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. Xbox_Alive
    Sep 27, 2019
    9
    Code Vein is a 3d Person Heavy Combat Free Roam Action RPG, inspired by Dark Souls. In a dystopian future, Humans are all but lost to time, the few left kept as food for the Revenants, Vampire like creatures resurrected by a parasite. You awaken in the ruins of a once glorious city, with no memory of how you arrived there. Assisted by a Lady in White, you find you have the power to reviveCode Vein is a 3d Person Heavy Combat Free Roam Action RPG, inspired by Dark Souls. In a dystopian future, Humans are all but lost to time, the few left kept as food for the Revenants, Vampire like creatures resurrected by a parasite. You awaken in the ruins of a once glorious city, with no memory of how you arrived there. Assisted by a Lady in White, you find you have the power to revive the Blood Springs, also keeping you from frenzy, and becoming the Lost. Everyone is trapped in the city, as a red mist surrounds it, causing pain and agony so intense, it drives most mad, even as they get near it. With nearly no humans left to feed on the Revenants eat what is know as Blood Beads, a fruit like vessel that grows from the Blood Springs, and contains a substance chemically identical to human Blood. Code Vein has heavy Anime inspiration, in both it's art and the extremely DEEP and intricate story line that will absorb you. With the Heavy and Meticulous combat of SoulsLike games that we've come to love, Code Vein also grants you an AI Partner (This Partner can also be a friend in Multiplayer!) and abilities that can be used together. The Class system is extremely flexible, allowing you to change classes whenever you please, and after Mastering certain abilites, they can be used on other classes, allowing you to hone your character as you see fit! Code Vein is an absolutely addictive game, frustrations and all as you unfold the story of not only the world, but the different characters as well. With a depth nearly beyond measure, and the ability to play with Friends, Bandai/Namco has outdone themselves with this title!… Expand
  2. germanik
    Dec 2, 2019
    10
    Я купил эту игру на выходных и поиграл. Не мог оторваться! Это действительно лучшая игра года и шедевр для меня. Огромное спасибо разработчикам за то что выпускаете такие игры. Боже, я даже на работе не могу перестать думать о ней. Редактор персонажей великолепен, визуал и сюжет вытягивают все косяки. Это однозначно лучше dark souls 3 и bloodborne!Я купил эту игру на выходных и поиграл. Не мог оторваться! Это действительно лучшая игра года и шедевр для меня. Огромное спасибо разработчикам за то что выпускаете такие игры. Боже, я даже на работе не могу перестать думать о ней. Редактор персонажей великолепен, визуал и сюжет вытягивают все косяки. Это однозначно лучше dark souls 3 и bloodborne!
  3. David191103
    Oct 25, 2019
    10
    I was skeptical about this game at first after seeing all the reviews about it. However, after playing the actual game I realized that all the reviews I had seen were completely lies or nitpicking small aspects of the game. IGN claimed there is no multiplayer when it’s definitely there and easy to use. Some reviewers were complaining about its anime looks and the look of women in the game.I was skeptical about this game at first after seeing all the reviews about it. However, after playing the actual game I realized that all the reviews I had seen were completely lies or nitpicking small aspects of the game. IGN claimed there is no multiplayer when it’s definitely there and easy to use. Some reviewers were complaining about its anime looks and the look of women in the game. While I understand why someone would complain about that I don’t think that the game should get a lower score because of it. Those things are personal preference, if someone wants to play a souls like game with anime looks then let them do so. I’ve heard some people even complain about the games realism which is ridiculous considering this is a game where you play as a Vampire who can manifest claws, tails, hounds etc. For my actual opinion on the game, I thought it was brilliant. The soundtrack is especially great, the story kept me invested to the end, the character creator was absolutely incredible with its many options, the ending was satisfying. I could go on and on about the games positives but I’ll say that the sound design in the game never gave any weight behind my attacks and it made me want to play more aggressively despite my draining stamina. If you’re thinking about buying this game I’d say consider if you want to play an anime souls like or if you’d rather spend your money on something else. I personally can not recommend this game enough.… Expand
  4. Navagator29
    Dec 20, 2019
    10
    I am not into MMORPGs or RPGs but this game is fantastic. I have been addicted to it. I have always been a Anime fan and it's like creating and watching a custom anime. It's awesome. Targetting is a little annoying but I love the game.
