Code Vein

Code Vein has been able to surprise by trying to compete with From Software titles but still knows how to find its own identity. Its narration allows for an accessible and complete understanding of the story, and its rich, original gameplay brings freshness to the genre. In addition, the personalization gives the player the impression of being in a shōnen, with a sense of power. The dark atmosphere of the title is clearly successful, and the world is fascinating. Unfortunately, it suffers from its linearity and technical limitations. Code Vein is a good title on which we had an enjoyable time. However, we just hope that the follow-up content will be more effective, and that the developers will be able to push essential patches to correct its defects.

A stylish anime soulslike with a pretty enjoyable fighting system and many different ways to play. The enemy design, however, is extremely unimaginative which applies to the level design and the story as well.

Code Vein is going to be divisive. Out of the box, it's not a very good game. The balance in difficulty is a mess, with certain classes and abilities feeling hugely overpowered; the partners making even the most challenging encounter easy, until the difficulty spikes massively towards the conclusion. It's in that conclusion that Code Vein shines at its best. For the players willing to invest the time to get there, and good enough to learn how to master the considerably complex system, there is a superb experience waiting. It's just a shame it takes so long to get there.

Code Vein is a new soulsborne like game that gives a different take on the genre. While it has some great elements to be enjoyed, it also falters in some areas.

Code Vein has a good approach, changing the classic level system with a new one that allows multiple configurations and presets. However, the challenge is too easy and ends up not taking good advantage of this system. This added to a very loose story that constantly interrupts the action and a level design that is too simple for the genre, takes a lot of interest away from the game.

Code Vein tried to differentiate itself with its anime aesthetic, and at least it partially succeeded in its world building and characters. On the other hand one can’t help but notice that the level design is quite repetitive and disorienting, and the combat system, although with great variety, stumbles in some unfair fights and most importantly in the utter lack of enemy variation.

Code Vein is a good Dark Souls Like, in a sexy and post apocalyptic manga universe. The RPG mechanics and the level design are pretty decent, but the fights are boring.

Code Vein tries so hard to be more than a Dark Souls clone, and it succeeds when it comes to the story and character design. But gameplay wise, it fails to execute the successful Dark Souls formula and eventually lands somewhere between Soulslike games and Japanese Action RPGs, unable to fully satisfy fans of either genre.

Flawed, but not a failure, Code Vein offers the same hardcore Soulslike action with less of a barrier of entry, making for a decent gateway into a growing genre.

Despite building itself on well-tread ground, Code Vein definitely moves to the beat of its own drummer, but that beat can lose its rhythm when you need it to be steady. Some changes like being able to easily switch around and experiment with classes on the fly are great, while others like its inconsistent AI partner could be more trouble than they were worth at times. But in both the good and the bad, I appreciated its enthusiasm for mixing things up and getting a little weird. If you’re looking for a unique take on a familiar type of challenge, and are open to loving and hating a game for its many mechanical quirks in the same breath, Code Vein is worth sinking your teeth into.

The average story is well represented through a plethora of cutscenes and even has alternate scenario outcomes based on your exploration efforts, even though it brings with it numerous anime tropes and long drawn out scenes. There’s a broad number of locations to visit with their own creative designs, but their size and complexity are inconsistent. There’s so much holding Code Vein back, yet I felt entranced and excited to continue playing all the way through. While it will continue to live in the shadow of Souls games, it doesn’t mean that it’s some cheap knockoff, as the number of distinctions allows for it to differentiate itself from the herd.

Code Vein is addictive, yet frustrating. It's promising, yet unpolished. There are a lot of interesting ideas here that come together to craft a unique and engaging experience. I just wish that the flaws here weren't so glaring, because they keep Code Vein from being a great game instead of just a good one.

Code Vein features anime vampires and fast combat, but it's too reliant on the exact Soulslike formula to stand out on its own.

Code Vein is a stylish JRPG with an interesting combat system that just falls short in a few areas. Its inspirations are clearly worn on its sleeve, but it brings enough to the table to stand out on its own. This title has promise, and we think the developer could iron it out into a worthy franchise if it’s given the chance to make future instalments.

