We’re going to come out and say it. Yes, the game does have its problems. But they haven’t stopped us from thoroughly enjoying our time with it thanks to how its systems work in tandem to keep you invested in a gameplay loop that can take up significant chunks of your day if you let it. The story is interesting enough to make you care, while the combat and exploration loops do a fair bit of the heavy lifting alongside it.

To gamers like us who like to dig our heels in and give a title our best, this one was quite the entertainer, making us feel generous enough to overlook any minor flaws we found along the journey. But why is that so? What makes Code Vein II so addictive? Let’s get right into it and find out!

A Tale Ravaged By Time

We’ve often heard that time is the one thing that even the strongest of heroes might not be able to overcome. But that’s exactly what the Revenant Hunter sets out to do in Code Vein II, flitting between the past and the present in order to try and fix what went wrong with a world that was once a thriving place filled with joy and noble ideals.

Of course, things aren’t as easy as that, and we’re not going to give you any spoilers about the why, where, and how of the dystopian landscape we zoom around in with our very cool motorcycle (if only we could have one of those in the real world!). Instead, we’re going to focus on one aspect of the story that often makes or breaks the way it’s received by the ones experiencing it: the people you meet along the way.

The most interesting facet of Code Vein II’s story, and one of the reasons that it’s been keeping us coming back for more, has been the manner in which its emotional beats are underlined by the knowledge that things don’t really pan out in the way its characters want. Meeting their past versions and joining them on missions as you learn more about their hopes and dreams, while coming to appreciate their distinct personalities, is contrasted against the bleak future that you know thanks to you being from that timeline.

You learn more about their motivations, building bonds with them in your efforts to save them from their impending doom. You invest time in helping them out to collect key items that you know you’re going to use in the future. It isn’t just a matter of presenting emotional beats to frame the action that often follows your interactions with them, but a tale in which your protagonist must use that knowledge of who they were in the past to try and heal their corrupted versions in the future. When woven in with the usual complexities that time travel presents, it’s easy to see why Code Vein II manages to hold your attention as its story unfolds.

It’s all so anime, and in a good way. You’re so driven to learn more about how the world came to be the way it is, and each revelation often has you pushing yourself to find out more even as your eyes and fingers tell you that it’s probably time for a bit of a break. And the story is just the beginning.

A World Across Timelines

While the story in this game brings you in contact with an intriguing cast of actors, each with their own distinct identities, the world in which it takes place is the perfect stage to let those sub-narratives develop in tandem with your own adventure. The past and the present, and the other timelines you’re placed in, make for an exploratory loop that keeps you invested.

The game’s open-world map is a large one, and you’re encouraged to hop on your bike and ride off into the distance, Elden Ring style, with the thrill of the unknown guiding your path as you go. Yes, there’s a map, but uncovering it all is on you, and the few markers you get once you do send you in the general direction of interesting locations.

However, it’s up to you to figure out how to get to them once you’re there. We spent many an hour trying to find the entrance to a particular facility that housed Nectar, an item you’re going to want to find ASAP, thanks to its utility in expanding your healing capacity. But it took us the better part of an hour to find our way to it, and we had loads of fun along the way. The game doesn’t hold your hand when it comes to exploration, and that’s a very good thing.

We did see a few complaints about the lack of a minimap, but to us, that just made the entire thing feel all the more immersive. It lets you focus on what’s in front of you, allowing you to formulate your own plan on how to get to a place you’re interested in, and then spend some time finding your way in, just as it would be if you ever find yourself in a dystopian landscape where everything has gone to hell.

It all feels quite intentional, and the verticality that’s factored into the level designs ensures that getting to your next important upgrade material or lore drop is challenging enough to keep you pushing yourself without being a chore. By prioritizing discovery over convenience, Code Vein II has taken a bold gamble with its open world that largely pays off as it has us pushing ourselves to solve the little mysteries that come with trying to navigate its world brought to the table.

And of course, experiencing the story and exploring the world brings us to the meat of why this game has us hooked: the combat.

