User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 482 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 67 out of 482

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. Sep 26, 2019
    10
    To make up for all the other wannabe **** fakeass reviewers. This is a solid game and the best way to tell on how it plays, is by playing it yourself. It's fun and a good challenge and great with friends.
  2. Nov 13, 2019
    9
    It is literally "Anime Darksouls".

    Anime characters, anime story, anime armor/weapon aesthetic, with the same formula that made dark souls as beloved as it is. The combat is a tad clunkier than dark souls, but once you get past the learning curve it's very satisfying. The stat system is simplified, but they make up for it with the ability to change your class and build on the fly
    It is literally "Anime Darksouls".

    Anime characters, anime story, anime armor/weapon aesthetic, with the same formula that made dark souls as beloved as it is. The combat is a tad clunkier than dark souls, but once you get past the learning curve it's very satisfying. The stat system is simplified, but they make up for it with the ability to change your class and build on the fly without having to restart the game. It's not quite as challenging as dark souls, but there's enough there to keep you on the edge.

    If you like dark souls, you will like what this game has to offer.
    Expand
  3. Feb 12, 2020
    9
    This game is an absolute blast. It has just the right amount of Dark Souls heart but lightens up on the difficulty (that's a good thing). There's still a good amount of challenge to be found but, for me, it trades frustration for enjoyment. Gameplay aside, I loved the characters, art style, and really enjoyed the story. But I still hate silent protagonists.

    Date Completed: 2020-02-11
    This game is an absolute blast. It has just the right amount of Dark Souls heart but lightens up on the difficulty (that's a good thing). There's still a good amount of challenge to be found but, for me, it trades frustration for enjoyment. Gameplay aside, I loved the characters, art style, and really enjoyed the story. But I still hate silent protagonists.

    Date Completed: 2020-02-11
    Playtime: 33h
    Enjoyment: 9/10
    Recommendation: I'll be first in line if there's a Code Vein 2!
    Expand
  4. A0I
    Jun 19, 2020
    8
    Waifu Souls is exactly what you would expect, and doesn't dissappoint.
    As a die'hard fan of souls games,I found this one pretty appealing, and once I started playing, it was a non-stop until 4 days later, I managed to beat the game, create a new character and start over again, at the same time I did a NG+ to find all the missing blood codes on my first run.
    PROS: - The most robust and
    Waifu Souls is exactly what you would expect, and doesn't dissappoint.
    As a die'hard fan of souls games,I found this one pretty appealing, and once I started playing, it was a non-stop until 4 days later, I managed to beat the game, create a new character and start over again, at the same time I did a NG+ to find all the missing blood codes on my first run.

    PROS:
    - The most robust and friendly character creation I have encountered in a lot of time.
    - The ability to create new builds by using blood codes and blood veils. One single character can be used for several types of builds so, fun never ends.
    - Character design is great, some bosses are extremely weird but appealing (like rib cage)
    - AI is actually pretty helpful, but you can skip it if you want more challenge.

    CONS:
    - Boring characters, nothing that anime/jrpg veterans haven´t seen before
    - Low variety of low-level opponents
    - It only has 5-6 different outfits for your character!
    - Online mode is only for helping people. No PVP and no other game modes.
    Expand
  5. Nov 13, 2019
    9
    Everyone who expects a Souls-like will be displeased! It has some references to the series and that's it. If you search for a challenge and like Anime/Manga art style its a must have. The Difficulty is not to high or to low. Its a decent game with high focus on storytelling with some more or less difficult fights. The art style is overall extremely good but lacks on enemy-variety. SorryEveryone who expects a Souls-like will be displeased! It has some references to the series and that's it. If you search for a challenge and like Anime/Manga art style its a must have. The Difficulty is not to high or to low. Its a decent game with high focus on storytelling with some more or less difficult fights. The art style is overall extremely good but lacks on enemy-variety. Sorry for some misspelling, English is not my first Language. Expand
  6. Jan 21, 2020
    9
    This is a decent game and if you love Dark Souls, you will most definitely like Code Vein as well. It is pretty hard without AI companion. The game boasts a good level and gameplay design. Its biggest advantage over Dark Souls is the flexibility of builds. Almost every skill you learn will not be lost should you want to switch builds. It adds to replayability because you can run ng+ with aThis is a decent game and if you love Dark Souls, you will most definitely like Code Vein as well. It is pretty hard without AI companion. The game boasts a good level and gameplay design. Its biggest advantage over Dark Souls is the flexibility of builds. Almost every skill you learn will not be lost should you want to switch builds. It adds to replayability because you can run ng+ with a completely different build on the same character. You can also try different builds throughout the game without any penalty. Expand
  7. Feb 1, 2020
    9
    I absolutely had fun with this game -- I'm always a fan of big customization in games and this definitely had it; I also do enjoy that the game is still being worked on and updates/patch notes do come out relatively steadily from what I've been seeing.

    The pros are that the combat feels really good for me, though I always have builds that are fast to get the best dodge, it does keep you
    I absolutely had fun with this game -- I'm always a fan of big customization in games and this definitely had it; I also do enjoy that the game is still being worked on and updates/patch notes do come out relatively steadily from what I've been seeing.

    The pros are that the combat feels really good for me, though I always have builds that are fast to get the best dodge, it does keep you on your toes at all times regardless. As mentioned, I love the customization, and I find the blood veils to have quite nice designs, so I never feel "ugly" when donning certain ones. I personally liked having a companion with you on the trip, even if sometimes they were the lifeline I had between life or death ... if you want a true challenge, run the game without the companion, it'll really force you to 'git gud'.

    Some cons I've personally had with it are these: a couple of the maps did feel tedious to have to go through to find all the mistles (and it drove me nuts, looking at you, cathedral of sacred blood), sometimes you do feel locked into certain builds to succeed and it doesn't feel quite as customizable at moments without sacrificing efficiency, and of course, characters fall into some standard tropes, but I personally found the story to have enough of a hook to keep me engaged.

    I can't speak for multiplayer since I went in solo for the entirety of the game, but I can see the appeal of running it with friends.

    It's a game I'd recommend if you're looking for a challenge and want something that's a bit more forgiving than Dark Souls, with combat that feels good and has a good learning curve if you still want a challenge.

    Also, screw the two hedgehog Boreal Brutes you have to fight in the depth map, those were worse than any other bosses and I dread having to fight them again on new game+. Get your fire weapons ready.
    Expand
  8. Sep 26, 2019
    10
    Very good game with interesting mechanics and a extremely good twist to the "Souls" formula.
  9. Sep 27, 2019
    10
    Exceptional souls-like. Has a great story and a lot of replayability. The combat is solid and has plenty of weight to it. Plenty of customization and variety. The people review bombing this are insane.
  10. Sep 26, 2019
    9
    Excellent character creator - Smooth gameplay and the notorious difficulty from the genre overall a good experience
  11. Sep 29, 2019
    9
    Just finished my first playthrough and enjoyed the game , it's systems feel more fluid and flexible then dark souls and while that add some variety it also make the game feel a little less polished also several crashes won't help that. The game only saves when resting at a checkpoint so a crash will mean lost progress but still a great game and looking forward to the DLC which is hopefullyJust finished my first playthrough and enjoyed the game , it's systems feel more fluid and flexible then dark souls and while that add some variety it also make the game feel a little less polished also several crashes won't help that. The game only saves when resting at a checkpoint so a crash will mean lost progress but still a great game and looking forward to the DLC which is hopefully story expansions. Expand
  12. Sep 27, 2019
    10
    All the negative reviews so far are peopl saying it's trash after playing 1-2 hours and refunded it, only very few negative reviews that are worth reading are the ones after 10 hours, don't bother wasting time with 1-2 hours ones. without stating any reasons why and they all just refunded the game. The game is a 8/10 for me, the character creation is one of the very best and very detailed.All the negative reviews so far are peopl saying it's trash after playing 1-2 hours and refunded it, only very few negative reviews that are worth reading are the ones after 10 hours, don't bother wasting time with 1-2 hours ones. without stating any reasons why and they all just refunded the game. The game is a 8/10 for me, the character creation is one of the very best and very detailed. spent 2 hours on it already, the combat is fun and engaging. the only thing that is lacking is the variety of levels. but i am rating it higher since people deliberately rated it down since the game has Denuvo, which the pirates are angry for
    A lot of reviewers also seem not to be into Anime, which this game is meant to be for anime audience/ weebs. The Devs also gave out free copies for those who donated blood on twitch con and it was very nice of them doing this. most if not all the negatively are from people/ pirates complaining
    Expand
  13. Oct 8, 2019
    8
    First I want to say that this is not a Dark Souls rip off rather its on the same genre, with that in mind, Code Vein achieve most of the genre's experience, except the partner system, which in my opinion kind of ruined the experience. Luckily however it seems you have the option not to do so, I'm still early in the game so I may be wrong. If you want another Dark Souls experience this is aFirst I want to say that this is not a Dark Souls rip off rather its on the same genre, with that in mind, Code Vein achieve most of the genre's experience, except the partner system, which in my opinion kind of ruined the experience. Luckily however it seems you have the option not to do so, I'm still early in the game so I may be wrong. If you want another Dark Souls experience this is a good buy, if you never have played any of the souls game I highly suggest you try this especially if you love the art style/direction Expand
  14. Nov 26, 2019
    9
    Not quite as polished as a Soulsborne game but still very very fun, cool design and much better character creation than any From soft game.
    Very satisfying.
  15. Sep 27, 2019
    10
    Are you looking for an easier Dark Souls? Do you like typical anime characters? Do you like wandering around msomewhat mediocre maps while looking for items and trying to progress? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you'll probably like Code Vein. The game's story itself is decent, if pretty familiar. The lore is cool too in spots, but the characters are your typical assortmentAre you looking for an easier Dark Souls? Do you like typical anime characters? Do you like wandering around msomewhat mediocre maps while looking for items and trying to progress? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you'll probably like Code Vein. The game's story itself is decent, if pretty familiar. The lore is cool too in spots, but the characters are your typical assortment of anime tropes. Their character models also have a lot of clipping problems. No matter what character you're looking at, their hair clips through everything. Thankfully you can change your hair at any time. I initially gave my character the longest hair I could, but watching it clip through my entire outfit every time I moved got old.

