I do love a Soulslike, however I am a little bit of a purist at coronary heart – for those who do not give me the precise mixture of forlorn atmosphere, intricate world design, lore excavation, and precision fight developer FromSoftware so constantly delivers, I’m most likely going to battle to care. So, having utterly neglected Bandai Namco’s anime-hued Soulslike Code Vein when it launched again in 2019, its sequel was effectively off my radar. Till, that’s, darkish forces (Eurogamer editor-in-chief Tom Orry) conspired to nudge it into my orbit. And having now performed a very good few hours of Code Vein 2 over this final week, I am each stunned and delighted to find I am having a beautiful time.
Code Vein 2
Developer: Bandai Namco Studios
Writer: Bandai Namco
Platform: Performed on PS5
Availability: Out twenty ninth January on Xbox Collection X/S, PS5, and Steam
I ought to most likely preface all this by saying for those who’re already well-accustomed to the unique Code Vein, there’s doubtless solely a lot you will discover helpful right here in my wide-eyed discovery of its sequel – which, for all I do know, could be nearly precisely the identical. However for equally positioned newcomers, the rapid excellent news is not any actual familiarity with the primary instalment is important in any respect. Code Vein 2 is a little bit of a clear slate with its new solid and a brand new post-apocalyptic world, however do put together to be rapidly overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of terminology (Revenants! Formae! Haze! Blood Codes!) thrown your manner within the first few hours. Fortunately, the Soulslike fundamentals are acquainted sufficient that I discovered it simple to muddle by way of.
After being resurrected and hugged into the previous by a big-eyed anime lady with a gaping chest-hole (do not ask), you are rapidly dropped into fight as you start your quest to thwart a resurging calamity sealed some 100 years prior. And Code Vein 2 builds its motion from a core of sunshine assaults, heavy assaults, dodges, and parries that will not want a lot clarification for those who’ve any expertise with the style. Equally, you will be instantly at residence with its bonfires (or Mistles as they’re identified right here), the place you will relaxation and get well your schools, resetting the world’s enemies as you do. After which there’s Haze – a particular foreign money farmed from enemies, used to stage up and buy gadgets, which you will drop on loss of life and have to reclaim.
To date so Soulslike, nevertheless it’s the course Namco Bandai takes from there that provides Code Vein 2 its distinctive flavour. Tonally, as an illustration, it is all very anime, filled with cut-scene-heavy plot and enthusiastic companion chatter. Throw in some fab music, together with a basic guitar-wailing battle theme, and you have got a surprisingly peppy, if relatively straight-faced, apocalypse. And its open world feels equally faraway from the gothic grimdark favoured by different Soulslike video games – an unlimited, verdant island of sci-fi prefabs, crumbling ruins, dilapidated mansions, scorching springs the place you’ll be able to purchase recipes after a spot of enjoyable nude-y time, and even desolate cities sinking into oceans beneath Xenoblade-like brilliant blue skies. It makes for some placing sights, even when efficiency is not nice on a bogstandard PS5.
However as refreshing as all this periphery stuff is, it is the way in which Code Vein 2 expands on its fundamental fight that is correctly pulled me in. Early on, you are launched to companions you’ll be able to briefly assimilate or combat alongside. They will provide their immortality to spice up your well being bar, do harm to enemies that heals over time for those who do not be part of the fray; they will lend you particular expertise in case your bond is robust sufficient, and so they’ll resurrect you throughout battle each time their cooldown expires. However there’s a lot extra to consider in addition to. Weapons – scythes, massive swords, battle axe, and the like – include distinctive movesets, however might be additional augmented with flashy skills often known as Formae; there is a rapid-fire longbow to maintain up the offensive as you weave round, and a drain mechanic used to replenish the Ichor powering your expertise – which may do actual harm when mixed with a stagger. And that is only for starters.
It is a tight loop of interconnected battle mechanisms that, when you begin to get your head spherical all of it, builds towards a flashy, fluid, and enjoyably frenzied fight tempo I am discovering enormously satisfying. You would possibly have to shake off your Soulsian muscle reminiscence first, thoughts – unvarnished fight feels sluggish in a manner I assume is deliberate, in order to push you towards Code Vein 2’s expanded toolkit and spirited mess of blistering combos; however a few hours in, with a couple of upgrades and new weapons in hand, there’s evidentally vital flexibility for these eager to discover totally different playstyles. And that is with out the quite a few different modifiers (Burdens! Bequeathed Formae!) I am solely simply attending to grips with.
Clearly, it is nonetheless early days, however I am slowly beginning to discover my rhythm. And Code Vein 2’s fight is working in tandem with a handy guide a rough quest-based development system, some pacily compact dungeon design, and a so-far comparatively forgiving issue curve that provides it a breezily propulsive sense of momentum. Oh, and whereas I am rattling by way of the great things, its photograph mode and character creator are nice too – whether or not you are making green-haired anime ladies, or chiselled muscle boys with glowing smiles and abs spilling out over their skimpy bathtub towels. And it is bought motorbikes! Does all this imply I am able to toss my Soulslike prejudices apart? Most likely not solely, however in carving its personal distinctive path, Code Vein 2 has gained me over.
