Code Vein 2 Review – Back to the Past

Having recently replayed the original Code Vein to get up to speed with the sequel, I find myself quite happy with how Code Vein 2 builds on what was great in the first game while managing to bring in a few nice touches that make it a better experience overall.

It’s enough of an improvement to make it worth the long wait, and the sentiment that it’s a more ambitious take on the original does come across quite early in your time with it.

"What’s more, it takes inspiration from other titles in the genre that have since made themselves known and puts its own spin on it with some truly unique mechanics."

Code Vein II is bigger and better. But dig a little deeper, and there are a few areas that could be improved if the studio decides to round out a trilogy with another title in the future.

The Soulslike fan in me always welcomes a title that takes the genre’s formula and brings an experience that challenges me while also managing to be a solid RPG in its own right. Code Vein II definitely gets that part right. What’s more, it takes inspiration from other titles in the genre that have since made themselves known and puts its own spin on it with some truly unique mechanics.

Let’s begin with the story. While Souslike narratives are rather indirect, the original game gave us an amazing experience alongside all of the action that it brought to the table. As for the sequel, the addition of time travel between the past and present is definitely a bold choice. However, that bold choice may not necessarily translate to a better experience. Allow me to explain.

Flitting between the past and the present is often centered around the people you meet on your latest outing as a Revenant Hunter. While the world building from the original game is definitely here for those of you who liked it, the past-present time travel doesn’t really lean on events in the past all too much, choosing to tell you a brand new tale that you might enjoy if you like anime and narratives that have you building bonds with your fellow companions.

"Flitting between the past and the present is often centered around the people you meet on your latest outing as a Revenant Hunter."

Without spoiling too much, I can say that I largely enjoyed it, but I couldn’t help feeling like the story leaned too much on the bonds you build with your allies. On the one hand, it worked well with the core plot of the game, ensuring that the new addition wasn’t just a gimmick or set dressing. You begin to really care about the people who join you, and feel almost obligated to get to know what they were like in the past in order to better understand how to save them from corruption.

That would be great if the game didn’t sometimes push so hard for those unnecessary emotional feelings that can feel forced rather than naturally earned. The writing, too, doesn’t fully measure up to the challenge, and these bonds often follow a repeated loop of the same beginnings and ends. And then there are flashbacks, which may or may not be appreciated by fans of the first game. I personally believe that they are a lazy form of storytelling in a title that aims to do so much better than its predecessor.

But of course, I’m sure many of you are not really here for the story, and it’s time to get to the meat of why Code Vein II had me grinning to myself when I wasn’t talking to my companions.

As soon as you start the game, you’re greeted by a surprisingly in-depth character customization menu. You can tweak just about everything: eyes, ears, facial features, even your hairstyle and hair length. On top of that, there’s a solid wardrobe of costumes, and you can go a step further by customizing their textures and materials. Overall, it’s a robust system, and if you enjoy character creators, you could easily spend an hour fine-tuning your look.

"A plethora of returning skills and new ones is another highlight, allowing you to either get up close and personal with your enemies or stay at range as you whittle away at their health."

The combat is as good as it was and perhaps even better thanks to more fluid animations and a challenge that remains accessible, but doesn’t shy away from testing your limits with well-designed enemies, bosses, and animations.

Combat variety in this game is a crucial selling point considering its Soulslike trappings, and I was quite happy with what’s changed. For starters, everything is a lot snappier when you’re out in the field, and I found myself weaving in and out of enemy attacks with reckless abandon in a way that the first game didn’t really manage. The animations on both your character and enemies feel so fluid and well-implemented that it was a pleasure to learn your every attack pattern and plan your own counterattacks.

There are also so many more ways to adapt your character to the situation at hand, and taking on an aggressive or defensive approach according to the situation, thanks to how the Blood Code system has been tweaked. Blood Codes give you unique combat styles, and you’ll unlock more of them as you progress, opening the door to some genuinely distinct character builds.

A plethora of returning skills and new ones is another highlight, allowing you to either get up close and personal with your enemies or stay at range as you whittle away at their health. The returning weapon types are so much better thanks to the fluidity you get to wield them with, but my personal highlight was the newly added twin blades.

"The RPGness of it all is very satisfying for those of you who like to tailor your approach based on the enemy you’re facing in the field."

