Code Vein Guide

We started our time in Code Vein in a dingy cave, for example, but as we progressed and defeated the horrors in front of us, we moved into a collapsed building and eventually into the outside world, itself a crumbled metropolis. Even when the sun shone brightly outside, there was still this unmistakably heavy atmosphere of dread, especially since the only living things we could see were the monstrosities looking to have us for lunch. Even the outfits in the game are all either pitch black or blood red.Level design is something that feels very much like Dark Souls as well, and we were told by Iizuka that the game takes place in various 'dungeons', meaning there's a linear path to follow, but with plenty of branching pathways and secrets to discover. As you'd expect with a game as unforgiving as this, if you're not careful you'll be punished mercilessly by the various traps and ghoulies lying around. For example, one time we found an interesting chest only to turn around and find that slime creatures had all dropped from the ceiling and cornered us. As with the Souls games, you learn from your mistakes and do a little better each time as you figure out who and what to avoid. We have to say however that we felt the combat was a touch heavier than in the games Code Vein is drawing inspiration from. At times it felt a little frustrating as our character would spend just a touch too long in a rolling animation or getting up from a blow, and with the enemies as quick and deadly as they always are in these sorts of experiences, this can be the difference between life and death - victory and defeat. A little more refinement in this department wouldn't go amiss, but we should stress that this was only a small gripe, albeit one we noticed a few times. Code Vein is oozing with style, managing to look beautifully resonant with its fluorescent character models and gnarly, over-the-top enemies. The demo showcased a claustrophobic area before launching me into a challenging boss battle. While not my personal favourite locales, they appeared to be well designed, with opposition waiting eagerly to ambush me. My reflexes were consistently tested, a quality many titles in the Souls ilk fail to capitalise upon.

Set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia occupied by formidable creatures, you play as a member of The Revenant Society. Afflicted with amnesia, our customisable hero is also thirsty for blood and capable of performing devastating powers known as ‘Gifts’. My brief 20-minute demo only showcased a handful of these abilities, but there is plenty of potential for depth here through unique combinations. Specific mixtures will prove beneficial in different situations, especially if an enemy is vulnerable to a certain element. Code Vein is oozing with style, managing to look beautifully resonant with its fluorescent character models and gnarly, over-the-top enemies. The demo showcased a claustrophobic area before launching me into a challenging boss battle. While not my personal favourite locales, they appeared to be well designed, with opposition waiting eagerly to ambush me. My reflexes were consistently tested, a quality many titles in the Souls ilk fail to capitalise upon. One substantial difference in Code Vein’s approach is the addition of an AI companion. Mia wearing a fabulous hat and wielding a rifle is always around to provide combat support and revive you in a tough spot. At first, her presence is jarring, and her comments regarding upcoming foes and procurable items feel almost intrusive. But I grew to love her, especially after downing myself for the hundredth time and being in dire need of some help. Mia is a helpful distraction in battle too. While monsters focus on tearing her to pieces, you’re free to flank them or quickly heal.

This dynamic proved very useful in the boss battle, particularly when it came to Mia absorbing damage while I performed a few precious hits of my own. Sadly, she can also be an unpredictable nuisance at times. Mia was prone to approaching enemies without my knowledge, making it impossible to be stealthy all of the time. This proved frustrating, and it was unclear whether or not companion actions could be changed or mapped to fit my playstyle. With any luck, this will become a fully-fledged feature, as it would also add a significant amount of depth to an RPG already bursting with potential. Whether or not Code Vein will feature multiple party members is also unconfirmed, although I imagine more than two allies at once would make combat far too muddy to feel enjoyable.  Light and heavy attacks balance speed and strength, depending on your needs, and a dodge roll and parry help get you out of hairy situations.  At times it felt a little frustrating as our character would spend just a touch too long in a rolling animation or getting up from a blow, and with the enemies as quick and deadly as they always are in these sorts of experiences, this can be the difference between life and death - victory and defeat. A little more refinement in this department wouldn't go amiss, but we should stress that this was only a small gripe, albeit one we noticed a few times. Code Vein is oozing with style, managing to look beautifully resonant with its fluorescent character models and gnarly, over-the-top enemies. As in the Souls series, you are committed to your actions once the button’s been pressed and the animation’s triggered, encouraging deliberate, tactical play rather than button-mashing.Having a companion definitely helps take the edge off of the genre’s notorious difficulty, giving the player a little more room to fail. Whenever we died there was a short window during which our companion, if alive, could revive us by donating half of their remaining health. We could do the same for them using one of our gifts, which was crucial for surviving the punishing Queen’s Knight battle.