  5. blankwave
    Oct 11, 2019
    9
    This game is kicking my butt every time I get to a boss battle (and about 1-5 times on the way to a boss battle). I love the look, the story, and the characters. I love that it rewards you for sticking your neck out to explore every nook and cranny. The menus take a bit to understand and battle options are endless, not super easy to grasp but this is the type of game you need to take theThis game is kicking my butt every time I get to a boss battle (and about 1-5 times on the way to a boss battle). I love the look, the story, and the characters. I love that it rewards you for sticking your neck out to explore every nook and cranny. The menus take a bit to understand and battle options are endless, not super easy to grasp but this is the type of game you need to take the time to learn and continue to try again every time your butt gets handed to you. A uniquely captivating and heart-pounding addition to my catalog.… Expand
  6. thorins
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    Es un gran juego, que tiene muy buena jugabilidad y un estilo artístico al estilo anime que encanta y se disfruta desde principio a fin.
  7. barkingdog95
    Dec 6, 2019
    9
    as someone who played all three dark souls this game is real good in my opinion love it.
  8. kefka2589
    Dec 17, 2020
    8
    This is a really cool game. I'm playing on a Series X so that's what I'm basing this on, but with the 60fps and auto HDR this game is a visual treat. The gameplay is more like Bloodborne than Dark Souls, but the difficulty isn't grueling, it feels just right. The game is definitely more linear, but there's still plenty to explore. The Story and characters are interesting. KillerThis is a really cool game. I'm playing on a Series X so that's what I'm basing this on, but with the 60fps and auto HDR this game is a visual treat. The gameplay is more like Bloodborne than Dark Souls, but the difficulty isn't grueling, it feels just right. The game is definitely more linear, but there's still plenty to explore. The Story and characters are interesting. Killer soundtrack. I've been on the fence for a long time, but this is just great.… Expand
  9. DameDesuYo
    Sep 28, 2019
    10
    Level design is pretty good past the first level, characters have interesting back stories and the setting is really cool. The difficulty is fun and fair, not as hard as Dark Souls though, obviously. Very good game.
  10. Shini-sensei
    Feb 26, 2020
    10
    Perfect game. No bugs, cool plot, hard and satisfying. Amazing customization, best character creation as of date.
  11. Steyraus
    Sep 27, 2019
    10
    This game is great and one the Xbox One X it is absolutely stunning. The picture is very sharp and the aesthetic overall are a step up on the competition. Its a souls like in Anime form , with dozens of new tricks and a cool vampire story..
  12. Remixaura
    Sep 28, 2019
    10
    A creative and splendid experience.the characters are have depth and environment is beautiful.grinding and playing around with code is fun.this company has a fan.
  13. NickTheNicker
    Oct 4, 2019
    9
    Delivers a fun souls-like experience that isn’t as difficult as any of the dark souls games. Character creation is near perfect but rather limited, the story is interesting, the characters are good and the combat is fun. Side quests seem lackluster and given by pathetic NPCs at first but they’re actually lackluster and given by pathetic people with personality, motivations and a story ofDelivers a fun souls-like experience that isn’t as difficult as any of the dark souls games. Character creation is near perfect but rather limited, the story is interesting, the characters are good and the combat is fun. Side quests seem lackluster and given by pathetic NPCs at first but they’re actually lackluster and given by pathetic people with personality, motivations and a story of their own which really makes them feel realistic but doesn’t make them any less pathetic as people.… Expand
  14. Mercer-001
    Dec 27, 2020
    10
    Code vein its a good game because the combat sistem is cool and something different in the genre souls the history maybe its not the best but its interesting
  15. NotYourWaifu
    Sep 27, 2019
    8
    Game runs great on the Xbox one X. Plays pretty much just like any "Souls" like game, and is mildly difficult. The Character creator is insane so many choices, can be played coop with a friend if you have such a thing...
