I do love a Soulslike, however I am a little bit of a purist at coronary heart – should you do not give me the precise mixture of forlorn atmosphere, intricate world design, lore excavation, and precision fight developer FromSoftware so persistently delivers, I’m most likely going to wrestle to care. So, having utterly ignored 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 superb 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 should you’re already well-accustomed to the unique Code Vein, there’s possible solely a lot you may discover helpful right here in my wide-eyed discovery of its sequel – which, for all I do know, is perhaps nearly precisely the identical. However for equally positioned newcomers, the speedy excellent news isn’t 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 forged and a brand new post-apocalyptic world, however do put together to be shortly 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 straightforward to muddle by way of.
After being resurrected and hugged into the previous by a big-eyed anime woman with a gaping chest-hole (do not ask), you are shortly 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 should you’ve any expertise with the style. Equally, you may be instantly at residence with its bonfires (or Mistles as they’re identified right here), the place you may relaxation and get well your schools, resetting the world’s enemies as you do. After which there’s Haze – a particular forex farmed from enemies, used to degree up and buy gadgets, which you may drop on demise and must reclaim.
Thus far so Soulslike, but it surely’s the course Namco Bandai takes from there that provides Code Vein 2 its distinctive flavour. Tonally, as an example, it is all very anime, filled with cut-scene-heavy plot and enthusiastic companion chatter. Throw in some fab music, together with a traditional guitar-wailing battle theme, and you have got a surprisingly peppy, if reasonably 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, sizzling springs the place you possibly can purchase recipes after a spot of stress-free nude-y time, and even desolate cities sinking into oceans beneath Xenoblade-like shiny blue skies. It makes for some hanging 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 primary fight that is correctly pulled me in. Early on, you are launched to companions you possibly can briefly assimilate or struggle alongside. They’re going to provide their immortality to spice up your well being bar, do injury to enemies that heals over time should you do not be part of the fray; they will lend you particular abilities in case your bond is powerful sufficient, and so they’ll resurrect you throughout battle each time their cooldown expires. However there’s lots extra to consider moreover. Weapons – scythes, huge swords, battle axe, and the like – include distinctive movesets, however may 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 abilities – which might do actual injury 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 must 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 number of upgrades and new weapons in hand, there’s evidentally important 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 picture mode and character creator are nice too – whether or not you make green-haired anime ladies, or chiselled muscle boys with glowing smiles and abs spilling out over their skimpy tub towels. And it is bought motorbikes! Does all this imply I am able to toss my Soulslike prejudices apart? Most likely not fully, however in carving its personal distinctive path, Code Vein 2 has received me over.
