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. VendonJura
    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
  2. SplitMind
    Jul 22, 2020
    7
    I've had a rocky relationship with the Soulsborne genre. I find them generally hard for the sake of being hard. Despite some rocky moments with Code Vein also, I have ended up really liking the game.

    The graphics here are mostly good, with the anime theme setting it apart from its contemporaries. This does result in a bit of blandness in some backgrounds, especially the likes of the    I've had a rocky relationship with the Soulsborne genre. I find them generally hard for the sake of being hard. Despite some rocky moments with Code Vein also, I have ended up really liking the game.

    The graphics here are mostly good, with the anime theme setting it apart from its contemporaries. This does result in a bit of blandness in some backgrounds, especially the likes of the Cathedral level, however at other times such as with flames and sand it really pulls it off quite well. The framerate I found to be inconsistent in some parts, but rarely an issue.

    The gameplay is where this gets really interesting. I absolutely loved the way you could basically mix and match your style of fighting to skills used, making it very customisable to my individual way of playing. Furthermore, there is one key difference that made me like this game over other Souls games, and that's having a partner controlled either by AI or a player. This really took the edge off the more ridiculously difficult and unbalanced parts of the game. All games should have difficulty levels as without this option of a partner I would never have gotten far into the game and not enjoyed it much at all.

    The gameplay doesn't suffer from any major issues but minor ones such as the backstab being very inconsistent to pull off; it really needs a specific button prompt. The lock-on also sent my attacks in the wrong direction a number of times, which can easily be fatal. Some of the levels, especially the aforementioned Cathedral, were much better on paper than in reality. In reality the Cathedral was an absolute painful slog that I did not enjoy. This brings me to another point - at so many junctures in the game I actually didn't know where I was meant to go next and had to resort to online guides. Again, not a major issue, but a minor nuisance in a game where progress can easily be stalled at the best of times anyway.

    The story and characters I found myself liking more and more as the game progressed, however all of the venturing into memories caused the story to be very disjointed for me as I tried to pinpoint whose memory I was looking at and why. There are quite a few minor characters who pop up and are easy to forget. While I found the scenes of people turning into stone quite heart-wrenching, I struggled to understand why this was happening. The story could have benefitted from a more coherent and concise delivery, however a game like this is not designed to be played just once like I have, so I can appreciate the wealth of lore for the hardcore players.

    Overall, Code Vein is a game I can definitely recommend and is a pleasant surprise in a sea of Souls-like games which all try to be the most unbalanced and punishing experience instead of a genuine challenge. I would put forth this game as a good first experience of the Souls genre.    … Expand
  3. tolkkipelto
    Jul 20, 2020
    8
    Llevo 12 horas pero me ha parecido un soulslike interesante. Buen diseño de jefes. Banda sonora muy buena e historia que engancha. Lo recomiendo y más en este momento que está a 29.00 en psstore
  4. FalcoZuero
    Aug 10, 2020
    9
    I was able to make a bunch of characters with character customization. The Story is also pretty neat
  5. Souls-Lurk
    Sep 28, 2020
    7
    As a huge fan of Soul-likes (if you couldn't guess from the username) I was looking forward to getting may fangs into Code Vein and... it was okay. On a scale of Bloodborne to Lords of the Fallen, I'd have it somewhere below the middle of the scale. All of From Software's games and the Nioh games and The Surge 2 are definitely better. This probably around the level of the original SurgeAs a huge fan of Soul-likes (if you couldn't guess from the username) I was looking forward to getting may fangs into Code Vein and... it was okay. On a scale of Bloodborne to Lords of the Fallen, I'd have it somewhere below the middle of the scale. All of From Software's games and the Nioh games and The Surge 2 are definitely better. This probably around the level of the original Surge game, with higher production values but not quite as fun.

