Code Vein II: Refined Combat, Familiar Shadows – A Review

The Soulslike genre — difficult action games built on the formula established by FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series — is a common sight these days, but back in 2019, when the first Code Vein came out, they were few and far between. Code Vein had the notable descriptor of being the “anime Soulslike” thanks to its unique art style. The sequel, Code Vein II, expands on the story and gameplay of the original, but like its predecessor, it simply hasn’t stepped up to be one of the better Souslike games.

Code Vein II is a sequel in name only and doesn’t connect directly to its predecessor, save for the return of vampire-like undead Revenants who make up most of the cast — except for the player. As an unnamed Revenant Hunter, players are ultimately tasked with doing some time traveling to save the world, befriending heroes in the past and then striking them down in the present for the greater good.

While that does make the story more interesting, this sequel still doesn’t have enough substance to both satisfy fans of the Soulslike genre and bring non-fans into the mix.

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Did I hit a vein?

Code Vein II makes use of the traditional action-RPG formula found in most Soulslikes. You equip weapons such as one-handed swords, giant swords, dual swords, hammers and halberds, and proceed to kill enemies using combos of light and strong attacks. At your disposal are Forma items that can be added to your weapons that act like abilities or spells, which use Ichor, the mana pool for your character. There are also flavorful finishers called Jails that can be used to do some huge damage to enemies when they’re staggered, or drain Ichor when deployed any other time.

Combat has the same feel as other Souslikes, relying on tight timing to dodge enemy blows and get in counterattacks, but it’s sometimes difficult to tell what kind of attack is coming your way, which is a glaring flaw. Going back to the originator of the genre, Dark Souls made sure enemy animations had telegraphed which style of attack was incoming, giving players ample time to get out of the way.

Where most of these issues become noticeable is with the bosses. As is the case with a Soulslike game, Code Vein II has some big bosses with powerful attacks requiring players to approach the fights with some strategy, as simply pressing attack over and over again will not suffice. Yet it almost never fails that in a battle, there will be some attack causing damage without any visual indicator. Also, not every boss is unique, as you’ll see weaker versions of them later in the game roaming around the map.

More frustrating is that, seemingly due to the post-apocalyptic sci-fi setting, some enemies have attacks that you just can’t see coming. There is one field boss that is built like a four-legged tank and can shoot from double turrets, but the bullets can barely be seen before they hit the player. This means you’re stuck blocking the attacks. Other bosses have similar issues where it’s tough to tell the reach of an enemy’s attack, making it easy to mistime a dodge and get hit anyway.

Code Vein II’s most unique addition is the Partner System, which is a different take on the summoning-a-computer-ally options found in other Soulslike games. Players meet other characters throughout the story who will join them as partners, typically after winning their friendship through tasks and trials. These allies will have a segment of the player’s lifebar dedicated to them, and they’ll act on their own in battle using their own abilities and attacks. This partner not only helps deal damage and tank hits from the enemy, but they can also revive you when your health is depleted, although they will disappear for a certain amount of time — a neat last-ditch survival mechanic that gives players just enough time to land a last blow.

If you don’t want to deal with a partner or are having trouble with a boss and want to try a different strategy, you can try Assimilation, or absorbing your partner. By doing this, your character gets the whole lifebar to themselves as well as buffed stats, but you’re on your own. I found myself struggling against a particular boss when I had my partner with me, but when I went on my own, the fight seemed easier. It can help to have another target for certain bosses, but there are likely players who will prefer to absorb the boosts and handle enemies themselves.

Speaking of stats, each partner offers their own Blood Code, which are equippable artifacts that improve the player’s stats and provide other positives and negatives to their abilities. Equipping them and defeating enough enemies will level them up to improve their buffs, and wearing the matching Blood Code that your partner gave you will stack an additional boost.

If that sounds a bit convoluted, it is. The systems in Code Vein are noticeably more complex than other Soulslike games that focus on a few primary stats for your character and a handful of other secondary stats that determine other attributes, such as how many hits you can take before being stunned or how fast you can cast a spell. There are so many explainer pages that pop up when exploring your character’s stats page within the menu, and it’s just exhausting after a while. I’m not saying it would be better to only see the absolute minimum of character stats, but there is a point where a screen full of numbers is too much.

Can someone decode this?

While the stat system for Code Vein II is a bit convoluted, the story is seemingly both complex and sparse. In the world of Code Vein, humans and Revanants, a human-like species with vampiric abilities, coexist in a post-apocalyptic future that is about to be destroyed. A cataclysmic event called the Resurgence, once prevented by the sacrifice of many heroes who sealed themselves away in cocoons, has returned to threaten the destruction of the world again.

The player takes on the role of a human who dies trying to save innocents, and a Revenant named Lou revives them by donating half of her heart. She’s part of an organization called MagMell that is trying to use time travel to save the world. Those former Revenant heroes who once sealed away evil need to be defeated to stop the Resurgence.

However, in the present, they are locked in their cocoons and can’t be touched. So it’s up to the player to travel back in time 100 years to when these heroes were thriving. Each one has their own personal story and motivations, and the players will have to help them to eventually learn what’s needed to defeat them in the present.

The addition of time travel offers some emotional moments in the game, especially as you bond with heroes in their past, knowing they’ll end up doomed and corrupted in the present, but there is still just so much going on regarding the Resurgence and the world. Yet none of that nuanced character growth has any real weight or adds to the story — it felt like I’d emotionally connect with partners through their tragic stories and then defeat their final versions, only to never see their impact on the plot again. The world itself changes quite extensively when going back in time, but there’s simply not enough of that narrative substance to chew on.

The environmental storytelling is so minimal, and aside from the primary cast of characters, there’s nothing really of interest to explore — mostly just areas filled with items, enemies to fight and a handful of optional dungeons. Typically, Soulslikes offer a vast world filled with little details that help piece together an extensive backstory littered with legendary events and fated battles, just as it did with the Dark Souls games, but that’s just not the case with Code Vein II. After some time, I found myself playing on autopilot, not bothering with every nook and cranny in the world, and just caring solely about gaining levels, completing quests and getting loot. The game’s world is huge, but there’s no worldbuilding. There’s no explanation about some building full of monsters other than one character saying monsters took over that building. The world is just so empty of context for the protagonist and their quest.

As for Code Vein II’s presentation, it’s well-done, but not really exceptional. The designs of the characters and enemies include some delightfully grotesque designs and do satisfy the “anime” aesthetic the franchise is known for, but the world is kind of drab and boring — a standard post-apocalypse that nature is slowly reclaiming. The English voice acting works well, and the music is fine yet not really memorable.

When it comes down to it, Code Vein II improves on the original game for a better experience, but the original was lacking to begin with. Fans of Soulslikes will be satisfied with a quality title, though it will be frustrating at times. Casual players who don’t seek out the difficult experience of these types of games, however, will find very little reason to give Code Vein II a try.

Code Vein II comes out on Friday for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles and will cost $70.