Code Vein

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 642 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 451 out of 642
  2. Mixed: 103 out of 642
  3. Negative: 88 out of 642
Buy Now
Buy on

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
view
per page
  1. Kostas_Spirou
    Aug 10, 2023
    6
    A mediocre attempt to recreate a soulslike experience.
    Don't get me wrong, this game is solid, it's quite easy and relaxing, but it feels like it doesn't really know what makes the souls games so special, the amount of cutscenes and the emphasis on the story doesn't really fit for this genre, in a way, its a flawed soulslike game, but on its own, it's actually surprisingly enjoyable for    A mediocre attempt to recreate a soulslike experience.
    Don't get me wrong, this game is solid, it's quite easy and relaxing, but it feels like it doesn't really know what makes the souls games so special, the amount of cutscenes and the emphasis on the story doesn't really fit for this genre, in a way, its a flawed soulslike game, but on its own, it's actually surprisingly enjoyable for the most part.

    The gameplay is good and the exploration is pretty fun, the world looks very beautiful, I like the art-style, the characters look cool and the graphics are pretty nice, most areas look great, the destroyed city with the spikes coming out of the earth, the crystalline cathedral of the sacred blood, the corrupted dark caves, and many more.

    The character customization is fantastic, there are many options to choose from, even though there's a lack of clothing options, since your character is going to wear an armor and a mask most of the time, I do appreciate the amount of different customization options, I just really like creating my own character, and the game did satisfy me on that part.

    As for the progression system, oh well it's honestly so damn confusing, I still don't understand how it works, it doesn't make any sense and most abilities are useless, I ended up leveling up all the time and using a strenght build with a greatsword, didn't really bother with the Blood Codes, and I still decimated everything, even in the endgame areas. The boss fights are actually very simple, no challenge whatsoever, I do like the fact that you can have a sidekick but it makes the game significantly easier, which isn't really a complaint but I wish the boss fights had more variety and a bigger moveset, to balance it out, but unfortunately that's not the case at all.

    Also, it's worth to mention that the hitboxes are terrible, enemies attack in front of them and if you are behind them, chances are you still get hit, even if you are about to attack, because the frames are broken, it's very inconsistent and random.

    Lastly, the level design is very boring, most areas are okay, but some of them suffer from terrible level design, obnoxious platforming and monotonous layout, they're not connected well, and they feel copy-pasted.

    I know, I complained a lot, but at the end of the day, this is still an enjoyable game even with all its flaws. It's worth trying out but don't expect anything more than just a silly unmemorable little adventure, some people might enjoy it even more than I did but it's just nothing to write home about.

    Final Rating: "Above Average" ~ 5.5/10.    … Expand
  2. Killerpummkin
    Aug 23, 2023
    6
    Code Vein is not really my thing. I've played through it, but I don't need to play it again.
  3. JrDouble
    Jul 17, 2023
    3
    Code Vein is one of the most boring, bland, and uninteresting games I have ever played. The gameplay feels disconnected and the combat is simple and lifeless. The enemies and boss battles are dull and have poor telegraphing. Mechanically and story-wise this game is mediocre and underwhelming.
  4. zencube
    Jul 17, 2023
    6
    Unfortunately another Dark Souls Clone without having any spirit of the original Game. And it doesn't matter if you like Anime or not. We've got 1:1 all the mechanics of the DS Series, like Bonfires, Leveling-System, Weapon-Upgrades, etc. which is not a bad thing at all. Actually everything that was copied from the Master works good and without flaws...

    BUT the levels itself are truly    Unfortunately another Dark Souls Clone without having any spirit of the original Game. And it doesn't matter if you like Anime or not. We've got 1:1 all the mechanics of the DS Series, like Bonfires, Leveling-System, Weapon-Upgrades, etc. which is not a bad thing at all. Actually everything that was copied from the Master works good and without flaws...

    BUT the levels itself are truly AWFUL to look at AND to play. It's always an extremely narrow lane, tiny areas, Graphics from PS3-Area and the way they are build are just nonsense! It all fells like a big surreal picture without any references to how a world actually would exist. Beside those non-existing worlds, we've got stupid cities, deserts and a government building that's just so artificial nonsense, it reminds me of the games in the 90s, where Level-Design just had nothing to do with any sort of real worlds. How would anybody design and build a building like this?!