    So, yeah, the combat itself moves and feels just like Dark Souls. There are five weapon types and each has a light and heavy attack. You can parry too, but you have to hit the button a couple of seconds before the enemy attack hits, which is a little weird. But the main difference is that you've got a ton of abilities you can use by switching classes known as Blood Codes. There are a ton of these and they all have different stats and their own abilities. Abilities are mainly for attacking and buffs, but there are also ones that do other stuff, such as one that lets you return to your last not-bonfire.

    But this isn't a challenging game. The enemies are typically pretty easy to deal with. Most bosses are too. I almost never got into a life or death struggle where my survival was based on successfully learning boss movesets. Your partner NPC heals you if you die too. And you probably won't die much. I wasn't too upset about this, although I don't really understand why someone would transplant combat built around being patient and careful into a game that wanted to be more of an full-on action RPG. I don't know how the camera tilts up when you get closer to an enemy you're locked onto, though. Makes it hard to see what's around you.

    This is a decently-long game, for the most part. It took me about 22 hours with some wandering, mostly in the cathedral as that level is giant and confusing as hell. Definitely the worst part of the game, really. It's all the same color and every area looks practically identical. Plus there's multiple levels. The map in this game is pretty cool and you fill it in bit-by-bit by interacting with these plant things. It also shows you where you've been. But that wasn't helpful in the cathedral so much because it has multiple floors, which was plain confusing.

    Overall, I like the game, though. It's not great, but it's good. The story gets better as you go and there are multiple endings, plus a new game plus and a few optional bonus levels. If you're looking for a game to just be anime Dark Souls, you won't find it here. But if you just want a fun action RPG, you'll probably enjoy yourself. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments.
    Expand
  16. Sep 27, 2019
    9
    Code Vein while the combat can be quiet clunky it makes up for this in its beautiful art style which you can explore further in its in-depth character customization. Its story is quiet unique and engaging.
    However if you are looking for a SoulsBorne like game then this might be to easy for you, it might be because i enjoy doing insane challenge runs in SoulsBorne games and that thats why
    Code Vein while the combat can be quiet clunky it makes up for this in its beautiful art style which you can explore further in its in-depth character customization. Its story is quiet unique and engaging.
    However if you are looking for a SoulsBorne like game then this might be to easy for you, it might be because i enjoy doing insane challenge runs in SoulsBorne games and that thats why a normal run isn't hard for me. But besides the clunky combat that i dipped on for a more agile range build and the just a lil bit challenging difficulty, Code Vein is an excellent game.
    Expand
  17. Sep 27, 2019
    10
    Been waiting for this game and i am not disappointed at all. Most people who play dark souls are going to like this, best part about it is the customization of characters and your arsenal. If you see any negative scores it's probobly from people who don't play games and keep dying every second. Or those strange people that write articles about sexism in games, ignore those idiots theyBeen waiting for this game and i am not disappointed at all. Most people who play dark souls are going to like this, best part about it is the customization of characters and your arsenal. If you see any negative scores it's probobly from people who don't play games and keep dying every second. Or those strange people that write articles about sexism in games, ignore those idiots they don't play a game for the actual gameplay and mechanics. If you're a fan of anime and dark souls, there isn't a reason for you to not get this game. Expand
  18. Nov 20, 2019
    8
    In general, this is a good game that takes the Souls formula forward in some ways, but backward in others. If you're looking for a simple romp into another Souls-like world, Code Vein is for you.

    PROs: Excellent music. Nice, anime-styled art style and animations. Combat is a little faster than Souls (which is good). Nowhere nearly as stupid-difficult as Sekiro (which is VERY good).
    In general, this is a good game that takes the Souls formula forward in some ways, but backward in others. If you're looking for a simple romp into another Souls-like world, Code Vein is for you.

    PROs: Excellent music. Nice, anime-styled art style and animations. Combat is a little faster than Souls (which is good). Nowhere nearly as stupid-difficult as Sekiro (which is VERY good). Magic system allows for rapid-fire spell casting which is super cool and new to the franchise.

    CONs: Painfully slow and self-indulgent cutscenes that are EXTREMELY boring despite the interesting story. Awkward boss balancing because of AI ally. Very awkward game pacing - the game and story constantly barrages you with unintuitive in-game terms (Ichor, Gifts, Blood Beads, Red Mist, Blood Veil, etc etc etc zzzzzzz).

    All in all, would I wish for Code Vein 2? Yes, absolutely; more so than I would wish for Sekiro 2. CV just needs to re-balance the bosses and the allies. The bosses are difficult in a cheap way with no ally; but with an ally, most of them become easy in a cheap way. Only a few bosses give a decent and balanced challenge despite your overly powerful ally. Ally needs to be weaker overall. Story delivery needs to be paced better. It's great that they're veering away from Souls' cryptic and eerie storytelling, but with a story so front-and-center, Code Vein could stand to tell it better. Cutscenes have to be wayyyy more snappy and to-the-point. They tend to meander and waste time, practically begging you to skip them. Walking-simulator memories also have to be scrapped. Waste of time. Tutorials need to be more intuitive as well. They have to be spaced out a bit more, and non-tutorial applications should be encouraged and emphasized so that you really get a feel for the in-game concepts (Gifts, Blood Veil, Ichor, Drain all could have used better tutorials).

    All in all, a good Souls game. Hope there's a second one.
    Expand
  19. Oct 3, 2019
    10
    Great gameplay and mechanics. I like how it's not as frustrating as some other souls-like titles.
    Of course it's much harder than your average game, but at the same time it feels really fair with the player. Whenever you die you don't feel cheated by some cheap difficulty spike or something like that.
    The game runs very well too, no bugs or performance problems. I totally recommend it.
  20. Sep 29, 2019
    9
    Dark Souls but in Anime style. If you like DS and Anime I highly recommend to buy it
    Character customization is very diverse.
    Story is good
    Characters are ok
    Only thing what will you maybe hate is Cathedral of the Sacred Blood :D
  21. Oct 3, 2019
    10
    Stands on its own two feet, great experience overall. Exploration is fun, and plenty of ways to play how you want.
  22. Nov 30, 2019
    10
    If your a Fan of god eater or know of souls games this game is honest a mix of both to a degree. (Art style is a bit similar to GE3)

    Once you get used to the combat controls its not that hard but like a souls game it requires practice if you wish to be good at it. The environment is not overly complex enough to keep you well distracted from playing the game but you can get a feel of
    If your a Fan of god eater or know of souls games this game is honest a mix of both to a degree. (Art style is a bit similar to GE3)

    Once you get used to the combat controls its not that hard but like a souls game it requires practice if you wish to be good at it.

    The environment is not overly complex enough to keep you well distracted from playing the game but you can get a feel of the location... Especially the Cathedral level as it makes everyone's worse fears of endless heights a reality.

    And for those say Mistles are Bond fires from Dark Souls... Well it is a souls like they serve similar purposes but ones a plant that purifies the air of Miasma while the other is... A big fire that lights up and area...

    Also The lore is well told through cutscenes and memory scenes to unlock new abilities. While a game like blood born.... Really doesn't tell you much and you don't have a character coming with you to break up the monotone grind.
    Expand
  23. Sep 27, 2019
    10
    Extremely fun game! Not as good as Soulsborne, but it offers unique elements of its own. The character creator and the Blood Code class systems which allows you to mix and match unique class abilities from multiple classes AFTER you have maxed and mastered a certain Blood Code is very interesting and fun. The game offers a good amount of replay value based on this alone. Runs flawlessly onExtremely fun game! Not as good as Soulsborne, but it offers unique elements of its own. The character creator and the Blood Code class systems which allows you to mix and match unique class abilities from multiple classes AFTER you have maxed and mastered a certain Blood Code is very interesting and fun. The game offers a good amount of replay value based on this alone. Runs flawlessly on the PC, upto 240fps! Great game! Expand
  24. Sep 27, 2019
    9
    Журнодевушки легкого поведения и невысоких моральных устоев снова ставят низкие оценки норм играм, а очередная колда или ласосин зато будут 12/10
  25. Sep 27, 2019
    10
    Way better than some would suggest. If you like dark souls there is still plenty of good to be had here.
  26. Sep 27, 2019
    10
    Played for about 10 hours, game has lots of customization and replayability. Takes a lot of the best systems from Dark Souls and implements them well.
  27. Oct 1, 2019
    8
    Make no mistake, this is no Dark Souls and definitely no Bloodborne. However it has it's core audience in sights and going straight for them, and I'll like to believe they have hit their mark, or close.