Code Vein is the kind of game that makes you think it could have benefited a lot from another delay. Animations, sound effects and more are heavily inspired by Souls-like games and definitely feel cheap. The game is not well balanced either, and the level design is especially lacking. Still, it brings interesting ideas to the table, such as a buddy system and the freedom to switch between a wide variety of builds. While there’s certainly a lot of bugs and other issues, if you keep playing, it does actually become fun.

Code Vein has its heart in the right place but I really wouldn’t want to spend my time playing stuff that have been already done better somewhere else. If a potential sequel finds its own identity, it would be an interesting addition to the genre. [13/2019, p.58]

Code Vein is disappointing take on the Souls genre, with many design flaws but an enjoyable core. There are many contenders in the Souls battle, and this isn’t one of the strongest.

It promised more than it has finally become. Neither history nor difficulty are up to expectations and, in addition, it comes with technical problems that ruin the experience. It's sad, because we expected more from Bandai Namco's game.

The Souls games are some of my fondest gaming experiences ever, and while I never expected Code Vein to surpass them, it’s hard not to be disappointed by its middling results. It’s far from a bad game, it has systems and ideas that push the genre forward in exciting and innovative ways, but fumbles on the execution on some of the others that are core to the experience. If you have an interest in Code Vein’s world or characters, or can’t get enough Souls, you might find that the positives outweigh the negatives, but I can’t recommend it to someone looking for the next transformative Souls-like experience.

Code Vein has some cool things to enjoy along the way and some nice ideas that shake up the core formula, but they are all incidental details. The heart of Code Vein remains overburdened by stale scenery, boring bosses, and tiresome trudging, and all of that is beyond what some nice touches can redeem.

Code Vein looks spectacular, but plays badly. Again it is clear that a soul borne needs a layered level design and a precisely thought out fighting system. Code Vein is okay in these areas, but it does not really leave the best impression.

Code Vein does a few things well, like the amount you can customize as well as how enjoyable it is to explore the world proper. However, combat lacks the kind of refinement needed for such a complicated battlefield, and companions prove either useless or render you useless. Code Vein features many heavy inconsistencies that hide away a few good ideas.

This souls-lite with an artful anime sheen impresses visually and presents an accessible take on the winning formula but fails to endear us with its bland environments and toothless story. [Issue#168, p.84]

If you were waiting for a Dark Souls inspired game to set your heart aflutter with vampiric themes and pulse-pounding combat…then you might want to wait a bit longer, as Code Vein definitely isn’t that game.

Although it attempts to try some new things to set it apart from other Soulslike games, Code Vein ultimately feels like just another wannabe in an increasingly crowded genre. But anime fans who love attractive, moody vampires will adore it.

Flawed though it may be, sometimes a distinctly B-tier game is exactly what the doctor ordered – especially at this time of year, in a sea of mega-hyped triple-A. You have to know what you’re getting into, accepting the poor narrative and slightly botched execution of some of its cleverer ideas, but Code Vein still has a recent amount to like. Come for the combat and the intriguing blood code system – and stay for it. The rest? Well, hopefully it’ll be better next time.

Code Vein adopts the Souls-like formula in its structure, presenting a familiar cycle of progression and basic combat similarities, and there are some interesting ideas here, too, built around the use of various Blood Codes and their distinct Gifts. You can see the fragments of a fantastic game hidden within these systems and its meaty combat feedback, but the mundanity of its enemies and the effect they have on nullifying the combat's enjoyment prevent Code Vein from ever realizing its potential.

It’s a shame that Code Vein doesn’t achieve what it’s trying to do with its very cool class system. With its skimpy environments and dated visuals, Code Vein as a nice gameplay but it never really shines.

CODE VEIN is a vast disappointment, miles away from any of From Software's games, and the only thing to save is the blood code system which allows lots of freedom in the character customization.

I can’t speak for anime fans, but die-hard FromSoftware devotees, as well as those who thirst for a really good vampire game – currently a malnourished bunch – are both parishes to which I belong. And I suspect both will wish for more bite.

Code Vein has some good ideas and starts out with a lot of promise, as it tries a different take on the Souls formula, but it ended up taking the wrong lessons from that series. Gamers who want a co-op Dark Souls experience might find things to enjoy in Code Vein, as well as those seeking a truly masochistic gaming experience, but Code Vein has too many frustrating aspects to recommend to anyone else in its current form.

A muddled and underwhelming Dark Souls clone that has a few unique ideas but fails to back them up with compelling combat or exploration.