s developers stuck to what felt safe, but let go of ideas that would make it stand out. From a sequel, gamers expect nuance—something, hopefully, Bandai Namco’s next project can deliver.
For now, here are my requests from the third game (if there will be one): Make characters matter. Add life to the world, even with themes built on ideas of death. Incentivize weapons in a way that makes me work towards acquiring them. Improve companion AI. Tie the narrative well with the gameplay systems without forcing anything. Polish the game’s performance before release. But most importantly, believe in a vision that focuses on quality rather than quantity.
Code Vein II remains a big piece of the puzzle in a world littered with puzzling Soulslike at the moment. Usually, a second entry into a series like this one does something that would surprise fans (in a good way), but I fail to see that happening for Code Vein II.
On the surface, Code Vein II tends to promise a lot. The beautiful character designs, the post-apocalyptic worldbuilding, the time-traversal between two eras, and a bittersweet tale of making the right choice for the past, so a future can be mended. Such a strong backdrop, right? Yet, all through my experience with the game, these words constantly rang true: “I wish I had lower expectations.”
After all, it’s a promise we often fall for, just as I did. The hope shared by craftsmen who are supposed to deliver powerful stories and tight mechanics. Unfortunately, promise is where Code Vein II meets its demise. There’s little in the name of satisfaction and joy. Mostly, it’s a retrospective on lost potential and how Code Vein IIcould have been a great game.
On the surface, Code Vein II‘s writing shows a lot of depth and development.
The game’s combat and looting system is pretty phenomenal, and I wish Bandai Namco continued to build on those strengths instead of juggling too many things at once.
A Cheat Code in Vein
There is no reason for Code Vein II to be so complex. However, that’s the reality that game design developers often face when they try to shuffle too many talents at once. There’s music, there’s art direction, there’s combat mechanics, yet there’s so little to love here.
Code Vein II’s premise is nothing short of simple, either: You’re a Revenant Hunter, tasked with the sole purpose of restoring peace as you travel between two timelines. How, exactly? Well, you must go back in time to alter key events. This is given to you as a choice, except it doesn’t feel like one. In my time with the game, every decision I made felt unique in the moment but seldom had an impact on the narrative. This felt like a cheat code the writers used in hopes of making sense of the larger picture eventually. Does it, though? Not so much.
Despite its gloomy themes, Code Vein II’s world can look expansive… until you explore it.
This could have been handled better if the writing hadn’t been subpar. Even the dialog between characters struggle with nuance; self-descriptions come off as edgy, lore explanations make little sense, and chemistry between two beings rarely finds a place to call home. If a game is trying to convince me that there are, indeed, two protagonists, perhaps having some kind of relationship between them would be a good idea.
The game’s core systems, like Formae and Blood Codes, are words often thrown around so you can make sense of them. But, just like any worldbuilding philosophy, magic doesn’t need to be explained to feel magical. And if it does, it demands simpler tones. Neither of which holds for Code Vein II, unfortunately.
Code Red for Novelty
Setting aside the game’s storytelling elements, it’s time to piece together the puzzle of its looting and combat system. There’s a lot to pick from: unique weapon types, tons of usable items, their synergies, and upgrades. The Soulslike-loving child in me went, “Ooo, what’s that big sword in there?” every time I explored a new region of the map or defeated an enemy that promised decent loot.
This is where Code Vein II’s strength lies. The looter-slasher mechanics have been explored at length, and never left me feeling dissatisfied. I mostly stuck to dual blades or greatswords, but I’m sure several other weapon types work well towards the endgame content. While gaining new weapons and testing fighting styles is no problem, there’s little to no incentive to acquire new loot. When I was testing out new weapons, I felt good. When I wasn’t, I felt indifferent.
There are endless playstyles to be explored in Code Vein II. Which one will take your fancy?
However—yes, expect a lot of “howevers” in this review—the battle system leaves a bitter aftertaste due to enemy types. See, bosses are excellent; they look sharp, they have interesting movesets, and most of them will give you a really, really tough time. But the mobs? The little minions and ambitiously devilish beings are where the problems start rising. They become repetitive and often exist just for the sake of it. This hurts the level design, too, which we’ll get to in a little bit.
Since enemies reset at every save point, I expect a soulslike game to have decent variety and animations (movesets) that keep the combat interesting when I’m farming for resources, getting to a boss point over and over again, or simply trying out flashy moves after obtaining a new weapon. To play the devil’s advocate here, Code Vein II does have enemy variety; the problem being it’s a vast ocean with little depth.