    Anyway, the mechanics and combat is okay, nothing special though and it saves the Game from beeing a total disaster. But still, it's so average in every way that I was just relieved when the final Boss hit the ground. And don't bother with buying the Add-On! It's basically recycled Bosses, tiny areas and a complete waste of time.    … Expand
  5. JoseManuel10_
    Jul 5, 2023
    6
    Code Vein is an action role-playing game developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
  6. LafaDrake1
    Jun 28, 2023
    10
    Para quem gosta de Animes e Souls Like, Code Vein é um casamento perfeito. Um dos melhores games que ja joguei na minha vida!
  7. GioLaBot
    May 29, 2023
    9
    yes it is a souls like or bloodborne like anime but I found myself really comfortable with the feels of my character, such as movement, combat etc.
  8. Anthor
    May 4, 2023
    8
    Muy buen Souls-like infravalorado con un diseño artístico único y exótico de corte anime. Jugablemente muy satisfactorio con los distintos códigos de sangre y sus respectivas habilidades configurables ofreciendo distintos estilos de lucha. A destacar también su ambientación desolada y muy cercana a la solitariedad de por ejemplo un Metroid, un diseño de GPS de los más útiles del género yMuy buen Souls-like infravalorado con un diseño artístico único y exótico de corte anime. Jugablemente muy satisfactorio con los distintos códigos de sangre y sus respectivas habilidades configurables ofreciendo distintos estilos de lucha. A destacar también su ambientación desolada y muy cercana a la solitariedad de por ejemplo un Metroid, un diseño de GPS de los más útiles del género y que invita a seguir explorando todos los escenarios, así como unos bastante buenos jefes y una trama "vampiresca" interesante. Como único punto débil, su rendimiento regular en consolas que bien podría haber estado mejor optimizado y estable a 30fps por lo menos. Por lo demás es un gran juego. Ni caso a la prensa que lo ha destrozado. Code Vein tiene estilo propio.… Expand
  9. OdinX1985
    May 2, 2023
    8
    Code Vein is an action jrpg Souls like anime style. Code Vein is a great action jrpg and for what it is this has probably the best character customization in a game that I've ever seen. You can create male or female and style them how you want. The story is not something that will wow you however in the middle of the game there is a surprising connection to another game wondering if bothCode Vein is an action jrpg Souls like anime style. Code Vein is a great action jrpg and for what it is this has probably the best character customization in a game that I've ever seen. You can create male or female and style them how you want. The story is not something that will wow you however in the middle of the game there is a surprising connection to another game wondering if both games are connected in the same universe. Boss battles are not like Souls or Bloodborne by any stretch but still they can be challenging in their own right. You can have an NPC follow you on journey and switch them out for a strategic approach in areas. Music is your typical jrpg with a few kick butt boss themes. Weaponry plays a big role along with armor that certain types does have great benefits and Blood Memories these are most important to the style your playing. These can be upgraded by finding them and by using your soul points I highly recommend doing these cause once you have them complete you can use them as passive abilities forever. The game is fully voiced acted in English and Japanese.. the length is well over 40 hours and the game does have optional bosses and a 3 dlcs sold separately. My score is an 8 for how deep the character customization was and how fun it can be. However the game does suffer bad enemy aggressive behavior that seems unfair. Enemies can clip through the walls FPS drops is rare but it can be noticeable when close buildings. It's a great game but a few hiccups.… Expand
  10. YFA
    Apr 27, 2023
    5
    At first it's fun to play but then it's average. expected more to be honest.
  11. Generalement
    Apr 3, 2023
    10
    Un titre qui se réfère par bouche à oreille.

    CodeVein est un puissant titre dans la tranche de Elden Ring. Sinon, le titre à s'y plonger après avoir fait Elden Ring. Une mécanique nécessitant une apprentissage et une adaptation concernant les possibilités de Builds. Un peu un clin d'oeil de Nier Automata mélanger avec un Elden Ring, puis parfois l'impression du level design d'un Nioh.    Un titre qui se réfère par bouche à oreille.

    CodeVein est un puissant titre dans la tranche de Elden Ring. Sinon, le titre à s'y plonger après avoir fait Elden Ring.

    Une mécanique nécessitant une apprentissage et une adaptation concernant les possibilités de Builds. Un peu un clin d'oeil de Nier Automata mélanger avec un Elden Ring, puis parfois l'impression du level design d'un Nioh. Tout mélanger ensemble vous donne une savoureuse expérience au coeur d'un univers qui vous marquera comme Elden Ring à marqué.