    Pros: Lovely customisation, absolutely gorgeous characters. The clothing department can use a little more styling as it leans more towards edgy and not enough styles. The accessories
    Make no mistake, this is no Dark Souls and definitely no Bloodborne. However it has it's core audience in sights and going straight for them, and I'll like to believe they have hit their mark, or close.

    Pros:
    Lovely customisation, absolutely gorgeous characters. The clothing department can use a little more styling as it leans more towards edgy and not enough styles. The accessories section definitely makes up for it. However the best part is definitely the Hair styles. Character customisation can easily takes up a couple hours of your time if you put your soul into it. I just wish they expand it to your companions.

    Depth of combat system is definitely a plus, all the codes and skills that you can mix and match to create something you call your own, the lack of "stat point" also made sure you aren't locked in for the run and can experiment as you collect classes and skills.

    Challenge: The game is easy from the get-go and bosses will fall over like pieces of paper if you are a DS/BB veteran. That is, because you are paired with companions from the get-go. Do yourself a favour and get rid of them if you want something really similar to DS/BB. This is their normal/easy mode switch and I like that it is built into the game and something you are given the choice immediately after the tutorial level. Also remember NG is always easy, real veterans go for NG+ with difficulty increased, just don't be that guy that plays on NG and whine it's too easy. You can also tell the starting couple hours of the game is tailor for the "games journalists" difficulty with how your companion on auto-pilot can wreck the level.

    Cons:
    Combat is a little weird, the basic attacks are often lacklustre. You can feel the swing of two-handed weapons but single-handed weapons just feels off. Also range judgement in this game sort of missing the mark, I often swing just barely short and I don't have this problem in BB or DS, I will like to think this is more of a camera angle issue.

    Story wise it kind of proves the BB/DS's point. If you want to do a flesh out story, make it bloody damn good and CV is sort of just ok. Often in DS and BB we are just left with enough clues to figure out the story, and we fill in the gaps like the interaction between Maria and Gehrman with our imagination. CV does more story and cutscenes, but with more of these, there are more visible flaws. (only the very best visualised stories better than imagination) There are many good moments often marred by VA or animations.

    Monsters: Just not enough there. The repeated use of some actually made them look out of place in certain areas. It's something that will be fleshed out if the series garner enough audiences to make it to CV2, but for now it kind of sticks out.

    Overall it has it's own distinctive features and styles to call it's own. Story element also borrows heavily from Anime *coughTokyoGhoulcough* for it's intended audience. A solid 8 and a solid foundation for future series.
    Expand
  28. Oct 6, 2019
    9
    So, I do not understand quite well why so many reviews qualify this game so low. Maybe the story is not that super good and original, but man the gameplay feels amazing. You are bombarded with TONS of gameplay choices, and the game, if played with no NPC companion, is quite challenging in some areas. The different mechanics makes it a true "Souls" game, and the anime aesthetic with theSo, I do not understand quite well why so many reviews qualify this game so low. Maybe the story is not that super good and original, but man the gameplay feels amazing. You are bombarded with TONS of gameplay choices, and the game, if played with no NPC companion, is quite challenging in some areas. The different mechanics makes it a true "Souls" game, and the anime aesthetic with the blood theme is perfectly matched. I really like the smooth animations, but what I truly like is the gameplay. Man, it really feels soulish, with skills and choices that broaden the gameplay experience of a normal souls game. Quite honestly, a superb game in its genre, with fresh ideas and cool gaming experience. Expand
  29. Oct 11, 2019
    10
    Un jeux que j'ai attendu durant plus d'un ans et l'attente en valait le coup !
    -Une histoire touchante puis immersive, c'est toujours un réel plaisir de pouvoir créer son propre avatar avec un panel de choix énorme.
    -Des musiques sublimes qui m'a procurer des frissonnement tout au long du jeux. "ça m'avait manqué depuis Nier: Automata tiens" OST à acheter !!!! -Un Dark soul like qui
    Un jeux que j'ai attendu durant plus d'un ans et l'attente en valait le coup !
    -Une histoire touchante puis immersive, c'est toujours un réel plaisir de pouvoir créer son propre avatar avec un panel de choix énorme.
    -Des musiques sublimes qui m'a procurer des frissonnement tout au long du jeux. "ça m'avait manqué depuis Nier: Automata tiens" OST à acheter !!!!
    -Un Dark soul like qui explore vraiment ça plaine capacité avec un vrai challenge " ce n'est pas extrêmement dure malgrès tout"
    -Le multiplayer est vraiment moyen par contre et c'est le seul point qui ma bien fatigué... "Jouant en duo avec ma femme, c'était bien chiant ne pas s'amusée a reexplorer tout les environnements"
    Dans tout ça, Je peux que le conseiller. C'est mon jeux de 2019 et de loin !
    Expand
  30. Oct 3, 2019
    9
    A very solid game. It does not provide the challenge that some other soulslike games provide, but offers a nice, very storydriven experience, with plenty of options to choose your own playstyle using the gifts & blood codes. The parry animations are *bloody* beautiful and The artstyle is pleasing, at least if you like the 'anime' style they went for. The game has a very good characterA very solid game. It does not provide the challenge that some other soulslike games provide, but offers a nice, very storydriven experience, with plenty of options to choose your own playstyle using the gifts & blood codes. The parry animations are *bloody* beautiful and The artstyle is pleasing, at least if you like the 'anime' style they went for. The game has a very good character customisation too. Expand
  31. Oct 12, 2019
    10
    A wonderful game with a beautiful soundtrack and amazing character creator. The levels are varied in tone and the weapons feel satisfying. Where the game really shines however is the gift and blood code system. Being able to switch essentially what "class" you are on the fly is great and the great variety of gifts gives this game a lot of replay ability with what you can experiment with toA wonderful game with a beautiful soundtrack and amazing character creator. The levels are varied in tone and the weapons feel satisfying. Where the game really shines however is the gift and blood code system. Being able to switch essentially what "class" you are on the fly is great and the great variety of gifts gives this game a lot of replay ability with what you can experiment with to find a build just for you. If you are however a God Eater fan then this game gets even better with how its story integrates with the overall story. Even without knowing any God Eater knowledge the story is straightforward yet interesting enough to keep me invested. I just wish people wouldn't lump it with the Dark Souls crowd as it feels more like a mix between God Eater and Dragon's Dogma. Expand
  32. Dec 10, 2019
    9
    a really good game if you played dark souls and other souls like games it plays mostly like that just do not expect the exact same thing as those games it has its own identity.
  33. Jun 24, 2023
    10
    Definitely an underrate gem, the game has many classes that you can mix and mash. The ost in the game is the best of all soulborne games
  34. Sep 27, 2019
    10
    Came to see if there's anything wrong with the pf version (as it often is) , saw people giving it 0 because for all glory the pc master race has , it sure has a lot of un skilled people playing on the platform. I already made a genuine review on the ps4 version , its an 8.5/10 , give it a 10 here to compensate for all the fake reviews here
  35. Sep 30, 2019
    9
    This game is a pure joy. After following this game closely since it's teaser trailer in 2017, one question has been nagging at the back of my mind. "Will this game be as good as it deserves to be"? Having played through all the Soulsborne games, and loving every one of them, my primary concern was if the game-play would hold up. I loved the aesthetic of this game and that was brought intoThis game is a pure joy. After following this game closely since it's teaser trailer in 2017, one question has been nagging at the back of my mind. "Will this game be as good as it deserves to be"? Having played through all the Soulsborne games, and loving every one of them, my primary concern was if the game-play would hold up. I loved the aesthetic of this game and that was brought into full tilt when the character creator was revealed to, frankly, be the new industry standard. After spending 20 hours with this game, and with no sign of the end in sight, I was able to put most of my concerns to rest.
    I'm utterly in love with this game. I love the direction, story style, personality, concepts and artistic vision of this game. And with no signs of micro-transaction intrusion, the game looks like all of it's mechanics are allowed to function as intended. And that's where I think this game will fall short of it's contemporary peers from FromSoftware. The elephant in the room is that the combat isn't Soulsborne levels of polish. And nothing out right now is, so it's in good company. But the comparisons are levied more directly at this game because it draws so heavily on the gameplay loop that Soulsborne established.
    So is the combat that is here satisfying? That's the main question. And I can confidently say that it is, despite it's flaws. The controls are snappy to the point where your character seems to have no momentum and can feel "floaty", but that lends itself to a much more frenetic style more akin to Bloodborne. And when you find yourself in large scale fights with many enemies, this ferocious agility is allowed to really shine in ways that put the large mob fights in Dark Souls to shame. Soulsborne excels far above it's peers in 1 on 1 combat encounters with extremely tight weapon mechanics but usually falls short when more than 3 enemys come barreling at you. Code vein feels like the opposite. 1 on 1 combat usually allows the wrinkles of the mechanics to be felt more acutely but, when 4 or 5 enemies come at you and your partner, strap in for a flashy, wild combat encounter.
    The weakest points of the game I've felt so far have been the boss encounters, sadly. They certainly work and are stronger than bosses in most games but pale in comparison to the show stopping memorable fights that liter the Soulsborne series. Initially a lot of the bosses felt cheap and shoddy as my character was inflicted, continually, with status ailments repeatedly. Each boss had a different status ailment that made the fight significantly more difficult. But after digging into the decently well explained character build mechanics with it's blood codes and skill sets, I came to understand that these boss fights were trying to make me build entire class load outs specifically to counter what they threw at you. The poison boss required you to invest in poison resistance skill and poison cure skill as well as a veil with elemental resistances. The water boss would slow you and then run circles around you until you removed that debuff and build tanky to take their hits, which were very difficult to dodge. This system, once understood, allowed me to build my character out to counter these bosses and make them significantly easier and much less frustrating. If customizing your character and skills for boss encounters sounds tedious to you, however, then this will likely seem less satisfying for you.
    Outside of boss fights, the mob combat, exploration and level design reach levels of care that are as close as anyone has come to the Soulsborne games outside of FromSoftware. With spidering paths that loop back on spawn points 2 and 3 times very often, the world rewards your exploration and gives you that same feeling of finding shortcuts that I became to accustomed to. Each area is riddled with hidden paths, secret items and side bosses that I can only come away that familiar feeling that I love from these sorts of games.
    There are bugs, but they have reared their ugly head only a scant few times during my play-through such that I don't think they bear dwelling on. And with multiplayer that works at launch, I can't complain.
    With my astronomical expectations of this game, after 3 years of following it closely, I thought it would be impossible for me to come away from this experience as anything other than disappointed. It's my pleasure to tell you that, while not exceeding my high expectations, it has certainly lived up to them and even surprised me a few times. I'm very excited to see where this IP goes from here with a bit of polish put on the mechanics to get it closer to that Soulsborne level of quality. If this series is able to get a bit closer to that lofty bar with the charm and aesthetic prowess that it exudes in a sequel, then we'll have something game changing on our hands. As of now, Code Vein is an absolute delight that is able to stand as a valiant and satisfying first stab at an alternative to Dark Souls.
    Expand
  36. Sep 29, 2019
    8
    One of the biggest surprises for me of this year. Code vein has incredible customization not only for your appearance but also for your fighting style. I would recommend this game to people who are trying to get into souls like games as having an AI companion always with you makes things kind of easy.
  37. Sep 27, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To make up for all the other wannabe **** fakeass reviewers. This is a solid game and the best way to tell on how it plays, is by playing it yourself. It's fun and a good challenge and great with friends. Expand
  38. Oct 2, 2019
    9
    Don't play with npc it ruins whole experience, the game gets really hard once you start playing solo.
  39. Oct 11, 2019
    9
    its not 100 percent good game but it entertains me a lot great physics great maps characters are so beautiful maybe if it has difficulties in the settings its better
  40. Sep 30, 2019
    10
    Fun and challenging but fair, now speaking of gameplay it has really amazing mechanics that blend skills and normal attacks that allow you to make some really cool looking combos, this is a game with plenty of weapons and classes know as "blood codes" that allow anyone to use the play style they prefere without the fear of messing up your build like in Dark Souls, not having to start overFun and challenging but fair, now speaking of gameplay it has really amazing mechanics that blend skills and normal attacks that allow you to make some really cool looking combos, this is a game with plenty of weapons and classes know as "blood codes" that allow anyone to use the play style they prefere without the fear of messing up your build like in Dark Souls, not having to start over in order to change the base stats, or use some hidden covenant. Expand
  41. Oct 2, 2019
    10
    its a beautiful game with good mechanics ,but camera is bad.
    engaging storyline
    Beautifull charater
    good music
  42. Oct 17, 2019
    9
    Completely ignore those who say this game is a Weeboo version of Dark Souls this makes it clear that they didn't understand what the game is like, because the only mechanics they have in common is the fact of resurrecting every time you die and the gain of "souls". The game relies heavily on the use of skills, known as gifts, and therefore offers a completely different approach allowingCompletely ignore those who say this game is a Weeboo version of Dark Souls this makes it clear that they didn't understand what the game is like, because the only mechanics they have in common is the fact of resurrecting every time you die and the gain of "souls". The game relies heavily on the use of skills, known as gifts, and therefore offers a completely different approach allowing you to create different builds based on your playing style.

