| Code Vein 2 | |||
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| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Code Vein 2 is an open world soulslike where players travel back in time to slay heroes. Read on to learn everything we know, our first impressions of the game, and more.
Everything We Know About Code Vein 2
Code Vein 2 Plot
Code Vein 2 is the sequel to 2019's Code Vein, where players will embark on a journey through two different eras. The future where humanity and Revenants struggle with the planet that's on its last legs, a catastrophe away from completely collapsing. The threat known as the Luna Rapacis makes its appearance, turning Revenants into terrifying creatures called Horrors.
Players step into the role of a Revenant Hunter, tasked to jump back into the past with a time-traveller named Lou in order to rewrite fate.
Code Vein 2 Gameplay
Code Vein 2 is a Soulslike that demands players carefully read enemy movements and respond with precise attacks and skillful counters. Survival depends on adapting on the fly, and those who master this flow can overcome any foe that dares to stand in their way.
Players also gain access to seven weapons, including the rune blade—a new addition to Code Vein 2. This weapon wields two floating swords, delivering stylish combos while pairing seamlessly with long-range attacks.
Code Vein 2 Release Date
Code Vein 2 will officially launch on January 29, 2026 at 6PM EST.
Code Vein 2 Review
Vein-Popping Performance Problems
Despite being a massive fan of gacha games, Code Vein 2 was my most anticipated game of the year. Not Endfield, and not possibly Ananta or Neverness to Everness (if they release this year, that is). After all, the original game was my all-time favorite soulslike, bar none. It was what got me into soulslikes and even the Soulsborne games in general.
So of course I bought the deluxe edition, no questions asked. I wanted to get my grubby hands on it as soon as possible, even if it meant not getting my automation fix from playing Endfield or doing my dailies in Wuthering Waves. At the same time, I wanted to see if it would continue where the previous game left off.
Unfortunately for me, it seems that trying to rush things only gave me a sour first impression of my beloved sequel. That’s because several hours of significant frame drops and stutters later, I realized that what I stepped into wasn’t just an open-world version of one of the genre’s most memorable and equally janky entries. It was also a hellscape of unoptimized design.
I Fought Rising Parts Prices to Still Stumble
Let’s get this out of the way immediately. As of right now, the greatest obstacle you need to overcome in order to enjoy this game is, without a doubt, its absolutely horrible optimization. I’m not even running the game at the recommended specs; I’m firmly above them by a not insignificant margin. Yet I still get insane frame drops from everything ranging from cutscenes to the mere sight of rain.
Sure, performance improved greatly after I switched to DLSS, but it still didn’t completely solve the problem. And while I would absolutely love to defend the sequel to my favorite soulslike, the recent Steam Hardware & Software Survey shows that most of my fellow gamers are running lower specs than I am, so I can only imagine that their experience is far worse than mine.
Remember, this is a soulslike. It’s a genre that demands tight reactions from its players. But if the game itself becomes the main hurdle preventing us from playing it properly, then we can’t really be blamed for getting annoyed.
I sure hope this gets fixed soon, or I might get an actual aneurysm…
The Open World Shows a Lot of Promise
That said, it’s not all doom and gloom. Code Vein 2 being open world brings with it a structurally unique experience that neither the original nor any of the three God Eater games offered: seamless exploration where the urgency is almost entirely transferred to us.
This will feel very familiar to players who came from Dark Souls and moved on to Elden Ring. Ergo, it’s a strange but very welcome change that gives power back to the player, allowing progression with high levels of freedom they want in a genre that typically doesn’t provide it.
Code Vein 2 lets you go almost anywhere you want the moment the world opens up. It even expressly tells you so through its writing, placing all three of your first major objectives on your quest list, marking them across the map, and allowing you to access them immediately via your fancy motorcycle (yes, you can somewhat do the Akira bike slide)… or by spelunking through horror-infested caves.
Of course, this still isn’t true freedom, as later quests remain locked behind plot progression. The game still points you toward where you need to go using those same markers, too.
But at the very least, the level of freedom Code Vein 2 provides is very real. And considering that this is also technically a post-apocalyptic horror game, it inadvertently succeeds in conveying a sense of loneliness through emptiness without having to rely on narrow corridors or littering the map with corpses.
New Toys, New Fun
The original Code Vein had a very simple system for builds. All you needed to make one was a set of weapons, a Blood Code (class), a Blood Veil (armor and auxiliary weapon in one), and your Gifts (skills). In that game, all of your stats relied entirely on your Blood Code, so there was no need to personally allocate every single point like in Elden Ring. Everything else, meanwhile, affected your offensive and defensive parameters and options.