Fighting For The Future

As a Soulslike title, albeit a more accessible one than others in the genre, Code Vein II had to nail its combat down if it was to succeed. And on that front, the game does a very good job, which in turn makes it one that you’re not going to put down in a hurry.

Chief among the reasons for that is the build variety. There are a ton of options for players to explore, and a variety of ways to try out different playstyles on the fly, thanks to how seamless it is to switch things up. The Blood Code system is a major part of that, with each one coming with stats that push you in one direction or the other, and the option to freely swap them out, encouraging experimentation.

But it’s more than that. The Blood Codes are tied to building bonds with the game’s cast, allowing the game’s combat to integrate itself with the story and encourage players to engage with its compelling cast. The same could be said for exploration and Formae, as you’re encouraged to find as many of them as you can in order to have more options at your disposal.

Mix that up with the presence of your Companion in the field, and your Blood Code, and you have the recipe for a combat system that’s mechanically sound while allowing players to come at challenging fights from angles that suit their individual preferences. We often found ourselves swapping our loadouts to better suit the task at hand, carefully considering what the Companion at our side was bringing to the table when choosing our own abilities.

It’s a brilliant way to encourage finding synergies between your character and the rest of the cast while making the game easier to handle than some of the other offerings in the Soulslike space. It’s a welcome subversion of the “git gud” level of challenge, instead focusing on getting smarter about your own playstyles while still being required to master animation windows, parry timings, and managing cooldowns.

When factored in with Jail attacks, Ichor management, and all of the bells and whistles that its combat system brings to the table, Code Vein II’s combat is a blast. It encourages trying things differently, and has the potential to have you spending hours with your many builds.

A Potent Mix Of Fun and Intrigue

Looking back, it’s easy to see how Code Vein II managed to keep us invested in its world, story, and systems. They build a synergy similar to the one that players are encouraged to form with the game’s characters and combat. Its key elements are put in conversation with each other throughout its playtime, and the developers ensured that the game has a lot of interesting things to say to its players.

And by putting player agency at the center of it all, the game manages to have its players coming back for more, and then some. That’s a feat that isn’t easy to achieve, but we’re happy to have been a part of that journey. But for now, we’re going to leave you with a word of caution.

Make sure you have the time you need to enjoy this one. You deserve to be entertained, and Code Vein II is happy to oblige. Now, excuse us as we speed away to that interesting ruin in the distance, and find out exactly what it’s hiding from us.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

As I leapt, swung, crawled, and dashed through Shadow Labyrinth’s myriad levels and environments, I was left with the nagging feeling that I had barely scratched the surface of what this 2D platformer had to offer. Even on levels where I was as thorough as I could have possibly been, I was certain that there was a secret that I had missed lying just out of reach.

Bandai Namco has truly lived up to the “labyrinth” part of its latest release, with levels that seem to fold in on themselves, their pathways taking its new protagonists in different directions while cleverly misdirecting them on many occasions. Moreover, those levels contain an excellent roster of enemies, bosses, and traps, making traversing them as challenging as its combat.

"You begin with a basic sword combo that you can use to whittle down enemy health bars while the ACTIV arm allows for a punch attack that fills up a stun bar faster than your slashes."

Shadow Labyrinth is fun, plain and simple. While there are minor annoyances at certain points, they are quickly forgotten in the grand scheme of things as Swordsman #8 and Puck (as Pac-Man is called in this adventure) slowly uncover the mysteries of the world they are in and learn more about each other.

Braving A Dangerous New World

A quick and action-packed opening sequence acts as a tutorial, with a young boy playing on what looks a lot like a Nintendo Switch 2 suddenly teleported to a mysterious planet. He finds himself in the shoes of a Swordsman and after a brief battle with alien mechs, comes across Puck who acts as his guide.

Puck is seemingly imprisoned on this planet for reasons unknown to the Swordsman, whom he refers to as Swordsman #8, a reference to the backdoor pilot. You are then quickly introduced to the ESP Sword, Ora which acts as the game’s currency, the Nano ER which serves as a very limited healing item, and the ACTIV prosthetic arm which helps you explore levels in many ways.