Code Vein’s environments can be tackled in a variety of ways. You can descend into the caverns in search of treasure, or skulk up to enemies from behind and take them by surprise. It’s all about trying different techniques until finding the one that clicks. Trial and error is a key element of Code Vein’s design, and it seems to be executed quite well. This provided me with reasons to traverse through the same places over and over, falling victim to the blades of monsters as I tried to overcome them. However, it never felt frustrating. It was always my own fault, and adapting my strategy was the key to victory. Much like Bloodborne, I settled into a fast and frantic style, sliding in for a quick slash before darting away before any damage was taken. The Gifts I decided to utilise also reflected my unpredictable combat strategy. A bit of extra speed proved essential when paired with extra damage and lightning-imbued weapons – a combo that would eventually vanquish Queen’s Knight, Code Vein’s debut boss encounter. She was a cruel mistress, annihilating me multiple times until I finally emerged triumphant. Code Vein does a fantastic job of filling you with adrenaline during its finer moments, so much so that I dropped my controller out of excitement as the Queen’s Knight fell. It felt fantastic, and I really hope it has more tricks like this lying in wait. Alongside the main character, there’s a choice of AI assistants who come with their own skills and buffs. These can be interchanged at a home base, bringing in a tactical element to partnerships. They must also be helped in situations where their survival is key to progress. There’s also a significant variety of weapons and tools that are used to extract blood from enemies, though there are limits on how many can be carried at once. It’s a good idea to sneak up on them when using these devices. Once alert, the monsters move fast and sometimes in concert with one another. And this is when the game’s capacity for fast movement, dodging and jumping are most useful.

The foes you’ll face throughout are all former Revenants, driven to become “Mad Lost” when they run out of blood, the game’s equivalent currency to souls that fuels character progression. Like Dark Souls, you collect blood from every enemy you kill, and drop your unused stash at the site of your death, to be re-collected in your next life.Gameplay mostly focuses on combat and exploration of the game’s interlinked and varying environments, laid out around a central hub. Our demo spanned two areas: a dark, cave level full of humanoid lost, and an urban, post-apocalyptic arena boss fight against a “Queen’s Knight” a tall, imposing, and armored warrior that gave us a tricky, pitched battle. Maintaining the same basic framework as Souls, the game has a health bar to track your life and recharging stamina to limit your actions. Light and heavy attacks balance speed and strength, depending on your needs, and a dodge roll and parry help get you out of hairy situations. As in the Souls series, you are committed to your actions once the button’s been pressed and the animation’s triggered, encouraging deliberate, tactical play rather than button-mashing.Having a companion definitely helps take the edge off of the genre’s notorious difficulty, giving the player a little more room to fail. Whenever we died there was a short window during which our companion, if alive, could revive us by donating half of their remaining health. We could do the same for them using one of our gifts, which was crucial for surviving the punishing Queen’s Knight battle. Even with backup, the fight was extremely challenging, but having an ally definitely helped mitigate that hopeless feeling that can come from slamming your head against the same boss repeatedly. Another layer of customization unique to Code Vein is a more flexible class system. While Souls games ask you to choose a class at the beginning, which you then modify through incremental stat changes, Code Vein’s classes are worn lightly, like a hat, and can be swapped out at any time. Called Blood Codes, these correspond to the classes you would expect for the genre, like an up-close brawler or a spell-slinger. Players level up their Blood Codes through experience, increasing their stats and unlocking new Gifts. Like the job system in Final Fantasy V, the player can swap Blood Codes as the situation demands, mixing and matching abilities.