  16. Volitile88
    Dec 19, 2019
    9
    Runs perfectly on my Xbox One X, even during some big fights with bosses or heaps of enemies i never felt that it slowed down to a chug. Even if it didn't run as well i'd argue that the gameplay and story are worth. Its fun, The blood codes and weapons allow for some great builds that can make you are powerhouse in melee or spells or you can try for a jaco of all trades build. TheRuns perfectly on my Xbox One X, even during some big fights with bosses or heaps of enemies i never felt that it slowed down to a chug. Even if it didn't run as well i'd argue that the gameplay and story are worth. Its fun, The blood codes and weapons allow for some great builds that can make you are powerhouse in melee or spells or you can try for a jaco of all trades build. The character customisation is probably one of the best made this generation and huge plus is the option to change your character completely mid-game you can go from being a edgy vamp boi to waifu whenever you stop by the home base. I'd honestly say to new players thinking if they want the season pass or not maybe finish the game first and then look up and see what has been annouced in the upcoming DLC since the DLC is somewhat spoiler-ish to the ending, at least i think it is. Not to sound like a complete scrub but i found code vein to be quite a lot easier than Dark souls, since the 2 are compared quite frequently. The best point for last my dudes, anime tiddies galore, all the waifu you can handle… Expand
  17. smw119
    Sep 30, 2019
    9
    This game is a pure joy. After following this game closely since it's teaser trailer in 2017, one question has been nagging at the back of my mind. "Will this game be as good as it deserves to be"? Having played through all the Soulsborne games, and loving every one of them, my primary concern was if the game-play would hold up. I loved the aesthetic of this game and that was brought intoThis game is a pure joy. After following this game closely since it's teaser trailer in 2017, one question has been nagging at the back of my mind. "Will this game be as good as it deserves to be"? Having played through all the Soulsborne games, and loving every one of them, my primary concern was if the game-play would hold up. I loved the aesthetic of this game and that was brought into full tilt when the character creator was revealed to, frankly, be the new industry standard. After spending 20 hours with this game, and with no sign of the end in sight, I was able to put most of my concerns to rest.
    I'm utterly in love with this game. I love the direction, story style, personality, concepts and artistic vision of this game. And with no signs of micro-transaction intrusion, the game looks like all of it's mechanics are allowed to function as intended. And that's where I think this game will fall short of it's contemporary peers from FromSoftware. The elephant in the room is that the combat isn't Soulsborne levels of polish. And nothing out right now is, so it's in good company. But the comparisons are levied more directly at this game because it draws so heavily on the gameplay loop that Soulsborne established.
    So is the combat that is here satisfying? That's the main question. And I can confidently say that it is, despite it's flaws. The controls are snappy to the point where your character seems to have no momentum and can feel "floaty", but that lends itself to a much more frenetic style more akin to Bloodborne. And when you find yourself in large scale fights with many enemies, this ferocious agility is allowed to really shine in ways that put the large mob fights in Dark Souls to shame. Soulsborne excels far above it's peers in 1 on 1 combat encounters with extremely tight weapon mechanics but usually falls short when more than 3 enemys come barreling at you. Code vein feels like the opposite. 1 on 1 combat usually allows the wrinkles of the mechanics to be felt more acutely but, when 4 or 5 enemies come at you and your partner, strap in for a flashy, wild combat encounter.
    The weakest points of the game I've felt so far have been the boss encounters, sadly. They certainly work and are stronger than bosses in most games but pale in comparison to the show stopping memorable fights that liter the Soulsborne series. Initially a lot of the bosses felt cheap and shoddy as my character was inflicted, continually, with status ailments repeatedly. Each boss had a different status ailment that made the fight significantly more difficult. But after digging into the decently well explained character build mechanics with it's blood codes and skill sets, I came to understand that these boss fights were trying to make me build entire class load outs specifically to counter what they threw at you. The poison boss required you to invest in poison resistance skill and poison cure skill as well as a veil with elemental resistances. The water boss would slow you and then run circles around you until you removed that debuff and build tanky to take their hits, which were very difficult to dodge. This system, once understood, allowed me to build my character out to counter these bosses and make them significantly easier and much less frustrating. If customizing your character and skills for boss encounters sounds tedious to you, however, then this will likely seem less satisfying for you.
    Outside of boss fights, the mob combat, exploration and level design reach levels of care that are as close as anyone has come to the Soulsborne games outside of FromSoftware. With spidering paths that loop back on spawn points 2 and 3 times very often, the world rewards your exploration and gives you that same feeling of finding shortcuts that I became to accustomed to. Each area is riddled with hidden paths, secret items and side bosses that I can only come away that familiar feeling that I love from these sorts of games.