"Evading enemy attacks with the right timing via the dodge button is as important as staying on the offensive."

From there, you begin your adventure with Puck leading the way, taking on enemies and bosses while tackling mildly challenging environmental puzzles. The unique art style and distinct locations are a visual treat while the game maintains a buttery smooth framerate. I did not encounter a single dropped frame or glitch during my time with Shadow Labyrinth, and the overall experience is quite polished.

That’s a massive advantage thanks to its mechanics, both in combat and while exploring the world.

Working With What You Have

While Shadow Labyrinth doesn’t really lean into the difficulty of Soulslike titles, its challenge lies in its mechanics and the manner in which Swordsman #8’s abilities are spread out over the main story, making dealing with its enemies a very rewarding challenge to overcome. You begin with a basic sword combo that you can use to whittle down enemy health bars while the ACTIV arm allows for a punch attack that fills up a stun bar faster than your slashes.

Evading enemy attacks with the right timing via the dodge button is as important as staying on the offensive. However, dodging takes a chunk out of your ESP (or stamina), requiring you to be prudent and smart in its use. The ability to transform into a giant mech called GAIA soon becomes available, and you can then begin to consume downed foes to fill up the bar needed to activate this ability.

"While there are smaller checkpoints, they only save your progress and act as fast travel hubs, filling up your health but not the Nano ER."

Making matters more complicated is the fact that you can only take three or four hits before you need to heal. With only one healing item available to you in the early game, avoiding damage becomes a top priority, a trend that carries on even as you gain access to more heals per run. It doesn’t help that the Miku Sol, which act as your checkpoints and refill your health and healing items at the cost of respawning all basic enemies, are spread far and wide across a level.

While there are smaller checkpoints, they only save your progress and act as fast travel hubs, filling up your health but not the Nano ER. Fast travelling from any point on a map requires that you spend ORA to purchase a specific item from available vendors in the region, adding a layer of strategy to a mechanic that other titles take for granted. It’s quite the nice touch considering how exploring a level plays out. 

Managing Menaces

You travel through each level, carefully fighting off threats while navigating hostile environments with controls that might have a bit of a learning curve but soon become second nature. The challenge lies in picking your battles carefully between checkpoints, conserving your limited resources for harder encounters and of course, picking up upgrades.

Spending ORA to improve your attack power or to expand your ESP bar might seem expensive at first, but you will quickly find that you have more than enough of it at your disposal as you don’t lose any of it upon death. What’s more, consistently consuming downed enemies using GAIA ensures that you also have enough crafting materials to purchase equippable perks which add nifty functionalities to Puck, making things easier in the long run.

"It’s a gameplay loop that quickly becomes addictive, and your time with Swordsman #8 and Puck quickly becomes a cycle of stylish platforming and methodical combat."

However, you will soon discover that those advantages melt away in the face of the game’s bosses. Every main boss and field boss is an absolute skill check, requiring that you learn their attacks and respond accordingly while taking calculated risks in order to whittle away at their health. The boss designs are incredible, with one very memorable foe controlling the battlefield with a menacing glare, daring you to attack just so that he can parry your strikes and retaliate with reckless abandon. Field bosses also respawn after you die a few times, requiring you to take them down again – all the more reason to be cautious and efficient with your resources.

It’s a gameplay loop that quickly becomes addictive, and your time with Swordsman #8 and Puck quickly becomes a cycle of stylish platforming and methodical combat.

Style and Substance

The unique visual style and excellent gameplay on offer in Shadow Labyrinth is made even better by Bandai Namco’s subtle nods to other franchises from its library while excellent callbacks to the original Pac-Man games make for an adventure that I found quite hard to put down.

NPCs in the game are as mysterious as the world they inhabit, with each having ties to Puck’s murky origins that are slowly revealed as you make your way through the story. They are a solid addition to the overall experience, and I found myself very curious as to what role they played in Puck’s imprisonment or how they tied into his life before that.

"The music during boss fights deserves a special mention, with a couple of tunes I would certainly add to my work playlist if that’s a possibility."