    Une généreuse histoire avec des cinématiques bien placés. La qualité est bien présente. La qualité de ce titre est époustouflante. Des PNJ qui sont très attachants et avec qui l'on peux partager, discuter, et chacun à une spécialité à apporter. Bref, on ressens le sens de la formation et l'importance du rôle de notre protagoniste. Parlant de celui-ci, vous avez la possibilité de laisser place dans la creativité. La difficulté du titre est incontournable, les foes et les Boss sont redoutables. Pour ceux qui ont apprécié Elden Ring, une même stratégie d'analyse s'impose. L'aide en ligne vous pourra vous être d'un grand secours ou vous-même pourrez aider les autres.

    Récapitulatif: après Elden Ring, si vous avez aimer Nier Automata, le level design de Nioh, c'est assurément un chef d'oeuvre qui n'a pas connu le succès qu'il aurait dû.    … Expand
  12. DSouls_guy
    Mar 24, 2023
    9
    To start things up, let me say that code vein is not a souls Bourne clone! But rather a new take on a formula that the souls games have used for every game single souls game. Code vein has a story and an excellent character customization to boot! Plus the whole anime feel is just perfect. I'm really enjoying code vein and hope to see a sequel in the future.
  13. drlowdon
    Mar 19, 2023
    4
    Code Vein is an action RPG that is HEAVILY influenced by the Dark Souls games, unfortunately it is a pale imitation in virtually every way. The combat is unsatisfying, the environments are dull cut and paste labyrinths and you seem to just fight the same enemy types over and over again. A few hours was all I could take of this game.
  14. Avey123Avey
    Mar 19, 2023
    5
    An alright game with some good combat, great bosses/enemies and alright level design. The things holding it back are its garbage story, bad and overly confusing progression system, and some of it's level design is incredibly weak. It also simply doesn't have enough unique enemy types to last its overly long completion time. This game would have been twice as good if it were half as long
  15. MickeyFinn
    Jun 24, 2022
    3
    Bought it on sale and i regret not buying some new indie instead. The game has a vague Bloodborneish scent but that's about it. The usual bad soulslike, artificial difficulty without the gameplay options. Numerous issues, clumsy combat mechanics, bad leveldesign. Scammish namedropping, manga, vampires dark souls, without any relevance for the gameplay. A few more passive slots wouldve madeBought it on sale and i regret not buying some new indie instead. The game has a vague Bloodborneish scent but that's about it. The usual bad soulslike, artificial difficulty without the gameplay options. Numerous issues, clumsy combat mechanics, bad leveldesign. Scammish namedropping, manga, vampires dark souls, without any relevance for the gameplay. A few more passive slots wouldve made the game a lot more enjoyable. Back to school, boyz. To be forgotten… Expand
  16. cylentstorm
    Mar 14, 2023
    5
    Yet another Souls-like with plenty of goofy anime/JRPG cheese... A few cool mechanics do little to separate a mediocre, yet mostly solid slasher from the rest of the formulaic pack.

    Loose controls and repetitive action are melded to inconsistent performance and dull level design. The game is far less of an artificially-difficult chore than From's clunkathons, and at least the    Yet another Souls-like with plenty of goofy anime/JRPG cheese... A few cool mechanics do little to separate a mediocre, yet mostly solid slasher from the rest of the formulaic pack.

    Loose controls and repetitive action are melded to inconsistent performance and dull level design. The game is far less of an artificially-difficult chore than From's clunkathons, and at least the cringe-tastic story and characters are as comprehensible as they are annoying.

