Code Vein 2 may not be a soulslike masterpiece, but it proves that the rule of cool is much more fun

For the first hour or so of Code Vein 2, I was bored out of my mind. The intensity and dance of combat that I had found in other games on our best soulslike list weren’t there, and amidst a barrage of tutorial pop-ups, I was struggling to get into the narrative or the battles. It was disappointing, as a fan of the original, until something clicked. After unlocking a pair of floating dual swords that sliced across the air and witnessing the raw power of my character’s Drain Attack, I was all in. Even if Code Vein 2 isn’t a masterpiece like Elden Ring or Dark Souls, it’s an adrenaline rush of fun, and sometimes, that’s more important than being art.

Code Vein 2 sits comfortably in the 7-8/10 range. It’s not bad enough to be called average or worse, nor is it good enough to sit in the ivory towers with Elden Ring or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Instead, it falls into the “pick it up on sale” bracket (wink wink, nudge nudge). The narrative is fairly dull, and the characters are just a bunch of anime archetypes, but what this soulslike does nail is the rush of combat and excellent build opportunities.

You play as a Revenant Hunter (character creator, for the win) who gets sent back in time to prevent the collapse of the world from Horrors, which are beings corrupted by the Luna Rapacis. It’s your fairly typical soulslike narrative coated in an anime aesthetic, and while it’s fine, it’s not winning any awards for story. However, if there was an award for ‘cool factor’, well, Code Vein 2 may already be a winner for this year.

For every expositional cutscene and dull character, Code Vein 2 straps you up in a leather jacket, pulls a mask over your face, and lets you rip into an enemy’s heart. It’s awesome to watch unfold, and as someone who normally doesn’t care about a character creator, I think I spent 30 minutes fine-tuning my protagonist. As you find new weapons to take advantage of, as well as learn new skills to overpower foes with, the awesome factor just keeps going, and I couldn’t keep myself away from it.

Is Code Vein 2 perfect? Absolutely not, and you know what? That’s fine. I’m happy with something that is non-stop fun over something that is deemed a masterpiece; we had plenty of them last year. Instead, it’s what helps Code Vein 2 stand out, and why its predecessor became a cult classic rather than a mainstream success. Code Vein 2’s imperfection makes it worth playing. Sometimes it’s good to eat junk food.

If you’re looking to give it a try, and I can’t blame you, you can already play it now by grabbing the Code Vein 2: Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition, which is just $76.49 / £ 63.74 and $84.99 / £72.24, respectively, at Fanatical. That’s a 15% discount, and I think the more expensive edition is worth buying, thanks to the advanced access, the little bonus outfits, and the upcoming Mask of Idris expansion.

Alternatively, you can also grab the standard edition and wait a couple of days. Fortunately, there’s still a discount for the basic version of Code Vein 2, with the game just $59.49 / £46.74 at Fanatical. Not a bad deal for a new game.