    I have read many who have complained about the plot deeming it trivial. I personally do not agree with this statement, the game allows the player to fully understand the plot to the particular power of the main character, that allows you to relive fragments of the memory of the revenants scattered in the game map. Although there are trivial parts to the plot this doesn't necessarily have to ruin the plot, after all not all people have troubled pasts or intended to accomplish feats.

    The music is something majestic, especially the lyrics of the songs is something superb, is probably one of the games with the best soundtrack ever released, I could listen to them endlessly from how beautiful they are. The most representative in my opinion is "Human qua Human" that starts when you complete the game with the true ending, the scene of when the music starts with that lyrics is truly wonderful.

    My final score is around 8.5 / 8.7 which I would give him here anyway a 9, since I'm not being able to give the half points. If you are able to appreciate or overlook the artistic style, I would recommend you to play it, if you like this kind of a game, as it is a well developed game.
    Expand
  43. Sep 29, 2019
    10
    Плюсы:
    Звуковое сопровождение
    Оптимизация
    Озвучка
    Редактор персонажа

    Минусы:
    Один вариант обработки сглаживания(TXAA)
    Отсутствие фото-режима
    Главный герой молчит и кивает головой
  44. Oct 10, 2019
    9
    This game has a lot of great things about it. it has an awesome character customization system. Great build diversity which lends to a ton of replay-ability. Has an enjoyable story that I got almost 40 hours out of but I did almost everything that I could the first time around but missed a couple things. it also has multiple endings so that also ads to replay-ability. it is a souls typeThis game has a lot of great things about it. it has an awesome character customization system. Great build diversity which lends to a ton of replay-ability. Has an enjoyable story that I got almost 40 hours out of but I did almost everything that I could the first time around but missed a couple things. it also has multiple endings so that also ads to replay-ability. it is a souls type game but you can choose to go about it solo or you can have an AI companion if you dont want to play online like me. I assume you can have other players join you as well though in place of the ai companion. Its a much more new player friendly souls like game. Has a pretty solid tutorial and the pacing is great early on letting you get a feel for the game. If you like challenging souls like games and dont mind anime art style and tendencies you should totally grab this game its great. Expand
  45. Sep 29, 2019
    10
    This game is just perfect, please don't credit these **** reviews of gamer sites, they don't know absolutely nothing about gaming.
    Play the game by yourself and see, because for me, even with high expectation in mind on the launch it's a masterpiece.
  46. Sep 29, 2019
    10
    Хорошпя аниме игра, мне очень понравилась
  47. Oct 15, 2019
    10
    Character is Good design. i like Great view of the world.
    I like it because it's easy to do battles.
  48. Mar 28, 2020
    8
    Honestly, there is not much I can say about this game. its just mindless fun. I have always despised Dark Souls and it's ideology that everything hard is good, like uninteresting combat and frustrating mechanics. As of the time I am writing this review I have dropped Dark Souls 3 5 times, and I have only gotten to catacombs. Code Vein tries to play exactly like Dark Souls, but there is oneHonestly, there is not much I can say about this game. its just mindless fun. I have always despised Dark Souls and it's ideology that everything hard is good, like uninteresting combat and frustrating mechanics. As of the time I am writing this review I have dropped Dark Souls 3 5 times, and I have only gotten to catacombs. Code Vein tries to play exactly like Dark Souls, but there is one huge difference. Code Vein is actually fun. Fun character creation, well written characters, pretty graphics, pretty level design, comfortable to play and most importantly; no **** around every single **** corner. If you want to play Dark Souls but you don't want to gouge out your eyeballs, go for Code Vein. Expand
  49. Sep 26, 2021
    9
    I do really like this game, from art and graphics to levels to gameplay. It follows the formula of some other games without being really like those games, so purists beware. The gameplay is hack and slash, often spamming light attack too much, but there are a wide variety of mechanics and ways to succeed. It's not too easy or too hard, actually someone reminded me here that your NPCI do really like this game, from art and graphics to levels to gameplay. It follows the formula of some other games without being really like those games, so purists beware. The gameplay is hack and slash, often spamming light attack too much, but there are a wide variety of mechanics and ways to succeed. It's not too easy or too hard, actually someone reminded me here that your NPC partner makes the early levels pretty easy, but you can usually dismiss them if you wish, or choose a different one.
    Builds and items were interesting to me but I spent more time just trying to earn as many of the "codes" as possible and their skills. Builds, stats, and leveling could be a lot better, plenty of things are too strong or just awkward. They just threw a lot of **** in there in a more is better kind of way. That's how the game is, a lot of things are just there, for better or worse. More weapons and such would be really nice, and I often felt stuck with one because it was too good.