    There are bugs, but they have reared their ugly head only a scant few times during my play-through such that I don't think they bear dwelling on. And with multiplayer that works at launch, I can't complain.
    With my astronomical expectations of this game, after 3 years of following it closely, I thought it would be impossible for me to come away from this experience as anything other than disappointed. It's my pleasure to tell you that, while not exceeding my high expectations, it has certainly lived up to them and even surprised me a few times. I'm very excited to see where this IP goes from here with a bit of polish put on the mechanics to get it closer to that Soulsborne level of quality. If this series is able to get a bit closer to that lofty bar with the charm and aesthetic prowess that it exudes in a sequel, then we'll have something game changing on our hands. As of now, Code Vein is an absolute delight that is able to stand as a valiant and satisfying first stab at an alternative to Dark Souls.    … Expand
  18. 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
  19. Laendrea
    Oct 1, 2019
    10
    I absolutely loved Code Vein. Its a manga-inspired take on the post-apocalyptic theme where you play as a vampire (aka Revenant) tasked with saving the world by defeating Lost (ones) and dispelling a toxic miasma called the Red Mist.
    What I liked: the character creator is the best Anime Character Creator I have ever seen, the combat is brutal yet satisfying, the bosses are original,    I absolutely loved Code Vein. Its a manga-inspired take on the post-apocalyptic theme where you play as a vampire (aka Revenant) tasked with saving the world by defeating Lost (ones) and dispelling a toxic miasma called the Red Mist.
    What I liked: the character creator is the best Anime Character Creator I have ever seen, the combat is brutal yet satisfying, the bosses are original, creative and unforgiving.
    What I loved: the combat is deep, rewarding and nuanced. The swappable character classes give you tons of freedom to customize your character to best reflect your play-style, and the loot is awesome. Finally, the story is a wild ride with lots of emotional ups and downs.
    Honestly, I enjoyed it a lot more than the Souls games.    … Expand
  20. AceAscendus
    Sep 27, 2019
    10
    Extremely fun game! Not as good as Soulsborne, but it offers unique elements of its own. The character creator and the Blood Code class systems which allows you to mix and match unique class abilities from multiple classes AFTER you have maxed and mastered a certain Blood Code is very interesting and fun. The game offers a good amount of replay value based on this alone.
  21. Sasturay
    Sep 27, 2019
    10
    Amazing game, recomend it on xbone x, it looks amazing and the music is kino
  22. erisiom
    Oct 4, 2019
    10
    It's not every day that Bandai Namco actually releases an anime game of this quality, but Code Vein knocked it out of the park for me.
  23. ForYourMoney
    Oct 10, 2019
    8
    Code Vein was a different spin on Souls games that tried to capture you with a very familiar art style. The combat flow is a big fun factor, as well as having the option of an AI teammate was a nice addition. Code Vein had minor Frame Drops, but games tend to have these, so not a big deal. The story at times was over complex for it own good but that's what it takes sometimes to birth aCode Vein was a different spin on Souls games that tried to capture you with a very familiar art style. The combat flow is a big fun factor, as well as having the option of an AI teammate was a nice addition. Code Vein had minor Frame Drops, but games tend to have these, so not a big deal. The story at times was over complex for it own good but that's what it takes sometimes to birth a truly original story. Code Vein holds no customization items from players, giving them the freedom to create a character to the max. I spent a good 30 minutes to an hour creating my character. One of the most immense create a characters I have witnessed.… Expand
  24. Aokana
    Mar 15, 2021
    8
    Overall Code Vein was an excellent game. Combat was a bit sluggish at first but picked up as you got more weapon, skill and blood codes. However I kept finding myself stuck using the same NPC "Yakumo" especially in boss fights all the others seem to die way to easy. It was a bit odd at first that the game shares Exp and money its all just "Haze" but after I got used to it I kinda liked it.Overall Code Vein was an excellent game. Combat was a bit sluggish at first but picked up as you got more weapon, skill and blood codes. However I kept finding myself stuck using the same NPC "Yakumo" especially in boss fights all the others seem to die way to easy. It was a bit odd at first that the game shares Exp and money its all just "Haze" but after I got used to it I kinda liked it. It just seemed to simplify everything and I wish more games would take this simplified approach and it makes you more aware of death since you die once lose all you haze but you can reclaim it (and add it to whatever you've earned since) by going back to where you died but if you die again before reclaiming it then its gone for good.