However, the platforming sections involving Puck are an area that Bandai Namco needs to tweak in future updates. Puck moves quite smoothly along rails marked for that very purpose, seamlessly transitioning between Pac-Man mode and the Swordsman when the need arises. However, leaping between platforms required the very accurate use of my left-stick and often failed to launch the character in the direction in which I wanted.

While I initially attributed the inaccuracy to stick drift on my controller, testing it out on another one revealed that the problem was a part of the game’s design. It can get quite annoying to keep leaping on and off a railed platform, trying to get to a ledge, only for Puck to launch himself straight into a wall. That kind of trial and error has no place in a game that is otherwise extremely polished.

Thankfully, the audio design is quite excellent, with enemies making almost adorable noises as they attempt to put an end to the Swordsman while bosses are made all the more menacing in the process. The music during boss fights deserves a special mention, with a couple of tunes I would certainly add to my work playlist if that’s a possibility. 

Overall, Shadow Labyrinth’s reimagining of Pac-Man is an easy sell and is sure to keep its players entertained for a long time after they embark on the grand adventure that Bandai Namco has crafted. It might even remain with them long after they roll the credits on its intriguing story, too! 

Just remember to take your time learning its controls, and explore every nook and cranny that you find. 

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

As Swordsman No. 8, you’re guided by the mysterious PUCK, exploring environments and uncovering various truths. Of course, PUCK isn’t your friend but a being that wants to consume its prey for some unknown purpose. While the player has their own abilities, they can also use a giant mech suit to bash enemies, including bosses that bear a passing resemblance to the classic ghosts.

You may even navigate a few mazes that pay homage to the original series. Shadow Labyrinth is playable on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. Check out our feature for more details on what you can expect.

This battle royale will be all about surviving your own ground in a 64 player elimination match as you try to munch through points in not only your level maze but also in your opponent’s mazes. These battle royale matches can be both of the Ranked and Unranked kind – and players can use the accumulated XP and points to customize their PAC-MAN to their liking.

With a strong financial backing in the form of publisher Bandai Namco, PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs has the potential to be a fun game. Of course, more details will surface as we move closer to its release – so stay tuned in the meanwhile for more updates.

Let’s take a look at all of the different Illusory Walls and what they contain:

• Academy Crystal Cave – When you’ve entered through the wooden door, look for a tankier mage guarding a room. To the left of the room is an Illusory Wall. Smack it and enter inside to find a Crystal Staff.
• Hidden Path to the Haligtree – At the broken railing, fall through the invisible floor. Then go south from the open arch and take a right turn. At the hallway’s end is the illusory wall. Hit it to access a Silver Scarab.
• Kingsrealm Ruins – On the north side of the Ruins is the illusory wall. It’s actually blocking the road so you can’t miss it. Upon hitting it, you can continue down the road, leading to areas further north.
• Academy of Raya Lucaria – Go down the hallway past the Schoolhouse Classroom’s Site of Grace. Take a left and look for a corpse in a room. The bookshelf next to is hiding an Illusory Wall. Inside, you’ll find a Smithing Stone [4] and Olivinus Glintstone Crown
• Academy of Raya Lucaria – Travel from the Debate Parlor’s Site of Grace to the bookshelf (which has no books) on the right near the stairs. Smack it to reveal a hidden area with the Comet Sorcery, Graven-School Talisman and Stonesword Key.
• Black Knife Catacombs – Use the knife traps to travel upwards. At the end of the hall, there’s an illusory wall that provides access to a Black Knight Assassin and optional boss (the Cemetery Shade) to fight.
• Giants’ Mountaintop Catacombs – First, take the lift down to the first level. Raise the lift up and go down that space to access the secret part. Go past the first room and you’ll see two frost traps in a hallway. Between these two is the illusory wall, on the right hand side. You’ll find a Grave Glovewort [8] here.
• Sainted Hero’s Grave – When going past the Site of Grace, go left and down the stairs. Keep going until you reach a room with two Wraith Callers. Go past them up the stairs for the illusory wall.
• Kingsrealm Ruins – There’s an underground area that can be accessed but first you need to dispel the illusory floor. Upon traveling down, you’ll face an optional boss, Royal Revenant.
• Leyndell Catacombs – When going upstairs from the Grace, travel up the elevator. Once you’re in the room with the immortal enemies, look to the stairs near the two walls leading to the snail. Remove the illusory wall and you’ll find a Haligdrake Talisman +1.
• Mirage Rise – When traveling Southeast of the Bower of Bounty’s Site of Grace, look for a small cliff. Traverse and you’ll find a rock that’s actually illusory. It’s part of the Mirage Riddle but upon hitting it, you’ll gain entrance to the Rise.
• Academy of Raya Lucaria – Upon entering the Church of the Cuckoo, check the wall to the right. There’s a Rune Arc inside.
• Moonfolk Ruins – In the Northeast part of the ruins, hit the floor. Upon dispelling the illusory part, you’ll find a Somber Smithing Stone (8) inside.
• Auriza Side Tomb – Once you’ve used the first teleporter trap and arrived in the final room, face the present chest. Then check the left – this is an illusory wall. This unfortunately doesn’t provide any hidden goodies, instead being necessary to complete the dungeon.
• Three Sisters – In the Ruined area to the west, there’s an illusory floor. Hit in and venture down to another illusory wall that leads to Sorceress Sellen. You’ll need Sellen’s Primal Glintstone to revive her.
• Sage’s Cave – Close to the path near the campfire, there’s an illusory wall. You’ll find another between the two bazaars and two more in the middle of the waterfall with two chests.
• Sealed Tunnel – The first illusory wall is in Leyndell Royal Capital near the lake by the West entrance. If you hit one of the walls, a path opens up. The next is behind a chest that has a Bell Bearing. The third can be found after riding the elevator down and going straight, which leads to another. Finally, when dropping into the room with exploding enemies, look for all of the crates and barrels just opposite the staircase. There will be an illusory wall there.
• Volcano Manor – Once Tanith has given you the Drawing-Room Key, go to the hallway next to her and unlock the first door on the right. The wall in the right corner is illusory with another hall. Take the left path and at the end, there will be an illusory wall on the left where you’ll find the Depraved Perfumer Carmaan Ashes.
• Sellia Hideaway – Just northeast of the Church of the Plague, there’s an illusory wall behind a rock. Two more can be found in the sloped area that leads to the boss. Once past the Stake of Marika, keep to the right wall until you reach a body with Preserving Boluses on it. To the left of it is an illusory wall. You’ll find the Crystal Spear here.
• Caelid Catacombs – Upon traveling down the staircase and arriving in the swamp, go right. Next go under the platform and to the right corner. Hit the wall. Next, when you’re at the dungeon’s end, turn 180 degrees from the locked door. Hit the column on the wall that connects to the previous room. This grants you Miranda Sprout Ashes and Grave Glovewort [5] along with access to a Lever.
• Frenzied Flame Proscription – Next to Hyetta’s final location, look for an arch on the wall. This is an illusory wall leading to a hallway with a chest. Inside is a Rune Arc but you’re not done yet. Behind the chest is another illusory wall which provides access to the Root-Facing Site of Grace, which is an alternative path to the Deeproot Depths.
• Giant-Conquering Hero’s Grave – Travel from the Site of Grace down the hallway until it opens. Then go right and look for a panel on the left. Hit this and you’ll find an area with Golden Rune [11] inside.
• Road’s End Catacomb – There are actually multiple illusory walls in this area. To start with, go one floor down from the level. The first set will be in the stone archways within the same area and both lead to another illusory wall. This leads to another which then leads to the boss, the Spirit-Caller Snail. The next set of illusory walls is two floors below the lever, again in the stone archways and leading to the same area. Finally, in the catacombs, the final wall takes you to a chest. All in all, you can net a Ghost Glovewort (2), Rune Arc, Root Resin, Grave Grovewort (2), Glintstone Sorcerer Ashes, the Watchdog’s Staff, a Grave Glovewort (3), and a Grave Violet.

For more details on Elden Ring, check out our review here. You can also check out our guide for all of the side quests here.