    The reason this isn't a 10 is the messy item and build system, and that I don't feel it has a lot of replayability, even with the endgame missions, beating the game feels like that's it. Here's hoping for a sequel. Ciao gamers.
    Expand
  50. Jun 30, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A good anime soul-like game, with companions make the game easier to play compare to dark souls. The lore is pretty deep and has link with God Eater. Expand
  51. Oct 26, 2019
    10
    Good adventure anime waifu, thank you developers, most the after Nier. Not without flaws...
  52. Nov 6, 2019
    8
    so much for the discussion asking if the blood/souls turned became a genre. there is anime-based blood/souls game right here. it's a genre.
    sometimes youll be frustrated but it doesnt ruin the experience, luckly.
    one of the most frustrating thing is how hit-spongy the enemies are. even with the heaviest sword and all buffs you can add, you'll still get hit in mid attack. it gets you
    so much for the discussion asking if the blood/souls turned became a genre. there is anime-based blood/souls game right here. it's a genre.
    sometimes youll be frustrated but it doesnt ruin the experience, luckly.
    one of the most frustrating thing is how hit-spongy the enemies are. even with the heaviest sword and all buffs you can add, you'll still get hit in mid attack. it gets you feeling like you'r not good enough but its not actually the player's fault at all. another frustrating aspect is the leveling. you dont get to choose where your points go to so you cant focus on one thing. i think i finished the game at lvl 150 or something like that, and still my stamina was **** that, playing against a hundread enemies that almost absorb your attacks will make you die a lot. its almost like that's the game's porpouse. like lets make it harder but in a lazy way. like putting the freaking checkpoint half across the map, and making you go against 30 enemies before getting to a boss fight with 2 regen instead of your nomral 7.
    but hey, it's not a bad game. it's just bittersweet.
    there are some cool stuff, but they come with a not so cool thing.
    like, the graphics of the characters: awesome, but maps textures: ps3-like
    you can create your own anime goth vampire character in a lot of different ways, but that makes your character mute untill they speak a single line toward the end of the game.
    or you can own a bunch of huge-ass swords and hammers and bayonets, but there's like 2 that'll be better than all of them so it seems pointless. at least it has a lot of the blood codes, that can really change the way each player engages in the game.
    it's not a bad game at all, but they can tottaly make it better in a possible sequence
    Expand
  53. Jun 3, 2021
    8
    I am a soul veteran here and I must say Code vein is better than I expected but also not without flaws. I really love my first 5-10 hrs in the game, but later the flaws start to appear. The best part of the game is the story. It could be one of the best soullike game in term of story. It is very good story, easy to follow, at some point I even cried, however it also has too much of dramaI am a soul veteran here and I must say Code vein is better than I expected but also not without flaws. I really love my first 5-10 hrs in the game, but later the flaws start to appear. The best part of the game is the story. It could be one of the best soullike game in term of story. It is very good story, easy to follow, at some point I even cried, however it also has too much of drama for my liking. Gameplay is fine, like darksoul, with the addition of classes and skills, which make it even better and fun to experiment. Enemies are repeptitive though, mostly humaniod, and this will make you felt bored near the end. Some map designs are too mazed / long walk, and some bosses are easy, some (near the end) are super difficult. Character customization is great, and the animation look beautiful. The music is AAA, one of the best aspect of this game for sure. Even though this game gives you AI partner, it is still difficult game nonetheless, Still in my opinion, AI partner is too strong.

    In sum, I like it, but not love it. I want sequel, and I hope the sequel will fix the problems I mentioned.
    Expand
  54. Mar 19, 2020
    9
    In my opinion game has something unique compared to other souls-like games. It is primarily for anime fans, or one who doesn't mind. If you are a fan of this type of games you will probably enjoy it. I like design and art style of this game. The only thing that could improve is the quality of the models.
  55. Nov 10, 2020
    10
    As stated by z2ocky
    To make up for all the other wannabe fakeass reviewers. This is a solid game and the best way to tell on how it plays, is by playing it yourself. It's fun and a good challenge and great with friends.
  56. Mar 6, 2020
    9
    Anime has never precisely been my thing, there are a few exceptions, naturally, and I'm pleased to say that Code Vein is one of them. I don't think it's a perfect experience, but it's a better 3D soulslike game than any I've yet seen, and even beats out Dark Souls 2 and 3 for me. I love the characters, I love the general aesthetic of it, the soundtrack was beautiful, and the true endingAnime has never precisely been my thing, there are a few exceptions, naturally, and I'm pleased to say that Code Vein is one of them. I don't think it's a perfect experience, but it's a better 3D soulslike game than any I've yet seen, and even beats out Dark Souls 2 and 3 for me. I love the characters, I love the general aesthetic of it, the soundtrack was beautiful, and the true ending caused my computer to turn into an onion.

    Now, the negative. Blade Bearer and Cannoneer (The BBC) is a hell of an obnoxious fight. Blade bearer can gap close the entire room in a split second, deals a heinous amount of damage, and is generally a pain, which makes it impossible to focus the Cannoneer, which becomes a problem because when focusing on the hyperactive ice Ornstein, generally if you think it's safe to attack or heal, it's not really not. The Cannoneer has such timing that if you told me it was an enemy player, I'd have been inclined to believe you if I wasn't playing offline. Another thing I don't like is the invasions, until I reached the Ashen Cavern right before the Gilded Hunter fight, every time I accidentally stumbled into one for the first time, it typically involved me dying painfully because of a failure to understand that there hasn't been a good poise system since Dark Souls 1, among other concerns, like the enemies staggering you in one hit, and taking several hits to be staggered themselves.

    Overall, 9/10. I haven't enjoyed a Soulssoulslike game so much since Dark Souls 1, and would very much recommend it. Also, seeing the professional reviews bang on about bad dialogue and characters whilst simultaneously being what games journalism is, generally, is just so ironically hilarious.
    Expand
  57. Jun 11, 2022
    8
    This game was honestly more fun and interesting than I first imagined as a soulslike. There are rough patches here and there in terms of level design and enemy variety, and I thought the game dragged on a little too much at certain points. However, while it does play relatively safe, there is a solid game here, with good combat with a lot of variety and a cliche, but neverthelessThis game was honestly more fun and interesting than I first imagined as a soulslike. There are rough patches here and there in terms of level design and enemy variety, and I thought the game dragged on a little too much at certain points. However, while it does play relatively safe, there is a solid game here, with good combat with a lot of variety and a cliche, but nevertheless compelling story. I wasn't expecting a masterpiece like Dark Souls itself, but I came out with more than I bargained for. Expand
  58. Nov 6, 2019
    8
    Combat is clunky and unpleasant, customization and flavors are nice, story is usual japan garbage
    fix combat or start doing sex/dating games with such body psychics instead of action, game is worth buying considering ToW is short and AAA is ultra waste of money
  59. Jul 23, 2020
    9
    amazing game with great mecanics and lore takes the souls like formula to it's own level
  60. May 8, 2020
    10
    Code Vein is like Dark Souls but Lite and Anime Graphic style. This was one of the best games I have bought and played in 2020 and I totally loved it. It has some cool features, allot of classes to choose from, allot of unlockables where you have to find and do stuff which could go wrong and you would miss something so I would recommend everyone to check for informations about that onCode Vein is like Dark Souls but Lite and Anime Graphic style. This was one of the best games I have bought and played in 2020 and I totally loved it. It has some cool features, allot of classes to choose from, allot of unlockables where you have to find and do stuff which could go wrong and you would miss something so I would recommend everyone to check for informations about that on youtube or google so you won't do something wrong and miss allot of stuff.

    This game is also kinda complicated. Some attributes are hard to understand I also recommend to check it out. The best part of this game is that you will get a bank storage which is really amazing and not like in some laughable game companies Ahem Bugout 76, no in this game you will get enough space to store your items in and guess what? You don't need to throw more money to do that it's not Bugout76.

    There are even different endings and you can play with your friends together. It is a kinda weird party mechanic in this game but it still works. If you liked Dark Souls, you also might like Code Vein BUT be warned, people say that this game is much easier than Dark Souls well it is kinda true but as more often you clear this game and start all over, as harder this game will get. Let's say when you are on 7th playthrough, you will have your Dark Souls chalange feeling 100%.
    Expand
  61. Feb 26, 2022
    8
    "CODE VEIN" is a 'soul like' game with unique style. It has its own exclusive world outlook and game design, but it also has some defects. As a light 'soul like' game, its quality is worth experiencing.

    Review of "CODE VEIN"

    Graphic/Art: 8.5

    Music/Sounds: 8

    Narrative/Performance:8

    Gameplay:8

    Score:8.3 (+0.1)
  62. Aug 19, 2021
    8
    I loved playing this game, the character creation was great, I enjoyed looking up at the skirts of the girls and it was really fun/challenging trying to clear out the maps, except for the labyrinths I hated those things. The game mechanics could use some improvements as well as for the audio but in short it was a really fun game.