Man, those things are awesome! The developers were clearly inspired by iterations of that weapon in other Souslikes, and their spin on dual blades hits very hard and fast, allowing you to stay on the offensive with skill and style. Their playstyle encourages offense, and when you get the hang of their rapid, multi-hit strings, they can have you shredding enemies thanks to a constant loop of attacks. They’re an offensive powerhouse! There are other options as well, such as the Rune Blade, Halberd, and Bayonet, but the twin blades are where my heart truly lies.

The build-crafting systems in Code Vein II are also a highlight, allowing you to get a build going quite quickly in comparison to other Soulslikes. The revamped approach to Blood Codes, along with Formae loadouts and drain attacks (depending on what kind of Jail equipment you have in your inventory), can result in a build of your choice, focusing on defensive or ranged options, as examples. The RPGness of it all is very satisfying for those of you who like to tailor your approach based on the enemy you’re facing in the field.

Rounding out the excellent combat system is the manner in which your partners work. You can either have them out with you in the field, taking down enemies and even reviving you if you make a mistake. However, that comes with the caveat of your partner being put on a cooldown until they return to the fray, which is a nice way of ensuring that you don’t get too comfortable with face-tanking enemy attacks.

The game also introduces a system called Traits, which grants specific bonuses that only activate once you’ve formed a strong bond with your partner. These can provide added buffs such as temporary stat boosts and other combat effects. You can also use Assimilation to effectively become one with your partner, gaining additional combat benefits that are especially useful when taking down tougher enemies and bosses.

Moving on from combat, I think the game’s new level designs are another fantastic touch. Exploration is more organic thanks to the Forma Motorcycle, a very handy spell that lets you summon a supernatural bike that looks as cool as it sounds, and is very useful. Think of it as Code Vein II’s take on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Master Cycle Zero, offering a nifty way of getting around the world that’s designed to imitate that classic but on a much smaller, focused scale.

"Exploration is still a vital part of the experience as you’re going to need the crafting materials to unlock more Formae attacks or defense options to use in your next challenge."

The world’s art style is bleak and oppressive, with a decent variety of biomes to explore, ranging from dead forests that feel outright haunted to cities partially submerged under polluted waters. The level of detail across these environments is strong, and it actively encouraged me to explore and take in everything the world had to offer.

There are dungeons to explore, but they’re geared towards putting you in situations where you either enjoy the game’s mechanics or discover more about the lore. The dungeons do come with a lot of verticality in a past-apocalyptic world that can get immersive for some players, but they were a tad too boring for my taste.

The open world isn’t close to Elden Ring, which remains at the top of that particular food chain. However, exploration is still a vital part of the experience as you’re going to need the crafting materials to unlock more Formae attacks or defense options to use in your next challenge.

I must tip my hat to the boss designs, though. Although I’m not a fan of giant health bars for the sake of prolonging a fight, the sheer spectacle of it all was enough to keep me invested in taking them down as efficiently as I could, carefully managing my stamina while unleashing an assault of my own. Some of them even had me contemplating bringing my companion back into the fray, and given that I’ve been playing Soulslikes for a long time now, that’s saying something.

The new visual style do help with making each fight feel as fast and frenetic as it should, and I’m quite enthralled by the new 3D approach to the game’s world and characters. Some of you might prefer the more old-school anime style from the first game, thoug,h but that’s quite a subjective aspect of the experience.

From a difficulty perspective, does Code Vein II work as a viable Soulslike, though? The formula is definitely there, but like its predecessor, it does play it a tad too safe when it balances its difficulty against the possibility of being accessible enough for players who might not appreciate a game that takes too much effort to truly enjoy. This is a good thing, in my opinion. Just look at how many players actually completed Sekiro.

So, does Code Vein II deserve your attention? I’d say yes. It’s an improvement of the first game in many ways, and its mechanics make it an interesting title to master. But given your tolerance for familiarity, this one might not break enough new ground for some players to enjoy all of its new additions. It’s quite easy to recommend to anyone who likes action-RPGs with a lot to do in them, and to players who like challenging combat with a lot of mechanics to get their head around.

This is a worthy sequel to an already solid game, and I’m glad I got to play it despite a few minor shortcomings.

This game was reviewed on PC.