What’s interesting is that Code Vein didn’t just reskin the Souls formula with anime aesthetics (like 2025’s AI Limit); it actively rethought how many of the genre’s core ideas could function through an overtly narrative-driven lens. From its emphasis on party members and personal bonds to its unusually flexible build system and story-integrated mechanics, the game helps players connect with characters and the world, not just through item descriptions, but dialogue and scenes. We’re closely approaching a sequel in Code Vein II and have seen other anime adjacent soulslikes pop up. AI Limit was on my top 10 favorite games of 2025 list at number 10, but was much more traditional in its soulslike approach than Code Vein. We still haven’t seen another game quite like Code Vein in the soulslike genre, so let’s explore what makes it so special, especially for its time.

Code Vein does quite a lot of things traditional Soulslikes don’t do, but a character creator ain’t one of them. Still, upon first booting up the game, we were all bamboozled with one of the absolute most in-depth character creators in gaming at for the time. You can mold your character’s facial features through a huge selection of sliders and dress them up in a wide assortment of clothing and accessories. But it’s the ability to place these, oftentimes wild, accessories on any location of your character that sets it apart. The UI is also strikingly good, with plenty of background lighting and camera options to customize your character to. This first impression of Code Vein’s customization is more than just cosmetic though, it’s a preview of the game’s overall flexibility, which extends directly into its build system.

You might be asking why such an intricate character creator is even worth mentioning. Well, Code Vein is one of a vanishingly small number of games in its genre to feature a photo mode. And it’s a robust one at that. The photo mode is so feature-rich that it eclipses the editing software that came with my old Sony camera. You’ve got a bounty of fun and novel filters to play with, including my absolute favorite, a pixelated filter that turns any screenshot into a super Nintendo game. There’s also 37 frames and the camera features you’d typically expect like tilt, depth of field, exposure, film grain, etc. For the time, it was also the only soulslike where you could pause during combat, using photo mode to do so, of course.

Code Vein’s almost limitless sense of personalization continues directly into gameplay. You unlock passive and active abilities and techniques through Blood Codes, which function as pre-set builds. The cool thing is you can mix and abilities across blood codes after getting proficient in that particular ability. If you don’t want to craft your own build, you can just equip your preset blood code and you’re good to go, and with over 35 of them to collect, you have lots to choose from. What’s really cool is that each character in the game is represented by their own unique Blood Code. So if you want to play like one of your teammates, or even opponents including bosses, you can.

The fun thing is that Code Vein ties every gameplay mechanic into story in rather clever ways. Blood Codes, for example, are often gifted to you after reaching a certain bond level with a character, reinforcing the feeling that your power comes from shared experiences (insert power through friendship meme). Your role as a special Revenant allows you to ‘absorb’ other Revenant’s Blood Codes. And of course, blood is a vital theme within the game as a whole. Your ‘armor’ and secondary weapon is known as a blood veil, which itself is used to drain ichor using vampire-like fangs. And the game’s denizens, Revenants, each have parasites living in their heart which helps bring them back to ‘life’ upon death, also determining their signature blood code.

Yeah, the lore goes pretty deep, doesn’t it? There’s plenty of it to unpack and discover through the main story, but there’s also numerous side stories and character backstories to explore on top of that. Unlike a majority of soulslikes, Code Vein has a wide cast of characters that can be brought with you into battle as party members. They gather in a dedicated hub area, which gets expanded and added on as you play. Your companions also expand with new dialogue after key story beats. From a gameplay perspective, this allows you to approach Code Vein like a party-based RPG, or tackle it solo for an added challenge. Narratively, it opens the door to extensive backstory. Each character has a shockingly in-depth backstory that can be experienced through memory vignettes. Again, this is all tied into the rich lore of the game in a way that more or less makes sense given the rules of the setting. These memory sequences are collected through Memory Echoes and Vestiges, and there’s a crap-ton of them throughout the game, well over 100 in fact. While the slow walking can be tedious, especially on New Game+ runs, their presentation is undeniably striking.

That presentation ties directly into Code Vein’s music and art direction. Memory sequences are accompanied by elegant, emotional piano pieces and depicted in stark black-and-white scenes using claymation-like figures and animations. It’s a storytelling method unlike anything else in the genre. Code Vein’s memory sequences are a powerful narrative tool that manages to show us what the villains went through before being corrupted, humanizing them in the process. The dramatic voice acting and stirring score are the cherry on top. The story in general is presented through cutscenes, something soulslikes shy away from given their typical show-don’t-tell approach to narrative. Code Vein is different, leaning into flashy cinematics and emotional character outbursts. That anime souls approach may not be for everybody, but man did Code Vein knock it out of the park.