The Frenemies We Make Along The Way
A big part of Code Vein II’s combat and exploration mechanics is tied to your companion. Every region of the map tells a different tale of history, where once thrived a being who, for lore-based reasons, felt important in the eyes of the world. These beings then become a part of you and move around with you. They fight with you, talk to you, and make sure almost every word that comes out of their mouths fits the game’s lukewarm, edgy tone.
Ignore their words, and they’re a bit more tolerable. Their AI works most of the time when exploring the map, but it may give you a rough time during boss fights. When you cross paths with strong, powerful beings, your companion may just feel lost during important movesets or fail to keep up with your attacks. This happened quite a few times with me, and I stopped expecting much from my allies. Instead, I solely relied on them to revive me when my health ran out.
Combat and conversation often go hand in hand, even if they don’t always synergize well.
Once again, companionship is a loose term here, because your character doesn’t say much and fails to build any significant bonds with these fellow fighters. And even if there may seem to be some chemistry, it feels a bit forced. You’ll most likely notice companions as a change of personality and attacks, rather than a switch in friends or fellowship. I’m unsure why the devs chose to keep companions as an important part of the gameplay, because the difficulty spikes (when they’re not around) can feel quite confusing.
On one hand, you may start relying on your teammate during fights. On the other hand, their unpredictable behavior may keep you from building this trust in the first place. Personally, I would have relied on a solo run instead of counting on their “expertise”, but they are great placeholders for distractions. Use it or lose it, right?
When All Else Fails, Being Unique Helps…?
Code Vein II’s marketing around its style and story leads to a form of hope that’s unfair to players. How could you walk into a game about significant beings (Revenants) without ever seeing the light of day where its narrative shines? Speaking of light, it’s fun to be a vampiristic being who isn’t pulling any punches, even if you have little to no idea as to why they’re able to do so.
As mentioned earlier, Code Vein II shines with its looting and builds. Builds (modified through Blood Codes) can make the experience extremely unique to you, which may not be the case for someone else. My dual-sword-and-shield-wielding hero slashed through enemies, while someone else’s build could have taken slow, heavy hits with their greatsword.
Focusing on my character’s will and motivation helped me progress through parts of the game that otherwise felt dry (lore-wise).
Now, there’s a reason why your builds and characters shine. Not because they’re awesome enough to, but because the rest of the landscape falls short. Between the tones of gray, brown, and black, Code Vein II’s world isn’t something that’ll truly sit in your memory. Every level, to me, felt like a half-designed project that was greenlit a bit too early. Even a golden sneeze of fairy dust in this environment would feel like a breath of fresh air.
It’s not just visual aesthetic, either. Broken bridges, shady corners, and jump-scare enemies are placed in a theme-park-esque environment in the form of dungeons or plot pieces that are yet to be figured out. I found myself lost in many of these regions, and the motivation to explore quickly fizzled out. Usually, when this happens in a game, I look to YouTube videos that can help me figure things out. These are things you can’t really do as a review, so I’ll ask for your sympathies now. Thanks.
An Unlikable Soulslike
Code Vein II’s jumbled mess of an experience is further let down by its optimization. I played the game on a base PS5, and the framerates almost always struggled. Soulslike fans understand the frustration around cameras being locked and messed with during boss fights… now, imagine this with frames that constantly drop, especially during important moments.
I decided (with a lot of courage) to let this slide and focus only on the game. Thus, you have a 1500-word review with 50ish words of complaining about optimization. On top of this, Code Vein II remains a big piece of the puzzle in a world littered with puzzling Soulslike at the moment. Usually, a second entry into a series like this one does something that would surprise fans (in a good way), but I fail to see that happening for Code Vein II.
The interiors in Code Vein II can be captivating, often holding stories and characters you’d want to get to know better.
Modern Soulslike aren’t about repeating the same formula that worked for previous games in the subgenre. They’re more like fragments of imagination built on the foundations of success. Somewhere along the way, Code Vein II’s developers stuck to what felt safe, but let go of ideas that would make it stand out. From a sequel, gamers expect nuance—something, hopefully, Bandai Namco’s next project can deliver.
For now, here are my requests from the third game (if there will be one): Make characters matter. Add life to the world, even with themes built on ideas of death. Incentivize weapons in a way that makes me work towards acquiring them. Improve companion AI. Tie the narrative well with the gameplay systems without forcing anything. Polish the game’s performance before release. But most importantly, believe in a vision that focuses on quality rather than quantity.
by Tanay Sharma