    As implied above the production values are surprisingly high with everything looking beautiful in a typically anime kind of way. The music is suitably gothic too but the constantly repeated phrases of the AI companions are incredibly annoying. The gameplay lets Code Vein down a bit for me though. There is just no weight to the combat... and if you like these kinds of games you'll know that the weight of a weapon should really impact the ability to swing it as well as the poise of the opponent it strikes. In Code Vein your little cartoony-looking character can swing a sword that must easily weigh upwards of 50kg (120lbs for the Americans among us) like it was made of tin foil. Not only that but these physic-s defying swings have no 'real' impact on the opponents either. Its sadly just very unsatisfying in that regard and affected my enjoyment quite a bit.

    Other aspects which I see as critical to whether a game is a 'worthy' Souls-like or not are very mixed. Level design is pretty boring for the most part. Environment-specific hazards are introduced to later levels as the game progresses but it all seems pretty by-the-numbers. That is until the final area which is now one of my favourite areas with a Souls-like. Same with the bosses, they're all really boring and don't really need any specific strategy until you get really late on. Then you get some great boss battles culminating in a fight (depending on the ending you're heading towards)that rivals the Orphan of Kos and Darkeater Midir in terms of difficulty if not in quality.

    Its still good... and if its your first Souls-like you may well really enjoy it. Nut as someone who has played almost all of them (haven't played Hellpoint, Ashen or Mortal Shell yet but will) its very average. An average Souls-like is still a good game though.    … Expand
  6. DD-Trainer
    May 4, 2020
    6
    I am certainly late to the party on this one but I can really drop a decent review on this **** show and well the game is okay but that's about it... the controls are okay but a lot of the game feels lacking as its only claim to fame is well "weeb-souls" it's an anime dark souls clone that fails to understand what made dark souls great.

    This game would rather spam mobs at you throw    I am certainly late to the party on this one but I can really drop a decent review on this **** show and well the game is okay but that's about it... the controls are okay but a lot of the game feels lacking as its only claim to fame is well "weeb-souls" it's an anime dark souls clone that fails to understand what made dark souls great.

    This game would rather spam mobs at you throw bland bosses that are just the normal mobs reskinned and reused and every now and again and a lot of the area's rarely stick out and feel uninteresting and in a later stage in the game will just be a maze this game isn't bad but I wouldn't call it good I'd call it mediocre to average and another reason why I feel it's at best a 6 is also due to it's terrible story that makes you nothing more than a decently important background character to the true games MC Louise.

    This game I felt would have fill the hole that dark souls left but all it did was leave me hollow and I had hoped the DLC's would have made the game more interesting but they are out right TERRIBLE do not and I implore you not to purchase this games DLC they are nothing more but the same mobs, bosses reused and for those of the "main bosses" in that area tend to be either very spongy or just down right unfun and broken Code Vein's dlc's can't even compare to what was a dark souls DLC and I feel they were just tacked on to fill a quota.    … Expand
  7. jintei
    May 31, 2021
    3
    Boy I have so much to talk about this game. Too bad it's a negative review.

    Starting off, this is a Soulsborne-like game, a pretty cheap rip-off if you allow me. But this is not a problem, since BanNamco actually owns the rights for reproducing every Dark Souls title, so they're able to develop this kind of game legally. Unlike any Soulsborne, the plot isn't deep and implicit. It's    Boy I have so much to talk about this game. Too bad it's a negative review.

    Starting off, this is a Soulsborne-like game, a pretty cheap rip-off if you allow me. But this is not a problem, since BanNamco actually owns the rights for reproducing every Dark Souls title, so they're able to develop this kind of game legally.

    Unlike any Soulsborne, the plot isn't deep and implicit. It's rather shallow and generic. Most of its bits are presented to the player through fully spoken dialogue and cutscenes, something I like a lot. Unfortunately, it doesn't add much to the game's experience as this story is poorly written and features too many details and too little character development.

    Speaking of characters, most of them are pretty much forgettable. To me, Mia and Jack are the only partners you'll may have a good time playing along, since these two are the most balanced and "cool" to play with. Mia is an excellent ranged supporter while Jack slashes enemies that are giving you trouble. Jack also frequently uses an AoE dispersal gift that pushes all surrounding Lost away, granting you some space. Mia has a similar way of hitting a few enemies by making use of her barrage gift, which helps you advancing safely.

