Code Vein II Review: A Beautiful but Flawed Evolution of the Anime Soulslike

When Code Vein launched in 2019, it quickly earned the nickname “the anime Soulslike,” blending punishing boss fights, gothic environments, and stylish vampire themes into one of the most accessible entries in the genre. The game stood out not only for its challenging action RPG combat but also for its unforgettable presentation. From the ufotable-animated opening, known for Fate and Demon Slayer, to HYDE’s haunting track “Underworld,” Code Vein had a level of flair few action RPGs could match. Its deep character creator fueled a wave of player creativity, helping it build a passionate community that remains active years later. With strong companions, a flexible combat system, and a story that balanced tragedy with hope, the original remains one of the most distinctive anime-inspired Soulslikes to date.

Now, Code Vein II aims to evolve that foundation in bold and unexpected ways. When the sequel was announced, I had plenty of questions. Could it refine the fast, ability-driven combat? Would it keep the heavy gothic style that defined the first game? And how would the story move forward in a world already shaped by sacrifice and survival? This time, the themes shift toward time travel, cause and effect, and a striking visual focus on gold, all wrapped in a more open-world structure. The result is a game that feels like kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. Code Vein II has its cracks, but the way its systems, story, and style come together creates something beautiful, ambitious, and deeply tied to the series’ identity.

Game Name: Code Vein II
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PC, Xbox Series X|S
Developer(s): Bandai Namco Studios, Shift
Publisher(s): Bandai Namco
Release Date: January 27, 2026 (Early Access), January 30, 2026
Price: $69.99

Beauty Among Destruction

When you begin, the game introduces an event called The Resurgence and how it reshaped the world. It explains that revenant heroes became Cocoons to seal The Resurgence and prevent total destruction. For those who played the original game, this should feel familiar. If the seal weakens, an explosion tears a piece of the land away. Think void-outs from Death Stranding.

You then meet Lou, your guide and literal other half. She gives you half of her heart to revive you, a revenant hunter. Not a revenant like in the first game. Now, you are tasked with saving the world from collapse. Both the English and Japanese voice casts deliver performances that deserve recognition.

Next comes one of the series’ highlights: character customization. It is wild. If you spent hours crafting your character in the first game, you will do the same here. I am glad they released a character customization demo to save players time. From body type, chest size, height, and eye designs to hairstyles, colors, markings, accessories, and scars, my description does not do it justice. I cannot wait to see what creative players do with the options offered. Whatever you want to create, you can bet your avatar will look good. You can also freely change your appearance later if you are not satisfied.

Another standout is the character design across the cast. Everybody is hot. Yes, it is basically sexy vampire characters galore, and the designers know it. The male cast gives Studio CLAMP a run for its money with small heads, long fingers, and lanky arms. The female cast is just as striking. They are sexy, and they know it, especially the main figure who sets you off on your quest, Lavinia Voda. The team clearly understood that very tall “mommy” characters are in. It is a good thing the photo mode has plenty of options, because if you want to set the scene with any characters, you will fill albums easily.

Your main merchant, blacksmith, and shopkeep, Jadwiga, also stands out: she reminds me of a certain Plegian dark mage. The hot spring returns as well to relax your body and soul. So for all you fan-service lovers, worry not.

Unfortunately, I do have one criticism of customization: the clothing and accessory options. There is such a thing as being too fashionable. When placing pouches or accessories in different spots, items can clip through the model. If you’ve played other Bandai Namco games like the Tales of series, this won’t surprise you. When changing cloaks or outfits, things can get glitchy. During story cutscenes or when my character was lying on a bed, my cloak would spaz out. My guess is the programmers didn’t account for the near-infinite combinations of clothing and accessories during scripted scenes. It’s funny, but noticeable.

Combat Evolves, but the Open World Struggles

The core combat from the original carries over into Code Vein II. Blood Codes, weapon selection, Jails, and many familiar styles return, with several new Jails offering stylish new attacks. All original weapons make a return, along with new inclusions such as twin blades, rune blades, and bows for players who prefer attacking from a distance, though bows do require ichor to use.

For the uninitiated, Jails are drain attacks that deal damage and absorb ichor, the game’s magic resource used for skills or Gifts. Of the new Jails, the Reaper Jail is my favorite. Like its namesake, it summons a reaper and scythe to attack your enemies. Who doesn’t want their own reaper?

