Review - Code Vein II - Simplifying Soulslike

The Code Vein series has won over a large legion of fans for a number of easily observable reasons: First, the anime aesthetic and charismatic characters, characters that deliver fanservice that doesn't quite reach the appealing level of a Stellar Blade or Bayonetta, but isn't as restrained as Genshin Impact and, most importantly, using the already well-established and renowned soulslike gameplay, although simplified and friendlier to newcomers.

Now, the sequel, Code Vein II (official website), expands on all of that. Let's talk about Code Vein II and what we think of this sequel. And, if you have any questions, leave a comment.

Code Vein II takes place in a post-apocalyptic future marked by the coexistence of humans and Revenants, vampiric beings who depend on blood to survive. An ancient catastrophe known as the Resurgence had been contained in the past by five legendary heroes, whose deeds ensured a fragile balance to the world. This balance, however, begins to crumble with the emergence of Luna Rapacis, an entity that undoes the seals created by the heroes and transforms Revenants into monstrous creatures called Horrors.

You’re a Revenant Hunter who dies early in the story during a routine mission. But of course, you don't stay dead for long (working yourself to death is a thing of the past, now they revive you so you can continue working! Just like Robocop). The protagonist is resurrected by Lou MagMell, a young Revenant with the rare ability to travel through time. To save him, Lou shares half of her heart with him, creating a permanent bond between the two. From there, the story alternates between the present and the past, with the duo traveling a hundred years into the future to find the original heroes of the Resurgence, gain their trust, and collect essential resonant items to free them from their corruption in the present and rebuild the barrier.

Although the game makes direct references to the first Code Vein, such as mechanics related to blood draining and Blood Codes, the story works independently. You don't need to have played the first game to understand the second.

The most evident structural change in Code Vein II is its open world. Unlike the first game, which had interconnected areas in a more controlled way, the sequel features large, interconnected maps, giving the player more freedom. The world is divided into thematic zones, including submerged cities, ruined urban areas, and devastated forests, as well as vertical dungeons that provide a great sense of depth.

But the biggest difference here is the ability to freely travel between the past and present, with visual and structural changes in the environment depending on the timeline (in the best Sonic CD style). This creates a sense of responsibility, since what you do in the past can have consequences in the future.

To make things easier, in addition to fast travel points, the game also gives you a motorcycle that doesn't consume fuel and helps you avoid getting tired of exploring open environments when traveling long distances. You can, of course, only summon it outside of dungeons.

The combat in Code Vein II still resembles games like Dark Souls (it has a 'soulslike flavor'): you have to read enemy movements, dodge at the right time, manage resources, and if you make a mistake, the punishment is severe. The difference lies in the pace. Here, you can be more aggressive, mainly due to the new Forma system, which replaces the Gifts from the previous game.

Formae are special abilities activated by consuming Ichor, the resource obtained by draining blood from enemies. This system means that the more offensive you are, the more resources you’ll have to continue being offensive. There are Formae focused on direct attacks, others linked to specific weapons, and also defensive Formae, which provides a lot of variety in play styles.

To maintain this system, Drain Attacks remain fundamental. Executing them with precision guarantees a quick recovery of Ichor, encouraging the player to take more risks instead of always being on the defensive, as in soulslike games. You may like this or criticize it, thinking the game should’ve stayed in the soulslike genre. I, personally, liked it.

One of the most significant changes is in the equipment system. The old Blood Veils have been replaced by Jails, armor mounted on the character's back that stores the Revenant's heart and functions as a central piece of combat. In addition to altering attributes, the Jails allow specific drain attacks and interact directly with Formas and Blood Codes.

The Blood Codes return as classes, each with a distinct focus, be it general balance, faster techniques, or direct combat. The big difference is the freedom. Now it's possible to switch Blood Codes during combat and use any type of weapon regardless of the active class. This makes experimentation much more fluid and reduces the feeling of punishment for testing new builds.

The progression system was designed to encourage this flexibility. By mastering a Blood Code's abilities, the player can transform them into passive Boosters, combining effects from different classes. In practice, this results in one of the deepest build systems in the franchise, something widely praised by critics.

The partner system, one of the strengths of the first Code Vein, returns with important changes. AI-controlled companions can fight alongside the player or be absorbed and incorporated into the Jail, strengthening specific attributes. This choice creates a dilemma between having a companion directly assisting in combat or gaining bonuses in certain attributes.

The Restorative Offering mechanic remains, allowing partners to revive the player after defeat, but now there's a clearer cost. The new Link Points system functions as a partner's stamina bar. When it depletes, the ally is incapacitated for a time, requiring you to tend to them. This adds another layer of strategy that wasn't as explicit in the first game.

One thing all Code Vein players agree on is that the Character Editor is one of the game's most polished features. Bandai Namco even released a demo version of the editor for those who want to try it before buying the game. And the editor gives you a lot of freedom to create many different types of characters, so it's likely that characters like "Handsome Squidward" will appear in Code Vein II soon.

Overall, Code Vein II shines by making the game more inviting for newcomers and those who aren't fans of soulslikes. The game also has beautiful graphics and incredible voice acting, both in English and Japanese, which are the two I played.

However, as could be expected, technical problems frequently appear. Frame-rate drops in open areas, instability during combat, and minor interface errors compromise important moments.

Another criticism lies in the repetition of enemies and dungeons. Although the open world is large, many interior environments seem like small variations of the same corridors (something that also happened in Dragon Age 2, for example), and the reuse of bosses makes important encounters less impactful. The sheer number of simultaneous systems is also overwhelming; the screen doesn't always explain well how everything connects, you don't understand what a power or screen is, and the next minute you've already forgotten how to do something.

Code Vein II is undoubtedly a more ambitious project than its predecessor. The expansion to an open world, the refinement of combat, and the almost total freedom in creating builds show a franchise that has found the confidence to grow. At the same time, technical problems, repetitive content, and system overload prevent the game from reaching a higher level of consistency.

So, what do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave your comment about Code Vein II and tell us what you thought of this game. We want to know if you enjoyed it.