Code Vein II

Even though an 8/10 may sound like a solid score, that's actually lower than it could have gotten if it had been polished even further. Sure, the gameplay is nice and the story's very compelling; but with the backdrop of a horribly dumb enemy AI and its terrible performance issues, Code Vein 2 on release is at its worst.

Code Vein II is an ambitious sequel that expands the original formula with time travel, a broader world and a more direct narrative, though not all of its ideas fully come together. It refines combat and customization while clearly drawing inspiration from Elden Ring, sometimes at the cost of pacing and world density. Overall, it’s a solid and enjoyable soulslike, especially for fans of the first game, but not a genre-defining release.

All-in-all, I don’t think Code Vein II is bad. It’s mostly an improvement over some of the stiffness and art direction of the first game, bringing new features, weapons, and jails for players to build their characters around. The music is still great, albeit more orchestral than the grunge of the first game’s collaboration with VAMPS. The biggest problem that this franchise (is it a franchise yet?) struggles with seems to be chasing the Souls-Ring feel but not nailing it as much as I’d have hoped for the second entry. If you liked the first game, you’ll absolutely enjoy Code Vein II, but costing $70 in a market with other similar titles is a tough ask for people looking to get into Code Vein. Code Vein II isn’t a bad game, it’s rather far from it, but it falls short where it needs to really hit hard.

Code Vein II is the best example of a game that looks amazing on paper but in reality, fails to be stellar in any aspect. This isn’t necessarily a bad game, but it’s strange to have a sequel that has a lot more mechanics, characters, and story bits than the original, and fail to surpass it. The open-world aspect should have helped Code Vein II elevate it from the typical corridor-like soulslike, but it doesn’t. It’s nice to freely roam a world like the one Bandai Namco built for Code Vein, but not if it’s completely empty. One other major issue with Code Vein II is performance, which is, once again, all over the place. When it rains outside, your frames drop considerably, so combat is a nightmare. Things look good in dungeons, but the moment you step outside, everything seems half-baked. If you’re itching for a soulslike and consider Code Vein II, I would recommend playing the first one instead. Even if that would mean playing it a second time.

Code Vein II is a sequel that learned all the wrong lessons from industry trends. I don’t usually like to compare games directly when evaluating them, but games don’t exist in a vacuum, and Code Vein II releasing right next to Nioh 3 puts it at a disadvantageous position because its direct action RPG competitor is superior in almost every way. Nioh 3 allows players to play with each other effortlessly, while Code Vein II removed it entirely. Code Vein II’s open world approach is a lot more dull to wade through, as Nioh 3’s smaller zones allow players to traverse it much more swiftly. The only thing I can muster is that Code Vein II probably should’ve pushed back its release to vastly improve its performance – something that Nioh 3 also has a leg up on.