Code Vein 2 mostly reuses this system, but with a few new toys to play with. And among these, the most important are the Bequeathed Formae, which are a new classification of weapons, and… uhh… shields. And together, they expand your options horizontally with more tools to deal with even more situations.
Before you ask, yes, Blood Veils did get replaced by the more weapon-parallel gear called Jails. However, both function almost exactly the same. The only real difference is that, unlike the former, which were basically weaponized mantles, Jails no longer serve as clothing.
Now, including Blood Ve—err, I mean Jails, that puts you at three weapons, the same number as in the original game. Bequeathed Formae, though, bring that number to four and serve as weapons used more for utility than consistency or damage. In other words, they provide you with even more options in combat, as they range from simple ranged weapons—though we still have muskets and bayonets—to axes that break shields.
This fourth weapon means you’re less likely to encounter situations where you’re walled in by your own build. And as someone who prefers to play either with a giant sword and suffer when tagging things at range, or with a bayonet that struggles against extremely tanky targets, this is a very welcome addition to the arsenal.
Oh, by the way; you can’t use Bequeathed Formae often, as they rely on ichor to use and ichor replenishes during normal combat’s drain attacks.
Lastly, shields… well, what can I say? You use them to shield against attacks, duh. The shields themselves are new because, in the previous game, parrying and guarding were pretty homogeneous across weapons, just with varying effectiveness. Here, however, shields matter and directly influence how you defend yourself thanks to the various effects they possess.
For example, there are shields that can parry but never block. Then there are all-around shields that can be used for both, albeit with a hit to your stamina, and so on. That may not look all too impressive at first glance. But for someone like me, who relies excessively on dodging and rarely on guarding, having a parry-specialized shield makes all the difference.
After all, I’m not going to guard, but I will remember that I can parry every now and then.
Easier Solo, Even Easier Otherwise
The original Code Vein had a particular problem regarding its AI companions. For context, it allowed you to bring an AI-controlled character that fought alongside you. Like an organic partnership, your companion would also support you with skills, healing, and even take aggro away. Heck, they would even alleviate your loneliness at times (by talking to you).
Anyway, while these AI companions are certainly no slouch, the problem was that they were actually too competent at their job. They rarely get hit, their last-second heals and aggro drawing are literally life-saving, and their damage output isn’t insignificant either. In a word, the difficulty was misaligned.
Sure, you could choose not to bring a companion along, but that created an entirely different issue: because the vast majority of the game was designed with an AI partner in mind, not having one spiked the difficulty high enough that it felt like you were playing a different game. There was no middle ground, and it feels pretty accidental.
Code Vein 2’s developers, probably aware of those issues, attempt to fix them by providing two modes of using your companions. The first resembles the original for the most part, with them engaging in combat alongside you and providing the usual support, albeit with notable differences.
For one, their pre-death heals now come at a cost instead of them losing HP; after saving you from death, they become inactive for a while, forcing you to face enemies alone until they recover. If they’re inactive and you take fatal damage, it’s back to the checkpoint. The amount they heal also gradually decreases, making it increasingly likely that you’ll fall while your partner is unable to save you.
This makes relying on your partner’s heals lose its appeal the more you take a knee. It also forces you to stop spamming attacks and learn how to survive during your companion’s inactive periods. And for a soulslike where each fight must feel like it could be your last, that feels very fair, as it really only punishes skill issues or lack of familiarity.
The second mode is an entirely new one. Remember how in Code Vein you could simply choose not to bring a companion along? The same holds true here, technically. But instead of just leaving them at home, the game allows you to assimilate with them.
This is the solo experience of Code Vein 2. The enemies aren’t affected at all. To close the gap, assimilating with your partner provides you with a variety of buffs, allowing you to catch up and perform somewhat close to what two people can do.
This is an excellent solution compared to, in a way, being outnumbered in a doubles match. It may still feel overwhelming, but at least you now have a crutch that functions entirely off your own skill.
At this point, though, I’ve yet to venture far enough into the game. Considering I’ve been waiting for this for half a decade, I wanted to take my sweet time playing through it until I reach a point where I can give it a fair score.
But so far, aside from the performance issues, I’m really enjoying it. There are more things I’d like to point out in the future, though, such as the… uhh… rather weird body proportions and designs of several characters. Oh, and the time travel mechanic feels completely disconnected from the rest of the series, especially if you throw God Eater into the mix.
Still, Bandai Namco really needs to address the performance issues, or this won’t land well on its official release.
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Code Vein 2 Product Information
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| Title | CODE VEIN 2 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | January 29, 2026 |
| Developer | Bandai Namco |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco |
| Supported Platforms | PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Genre | Adventure, Soulslike, RPG |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | T |
| Official Website | Code Vein 2 Official Website |
