Code Vein 2 review: Shadow of the Elden Ring

If one would claim that the role of art is to create something wholly original, then Code Vein 2 stands in direct opposition to this. The opening minutes feel like the cutscene equivalent of a friend telling a story while making note of their inspirations every step of the way. And yet, somehow, Code Vein 2 almost makes this lack of originality work. 

While most other games would run from a description like ‘anime Dark Souls,’ the original Code Vein embraced it and, in turn, thrived as a Soulslike. In the years since, however, it’s become harder to differentiate games in the sub-genre from one another. Can Code Vein 2 do enough to still stand tall? 

The Escapist recaps

• The time-travel concept and character backstories are interesting in Code Vein 2, but the game struggles with pacing, often interrupting gameplay with poorly timed exposition.
• The visuals look dated (closer to PS4 quality), with noticeable pop-in and some amateurish UI/assets, which feel below Bandai Namco’s usual standards.
• The bleed and Ichor mechanics add depth and fun, but poor tutorials and a lack of clear indicators make them confusing and inconsistent.
• Areas offer satisfying side content and progression, with the bike making exploration convenient and challenge-focused.
• Some bosses are fair and well-tuned, but others feel overdone, pushing players to rely on AI partners and exploit mechanics rather than pure skill.

The pull of the past

The story of Code Vein 2 raises an interesting dilemma: how important is the story of a Souls game? The answer you may expect is how Code Vein 2 proves Dark Souls should have a story, and yet, in providing a story, Code Vein 2 excellently demonstrates why it has likely been avoided. 

That’s not to say the story here is bad; the stakes are clear and emphasize the time-travel gimmick nicely. The opportunity to interact with those we are meant to kill in the past and learn their story is enticing beyond measure, and at its best, you can see the potential for gray morality and the fear of repercussion. 

Yet, the story feels confused on whether it should really drill down into those ideas or not; the game flip-flops from pragmatic story decisions to get to the gameplay to painful exposition that makes a player long for a boss encounter. This is exacerbated when the game drops whole chunks of story at inopportune moments, like slowing down a dungeon to dish out a ton of exposition when you’d really rather be, you know, exploring a dungeon.

A mixed bag, then, but there are still some story moments that make me glad Bandai Namco pushed for a narrative here.

It might have been easier to connect with the characters, however, if the game looked a little better. The issue is simple: Code Vein 2 looks like a PS4 game, and while it runs fine that really is the bare minimum to expect for a AAA video game in 2026.

There’s noticeable pop-in, muddy textures, and some UI elements that feel amateurish, taking away from the polish of combat.

Substance over style

And oh, what combat it is. The action part of the action-RPG is overall the game’s biggest appeal, and Bandai has delivered in this department. The approach is, on the whole, admirable, with enemies and bosses feeling fun to hit and providing the player with plenty of tactical options. 

Blood Codes make a return from Code Vein 1, and they are still a class system in disguise, allowing players to choose between them to adjust stats and passive abilities on the fly, incentivizing constant kit switching. 

Sadly, upgrade materials feel too stingy to full lean into the system, leading it to become more of an afterthought than it could have been.

The blood and Ichor system is fun, but poorly explained. In short, attacks build bleed, which can be harvested using a drain attack and turned into Ichor, which you use to do formae attacks. This creates a simple cycle of attacking to build bleed, timing a careful drain attack, and using your formae attacks to build even more bleed. 

The bleed bar also functions very similarly to a posture bar, and in turn, when it hits its stride, this does replicate the core, raw fun of Elden Ring weapon arts well.

Yet, while you need precise timings, the game does little to enable this, as there is no visible bleed/posture indicator; instead, relying on subtle visual changes to the enemies to relay this. 

Thus, this system is far more confusing than I am letting on, as the game does little to make bleed or posture levels clear. This meant that, without knowing why, the amount of ichor received after using a drain attack was usually inconsistent. There is likely a system in place that determines this, but the game does not make this obvious. 

The opening area of Magmel is a good microcosm of exploration. There are a couple of dungeons and power-ups (such as healing increases) in this area, which the game does well to highlight, leading players on short, satisfying adventures that help the player gain the appropriate power and confidence for upcoming challenges. 

This is, on the whole, what exploration continues to feel like, even with the unlocked bike vehicle. While more immersive storytelling in these areas would not go amiss, I do not fault the game for being to the point. The majority of players simply want to be given challenges, and Code Vein 2 puts plenty of them in front of the player while the bike makes them fun and easy to access. 

Bossed around

Bosses are a blast in Code Vein 2, and the game’s first main challenge in Franz is a great showcase of what’s to come. Consider them an analog to Margit in Elden Ring, a skill check that’s designed to separate the players hammering away at buttons from those learning to hone the aforementioned skills – just the right amount of challenge, and a great way to show off what you’ve learned.

And yet, there are always things to learn and challenges to face. A random boss in a dungeon, Alexis, the Heartless Bodyguard, should’ve been a cake walk after Franz, yet proceeded to cause me 5 crashouts while doing a great job showcasing some areas that need improvement.

By making Elden Ring so flexible for players, From Software accidentally sanded down some of the bosses since players could approach them from different angles.

Since Code Vein 2 is following in the footsteps of Elden Ring, it brings many of these issues in its own way. The issue is simply this: the player character has a lot of broken tools, so in turn, bosses have movesets that feel, in many ways, as broken. 

This makes some bosses feel less like tests of skill and more like finding what works and doing it repeatedly.

As a consequence, partners feel like a necessity. Alone, bosses in Code Vein 2 become simply too brutal, far too quickly. The game feels like it requires perfection with positioning, spacing, and dodging. 

On the whole, Code Vein 2 is far from a perfect game, but it is far from a bad one, too. This will not hit the same highs as Elden Ring or Dark Souls; however, perhaps it does not need to. 

As another in the burgeoning catalog of Soulslikes, it offers unique combat and plenty of panache while owning its imperfections and inspirations alike.

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