    Wait for a sale or save your cash for something more inspired and deserving of your time.    … Expand
  17. DuffySteffanni
    Feb 7, 2023
    9
    Good for - those that like a fun, challenging, action game with anime style. Possibly among the best looking anime games to date.
    Bad for- first time gamers or people who dont like anime art style and strategic games
    Similar games - dark souls, bloodborne Let me say as an individual who's played well over a thousand games. This is exactly another perfect example of how terrible "    Good for - those that like a fun, challenging, action game with anime style. Possibly among the best looking anime games to date.
    Bad for- first time gamers or people who dont like anime art style and strategic games
    Similar games - dark souls, bloodborne
    Let me say as an individual who's played well over a thousand games. This is exactly another perfect example of how terrible " professional "critics are. Games like repeated CoD trash get great rating while this magnificent game gets knocked on. Now to my review, The character building is perfect, you can choose so many cosmetics. You can choose so many different armor types that tremendously impact gameplay. You can hide your armor (which actually looks great also) if you want only cosmetics. The character creation is amazing.Every character is so well designed you actually find yourself liking all of then. There is so much to do and you get an epic soundtrack as well. The story is well narrated and really thought out. You also have a chance to dive into everyones back story if you want.    … Expand
  18. Kampfbiest0072
    Jul 4, 2022
    10
    If you like Anime and Dark Souls, this is for you. The character creator is extensive, the class system with the blood codes lets you change your playstyle all the time and the areas and bosses are varied and interesting, as are the characters in the game. Depending on your gear you can one-shot every boss in the game or take your time dodging everything like it's the usual MO forIf you like Anime and Dark Souls, this is for you. The character creator is extensive, the class system with the blood codes lets you change your playstyle all the time and the areas and bosses are varied and interesting, as are the characters in the game. Depending on your gear you can one-shot every boss in the game or take your time dodging everything like it's the usual MO for Soulslikes. The gameplay and especially the music a phenomenal. I'm hoping for a sequel in a few years.… Expand
  19. Jdotdeedot
    Jun 30, 2022
    5
    I don't know why but I really can't get into this game. It truly lives up to it's "anime dark souls" title. I just can't sense it's originality that much and the gameplay doesn't do much to motivate me to keep playing like how dark souls does. Best thing I can say about this game is how unique and in depth the character creation is. I also just like the designs of the characters in thisI don't know why but I really can't get into this game. It truly lives up to it's "anime dark souls" title. I just can't sense it's originality that much and the gameplay doesn't do much to motivate me to keep playing like how dark souls does. Best thing I can say about this game is how unique and in depth the character creation is. I also just like the designs of the characters in this game in general. Especially io (yes I am horny).… Expand
  20. Timenick
    Jun 21, 2022
    6
    Here is my theory how this game was made

    So Bandai Namco forced the devs to make a Dark Souls rip off (which is weird because its their own published series) but the devs had no idea how to make such a game. So they studied Dark Souls and they thought, yeah we can do this, but we lack the talent of the Fromsoftware team, so we have to improvise. So this is what they did: First they    Here is my theory how this game was made

    So Bandai Namco forced the devs to make a Dark Souls rip off (which is weird because its their own published series) but the devs had no idea how to make such a game. So they studied Dark Souls and they thought, yeah we can do this, but we lack the talent of the Fromsoftware team, so we have to improvise. So this is what they did:

    First they gave the game a setting of a dystopian destroyed city where rubble lies everywhere, so they would have an easier time with the level design. They studied the level design of Dark Souls quite a lot and managed to extract some sort of formula which they applied to every level in the game. So every level in the game isnt bad, its just the exact same kind of design everywhere. No variation like in Dark Souls. And they straight ripped off some enemies and areas from Dark Souls and Demon´s Souls, like Anor Londo and the Valley of Defilement, to have a least some visual diversity.

    They also gave the game actual mission objectives that tell you where to go, a mini map and completion percentage numbers for each level so players will never miss a single hidden thing. But it still feels rewarding to find everything. So exploration in this game isnt bad as well and you wont get stuck for too long trying to find the way.

    Then they made a combat system similar to Dark Souls 2, but way more clunkier to the point where its straight unplayable sometimes because the hit boxes and animations are a hot mess. So the devs had an idea: Give the player an AI companion all the time who is quite strong, draws enemy aggro away and makes the game a lot easier. That works quite well because the AI isnt dumb and does its job. But when the companion dies (which it rarely does though) you realize how terrible the combat system actually is.

    After that they just copypasted the whole stat system from Dark Souls and made a few adjustments to it. There are no builds in this game, you can level up but you cant select any specific stats to level, and everything is running via your equipped items which give you stat bonuses, weapon scaling and special abilities. Its interesting but my greatsword build is demolishing everything so the game isnt as challenging or intense as Dark Souls. Its far from it.

    The devs probably read on the internet that a big complaint many people have with Dark Souls is that Dark Souls doesnt have a story. They tried to "fix" that. So this game has a boring super generic anime story with lengthy 10 minutes cut scenes and unskippable walking simulator story sequences which arent very interesting. And you HAVE to do them to get new equipment. This is the worst part of the game.

