Story and Gameplay
.. sort of. Code Vein II tries its best to build a compelling story atop its vampiric anime-flavored soulslike foundations and there are some surprisingly solid narrative beats. A few emotional moments land well, and certain character arcs are genuinely interesting. Unfortunately, the rest is a bit of a forgettable blur of jargon and brooding. But let’s talk gameplay, where there are flashes of brilliance: cool weapons with satisfying impact, stylish finishing moves that make you feel like an anime boss yourself, and some exploration that encourages curiosity. Sadly, this is also where things get a bit clunky. The UI is awkward to navigate, and the level design at times feels more like a confusing labyrinth of loading screens and déjà vu hallways. It wants to feel like Dark Souls meets Devil May Cry, but it trips over its own cape a bit too often.
Graphics and Sound
This is where Code Vein II absolutely shines. The character creator? Still one of the most detailed and flexible in the business where you could spend an hour sculpting your perfect post-apocalyptic vampire warrior and feel proud of every polygon. Character models look phenomenal in motion, the textures are crisp, and even the gear is sleek and stylish.
Sound design is another win here: the voice acting (especially in Japanese) is strong, and the music ranges from atmospheric to pulse-pounding in all the right moments. Whether you’re exploring ruins or going toe-to-toe with a monstrous boss, the audio-visual package is undeniably polished and beautiful. Very few complaint here.
Feedback and Verdict
There’s no denying Code Vein II has its moments but those moments are buried under an overly complicated UI, a convoluted map system, and an opening few hours that really drag. While the visuals and sound design are top-tier, the rest of the experience never quite clicked for me. With the soulslike genre more crowded (and competitive) than ever, Code Vein II struggles to stand out.
It’s not a bad game, just one that never fully realizes its potential. If you’re a die-hard fan of the original or just really into stylized vampires with huge swords and even huger.. bodily assets, it might still be worth your time but for most players, there are simply better options out there to scratch that action-RPG itch.
