Code Vein II Review: A better sequel that still struggles to stand out among Soulslikes

The Soulslike genre – challenging action games built on the formula established by FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series – is common these days, but in 2019, when the first Code Vein came out, they were rare. Code Vein had the distinction of being the “Soulslike anime” 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 just didn’t become one of the best Souslike games.

Coded vein II is a sequel in name only and does not directly connect to its predecessor, save for the return of the 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 traveling back in time to save the world, befriending heroes from the past, and then taking them down in the present for the greater good.

While this makes 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 uses 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 kill enemies using combos of light and strong attacks. At your disposal are Forma items that can be added to your weapons and which act as abilities or spells, which use Ichor, your character’s mana pool. There are also tasty finishers called Jails that can be used to deal huge damage to enemies when staggered, or to drain Ichor when deployed at any other time.

Combat has the same feel as other Souslikes, relying on tight timing to avoid enemy blows and launch counterattacks, but it’s sometimes hard to tell what type of attack is coming your way, which is a glaring flaw. Going back to the creator of the genre, Dark Souls made sure that enemy animations indicated what style of attack was coming, giving players plenty of time to get out of the way.

Where most of these problems become visible is among bosses. As is the case with a Soulslike game, Code Vein II has big bosses with powerful attacks that force players to approach fights with some strategy, as simply pressing the attack over and over again won’t do. Yet it is almost always impossible that in a battle there will be an attack causing damage without any visual indicator. Additionally, not all bosses are unique, as you will see weaker versions of them later in the game wandering around the map.

What’s even more frustrating is that, apparently due to the post-apocalyptic sci-fi setting, some enemies have attacks that you just can’t see coming. There is a field boss that is built like a four-legged tank and can fire from dual turrets, but the bullets are barely visible before hitting the player. This means you are stuck blocking attacks. Other bosses have similar issues where it’s difficult to determine the range of an enemy’s attack, making it easy to erroneously dodge and still get hit.

Code Vein II’s most unique addition is the partner system, which is a different take on the ally computer summoning options found in other Soulslike games. Players meet other characters throughout the story who will join them as partners, usually after earning their friendship through tasks and trials. These allies will have a segment of the player’s life bar dedicated to them, and they will act alone in combat using their own abilities and attacks. This partner not only helps deal damage and tank hits to the enemy, but he can also revive you when your health is depleted, although he disappears for a while – a last-resort survival mechanic that gives players just enough time to land one last blow.

If you don’t want to deal with a partner or are having problems with a boss and want to try a different strategy, you can try partner assimilation or absorption. By doing this, your character gets the full life bar as well as improved stats, but you are on your own. I found myself fighting a particular boss when I had my partner with me, but when I went alone the fight seemed easier. It can be helpful to have another target for some bosses, but there are likely players who will prefer to absorb boosts and deal with enemies themselves.

Speaking of stats, each partner offers their own Blood Code, which are equippable artifacts that boost the player’s stats and provide other positives and negatives to their abilities. Equipping them and defeating enough enemies will upgrade them to enhance their buffs, and carrying the corresponding Blood Code your partner gave you will give you an extra boost.

If this sounds a little complicated, it is. Code Vein’s systems are significantly more complex than other Soulslike games that focus on a few primary stats of 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 quickly you can cast a spell. There are so many explanatory pages that appear when you explore your character’s stats page in the menu, and it’s just exhausting after a while. I’m not saying it would be best to only see the absolute minimum of character stats, but there is a point where a screen full of numbers is too much.

Can anyone decode this?

Although Code Vein II’s stat system 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 on the verge of destruction. A cataclysmic event called the Resurgence, once prevented by the sacrifice of many heroes who encased themselves in cocoons, has returned and once again threatens to destroy the world.

The player plays a human who dies trying to save innocent people, and a Revenant named Lou resurrects them by donating half of his heart. She is part of an organization called MagMell that is trying to use time travel to save the world. These ancient Revenant heroes who once sealed away evil must be defeated to stop the resurgence.

However, in the present, they are locked in their cocoons and cannot be touched. It is therefore up to the player to travel back in time, 100 years later, to the time when these heroes flourished. Each has their own story and personal motivations, and players will need to help them learn what is necessary to defeat them in the present.

The addition of time travel provides some emotional moments in the game, especially as you bond with heroes from their past, knowing that they will end up doomed and corrupted in the present, but there is still so much going on regarding the Resurgence and the world. Yet none of these nuanced character developments carry any real weight or add to the story – I felt like I was emotionally connecting with my partners through their tragic backstories, then defeating their final versions, only to never see their impact on the plot again. The world itself changes significantly by going back in time, but there just isn’t enough narrative substance to chew on.

The environmental storytelling is very minimal, and aside from the main characters, there’s nothing really interesting to explore – mostly areas filled with items, enemies to fight, and a handful of optional dungeons. Typically, Soulslikes offer a vast world filled with small details that help piece together a vast story littered with legendary events and fatal battles, just as was the case with the Dark Souls games, but that’s simply not the case with Code Vein II. After a while, I found myself playing on autopilot, not caring about every nook and cranny of the world, and only caring about gaining levels, completing quests, and getting loot. The game world is huge, but there is no world building. There is no explanation for a building filled with monsters other than a character saying that monsters have invaded that building. The world is so void of context for the protagonist and his quest.

As for the presentation of Code Vein II, it is well done, but not really exceptional. The character and enemy designs include some delightfully grotesque designs and satisfy the “anime” aesthetic the franchise is known for, but the world is rather dull and boring – a standard post-apocalypse that nature is slowly reclaiming. The English dub works well and the music is good but not really memorable.

Ultimately, Code Vein II improves on the original game for a better experience, but the original was lacking to begin with. Soulslikes fans will be satisfied with a quality title, even if it will be frustrating at times. Casual gamers who aren’t looking for the challenging experience of these types of games, however, will find very little reason to try Code Vein II.

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