    Story: 7/10 ========== The story wasn't bad, I wish I
    I loved playing this game, the character creation was great, I enjoyed looking up at the skirts of the girls and it was really fun/challenging trying to clear out the maps, except for the labyrinths I hated those things. The game mechanics could use some improvements as well as for the audio but in short it was a really fun game.

    Story: 7/10
    ==========
    The story wasn't bad, I wish I could say something else but sometimes I felt lost in the story and it wasn't very clear what was that the player needed to do to keep progressing in the game. The side stories "vestiges", which are stories to know more about the characters were quite interesting, unfortunately they are split in different parts and you need to find them while you're progressing in the game.

    Art: 9/10
    ========
    The character creation in Code Vein is great. The female character that I made was just hot and gorgeous, I wish I could share a picture here so you could die of envy. Looking up at the skirt of the girls was marvellous, specially Mia she's the top waifu and IO is on second spot. The "lost" which are the monsters in the game were freaking scary, they looked so morbid and nasty that you knew that you had to put those creeps out of their misery.

    Sound: 7/10
    ===========
    The music is really good, but whoever they hired as the audio engineer screw it up, they didn't do a good job in putting together all the music for the game, there are really some cool songs that they would be perfect to play in the background, but instead we just have the sound of the wind going through the building, that sucks, having so much potential and they just wasted it, also when you're playing the songs in the jukebox the music goes silence once the character just turns around, that feels so uncomfortable and is not just the music but also the conversations that you have with the NPCs the audio cuts off so abruptly that is way too annoying. There were more screw ups in the audio of the game but I won't waste more time on it.

    Game Mechanics: 7/10
    ==============
    The game mechanics felt awkward and they were not intuitive enough, it's not like they were really complicated but I wish they felt more fluid or easier to grasp, sometimes it felt like I was cutting through paper while fighting the "lost" and figuring out how to use all the gear was not easy to figure out. Is not clear for the player what needs to do, I had already spent 40hrs in the game and still I didn't know how the blood codes interacted with the weapons and gifts. Nevertheless, there are some really cool moves in the blood codes and once you master them you can use them anywhere.

    Enjoyment: 9/10
    ===============
    I honestly wanted to keep playing, even after finishing the game I wanted more. Fortunately you can play the game again making different decisions so you can get any of its three endings, in addition you can play the DLC with the new maps of the depths, just be really prepare because those things are tougher than the main story.
    Expand
  63. Jul 4, 2020
    8
    anime dark souls first when i heard it i though i must to beat this game in any way, so i bought and ..... forgot that i bought it XD so after year i start and complete this game in coop with my friend and what interest both of us got different endings. so i got bad ending but i think it cause im just blind as heck or idk why but i didn't saw the button after key bosses to get good endinganime dark souls first when i heard it i though i must to beat this game in any way, so i bought and ..... forgot that i bought it XD so after year i start and complete this game in coop with my friend and what interest both of us got different endings. so i got bad ending but i think it cause im just blind as heck or idk why but i didn't saw the button after key bosses to get good ending but never mind. what about game u ask ? so lets talk closer about game play: it combination between souls games and classic slashers. i mean all this souls like UI, mechanics and other stuff from slashers this game take wide pool of different fighting techniques and spells what you can combine as you want. A lot of weapons, armors and classes can help your own character build. But this game take not only good things from souls game. i talk about this stupid mechanic when you play coop with your friend and if you try to complete this game at the same time you need to complete every locations twice. and another minus its kinda weird game design of several locations. so in conclusion several words about plot of this game - its standard anime plot when group of friends trying to safe their world. so my advice for someone who read this review play this game solo on my mind it will help you better plunge into the plot of this game =D Expand
  64. Dec 30, 2020
    8
    Buen juego, recomendable, no esperaba mucho y la verdad que me ha sorprendido.
    Gráficos 8.
    Jugabilidad 8.
    Música 9.
    Historia 7.
  65. Nov 29, 2020
    8
    I enjoyed this game a lot. It is not as good as Dark Souls 3, but maybe 80% of it. I would rate it a solid 8/10.

    Pros ------------ + Art Style is simply amazing + Epic soundtrack is one of the best I have heard so far + Cool bosses + Cool weapons (greatswords :-)) + Fight is fun + Many supportive consumables + Fighting with an NPC partner is so much fun! Neutral -------- o
    I enjoyed this game a lot. It is not as good as Dark Souls 3, but maybe 80% of it. I would rate it a solid 8/10.

    Pros
    ------------
    + Art Style is simply amazing
    + Epic soundtrack is one of the best I have heard so far
    + Cool bosses
    + Cool weapons (greatswords :-))
    + Fight is fun
    + Many supportive consumables
    + Fighting with an NPC partner is so much fun!

    Neutral
    --------
    o Story is ok, carried me through
    o Enemy variety could be better

    Cons
    ------------
    - Some levels lack diversity and it is easy to get lost because of this
    - Bosses feel a bit too much "the same"
    - Strange menus and key assigments (PC), for example skills: press RIGHT SHIFT and F2. Do the devs know how long that takes in a fight were lightning reactions are needed?
    Expand
  66. Nov 6, 2019
    10
    One of the best game ive played coming from someone who played all soul series.. including spin off titles .. story is wonderful, kinda linear but if you are into narrative dark souls this is the best gaming can offer
  67. Oct 13, 2019
    9
    Code Vein is like a typical souls game and so far has been really fun. There is something for everyone. want to go solo, you got it, have a companion thats not multiplayer, you got it. the character creation is not as detailed as some other games but thats not as important to me as the gameplay. Overall the gameplay is fun and challenging and may even give souls vetrine a bit of aCode Vein is like a typical souls game and so far has been really fun. There is something for everyone. want to go solo, you got it, have a companion thats not multiplayer, you got it. the character creation is not as detailed as some other games but thats not as important to me as the gameplay. Overall the gameplay is fun and challenging and may even give souls vetrine a bit of a struggle. each location has its ups and downs but doesn't become too repetitive. As far as cinematics go, they are not the best nor the worst. Its the way they are portrayed through the game and story that makes up for it. I really love the time(s) during the game where you look into people's memories. The player gets to learn about other revenants and even some of the companion's backstories. Its great world-building and with more DLC to come I can't wait. Expand
  68. Oct 18, 2019
    10
    El juego te atrapa de una forma u otra y te hace querer jugar más.
    En temas de diseño creo que los velos de sangre se ven muy bien tanto como el diseño de algunos personajes más o menos extravagantes.
    Sin duda la música consigue el objetivo de ponerte en tensión frente al peligro.
  69. Oct 21, 2019
    9
    es un buen juego, no puedes hacer una crítica de él sin haberlo explorado MÁS de lo que es solo guiarte con el mapa, matar a los enemigos de la zona, matar al boss de la zona y seguir a la siguiente zona a repetir el proceso, no si tienes un juego "souls-like" tienes que explorar, alcanzar cada punto que la historia y el mapa te da para saber que lo que te muestran es solo un vestigio dees un buen juego, no puedes hacer una crítica de él sin haberlo explorado MÁS de lo que es solo guiarte con el mapa, matar a los enemigos de la zona, matar al boss de la zona y seguir a la siguiente zona a repetir el proceso, no si tienes un juego "souls-like" tienes que explorar, alcanzar cada punto que la historia y el mapa te da para saber que lo que te muestran es solo un vestigio de lo que el juego tiene para ti y este juego te lo da y te lo da completo, empiezas sin saber nada y al final con cada interacción, con cada recuerdo y cinemática vas entendiendo mejor lo que ocurre con los personajes que nos acompañan. La historia no es algo innovador, es buena e inmersiva las animaciones y los puntos que tocan con los recuerdos y los personajes secundarios aclaran todo y te permite tener un mejor panorama del porque lo estás jugando y porque pasan todos estos sucesos en el juego.

    La jugabilidad peca de ser algo incomoda si estás acostumbrado a juegos de este estilo, pero eso no es impedimento si estás dispuesto a explorar una nueva jugabilidad que no se centra en solo hacer un parry y esquivar, estás enfrentando a enemigos no solo con un arma melee, un rifle y hechizos, ahora también tienes un nuevo aditamento los velos de sangre (con un diseño variado increíble que haría a cualquier cosplayer o visual kei gastar a lo loco por un guardarropas así) que se ajusta a tu modo de juego dependiendo del codigo de sangre que lleves, las armas pesadas livianas y a distancia también tienen sus variaciones incluso entre sus mismas clases (variación de diseño y uso) puedes jugar perfectamente y resaltó el JUGAR con los combos ya que puedes si quieres mezclar hechizos entre ataques o usar tu velo de sangre haciendo de las peleas algo más versátiles. Y si querías un modo facil aquí lo tienes, solo invita a uno de los NPC´s disponibles para un team y listo pero si quieres un reto de verdad siempre puedes dejar a tus compañeros en la base e ir a romper piernas 1 v.s ALL.

