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. Dec 4, 2020
    3
    Extremely overrated game! Enjoyed playing with the character customization tools more than I did actually playing this miserable game that really wants to be DMC and Souls, but just cannot find a comfortable in-between. Gets insanely boring fast. Hard pass.
  14. 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
  15. 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.
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. Oct 6, 2019
    7
    It doesn't have the pathos and overall polish of a Souls game and the level design leaves a bit to be desired, but it does have a good combat system, plenty of character customisation and, on a purely personal note considering I don't have the most powerful of rigs, it's nicely optimised.
    I'm giving it a 7 and recommending it to all who appreciate their soulslikes. Of course it's not as
    It doesn't have the pathos and overall polish of a Souls game and the level design leaves a bit to be desired, but it does have a good combat system, plenty of character customisation and, on a purely personal note considering I don't have the most powerful of rigs, it's nicely optimised.
    I'm giving it a 7 and recommending it to all who appreciate their soulslikes. Of course it's not as hard as Souls but it's not easy either. Give it a shot and you might enjoy it.
    Expand
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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.
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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.
  28. 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.
  29. 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
  30. 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
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]