Anime-inspired soulslike from Summer Game Fest: Code Vein 2 early impressions

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If you share my enthusiasm for gaming and perhaps overlooked Code Vein’s release in 2019, you might have felt a mix of anticipation and uncertainty when Code Vein 2 was announced at Summer Game Fest. Fortunately, I managed to attend a presentation on Code Vein 2, organized by Bandai Namco during Summer Game Fest’s Play Days, the following weekend. Contrary to expectations, this new installment is not a direct sequel; it doesn’t share the same world or characters as the original. Nevertheless, it remains an RPG with a souls-like twist, where characters wield weapons forged from their own blood. If that piques your interest, you’ve landed on the right article!

Anime-inspired souls-like Code Vein 2 impressions from Summer Game Fest

In modern terms, a defining characteristic of quality souls-like games is their level of challenge. While some argue that it’s more about the specific genre, the atmosphere, or the necessity to recover dropped items upon death, in today’s context, souls-like has essentially become a byword for difficulty. In the upcoming game Code Vein 2, you’ll encounter colossal, gothic adversaries that can be tackled using diverse weaponry and abilities. Unlike many popular souls-like games,

In the trailer for the upcoming game, Code Vein 2, you might recall a character with an illuminated orange heart in her chest. This is Lou, and it seems she will be the main ally for our protagonist throughout the story. In the narrative, Lou revives our hero at some point. During combat, she will charge in and inflict damage on enemies. From what we’ve seen so far in the Summer Game Fest trailers, it appears that the enemies predominantly attack the player. It remains to be seen how much protection the protagonist needs to provide their partner in battle or if they can be knocked down. However, a unique aspect of Lou in Code Vein 2 is her ability to traverse through time.

In Code Vein 2, the storyline weaves together events from both yesterday and today. The aim is to uncover hidden secrets from the past that could potentially avert future devastation. The sneak peek offered a hint of how our decisions in the past can shape the course of the future. It’s still early days, but I’m eager to discover just how deeply this narrative device will be explored.

In the upcoming game Code Vein 2, an event called Luna Rapacis is causing Revenants to mutate into Horrors. As a Revenant Hunter, it’s your duty to locate and eliminate these beasts. You use blood from defeated foes to empower your formae – different weapons and abilities you possess. There are three primary categories of formae (pronounced ‘for-muh’): offensive, defensive, and bequeathed. The first two should be clear, but the last one might not match what you expected. Bequeathed formae are awarded to the player upon defeating specific bosses. These can range from ranged weapons like a bow and arrow to items used outside of combat, such as a motorcycle.

In the trailer, the main character exhibits a distinctive style reminiscent of anime. If you prefer tailoring your characters, take heart! The upcoming sequel, Code Vein 2, significantly enhances the customization aspect from the original Code Vein. Not only can you modify each character’s appearance entirely, but also, every playthrough offers distinct branching paths for weapon and skill upgrades, ensuring no two experiences are alike.

At Summer Game Fest, the sequel to Code Vein, titled Code Vein 2, was unveiled. As of now, we don’t have much information about it, including a possible release date. However, the ending of the trailer hinted at a potential release in 2026. Unfortunately, during the event, there wasn’t an opportunity for a playable demo; instead, we got slides and snippets of gameplay. Given this, I wouldn’t bet on an early 2026 launch, but a later release within the same year seems more plausible. When it does eventually debut, you can find Code Vein 2 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.

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2025-06-17 23:02