I should preface this by saying that I did not play the original Code Vein, so my perspective reflects my experience with the sequel as a standalone title. Code Vein II presents a range of intriguing ideas but fails to develop them in a meaningful way due to its lackluster presentation. Attempting an open-world setting for the first time in the series, the sequel struggles to balance storytelling and exploration, favouring the former while underdeveloping the latter.
The story is arguably the game’s strongest element. It follows a time-travel narrative set in a present on the brink of collapse. You journey to multiple eras in the past, before the world was irreparably damaged and when its great heroes were still alive and your task is to assist the people of those eras with their struggles and ultimately prevent the heroes from meeting their tragic fates.
What I enjoyed most were the characters. For the most part, they are well developed, with compelling backstories and satisfying arcs. Although the plot can feel scattered at times, the characters consistently ground the experience. That said, the decision to feature a silent protagonist in a story so heavily centered on character writing feels puzzling. Strong narrative elements alone, however, are not enough to carry the overall experience, especially when the gameplay itself tells a different story.
The open world feels like a misstep. It is sparsely populated and offers few meaningful secrets to discover. Because the game places such importance on storytelling, exploration suffers as a result. It is common to begin exploring a dungeon only to be interrupted by yet another cutscene, and there are many of them. These frequent interruptions disrupt the flow of gameplay, often leaving me skimming dialogue just to return to playing. The quests and dungeons are also highly linear, which further clashes with the promise of an open-world design. While games like Red Dead Redemption II and Death Stranding are able to excel on both fronts, Code Vein II is only able to work on the narrative level.
Combat in Code Vein II is largely standard for the souls-like genre. If you have played similar titles, especially Elden Ring, you will feel familiar with its structure, aside from a few key differences. One notable feature is the partner system. You can equip various companions who deal damage and draw enemy aggression. The core of this system is the restorative offering, which allows a partner to revive you after your health is depleted at the cost of their temporary removal from battle. After some time, they rejoin the fight and can revive you again. This shifts encounters away from pure resource management and toward survival and execution. Instead of simply conserving healing items, success depends more on staying alive long enough for another revival opportunity.
The other major difference, and perhaps the most disappointing, is the absence of co-op or PvP features. To my knowledge, the first game included online functionality, which makes its removal here particularly confusing. Co-op is often a key way for players to adjust difficulty without relying solely on menus, and it helps foster a sense of community. Removing it risks alienating part of the audience.
My biggest issue with combat lies in its overall feel. Attacks lack impact both visually and audibly, even during encounters that should feel exhilarating. Too often, my sword strikes an enemy with little sense of weight or consequence. Additionally, the window for punishing enemy attacks is extremely short. With a one-handed sword, I frequently find myself landing only one or two hits before needing to dodge again. Within the first several attempts at a boss, I learn almost all of its attack patterns. From that point on, the fight becomes a matter of execution, but when bosses also have large health pools and can easily two-shot you, battles can turn into drawn-out slogs. Receiving inconsequential rewards after defeating a boss that may have taken over an hour to overcome only adds to the frustration.
As a complete package, Code Vein II offers a variety of promising ideas but fails to fully realize them. I approached the game aware of the acclaim surrounding the original, only to feel disappointed by the underdeveloped open world and sluggish gameplay. While the story remains a highlight, I wish the gameplay complemented it more effectively. Ultimately, it is a game that is better than the sum of its parts, but too many small frustrations gradually build into a larger sense of disappointment.
Score: 4 out of 10
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
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