Code Vein was quite the surprise when we first played it. While it might have seemed like a generic, anime-inspired RPG on the surface, it hid a surprising amount of depth to both its story and combat, despite going light on its Soulslike mechanics in the interest of keeping this accessible to a wider audience.
And it seems like Bandai Namco is now gearing up for round two, with a sequel set to hit the ground running in 2026. If you’re curious about what Code Vein 2 brings to the table, or are excited to dive back into a standalone story set in the bleak yet fascinating universe that was set up in the first game, we’ve got a few things you should be aware of.
It’s time for some more Code Vein!
1. A New Cast For A New Adventure
Since it isn’t a continuation of the story from the first game, it only makes sense for Code Vein 2 to have an entirely new cast of characters for you to meet and set out on missions with. And they’re shaping up to be quite an interesting bunch.
You step into the shoes of the nameless Revenant Hunter and meet folks like Lou MagMell who acts as both a guardian and a guide, and members of prominent families in the world, each with their own quirks and eccentricities. But it’s Lyle McLeish who has our attention, his reckless nature and penchant to take big risks seemingly tying very well into his combat loop.
2. New Weapons
While one handed and two handed weapons like swords, halberds, spears, and others make their way to the sequel from the first game, new weapon types offer a bit of change. The Rune Swords look quite potent as the right tools for players who like to do massive damage with their hits while tanking enemy attacks.
The dual swords seem perfect for players who like to close gaps quickly and then create them after dealing some excellent single-attack damage or AoE attacks that can be quite effective against multiple foes. They’re interesting enough to warrant learning their movesets, which is always good for a game that leans heavily on its combat.
3. No Multiplayer Coop
If you were excited about diving into the adventure with a friend at your side like in the first game, you’re in for a surprise as this one’s a purely single player experience with an AI companion accompanying you on your adventures.
Although that’s certainly a bummer, we’re hoping that the experience is solid enough to keep us entertained on our own. It might just add a bit more challenge to the game which is always a good thing in a title that comes with a few familiar Soulslike mechanics. It’s unknown whether the developers are going to add in support for multiplayer coop at a later time but it’s a solid guess considering its popularity in the original game.
4. A Solid Combat System
Code Vein 2 seems set to retain its excellent combat system from the original game, albeit with tweaks that further refine the experience it offers. That’s very good news since the first game had a lot going for it on the combat front, with the potential for some very powerful builds and combos that make short work of any opposition.
However, with a relatively blank slate allowing the game to introduce a few enemies that aren’t afraid to hit back, combat could be a lot of fun in the sequel. It seems set to continue on a similar path to the first, which is great news for those of you who liked unleashing your most devastating moves.
5. A Bigger, Better World
While the original Code Vein did well to give us the illusion of a larger world, it did have its limitations with fairly linear level designs with only slight deviations for exploration. That’s an area that Code Vein 2 is slated to improve, with a more refined and well-defined focus on exploring the new world you’re presented with.
With a new approach to how you interact with a larger, more detailed world that we’re going to be elaborating on, this one might just take things up a notch and give us more of what put it on the map in the first place.
6. Improved Animations
Among the additions to the combat system from the first game is a new set of animations that are aimed at making your moves flow smoothly from one another as you seamlessly switch between your weapons and unleash your full might on anyone standing in your way.
It’s a solid change that should help Code Vein 2 build on the solid combat of its predecessor, and is going to work well with the other additions that are coming along.
7. Improved AI Logic
Another important change to the combat system is going to be a revamp of AI behavior, which was among the few drawbacks of the first title. Improvements to the AI logic could help offset the lack of multiplayer coop, with your companion making better use of potential synergies between your movesets in the heat of battle.
It’s going to be interesting to see if the new AI can make up for the lack of a human companion, a facet of the experience that could bring a lot of bad publicity if the game doesn’t get it right.
8. New Locations In A New World
With a clean slate as far as its narrative is concerned, the game is slated to take us to some interesting new locales as part of the new adventure. The MagMell base, for instance, is where you begin the journey but is likely to function as your base of operations, and where you meet back up with your party to plan your next moves.
Other locations hint at more variety in the environments you explore, and more activities to pursue in them in comparison to the first title.
9. A Structured Exploration Loop
We’ve spoken about how the world is going to be bigger and better, but the manner in which you interact with it in Code Vein 2 is also on its list of improvements to the experience. It’s slated to bring a massive overworld with more detailed zones that you are free to explore.
While it remains to be seen how this pans out in practice, it’s a hybrid approach between total player freedom and a more structured approach that might just balance the best of both worlds to make this one a more ambitious take on exploration.
WIth the game’s director asserting that the dungeons you explore are going to be roughly similar in size to their counterparts in the original game, we can’t help but wonder if that’s a clever bit of misdirection on their part to disguise a bunch of big ones.
10. New Forma Attacks
If you were a fan of letting loose on the battlefield and wrecking your enemies with the power of Forma, there’s great news. New Forma attacks are being added along with returning ones.
They’re going to be the backbone of a better build variety this time around, and allow you to bridge melee, magic, and range-focused playstyles to mix and match according to what you’re looking to achieve. That’s a lot of flexibility and is something we’re quite excited to try out for ourselves. They’re going to come in handy against the game’s bosses.
11. Be A Lone Wolf
You get the option to disable your AI companion in exchange for a stat boost and new abilities, giving you a significant leg up if you decide that you’d rather fly solo. That’s a welcome one to have, and it could be a great way to up the challenge as your enemies’ stats are likely to get a suitable rebalance to account for your power.
That could be a lot of fun for those of you planning to make things as difficult as possible for yourself if the game’s tame approach to the challenge it offers has you craving for more.
12. Cheat Death A Few Times
A revival mechanic is in place, letting your companion bring you back to your feet when things don’t go your way. However, it isn’t a cheap way to cheat death as it comes with a cooldown that’s balanced enough to prevent its misuse.
Immortality might be out of reach but it does help to know that you can afford to make a few mistakes and live to tell the tale.
13. Time Is On Your Side
Code Vein 2 might bring a better approach to learning about the past that caused its present by allowing you to flit between timelines at will. However, it seems that the rules governing time travel are very much in effect, and you’re going to want to be careful lest your actions in the past prevent you from having a future to return to.
We are eager to find out more about how it works, and are probably going to be counting the days until the game’s release thanks to it.
14. The Space for Self-Expression
Early previews of the game have a lot of praise for its robust character creation system, an important part of any RPG that allows you to make your experience unique in a way that never gets old.
It’s going to be similar to, if not better than, the one on offer in the original Code Vein which is saying something considering how great that one was.
15. PC Specs
The minimum required specs you’re going to need to enjoy the game on a PC include WIndows10 64-bit, an Intel Core i5-7600k/AMD Ryzen 5 1600X Processor, 16GB RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB GPU, DirectX 12, and 75 GB of free space.
The recommended specs take things up to an Intel Core i5-8400/AMD Ryzen 5 3600X Processor, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT GPU.
And that’s everything you need to know before you take the plunge and pick up your copy of Code Vein 2. We hope you’ll be joining us on the adventure when it drops early next year!