It’s not any single element of Code Vein that continues to impress me, but how all of these elements are synthesized into a cohesive whole. I often hear about how fun the combat in Code Vein is or how cool the anime art is, but the brilliant gameplay/story integration is often overlooked.  Gameplay and art alone wouldn’t make the game stand out in an increasingly crowded genre. What elevates Code Vein is how intentionally its systems reinforce one another, all in service of its themes.

As more Soulslikes experiment with anime aesthetics, cinematic storytelling, or companion-driven design, it’s becoming increasingly clear just how ahead of the curve Code Vein was. Not every experiment landed perfectly, and its tone won’t resonate with everyone, but its ambition is undeniable. Rather than dilute the Souls formula, Code Vein reframed it, proving that there’s room in the genre for melodrama, overt emotion, and more generous gameplay systems than the Dark Souls and Khazans of the world.

As we look toward Code Vein II, it’ll be interesting to see how the studio leans into the first game’s strengths. Not just going bigger with its spectacle or prettier with the anime aesthetic, but honing in on the gameplay/story integration and character focus.

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.

Taking to Twitter, Bandai Namco recently announced that Code Vein has surpassed 3 million units in worldwide shipments and digital sales since its launch roughly three and a half years ago. At last count, the game’s shipment numbers stood at 2 million units in September 2021, which means the game has shipped another million units since then.

Following its release in the latter months of 2019, Code Vein also saw the launch of several DLC pieces in the early months of 2020, with Hellfire Knight, Frozen Empress, and Lord of Thunder.

In our review of Code Vein, we awarded it a score of 8/10, saying, “Code Vein invents as much as it mimics, and while it doesn’t pull everything together perfectly, it manages to be an exceptionally fun Soulslike romp through a post-apocalyptic anime world. It’s just a shame the developers didn’t spend a little more time polishing the game’s balance and less time on its unstimulating story.” Read the full review through here.

Code Vein is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

#CodeVein has surpassed 3 million copies shipped worldwide, and it's all thanks to you.

Dear Revenants, please enjoy this commemorative illustration to show our appreciation. pic.twitter.com/tMzqAEvKQ1

— Code Vein (@CodeVeinGame) March 21, 2023

The service’s three monthly free games – available to subscribers of any of the three tiers – will be Battlefield 2042, Code Vein, and Minecraft Dungeons, and will be available to claim from March 7 to April 3.

Meanwhile, the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog – available to PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers – will also be adding several major games, including Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Rainbow Six Extraction, and Immortals Fenyx Rising. As recently announced, Awaceb’s tropical open world adventure title Tchia will also be available via the service at when it launches next month.

Minecraft Dungeons, Code Vein, and Battlefield 2042 are your PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March, with Tchia and much more coming to Game Catalog. pic.twitter.com/PNYOlz8mQC

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 23, 2023

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Code Vein sees players controlling an amnesiac Revenant. Society has pretty much collapsed and the Revenant reign supreme, but those who can’t feed their thirst for blood turn into the Lost. As such, the story revolves around the player and Io, a mysterious girl, who must survive and attempt to discover their own past along the way.

Code Vein has a combat system akin to Dark Souls with stamina, dodge-rolling and Souls (known as Haze here). However, the aesthetic is more anime-esque and several facets from the God Eater franchise like companions, bonding, gifts and special attacks are also implemented. It’s currently available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC – check out our review here for more details.

【祝 #CODEVEIN 2周年＆200万本突破！】
皆様のおかげで発売2周年を迎えました。また、世界累計出荷・DL販売本数も200万本突破しました！
今後とも応援よろしくお願いします。#コードヴェイン pic.twitter.com/1j7pdrube6

— CODE VEIN (@CODE_VEIN) September 27, 2021

Destiny 2’s Armor Synthesis

Bungie is no stranger to cash-grab attempts with its Destiny franchise, utilizing FOMO and other tactics to push its seasonal content and microtransactions. Armor Synthesis aka transmog is the most recent example. Since it allows for having the cosmetic appearance of different armor while maintaining one’s stats, transmog is an oft-sought feature in looters and action RPGs. Fans clamored for a long time to see it in Destiny and Bungie finally delivered. See, Armor Synthesis doesn’t simply let you equip any armor piece’s appearance like, say, an ornament. No, you needed to earn Synthstrand first, which is acquired by killing enemies (and was actually revealed to be influenced more by time – regardless of whether you killed one foe or a dozen, you’d earn the same amount each minute). This is then turned into Ada-1 to purchase bounties, which must then be completed to earn Synthchord. When you get Synthchord, you’re permitted transmog currency for ONE armor piece with a cap of 10 pieces or two full armor sets every season. Of course, you could break that cap…by spending real money.