    Los personajes... OOOHHH los personajes, dejando de lado su diseño visual el cual a mi parecer resalta muy bien con sus personalidades no son expresivos usualmente en situaciones normales (que a mi parecer queda bien porque... Es un mundo apocalíptico no se si es normal estar feliz en una situación así pero creo que yo no iría tirando flores por todos lados) muestran cierto interés emocional en cada fragmento de la historia que conecta con ellos, el trasfondo de su historia es buena no perfecta pero sirve para saber quienes era y porque todos se volvieron como son.
    NOTA. Las voces 100% recomendadas en japonés.

    Los mapas tienen un excelente arte aunque a veces las zonas reducidas dificultan un poco el movimiento pero nada que se pueda arreglar moviendote a una zona más amplia o si estás acostumbrado o ya te importa nada ir a matar a lo loco a esas zonas.

    Nuestro personaje no es algo del otro mundo, otro ser callado que mágicamente interactúa con los demás con señas y logran entenderlo, pero al menos sirve que podemos diseñarlo como nuestro personaje favorito de anime o serie americana de preferencia o si tu creatividad puede más usar el esta característica de diseño de personaje que en serio está muy bien hecha y con muchas variables que explotar para todo jugador creativo.

    Banda sonora acorde al arte de todo el juego (con un increíble aporte de la banda VAMPS con Underwolrd) melódica y triste para partes del juego donde es esencial esa sensación y estruendosa y pesada en peleas.

    CONCLUSIÓN. Es un muy buen aporte al género souls-like que si muestra un buen trabajo por detrás y que introduce mecánicas nuevas al género. Aunque a muchos de la critica o usuarios les moleste este tipo de juegos que toman las mecánicas principales de los souls por fanatismo o mera falta de interés no se dejen guiar por comentarios que DIRECTAMENTE lo comparan con algún souls, ya sabemos que la saga souls es insuperable pero no quiere decir que nuevos desarrolladores no puedan aportar algo nuevo a su género, eso es lo que es CODE VEIN y varios juegos con las mismas mecánicas... Algo nuevo.
    Expand
  70. Jul 2, 2021
    8
    Nice gameplace with nice music and characters. The story is a bit 'eh' to follow but the rest is solid fun.
  71. Sep 4, 2021
    9
    A good Game wich similar mechanics like nioh. If you want to play a Game like Sekiro or Nioh 2 here you have the ideal Game. Very adictive.
  72. May 4, 2020
    10
    The character customization is amazing, the battles are fluid the story is emotional and has a lot of small details with different endings. Best game I've played in a long time.
  73. May 5, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game plays very similarly like Dark Souls, but with a traditionally told story. The game is souls-like, making the combat and exploration very enjoyable. The boss fights in this game were challenging like they should be. The story has three different endings but only the true ending has a truly satisfying conclusion. Expand
  74. Jun 12, 2023
    8
    Pomimo banalnego skopiowania mechanik soulsowych, to nadal dobra gra z ciekawą stylistyką graficzną i niezłą grywalnością.
  75. Feb 16, 2022
    8
    German right here, english below:
    Code Vein ist ein guter Einstieg in das Soulslike-Genre.
    Abwechslungsreich ist, dass man die Skills ohne grosse Umstände wechseln kann. D.h. in einem Run geht ihr als Tank und beim nächsten als Fernkämpfer. Die "Skill-Punkte" sind jedoch beschränkt, also muss man schon ein wenig schauen was man genau spielen will. + Geile Skins, egal ob coole Gegner,
    German right here, english below:
    Code Vein ist ein guter Einstieg in das Soulslike-Genre.
    Abwechslungsreich ist, dass man die Skills ohne grosse Umstände wechseln kann. D.h. in einem Run geht ihr als Tank und beim nächsten als Fernkämpfer. Die "Skill-Punkte" sind jedoch beschränkt, also muss man schon ein wenig schauen was man genau spielen will.
    + Geile Skins, egal ob coole Gegner, coole Waffen oder Rüstungen. Andere Spiele verlangen hierfür Mikrotransaktionen.
    + Gute Geschichte
    + Guter Sound
    + Das Spiel läuft technisch einwandfrei. Ausnahme: bei 144hz sind einige Sachen buggy wie Aufzüge oder der Entzugsangriff.
    + Die Bossfights sind hart, aber mit Game-Erfahrung durchaus fair.
    - Manchmal sind die Spawn-Points beim Tod zu weit vom Boss-Fight entfernt, man muss sich dann durch das halbe Level kämpfen (oder mit Glück durchrushen)
    - Ein Level war sehr mühsam (Kathedrale, grosses Labyrinth), dort habe ich kurzfristig den Spass verloren.

    ENGLISH
    Code Vein is a good entry into the Soulslike genre.
    It is varied that you can change skills without much trouble. That is, in one run you go as a tank and in the next as a archer. However, the "skill points" are limited, so you have to look a bit what exactly you want to play.
    + Cool skins, whether cool enemies, cool weapons or armor. Other games require microtransactions for this.
    + Good story
    + Good sound
    + The game runs technically flawless. Exception: at 144hz some things are buggy like elevators or the withdrawal attack.
    + The boss fights are hard, but with game experience quite fair.
    - Sometimes the spawn points after a death are too far away from the boss fight, then you have to fight your way through half the level (or rush through if you're lucky).
    - One level was very tedious (cathedral, big labyrinth), there I lost the fun for a short time.
    Expand
  76. Jul 21, 2020
    10
    This game is good story good character creation and sad ost good
    give me a CODE VEIN 2 I will pre-order
  77. Mar 10, 2021
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I’m warning you that I’m going to compare a lot with Dark Souls and God Eater. It is generally weaker than the two, but it overcomes the two in some ways.

    The story EXISTS (looking at you Dark Souls), what I mean is that there is a narrative and it is told as the game progresses, in fact, we move forward thanks to this narrative (which is great). I liked the lore of the world (which is exposed during the 'normally' campaign) and history has some high points but I found it inferior to that of God Eater, the **** is that God Eater is dragged and Code Vein is broken.
    Persoangens are sympathetic and had potential. They have their own arc in which they are lightly worked but it is difficult to really care for them due to the bad introduction and low screen time. It was almost a waste, but they still manage to remain a highlight of the game.

    Something that captivated me a lot was the 'atmosphere' of God Eater, the risk of characters dying and just going to hunt Aragamis. Here the risk and tension is non-existent since everyone can die at will.

    For me one of the biggest defects was that there was a lack of interactions between the characters, even in God Eater there is more, since there is at least each mission the dialogue with all the NPCs exchange. It is possible that this would affect those who only came for gameplay, but if it were some kind and totally secondary event that occurs giving gifts to the characters or something like that it would work.

    The gameplay is very Souls-Like mass has several elements of its own and I liked the combat more than Dark Souls. My biggest problem is that you don't even need to use everything that the game gives you because of its ease in boss fights.
    The exploration is another very high point of the game, in general I liked it more than that of Dark Souls and Bloodborne inclusive. I find the levels a little better in general in games from Fromsoftware but I had more fun in Code Vein, I think that smaller and more linear passages are more appealing to me.
    The difficulty. During exploration she is right on point, but boss fights are usually a walk in the park. Exploration is most of the game, but what was really hard is boss fights. To get a sense, of the 16, there were 4 that I didn't kill the Boss first or second. And not being able to choose the difficulty right away is a sin. Virgin Born (final boss) is nothing special but I admit that I had to change my build to kill him because the elemental damage (focus of my build) was ridiculous, only after changing my build I killed him the first time. ¯ _ (ツ) _ / ¯ Nonsense aside, I'm not very good at Souls-Like or anything like that, it's really the game.

    The memorabilia / vestiges have a very bad presentation although they usually have a good history.

    He suffers from the same God Eater **** of having a silent protagonist.

    The soundtrack has a similar feel to that of God Eater and Dark Souls, but in the end it has much less identity. I found the OSTs in general okay with some above average, but what sinks in this regard is very little variety. And the dubbing is very good, by the way.

    The graphics are very good but during the gameplay everything seems to be a bit blurry, maybe it is resoulão, but this is something nantivo and you can't change even on the pc. The scenarios are extremely good and very original, I didn't expect it, I thought they would copy Dark Souls and fds. But seriously, watching the hair go through the masks was painful, it was pure laziness and it hindered the experience. The initial menu is very beautiful and has a different music. Another complaint I have is that that twitch in the eyes was prostituted in that game, the twitch itself became too big and was used too much.
    The level design of the game I found excellent, The Cathedral is even an ostentation.
    Expand
  78. Jun 22, 2020
    10
    10/10 The powerful and characteristic style is a rare game. Although it has shortcomings, I think it will be like "Borderlands", exuding endless charm in the second and third generation games.

    If I were to say that this is a Souls-like game, I may not agree with it. This game should be a difficult action RPG. For players, everyone can enjoy the thrill of fighting. Too sure that the game
    10/10 The powerful and characteristic style is a rare game. Although it has shortcomings, I think it will be like "Borderlands", exuding endless charm in the second and third generation games.

    If I were to say that this is a Souls-like game, I may not agree with it. This game should be a difficult action RPG. For players, everyone can enjoy the thrill of fighting. Too sure that the game is Souls like is neither appropriate nor objective, but also affects you to ignore the charm of CODE VEIN.