    Code Veins Story is good but if your going to get the most out if you have to find all the blood vestiges and restore them. Doing so really flushes out the cast and fills in most of the gaps of how their world is what it is (along with unlocking more skills). The good news Is you never really feel like anything is out of reach if you just explore the maps. I never felt the need for a guide and outside of an optional dungeon like thing I think I missed maybe 2. I found "walking through memories" was also a nice story telling feature and was a nice break from the usual RPG method of "Oh hey I know where in the middle of a dungeon and theirs a bunch of mobs around but I'mma ramble on about my tragic past for the next 10mins"

    The character customization is adequate. I heard a lot of hype about it but honestly I was let down. While there is TON of colour and facial options. There was really only a handful of outfits. Yes you can add accessories but lets face it. You can have all the facial options you want but in a game like Code Vein you spend almost the entirety of your play time behind your character so having 100's of eyebrow options matters little to not because the only time your going to see them is in the very sparse cut-scenes. (especially since a lot of the story is told via walking through memories).

    I played on the Series S so the graphics were top notch and I didn't experience any jitteryness or oddities as others have pointed out on the older gens however it is NOT optimized for the series S/X and thus it Crashes, just randomly but typically when loading something. This can be a hassle if your trying to make progress since the only way to avoid losing a ton of progress is to hit every save point you can but every-time you use a save point (mistle) all the mobs respawn. Lets just say I lost more Haze to crashes then deaths.    … Expand
  25. Leoribeiro
    Dec 30, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Esse jogo é incrível!
    Não acreditem na média da mídia especialista. Boa história
    Gráficos que se harmonizam perfeitamente com a temática do game.
    Dificuldade deliciosa e viciante.
    Tá no Gamepass, aproveitem!!    … Expand
  26. MegaBomber015
    Oct 12, 2019
    10
    Es un juego muy entretenido y divertido con muchos enemigos y bosses muchas "clases " para pelear
  27. GabFire
    Aug 9, 2020
    8
    Eu acho que é um dos poucos jogos da Bandai nessa geração que realmente gostei, finalmente tiveram uma ideia diferente para aplicar, viu como é bom tentar inovar?!
  28. Nashuriken
    Aug 12, 2020
    8
    the sins that code vein have, its a unestable fps, even in xone X, poor variety of weapon, a little easy compared with others of the genre and some minor problems, but its a good game, and a very good souls-like, its beautiful, epic Music, adiccted gameplay, and if you like the anime style and this kind of things, you will love it.
  29. jlbright
    Jan 3, 2021
    8
    Great game for those who like anime and RPG. The story gets really interesting as it develops and it’s very well paced. The game offers a fair amount of options to evolve your character both in skill sets, appearance, weapons and armour, without being overwhelming. You can have NPCs as battle buddies and that’s is really fun and helpful. They will have unique characteristics, so you canGreat game for those who like anime and RPG. The story gets really interesting as it develops and it’s very well paced. The game offers a fair amount of options to evolve your character both in skill sets, appearance, weapons and armour, without being overwhelming. You can have NPCs as battle buddies and that’s is really fun and helpful. They will have unique characteristics, so you can adapt your strategies as you find hard battles. Some bosses are incredibly hard to beat and may require some patience and well thought strategies. The game falls short in a few points: side missions are very simple and easy to just forget about it. Enemies attacks are predictable most of the times. The mapping system is absolutely confusing, you don’t get a notion of coordinates and you have to basically memorize the entire map. Because the game has many actors, some times it’s hard to figure out who you should talk to or where to go.… Expand
  30. Bruninho1997
    Oct 13, 2021
    8
    Um ótimo jogo com uma ótima jogabilidade! A história é um pouco boa, mas não chega a brilhar.
  31. Rodionglu
    Jan 2, 2022
    10
    I enjoy the gameplay of this game. If you like challenging gameplay then I would recommend getting this game.
  32. Elwardy
    Aug 28, 2023
    9
    It was my first souls like what i played. If you like anime's and souls like, just go ahead.

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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