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This anime-themed Souls-like started out strong for me but got REALLY formulaic in the second half. Everything about it is just decent or passable, nothing elevates it. I'm gonna round up but this is a low-4.
About half the levels are good and the other half are repetitive mazes. Most of the levels are connected organically but there's virtually no backtracking so there's no point. Code Vein starts off strong with an early area branching into 2 other levels but this is the only time in the entire game where you're able to choose your own path. Within each level, there are plenty of Dark-Souls 1-way-doors but this is offset by large stretches of linearity and a few mazelike levels that go on forever. At the start, Code Vein felt like a massive world waiting to be uncovered but by the end, it felt like a conveyor belt of video game levels that all offered the same experience.
Standard enemies are initially fun to fight but like the level design, you begin to see the pattern once you're halfway. There are only about 10 standard enemies that are recycled through the entire game. They might have a slightly altered look or a different weapon but there's very little variety. Worse, I was able to stun-lock virtually every standard enemy. Standard enemies are just too easy and pulling them 1 by 1 is more effective than ever. The lone exception is that about 5 times over the game, you'll encounter these trap/invasion fights where you get swarmed by 10-15 enemies. These are the only time the game ever gets difficult outside of bosses, yet they feel incredibly unfair and they can generally be skipped.
Fighting standard enemies alone was pretty easy but Code Vein also lets you take a party-member with you. As in another Souls-like "Ashen," I'm not sure how I feel about always having a partner in a Souls-like. It's not an outright bad idea but it's definitely not a good one either. It just makes the game too easy and drains the exploration of any tension. You can forego taking a partner if you want greater challenge but the bosses and trap-fights feel like they're tuned to 2 characters so I don't recommend it.
Speaking of bosses, these really felt off to me. At first, I couldn't quite place what I didn't like but I'm pretty sure now that it's the berserker mode. Like Bloodborne, bosses will go into a frenzy state at around 50% health. Unfortunately, Code Vein uses this as an opportunity to throw you off of a cliff. Bosses simply become impossible in this state, doubling their damage output, adding status effects, and moving much quicker with little down time. They chain 1 attack after another and it can feel impossible to heal or do any damage. This frenzy mechanic never bothered me in BB but I found it incredibly irritating here, as you repeatedly have no difficulties with the first half of the fight and quickly die in the latter half. Your squad made is your one saving grace and unfortunately, their performance will vary wildly. Sometimes, they'll last the whole fight and sometimes they'll die halfway in. Sometimes, the boss A.I. will get distracted by your partner and sometimes the boss will completely ignore your partner even though they're closer than you are. It really makes these bosses feel like a dice roll as you simply need to lean on your partner in the second half in order to have a chance.
Lastly, I'll touch on the RPG mechanics. Estus and weapon-levelling work exactly like Dark Souls but you no longer allocate stat-points when leveling. Instead, the game has a simple 1-size leveling system but you're able to build your own class. Like the rest of the game, this was initially intriguing but lost my interest eventually. It's just a pain in the butt to use effectively, as you have to buy skills, collect items, watch cutscenes, and sample different classes in order to get true mileage out of it. I ultimately stopped caring about it and used the same 2 abilities for the duration of the game and was able to plow through the game with just that. I ultimately find that this system offers less depth and player choice than the point-allocation in Dark Souls, while it adds a lot of tedium for what is basically just unlocking skills.
Yes, the character creator is amazing and probably the best I've ever seen. You can make your ultimate waifu as many reviews have pointed out. This, however, does not make for a good game. Virtually everything about Code Vein is good but not great. The story as well has some interesting things going on but it's irritating tropey anime characters and a confusing presentation will probably prevent you from caring. Code Vein is a passable Souls-like that doesn't have any single game-ruining problem. However, the inconsistent difficulty and repetitive combat and level-design will ultimately pull you out of the game
From the manufacturer
UNITE TO SURVIVE
Team and embark on a journey to the ends of hell to unlock your past and escape your living nightmare.
ESCAPE THE NIGHTMARE
Explore a world in the midst of collapse filled with ghoulish creatures known as The Lost, to recover your memories.
BENEATH THE VEIL
Use Blood Veils to drain your enemies and enhance your abilities.
A GREAT CHALLENGE BRINGS GREATER REWARDS
Brandish your weapons, pick your partner and take down even the most threatening of enemies.
IN THE FACE OF CERTAIN DEATH, WE RISE
Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
Code Vein is not Dark Souls, and it's great!
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2019
It's not Dark Souls. It's not Bloodborne. It borrows heavily from both games but stands alone as it's own, marvelous style with the flexibility of the build system and the fantastic narrative. I love this game. I play it daily and have well over 130 hours total in at this point and I plan on running through it many more times. It's not perfect, and in fact that's what makes it all the more endearing to me.I've read complaints about the difficulty and I think those people don't understand the tools provided for managing the games difficulty. You don't HAVE to use a partner, ever. If you want the game to be a significant challenge, I'd recommend running without a partner first -- then only using a partner if you're in a situation where you can't proceed -- much like you would an NPC summon in Soulsborne. You also can't just pick one build and expect it to be the best for every situation. There are some bosses where I had to put on the lightest gear I could find so I could glide instead of roll dodge and it made all the difference in the world, especially with the Invading Executioner, which I spent the most amount of time trying to best in this game -- simply because I was using the wrong tools for the job. Later on the fights get much more challenging and there are a couple yet that I haven't been able to beat without a partner, I'm working on it :)I only have minor gripes about the game, but they're worth mentioning. Online play: it's useless if you don't need help with a boss. In other games of this variety, online play serves as a method of communication with other players through messages and bloodspots, along with PVP elements. Code Vein only has coop and it's initiated through a menu. It really seems like more of an afterthought. Music: while I liked the music to the intro sequence, the main "music" that plays in the game in menus is really irksome for me. The boss themes are operatic and reused over and over. The only one that I personally enjoyed (and seemed to fit the situation) was the boss music for Iceboobs and Fatboy.If you have a PS4 or XBox One download the demo first. What you get in the demo, you get in bulk with the game.
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2019
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Top reviews from other countries
JacobDixon
Slow/PS3 Graphics/Unpolished.
Reviewed in Canada on November 7, 2020Style: Code VeinVerified Purchase
Austin Hammer
Boop simulator 2019
Reviewed in Canada on October 11, 2019Style: Code VeinVerified Purchase
Gabriel
Didn't like that one
Reviewed in Canada on March 19, 2021Style: Code VeinVerified Purchase
Client d'Amazon
Anime discount Bloodborne
Reviewed in Canada on October 17, 2019Style: Code VeinVerified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Would buy again.
Reviewed in Canada on March 3, 2020Style: Code VeinVerified Purchase
