Bandai Namco is callingCode Vein 2a spiritual successor to the original, which is an interesting way to approach a game with a “2” in its title. Normally, when we think of a spiritual successor, we think of a new game with a loose connection to a long-abandoned series, likeStardew Valley. But Code Vein is barely six years old, and the sequel is tossing out all of its characters, its world, and even its genre and taking the two-game franchise in a completely new direction.
I’m still not sure why Code Vein 2 is a reboot instead of an entirely new IP, since seemingly the only connection between them, the vampire-like revenants, are transformed into a new type of monster in the sequel. But from the short demonstration I saw at Summer Game Fest last weekend, I’m on board with this new vision. Higher production value and a bigger focus on flashy combat made Code Vein 2 look like more than just another Soulslike, and as a Zelda fan, I can’t wait to play around with its new time travel gimmick.
A New Take On A Game You Might Not Even Remember
I was in the audience at Summer Game Fest when the Code Vein 2 trailer debuted, and all of the gamers around me, who prided themselves on identifying every single trailer the nanosecond it started, had no idea this was a Code Vein sequel until the title appeared.
That’s understandable. 2019’s Code Vein had so-so sales and less than enthusiastic reviews. In the oeuvre of Souslikes, this isn’t one that gets mentioned very often. The fact that the sequel takes place in a brand-new world with more action-focused combat makes it even harder to identify it as a Code Vein game. Anyone who loved the first is probably disappointed (especially considering its big twist ending), but for the rest of us who don’t have a strong connection to Code Vein anyway, it’s probably for the best that Code Vein 2 is largely starting over from scratch.
Considering Soulslikes have been done to death at this point, Bandai Namco was wise to pursue a new angle. The dual-lead combat style (referred to as the Buddy System) takes more cues from Platinum’sAstral Chainthan Dark Souls.
Without all the cops, thankfully.
Fights are fast and flashy, with big, explosive AOEs that can take out groups of enemies and elemental strikes that temporarily transform the battlefield. New weapon and blood types help push character customization further and add more variety to battles. And when a monster dies it may even drop some gear upgrades for you. Yes, Code Vein 2 is also a looter-lite. Oh, how far we’ve come from fighting down bland hallways filled with identical vampires.
Two Worlds For The Price Of One
The most interesting aspect of Code Vein 2 is its time travel mechanic. The game takes place in a world besieged by horrors created by the Luna Rapacis, a fleshy globe that hangs over the city and pumps evil vibes into the air. Our heroes hatch a plan to un-Cronenberg the world by traveling back in time 100 years to before the Luna Rapacis appeared, back to a time when humans and revenants lived side by side, and try to stop the creation of the death orb in the first place.
Code Vein 2’s story takes place in two different timelines separated by that century, and you can travel back and forth between each world to provoke various changes in the characters and environment. In the present, the sky is filled with red energy and the Luna Rapacis hangs over a dilapidated city. In the past, the slightly destroyed city (there are still vampires running around, after all) has not yet been overtaken by darkness.
Not only do the two timelines look different, but the places you can access are different too. To progress past an obstacle in the present, you may need to go back to the past and clear a path for yourself. What you do in one timeline affects the other, both physically and narratively.
This isn’t a novel mechanic. Ocarina of Time explored the same ideas almost 30 years ago. But we haven’t seen anything like this done at this scale before, which is what makes Code Vein 2 so intriguing. The city is big enough that you need to use a motorcycle to get across it, so the fact that there are two completely different versions of the world makes me excited to explore it.
Bandai Namco is setting itself up for an uphill battle by making a sequel with a paper-thin connection to a game that isn’t particularly well-regarded, but that just makes me more interested in Code Vein 2. I’ll need to wait to learn more about how combat and gear progression will feel, but so far, I’m pleasantly surprised by this bold new direction. It’s dropping the Dark Souls, but hopefully finding a soul of its own.
