Code Vein

 Xbox One
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 133 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 93 out of 133
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 133
  3. Negative: 23 out of 133
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  1. mike4156
    Oct 6, 2019
    6
    Fails in comparison to every game that came before it, stick to dark atmosphere and tough gameplay like darksouls and bloodborne, this was like a 12 year olds dark souls tbh. story telling was garbage i got to say im disappointed, the only good thing going for this game is the music. If it wasnt a bandai game i would of dropped it already.
  2. Drayden
    Sep 27, 2019
    7
    This is a solid game. Not quite Dark Souls, but close enough, and does enough things differently to justify a play through. The story is very anime, so if that's your jam, you'll probably dig it. As for performance, I haven't run into any issues on a One X, no crashes or frame choppiness.

    TL;DR It's not gonna win game of the year or anything, but it's pretty good.
  3. WarkKnight
    Oct 11, 2019
    6
    All looks, no substance is how I would describe Code Vein. You can get lost in its endless character creator and gorgeous particle effects which wow for the first hour, but as you progress through the game you start to realize the particle effects and colorful weapons are shielding your eyes from the bland black, red, and brown environments and drab hub world. The game animations alsoAll looks, no substance is how I would describe Code Vein. You can get lost in its endless character creator and gorgeous particle effects which wow for the first hour, but as you progress through the game you start to realize the particle effects and colorful weapons are shielding your eyes from the bland black, red, and brown environments and drab hub world. The game animations also have some noticeable lag and stuttering issues. Often when you attack from behind it will register as an attack from the front and you will miss out on backstab which your earned. You can be damaged when the enemy hits in the opposite direction of you, which makes no sense and is clearly not a design choice. While you can perry in this game and it does work, it's rarely actually neccassary. Roling towards the enemy 9/10 times will work much better. For this exact reason boss fights rarely feel challenging and when rolling towards the boss doesn't work the first time it will probably work the second time. You can just chease this game very easily. When your not cheasing it though this game feels unfair almost to balance things out. An enemy will smash through cover that you clearly can't see them behind and your suddenly knocked off a cliff to your death. That's not even a skill based thing, its just very poor design. I really liked God Eater 2 and 3 but I can't really defend this game. Code Vein is buggy and where its not buggy the gameplay encounters just feel broken. As far a story goes it doesn't touch any of the Souls games or Bloodborne. It's sandwiched inbetween The Surge games and all the other souls-likes in terms of story. The game just doesn't hook you and it's bad by even the most mediocre animes standards, keep in mind I liked God Eater's admittably corny story. There are people trying to upvote this game for political reasons I guess? But I don't really care, I can seperate those two things unlike some people, and when it comes down to it this games story is bland and the gameplay is such a only good when you and three other friends are missing around and spamming your super moves. Don't spend $60 on this game, find it in the bargain bin.… Expand
  4. silencer
    Jul 6, 2023
    7
    First off, I don't normally play or enjoy souls games. However, this one got my attention and I figured I'll give it a try.

    First the positives: Great character customization (although limited costumes) Fun game mechanics (there are buffs, debuffs, and strategy instead of button mashing) Deep ability customization and flexibility (many classes that can be switched at will and fitted with    First off, I don't normally play or enjoy souls games. However, this one got my attention and I figured I'll give it a try.

    First the positives:
    Great character customization (although limited costumes)
    Fun game mechanics (there are buffs, debuffs, and strategy instead of button mashing)
    Deep ability customization and flexibility (many classes that can be switched at will and fitted with abilities from other classes)
    Wide weapon variety although only one ranged option plus magic
    Beatuful level design past the first dungeon
    Intriguing npc character cast
    Difficulty level is very manageable once you get an npc partner

    Now the bad:
    The worst offender is the story. It is delivered either through flashbacks that make little sense or through emo dialogues that make little sense as well. Halfway through the game I was still not sure what the big hook was.

    Cheap bosses that will one shot you easily. (Dodging is key). Luckily you can call other players for help.

    Halfway through the gameplay becomes very repetitive since you find the best class/ability combo and stick with it.

    Overall it's a fun romp if you get it on sale.
    Good intro into dark souls like games imo.    … Expand
  5. new_casual
    Sep 11, 2021
    6
    Great looking game, great art, handsome characters but man, gameplay is too difficult, too souls-like.
  6. MoGee
    Apr 23, 2022
    7
    也就那样吧。
    我xsx玩的，除了换地图中途那段路有点掉帧，其它时候都没碰过，读取速度也挺快。
    就打击感怪怪的，也没啥难度，一路双手剑莽过去，就后期堆怪严重，没啥意思的剧情，大部分地图都没啥设计感，更别说教堂那种粪地图了。 主要是捏人（欧派）太香了，要是各种衣服能多点，就更棒了。    也就那样吧。
    我xsx玩的，除了换地图中途那段路有点掉帧，其它时候都没碰过，读取速度也挺快。
    就打击感怪怪的，也没啥难度，一路双手剑莽过去，就后期堆怪严重，没啥意思的剧情，大部分地图都没啥设计感，更别说教堂那种粪地图了。
    主要是捏人（欧派）太香了，要是各种衣服能多点，就更棒了。
  7. GusFrabbs
    Mar 1, 2023
    6
    It crashes like hell. All the time. I've lost severall times my exp because of this. Dont buy the vanilla ersion, the comp,ete one will be at the same price if you wait a couple of weeks after the deal on vanilla is over. Should be a higher score, but as I said, it crashes all the time and Bandai dont fix it.

Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Best Xbox One Game of 2019
31
#31 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Gamers' Temple
    Nov 20, 2019
    75
    The overall controls are your basic Dark Souls setup - strong and weak attacks, dodge, abilities and a parry. If you're a fan of Dark Souls, you're not guaranteed to like Code Vein, but you will immediately fall right into its gameplay since it's nearly the same. Code Vein focuses more on narrative through cutscenes compared to Dark Souls hidden lore among the items that you find. Code Vein is quite enjoyable if you're in the mood for a good story mixed with some decent Dark Souls gameplay. I had a lot of fun with it despite its problems.
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  2. Video Chums
    Nov 2, 2019
    73
    Although I enjoyed my time with Code Vein, it could definitely use some work to live up to its genre contemporaries. With that said, if you're a fan of action RPGs then you'll find a lot to sink your vampiric teeth into here.
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  3. DarkStation
    Oct 15, 2019
    80
    At times, Code Vein can be stressing as you can’t cut much slack until you have gained not only level-ups to strengthen your character but also personal confidence to challenge everything the game throws at you. While it sometimes too obediently follows conventions of Souls-likes, its generous framework and character-centric exposition bring the game its own kind of unique personality.
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