It’s fairly obvious that the Armor Synthesis grind is a means to inflate playtime and turn a quality of life feature into a chore. But capping the amount of Synthchord, simply for the purpose of selling more to earn a quick buck, is just a cash grab, plain and simple. Bungie is removing the Synthstrand requirement when the next season launches in August so it’s somewhat less awful at least.

Microsoft has unveiled its next round of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC, console and the cloud. On February 18th, Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire – Ultimate Edition, which includes the base game and all of its DLC, will be available on console and the cloud. Code Vein for PC and Wreckfest for all three platforms goes live on the same day.

Arcade classic Killer Queen Black becomes available for consoles and the cloud on February 23rd. Codemasters’ DiRT 5 will follow on all three platforms on February 25th alongside massive space exploration title Elite Dangerous for consoles. Superhot: Mind Control Delete goes live on February 25th for PC subscribers.

Xbox Game Pass has added titles like Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age, The Falconeer, Project Winter and Wolfenstein: Youngblood thus far in February. It should be interesting to see if any other titles will close out the remaining few days of month. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

Prepare to be thunderstruck – the third DLC for Bandai Namco’s Code Vein is now available. Lord of Thunder costs $9.99 standalone but is also included with the Season Pass. After dealing with the Hellfire Knight and Frozen Empress, players must now face against the titular Lord of Thunder.

After you defeat the new boss, you can undertake new Horror Hunting Trials and earn rewards based on different objectives. New weapons include the Fulmen Blade, Thunderbolt and Lightning Brionac, each utilizing the power of thunder. There’s also several new Blood Codes, from Vali’s quick strikes to the ranged power of Orion.

You can also unlock alternate costumes for partners Jack and Eva (check out the trailer below to see how they look). The Depths also have a new area, the Eternal Abyss which is overcome by roots and houses some tough foes. For more information on Code Vein, check out our review of the game here.

Code Vein was one of the biggest surprises of the last year. The game had a very anime-infused look and style, and that plus the focus on co-op play made it an interesting twist on the Souls-like Action RPG genre that emerged from this generation of consoles. Now, things are getting a bit on the chilly side with the newest expansion, Frozen Empress.

The DLC will add a new Depth, the area you explore adjacent to the main story, that is covered in frost and ice. It will add tons of new weapons and costumes to dress up your characters, as well as a new boss in the Frozen Empress. As you can probably guess from the name, she has ice-based powers and promises to use them to be a formidable foe. Check out the launch trailer below.

Code Vein is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Frozen Empress is also live as both a standalone purchase and part of the game’s season pass. You can read more details about it through here.

Bandai Namco’s second DLC pack for Code Vein is out today with Frozen Empress. Currently live for some regions, it adds a new boss fight – the Frozen Empress of the Great Collapse Horror who uses ice attacks and has two crystals that buff her. New Horror Hunting Trials are also included which involve defeating the Frozen Empress for rewards.

Some of the rewards include the Blood Code “Ymir” for ice elemental Gifts like Frost Turrent and Hoarfrost Stream and new costumes for Mia and Yakumo. Players can also unlock four new ice-based weapons, namely a bayonet, two-handed sword, hammer and halberd. There are also two new Blood Veils which offer strong elemental defense.

A new Depth Field, the Celestial Ice Prison, also awaits with its icy structures and caves teeming with Lost. Players will find a Pollux Core Fragment which adds two new attacks – Steadfast Strike and Usurper’s Blade – and the Asclepius Vestige Blood Code for a new support ability. The DLC retails for $9.99 standalone and is included with the $24.99 Season Pass.

Bandai Namco’s Code Vein recently received its first DLC pack in Hellfire Knight. It isn’t terribly substantial but does introduce one new difficult boss and several challenges to complete. You’ll encounter the Blazing Heretic and Abyssal Doppelganger bosses beforehand but the titular Hellfire Knight is the main attraction.

Make sure to study his patterns beforehand. Draw out his initial claw strikes and dodge to get behind him. Proceed to slash 2 to 3 times. He’ll then whip his tail around so prepare to dodge. At times, the Knight will summon fire to erupt from the ground. Make sure to dodge left or right to avoid it.

Once half his health is gone, the Knight will create a huge explosion of flame and dive at you. There will be some new attacks to watch out for, like his drawing two flaming swords for a combo. Dodge to get behind him as usual. He’ll also quickly swipe with one sword in front of him but you can dodge through this as well. The usual attacks will repeat and there are moments where the Knight will stumble. Use this opportunity to wail on him with your special attacks.

Be patient, react accordingly to his moves and you should have him beat. Good job! Now do it without taking any damage (as seen below).