    About its gameplay, this will perhaps get you frustrated. Not only clunky as hell, the camera is too rigid and this, along with utterly slow gift triggering and item activation times, will be the reason for your demise most of the time.

    Not being enough, common enemies and bosses take advantage from three flawed mechanics in order to overwhelm you. First, most of them can (and will) stagger you a lot. Even light attacks are able to stagger the player character easily, even with high balance stat and related gifts active. Second, if dealing with multiple enemies, most of them will target you PRIMARLY, even when your partner deals the first blow. Aggro in this game makes no sense at all, enemies will literally drain your HP, aiming to force your partner into sharing a portion of his/her HP, then aggroing them for an easy, mostly granted kill that will leave you by yourself. This leads us to the third and final topic on broken enemy mechanics, that is "spamming". They'll rely on unreasonably fast sequential close range attacks, mixed with long range AoE skills, to destroy you, making this game solo unfriendly (difficult to play alone).

    Some reviews are saying this game is too easy in comparison with Soulsborne games. On your first playthrough, this is true for most Successors, but initial bosses and the later ones are simply mad, bloodthirsty demons. If you decide to torture yourself further, the game gives you the choice to raise the difficulty after finishing your run. Funny thing is it also gives you the option to lower it anytime you want, as to make up for its pathetic difficulty scaling.

    Exploring, to me, was a minor issue. Maps are uninspired and some will take a lot of time to complete. I spent 4 hours on my first run into the Cathedral of Sacred Blood, the largest map on this game. But this alone isn't much of a big deal. Enemies aren't well distributed and most of the time you'll be fighting nothing, just roaming around pulling levers and opening doors.

    But Code Vein also has some positive aspects to it. The blood code and gift system allows you to quickly change your playstyle on the fly and the softened stat scaling allows for easier adaptation from players that aren't used to this kind of game. You may set four passive gifts and up to eight active ones, giving you rather fast access to several ways of overpowering your opponents. The fewer equip options (two weapons and one blood veil, a.k.a. bloodsucking vests) also gives you more the time to prepare your strategies accordingly.

    Speaking of blood veils, these along with your weapons, drain a small portion of the enemies' blood, which are then used by you for gift activation. There are four main types of blood veils, differing on the draining mechanism and player role. Some are best for supporting while others are well-suited for tanking and a few will balance your gameplay with good overall defense and mobility.

    To summarize it, Code Vein features rather fun and useful gameplay mechanics, but its qualities are soon overshadowed by its flaws.

    Good aspects:

    - Swappable stat and skill sets (called "Blood Codes")
    - Few equip options, good equipment variety
    - Partners always available
    - Exchange system (allows you to trade in valuables to get special consumables and equipment)
    - Very good japanese voice cast

    Bad aspects:

    - Generic plot
    - Irrelevant characters
    - Clunky gameplay
    - Spamming bosses
    - Broken aggro system (enemies always focus first on you)
    - Unbalanced difficulty enhancing for new game plus
    - Repetitive, uninspired maps    … Expand
  8. Wweald
    Mar 22, 2021
    7
    Pretty good game, I really really like the boss designs aesthetically I think they were all super cool. Gameplay wise most of them were solid too but there were a few that could have been better. The games too easy if you use the coop partner youre given, and too hard if you don't. I wish it was better balanced in that aspect.
  9. 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.
  10. Shini-sensei
    Feb 26, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amazing game. Perfect, no bugs, good plot. Amazing customization, hard and satisfying.… Expand
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. Trv13
    Feb 2, 2022
    0
    Vuoto inutilmente complicato lentezza nei comandi raccapricciante.... Abbandonato dopo un ora
  14. Persona5GOAT
    May 2, 2020
    5
    clunky combat, difficulty that yo-yos from cake walk to making you want to smash your controller and back again, absolutely horrible camera that does you zero favors. some people really love the character customization but honestly i couldn't give less of a **** about that nonsense when the game is 90%+ combat, and not good combat at that. Enemy types are largely recycled with extra bellsclunky combat, difficulty that yo-yos from cake walk to making you want to smash your controller and back again, absolutely horrible camera that does you zero favors. some people really love the character customization but honestly i couldn't give less of a **** about that nonsense when the game is 90%+ combat, and not good combat at that. Enemy types are largely recycled with extra bells and whistles. Music is pretty good, characters and story are...passable. Some of the areas are ridiculous (cathedral) and go on too long or too short. Not a terrible game but not great either.… Expand
  15. nightstroller
    May 2, 2020
    9
    I don't even like games like this, where the difficulty is a bit high coupled with the dark-souls like combat and mechanics (not a big fan of DS setting, too dark and gloomy). BUT, this game had me binge-playing for over a week. Finished the story and loved it so much I picked up the dlc without a thought. The add-on content is a bit weak imo, but the core of the game is still fantastic.I don't even like games like this, where the difficulty is a bit high coupled with the dark-souls like combat and mechanics (not a big fan of DS setting, too dark and gloomy). BUT, this game had me binge-playing for over a week. Finished the story and loved it so much I picked up the dlc without a thought. The add-on content is a bit weak imo, but the core of the game is still fantastic. It has a pretty decent story, but the fun of it for me is to try out all the various builds the different kinds of equipment affords you. Also! This game lets you keep playing past the end of the storyline AND it has a new game plus mode!

    Code Vein
    Gameplay Enjoyability (0 - worst, 10 - best)