    In the early stage, you may often die because of lack of level and familiarity with the game, but as you learn about the game and develop your characters, you will slowly recover your confidence. The game’s skills are very cool, and there are With multiple matching schemes and a class system, you can choose your favorite way to fight.

    The companion system is very interesting. In your game, you will not feel lonely, and they will assist you. As the game progresses, they will also say something interesting and deepen your sense of substitution. Each companion has a different The characteristics, and how to fight and cooperate, depends on your opinion.

    In the face of BOSS, I think the game design is still good. Players can enjoy the feeling of repeated challenges. All BOSS have their own unique characteristics, and there are places where players have headaches. How to avoid disadvantages and go deep is one Something worth thinking about.

    The main thing is: the character creator of the game! I can say that this is the strongest you have seen in this generation. Although it is simple, the powerful custom function makes "Fash Vein" not a lie. I like my character very much, at least because of him, I can play for a long time.

    There are also many action systems with emotions in the game, such as dance and various POSEs. With the advent of the photo system, players can happily create fan creations. I think this is also very good!

    Finally, the game also has the following disadvantages, which I think can be improved:

    Difficulty is not linear enough: For the overall feelings of current players, some people find it very simple, while some people find it difficult. I think the game needs to increase the difficulty limit, and it also makes it easier for new players to play for the first time.

    Can you imagine, a few who like to experience the story and dress up their characters beautifully, but die very badly after entering the game? Not everyone can adapt to the difficulty. As a game, players should be more happy, including those who are not good at hardcore games.

    The storyline is strange: it is very touching, but it is homogenized, or there are some content that is unacceptable to players. I don’t think this will be a good phenomenon. At least for games, happiness is better than sadness. Maybe it will not cheer up because of something sad.

    Subsequent decline in playability: random challenges? No, open game content? No, players can only play the main line repeatedly, without the thrill of collecting, they will gradually lose the freshness of the game. This needs to be improved. At least I have played so long, I have almost remembered that each enemy is in Where is it.

    New content: It is a pity that there is no more new clothes and new poses for this character creator. Although the game is biased towards combat, there should be more updates to the things players like.

    Overall, as the first-generation game, I think it is already very good. I am looking forward to the sequel and also looking forward to improvement. I hope that CODE VEIN can create VEIN like, instead of continuing to follow Souls like, limiting the boundaries of the game.
    Expand
  79. Dec 12, 2020
    8
    Very Interesting game, you can find some super cool design on bosses and regular enemies are interesting as well, RPG wise, sure there is a lot of choice, it's quite complex and interesting in it's variety, but i have a feeling there is a lot of redundant upgrades and abilities, as in the end i pretty much used one spell and one weapon til i was done with it because it felt like best.
    On
    Very Interesting game, you can find some super cool design on bosses and regular enemies are interesting as well, RPG wise, sure there is a lot of choice, it's quite complex and interesting in it's variety, but i have a feeling there is a lot of redundant upgrades and abilities, as in the end i pretty much used one spell and one weapon til i was done with it because it felt like best.
    On another note, this game suffers from repetitiveness, maps sometimes turn into mazes which I'm not a fan because i have to fight the same enemy over 10 times, but it's fine, i don't want games to hand over everything easily, the problem is how many times i fight the same freaking monster, It's quite dull, i would rather you cut a few hours from the game than making me do the same thing 100 times.
    Difficulty wise, quite good, could use some refinement, but it is basically a game where you must be swift to finish an enemy before he finishes you.
    Cool game overall, cool story, cool world, 8/10.
    Expand
  80. Jan 26, 2023
    9
    I like this game. I played 4 games with ice mage, mage, assassin and tank. I enjoyed so much the adventures, the optional missions, the dungeons, the enemies.
    The story is so well explain the characters are very cool, all were important. The story is also explained in memories. That is so beautiful, I enjoyed them. And it is a good and original story.
    Being mage using Yakumo like a tank
    I like this game. I played 4 games with ice mage, mage, assassin and tank. I enjoyed so much the adventures, the optional missions, the dungeons, the enemies.
    The story is so well explain the characters are very cool, all were important. The story is also explained in memories. That is so beautiful, I enjoyed them. And it is a good and original story.
    Being mage using Yakumo like a tank or being tank using Mia like Shooter. I understanded from the start how the blood codes work, the attack moves, the special attacks, the magic, almost everything. You can create your character with a lot lot of options. And watching it in the cinematics with great graphics.
    The zones are marvelous, I like each one, even the church.
    I really recommend it, coming from a souls player anyone can enjoy it.

    Now some things I hate:
    -Jack companion trolled me.
    -Bosses have great design, story, abiities. But they are unbalanced. I beat all of them in less than 3 trys.
    -Finals Bosses were too strong, first one is fun to fight until he is fourth stage in his last hit points where he start to attack more faster, more times and ONE SHOTS YOU. And the second one is a long fight that will take all your regenerations in that time. He is immune to magic damage (the only enemy in the game, why?), so fight in melee under him is painfull because he starts to do a big magic ball or spam jumping that both are undodgable and indefensible.
    -Church is a pain in the low level you enter. Too big and too many enemies. Also it is easy to lost, but that is the joke.
    -Dodging well and still receiving the damage is disgusting. This happens a lot with Mido. Also the enemies always target you in the start so you dodge and dodge and let your partner to fight almost all the time.
    Expand
  81. Aug 28, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  82. Nov 9, 2020
    8
    ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎
  83. Dec 3, 2020
    10
    I played most of soul games and i found this game very fun. I like the music, skill system and buddy system because we can find difference from soul style games in here. lastly customizing is awesome.
  84. May 10, 2021
    8
    I wasn't expecting to get as engrossed with this game as I did with the Dark Souls series but I was pleasantly surprised. The tight controls and combat system hooked me in very quickly, and the amount of customization was satisfactory. The graphics, animations, and effects are all beautiful to look at. Now the less fun parts: The lock-on camera is not so great, it feels too rigid almostI wasn't expecting to get as engrossed with this game as I did with the Dark Souls series but I was pleasantly surprised. The tight controls and combat system hooked me in very quickly, and the amount of customization was satisfactory. The graphics, animations, and effects are all beautiful to look at. Now the less fun parts: The lock-on camera is not so great, it feels too rigid almost and is prone to glitching. Some of the areas feel very uninspired, namely Cathedral of the Sacred Blood and can feel like a chore to traverse. Overall though, I'm impressed with this title and wouldn't hesitate to buy Code Vein 2 if it came out. Expand
  85. Mar 13, 2021
    8
    el juego esta bueno en si, la personalización muy buena, historia 7/10, el nivel de la catedral se me hizo algo pesado y denso, la pelea de jefes esta bien, la ambientación esta muy bien lograda y el hecho que me recuerde mucho a God Eater me emociono.

    8/10- gracias por leer mi humilde reseña
  86. Jul 7, 2021
    8
    Fantastic RPG, lots of weapons and each one have his own attack set. Also have a lot of spells and classes.
  87. Jun 21, 2023
    8
    Ein sehr gutes Spiel, allerdings ist es sehr schade, dass man vieles nicht im KOOP machen kann und dafür dauernd die Gruppe auflösen muss und nach Abschluss einer Map auch nicht mehr auf dieser zusammenspielen kann. Trotz alle dem gibt es eine große Vielfalt an Klassen und Waffen, eine schöne Story und tolle Charaktere.
  88. Aug 11, 2023
    10
    Code Vein is an action role-playing game that combines the best of Dark Souls with anime aesthetics. It features a unique post-apocalyptic sci-fi-meets-horror setting, a flexible class system, and an AI partner that distinguishes it from its peers mechanically. The story is engaging, the combat is challenging, and the boss fights are epic. If you're a fan of Dark Souls or anime, thenCode Vein is an action role-playing game that combines the best of Dark Souls with anime aesthetics. It features a unique post-apocalyptic sci-fi-meets-horror setting, a flexible class system, and an AI partner that distinguishes it from its peers mechanically. The story is engaging, the combat is challenging, and the boss fights are epic. If you're a fan of Dark Souls or anime, then you'll definitely want to check out Code Vein. Expand
  89. Aug 12, 2023
    8
    As an anime fan, I'm always on the lookout for games that scratch that itch for a good story, challenging combat, and stunning visuals. Code Vein definitely delivers on all of those fronts, and more.
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 18
  2. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Jan 4, 2021
    80
    What if there were a Dark Souls for people who want something to do instead of play the same boss fight over and over until I get lucky and don't die? Well, this is! And this is it!
  2. Apr 3, 2020
    70
    Code Vein should be applauded for doing something different with the Dark Souls formula. It's great to be able to switch out your classes at will and combine them, and the almost-constant presence of co-op is a real selling point for those who may not want to jump into the deep end of this emerging subset of the genre. The rest of the game, from the story to the level design, feels bland, and the combat falls apart when you suddenly have no AI companion by your side. If you don't mind a heavy dose of anime in your action game, Code Vein may be worth checking out.
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 28, 2020
    60
    Code Vein is a successful nod to soulsborne games. It does not reach the highest peaks, but it deserves attention for unconventional setting, huge potential and interesting possibilities when it comes to character development and equipment. It is not perfect, but it is definitely more than just good. [Issue#299]