This opens up a ton of build variety. Want to cast magic while swinging a two-handed sword? Prefer the classic sword and shield? Hammer with a bow? You can do it. The bayonet remains part of the series’ DNA, but now the bow adds another ranged option. It’s a simple addition, but one I appreciated. Sneaking up on enemies for a backstab, then activating your Jail, never gets old.

So how does combat feel? Overall, good. The balance of stamina use, ichor management, skill timing, and spacing keeps that familiar rhythm from the original. It’s almost like a dance. That said, I wish combat were a bit faster, especially given that the game is developed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Unfortunately, this ties into one of my main criticisms: this game really needs optimization for it to really shin.

This is the first time the series has shifted into an open world, and it’s a big one. Code Vein II takes cues from open-world games like Elden Ring and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Anywhere you can see, you can go. Exploring ruins, uncovering dungeons, and piecing together what happened across different locations and timelines is fun. To help you traverse the world, you get a slick motorcycle—and yes, you can do the Akira slide.

During my playtime on PS5, the game offers a performance mode and a graphics mode. Naturally, I chose performance mode to prioritize frame rate., and hoping that it would stay consistent, but the game falls into the dynamic framerate category. When there’s little to load, or when you’re in the mindscape and everything is bathed in white, it’s an easy 60 FPS. In the open world, it fluctuates, mostly between 30 and 60 FPS. Combine that with texture pop-in across environments and enemies, and it can even affect combat as the frame rate bounces all over the place. This is especially noticeable during boss fights, making an already difficult situation even harder.

Cutscenes also vary in smoothness, especially if you load your character up with accessories. A recent patch helped iron out some rough spots and improved performance, but a colleague playing on a PS5 Pro reported the same issues in both the open world and dungeons, suggesting there isn’t any PS5 Pro optimization in place.

Outside the main story areas, you’ll encounter mini-dungeons with their own bosses for loot and resources. In the original game, these were separate levels you had to load into. In the sequel, they’re integrated seamlessly into the world. While the mini-bosses can be fun, I wish they had more variety. There’s one big tank enemy with a cat idol inside it (yes, really) that screeches as an AOE attack. It’s hilarious, but you’ll see this enemy type, and several others that are repeated often.

Thankfully, you won’t travel alone. Partner characters assist you in the field, and you can also go solo using the partner merge option. This grants stat bonuses, perks, and moves; think Unity, Shaman King-style. One addition I like is how the partner system can save you after death.

In the original, your partner could save you by trading half their life for yours, then the ability went on cooldown. Here, the revive triggers when your health hits zero, but your partner is out of commission for a time before returning. The first revive restores half your health, then a quarter for the next, and so on. In practice, it means you can survive long enough to clutch a boss fight if you play smart. This works whether your partner is active on the field or merged with you, and it saved me more times than I can count.

Still, your AI-controlled partner suffers from being too far away. In some instances, you’ll try to have your partner take aggro or tank for you while you back out of a fight to heal, and they tend to follow you instead. I’m also surprised they didn’t bring back online co-op from the original. Your AI partner is competent, but having a human player to explore the world with would have added a whole extra layer of engagement. Sharing key story moments with someone else would have been great. Considering the optimization issues, I suspect they weren’t able to make it work.

A Beautiful World Held Back by Rough Edges

Even with these complaints, there was still plenty that kept me adventuring: the engaging cast, the bleak beauty of human and revenant society, and a soundtrack that sells both the intensity of combat and the weight of the story. Combat remains the strongest part of the package, and it’s as engaging as the original.

I called the first game one of the most accessible entries in the Soulslike genre, and the sequel continues that trend. If you want a good challenge without the brutal, relentless difficulty of some genre heavyweights, Code Vein II is a strong option.

Still, it’s hard to overlook the lack of optimization and it does bring down some of the excitement. I hope that the development team plans on releasing optimization patches to stabilize frame rate and tighten resolution. It would be incredible to play at a consistent 60 FPS across the overworld, not just in select areas. Personally, I feel that the game needed more time to cook, as it does feel rushed at times. Despite that, and even with the rough edges, Code Vein II is still a fun experience.

If you’re looking to step into Code Vein II, just be aware that there are cracks, no doubt. But the other pieces still come together into something compelling. The gold motif, the time travel angle, and the gorgeous cast shine through. Could it have been better? Sure. But for what it is, you can’t deny its beauty and allure. So arise, hunter. The world awaits.

Review Disclosure Statement: Code Vein II for PlayStation 5 was provided to us by Bandai Namco for review purposes. For more information on how we review games and other media, please see our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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