    Combat - 9
    Story - 8
    Loot/equipment finding - 8
    Character creation - 10
    Music - 9 (the menu theme song, it's so gooood, gets me every time)
    Multi-stage boss fights - 6 (without spoiling things, not all boss fights save your progress if you die having cleared a stage)    … Expand
  16. OniII
    May 8, 2020
    7
    this game is good but it could've been so much better, i feel like a lot of concepts were rushed and weren't fully developed. i would recommend this game to anyone looking for a dark souls style game, it's definitely worth playing but it had the potential to be better than what it is
  17. alexandrumna
    Sep 9, 2020
    8
    I was pretty surprised, but in a good way, about this game. Never had it on my lost but accidentally stumbling upon it and after reading about it I became interested. I believe the character customisation system is one of if not the most massive in any game I've played. It wasn't really love at first sight but it grew on me quite quickly. The combat system is fun, there are a lot ofI was pretty surprised, but in a good way, about this game. Never had it on my lost but accidentally stumbling upon it and after reading about it I became interested. I believe the character customisation system is one of if not the most massive in any game I've played. It wasn't really love at first sight but it grew on me quite quickly. The combat system is fun, there are a lot of different strategies you could try out and a lot of different gameplay styles from which you can choose according to your playstyle. There are some frustrating parts but nothing impossible. It definitely isn't as hard as a Souls game and I liked that because I really dislike rage-inducing games. The story is pretty good and you become really invested with all the characters, each having their own story which you unfold throughout the game. It felt awkward at times because of the silent character and the dialogue option could have been way better, and the level design seems too linear but other than that, a pretty good game.… Expand
  18. SlayerTeatraleC
    May 15, 2020
    2
    То,что это игра souls-like её не оправдывает.Если вы фанат и скажите,что это неsouls-like,поздравляю,вы зарыли яму больше меня
    Как я уже и написал,это souls-like с аниме и уёбищный графон(я думал миадзаки делает ебалу в этом вопросе,но нашлись его ученики,превзошедшие учителя).
    Сама игра выглядит как кусок недоработки,как-будто я зашёл на creator gm и наставляю здание и вообще архетекуру    То,что это игра souls-like её не оправдывает.Если вы фанат и скажите,что это неsouls-like,поздравляю,вы зарыли яму больше меня
    Как я уже и написал,это souls-like с аниме и уёбищный графон(я думал миадзаки делает ебалу в этом вопросе,но нашлись его ученики,превзошедшие учителя).
    Сама игра выглядит как кусок недоработки,как-будто я зашёл на creator gm и наставляю здание и вообще архетекуру просто так,шобы было.Спиженное замыливание при движение из ds2 это не спасает,а усугубляет.
    Story-line или lore-фикция,там это присуствует для пояснения ЗАЧЕМ ты пиздишься,а не РАДИ ЧЕГО,поверьте,дальше,по игре,это будет очевидно
    Интерфейс в стиле Forest или Rust-самое ебанутое что можно добавить,так они ещё и это спиздили ради улегчение(есть такое слово?не ебу)СВОЕЙ работы
    Намешивание 2 и 3д привели к тому,что контраст цветов не как не может нормально быть в балансе(постоянный пересвет,на гг цвет только один-два,не взависимости от локации,и т.д.
    Про геймплейные моменты затрагивать смысла нет,можно просто это назвать копиркой,но можно назвать её хорошой или плохой можно.Как вы поняли по оценке и посылу-я выбираю 2 вариант
    Цена-не заслуженно такая,за такого вида недоделки-шлака не превышают 2к рублей
    Плюсов я не нашёл.Либо копирка,либо плохо,либо супер-спорно(как к примеру:постоянные напарники)
    И ЭТО ОЦЕНКА,БЛЯТЬ НЕ ИЗ-ЗА ТОГО ЧТО ЭТО АНИМЭ,А ИЗ-ЗА ТОГО,ЧТО ЭТО ХУЙНЯ ВЫШЕ ЧИТАЕМ
    нахуй код вейн дум вечен ауе    … Expand
  19. paokdouble
    Jul 25, 2020
    8
    Who tf are these 'critics' who give this amazing game such a low score? The game is fun it has a pretty good lore and the gameplay is not perfect but pretty good overall. I cannot say it is as good as the fromsoft games but i still enjoyed it and i think its more underrated than it should be
  20. HRChan
    Aug 1, 2020
    9
    I might not be great at these types of games, but I was really proud of myself on where i stopped in this game I felt it was pretty far into the game! The combat in this game is nice, the different skills you unlock is great in their own way and depending on how you use it, you might end up being OP. The soundtrack in this is great that I just stop and listen to it. I'm gonna try andI might not be great at these types of games, but I was really proud of myself on where i stopped in this game I felt it was pretty far into the game! The combat in this game is nice, the different skills you unlock is great in their own way and depending on how you use it, you might end up being OP. The soundtrack in this is great that I just stop and listen to it. I'm gonna try and continue this game in the future when I feel like I could progress it… Expand
  21. Burattix54
    Jun 26, 2020
    7
    This game's combat is alright, but the difficulty scaling is pretty bad and the enemy and boss variety is lackluster. The build/class system is very interesting and pretty unique in the Soulslike genre.

    The story is, unfortunately, not as good. It's not terrible but it's full of edgy exposition dumps, with the words blood, vestiges ore whatever being used like 1000 times. It's not bad    This game's combat is alright, but the difficulty scaling is pretty bad and the enemy and boss variety is lackluster. The build/class system is very interesting and pretty unique in the Soulslike genre.

    The story is, unfortunately, not as good. It's not terrible but it's full of edgy exposition dumps, with the words blood, vestiges ore whatever being used like 1000 times. It's not bad because it's Animey, but it uses way too many tropes. The flashback sections are not bad, but they get boring when you have to "play" through 20 of them to upgrade your blood codes. For the true ending I had to watch around 8 of them back to back and it wasn't enjoyable at all because they weren't even the best ones in the game.    … Expand
  22. Voat_Goat
    Jun 28, 2020
    10
    Code Vein is an amazing experience. Do you like dark souls? Do you like anime? Do you like DARK SOULS ANIME EDITION? That is what this game is. Realistic body physics as a bonus, and excelling modding community on the nexus. Best game of 2019.
  23. illuvatar_1st
    Jun 25, 2020
    7
    Anime dark souls and im all over it.
    the game play is that of dark souls but a bit more flashy, after all its anime, unique skills have unique choreography. Fun game with interesting characters and a decent story to go alone. Music is a 9/10 but the best part is the Custom character menu. To give you a small idea there's around 150 options just for eyebrows. think about that .
  24. 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
  25. Danrose654
    Jul 4, 2020
    6
    Ok game but areas/ locations feel soulless
    Boss fights are weak
    The customisation in this game is insane. All games should aim to have customisation this deep
    Combat feels like dark souls lite...quite easy
    It seems like this is the sort of game that people who
    Want to get into dark souls series but want a bit of practice first should play
  26. LiirThropp
    Jul 5, 2020
    9
    While it has a lot of Souls-like mechanics, it gives off a completely different vibe.

    Pros: Good combat system with a lot of options and an incredibly large amount of build combinations possible. The character creator also has an astounding amount of customizations available. Entertaining story and complex characters. Cons: The english voice acting is bland and emotionless most of    While it has a lot of Souls-like mechanics, it gives off a completely different vibe.

    Pros:
    Good combat system with a lot of options and an incredibly large amount of build combinations possible.
    The character creator also has an astounding amount of customizations available.
    Entertaining story and complex characters.
    Cons:
    The english voice acting is bland and emotionless most of the time.
    Lag in Multiplayer.
    Not really a con, but it is gets tiresome to see so little clothing on the femaie characters if that's not what you're attracted to, why not objectify both genders?    … Expand
  27. Design_xjt
    Jul 6, 2020
    8
    开发商魂like的第一次尝试 味道有了 而且人设和人物美型都超棒 点赞
  28. Edb25
    Aug 22, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Found the game entertaining, being able to modify the appearence of your character as many times as you want and also the different playstyles you can build in game(thing dark souls doesn't have without having to relocate your points), ost is also good and enjoyed the blade bearer and cannonneer fight.… Expand
  29. CescOneLove
    Sep 20, 2020
    10
    Me parece increíble la estética y la jugabilidad y que decir de los vestigios... 10/10.
    No me hace falta decir mucho más que va bien ahora mismo en ps4 pro... blemas!
  30. 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
  31. JoseManuel10_
    Jul 5, 2023
    6
    Code Vein is an action role-playing game developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
  32. Smosnej
    Feb 17, 2021
    10
    If you like sekiro or darksouls or just that type of game you will like this game without a doubth.
  33. VanCan72
    Apr 4, 2021
    8
    Its Dark Souls with a God Eater coat of paint and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The character customization is the deepest Ive ever come across. The story is pretty involved to be honest, and has a LOT of detail to be sure. Boss battles in this souls-like are all fantastic and ramp up difficulty.
    But over all its a proper souls-like so it can be ball bustingly hard, levels    Its Dark Souls with a God Eater coat of paint and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The character customization is the deepest Ive ever come across. The story is pretty involved to be honest, and has a LOT of detail to be sure. Boss battles in this souls-like are all fantastic and ramp up difficulty.
    But over all its a proper souls-like so it can be ball bustingly hard, levels are vast, and you swing around a giant weapon and have build potential to go with it. lots of fun.    … Expand
  34. tharikleo
    Apr 19, 2021
    7
    Se não fosse pela repetição incansável de inimigos, Code Vein seria uma obra prima com chefes muito originais e desafiadores.
  35. JPm7b5
    Oct 5, 2021
    10
    Seriously I don't understand the score by the critics. This game is so fun.
  36. 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.
  37. 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
  38. 16Ragnarok15
    Feb 9, 2022
    10
    La verdad que a mi me gusto bastante además tiene muchas opciones de personalización de personaje
  39. 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
  40. DragunovArcanus
    May 5, 2022
    8
    Code vein, great desing of characters, funny gameplay, the only thing I can complaint about are some scenarios.
  41. 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
  42. YFA
    Apr 27, 2023
    5
    At first it's fun to play but then it's average. expected more to be honest.
  43. 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
  44. 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
  45. 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.
  46. 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
  47. 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.
  48. 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!
  49. 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.
next
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 »