    All Fromsoftware games have style, so this game needed style too. So they made the whole cast look like ridiculously over designed strippers so they can sell it to the basement dweller cum brain weaboos that buy games with skimpy character outfits and large anime tiddies to jack off. This also resulted in a character creator that is actually great. Probably the best character creator for accessories ever in a video game. This is seriously impressive and the best feature this game has.

    The other graphics of this game are quite bad though, areas and enemies are generic and it genrally looks like a PS3 or even a PS2 game. There are graphically similar games on the Nintendo Switch like Astral Chain that have way better graphics. At least it runs solid at 1440p 60fps on my PS5.

    In conclusion, I still have some fun with this game. What it does still works most of the time, even if its ripped off, and I love the Soulsborne series. I bought this on sale in the ps store and 16,79 is a good price for a trashy game like this. This would easily be a 2/10 if it would cost the unreduced and totally unjustified standard price of 69,99 (lol). If you like the Soulsborne Series play Salt and Sanctuary or Star Wars Fallen Order on Jedi Master difficulty, because they are way better Soulslikes than this, and then maybe buy this game on sale and give it a try.    … Expand
  21. DragunovArcanus
    May 5, 2022
    8
    Code vein, great desing of characters, funny gameplay, the only thing I can complaint about are some scenarios.
  22. knightly
    Apr 22, 2022
    10
    Great game simple it's consider to be like a souls game and i can't stand them but for whatever reason i absolutely love this game story is cool and the enemies are awesome as hell looking
  23. HakkaNoTogame
    Feb 24, 2022
    9
    This game is a fantastic souls-like. The vampire aesthetic is amazing and provides a unique take on the formula. Much more of a focus on story. I love all vampiric abilities and they are what switch up the souls formula. This maybe thought of as a generic souls-like but it is anything but. It took time but I got the platinum trophy and damn proud of it. The story is very good with multipleThis game is a fantastic souls-like. The vampire aesthetic is amazing and provides a unique take on the formula. Much more of a focus on story. I love all vampiric abilities and they are what switch up the souls formula. This maybe thought of as a generic souls-like but it is anything but. It took time but I got the platinum trophy and damn proud of it. The story is very good with multiple endings available. If you love vampires, anime, or souls games please don't pass this up.… Expand
  24. CzarSquid
    Feb 20, 2022
    0
    If you ever wanted dark souls with boobs then I have good news. There is no dark souls here
  25. 16Ragnarok15
    Feb 9, 2022
    10
    La verdad que a mi me gusto bastante además tiene muchas opciones de personalización de personaje
  26. Trv13
    Feb 2, 2022
    0
    Vuoto inutilmente complicato lentezza nei comandi raccapricciante.... Abbandonato dopo un ora
  27. BigBlackGosu
    Jan 31, 2022
    7
    Good combat, nice customisation, really annoying map design. I'm getting bored from getting stuck because I missed a little passage that I had to drop on. All aside, a pretty fun game.
  28. Jean90
    Nov 21, 2021
    4
    Not a fun game for players who don't enjoy games like Dark Souls. It's unfortunate because the character creation, story, and graphics were all enjoyable. Dying from mobs over and over again? No thanks.
  29. endothlyne
    Oct 27, 2021
    10
    I was a little late to the party with this one. Thats what happens when you are put off by bad reviews. My advice to players is listen to other players and don't always go by what the big reviewers say. The meta scores for users here proves that. I picked this up in a psn sale and what a gem it is. Had I known how much I would have liked it I would have got this sometime ago. Still, betterI was a little late to the party with this one. Thats what happens when you are put off by bad reviews. My advice to players is listen to other players and don't always go by what the big reviewers say. The meta scores for users here proves that. I picked this up in a psn sale and what a gem it is. Had I known how much I would have liked it I would have got this sometime ago. Still, better late than never. This game is a perfect blend of anime / souls like action. I love the combat, graphics music and characters all set in a post apocalyptic landscape.… Expand
  30. JPm7b5
    Oct 5, 2021
    10
    Seriously I don't understand the score by the critics. This game is so fun.
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 69
  3. Negative: 2 out of 69
  1. PLAY! Zine
    Dec 2, 2019
    80
    Code Vein brings a few interesting additions to the recognizable souls-like formula. It's stylish, anime-like and has some cool moves & classes, and lets you bring an AI friend to keep you from feeling lonely while being really useful in combat. Well, most of the time. If you are itching for some quality souls-like experience, try this - it could be just what you were looking for.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Nov 25, 2019
    65
    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]
  3. JeuxActu
    Oct 24, 2019
    50
    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.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »