Knaito Code Vein II Review

Am I playing a game in the same vein? What is this? The original Code Vein succeeded because it leaned into its "Anime Souls" persona with zero hesitation. It was loud, edgy, and visually distinct. Code Vein II, by contrast, feels like a game designed by a committee terrified of its own shadow. The vibrant, high-contrast art style has been replaced by a washed-out, "realistic" grit that makes the world look like every other generic post-apocalypse. The character customization—once the gold standard of the genre—has been inexplicably gutted. Options have been simplified, physics have been dialed back, and the overall flair has been traded for a muted, "safe" look that completely misses the point of the original’s charm. Beyond the visual disappointment, the gameplay loop has somehow aged ten years in the five years since the first release. The "heaviness" of the original’s combat is gone. Hits feel like they have no impact, and the parry windows are inconsistent at best. Gone are the intricate, if frustrating, puzzles. In their place are linear hallways and flat, open arenas with zero verticality or environmental storytelling. The AI partners—the core hook of the series—have been significantly "balanced" to the point of uselessness. They no longer provide tactical support; they just act as damage sponges that break the boss’s aggro in unpredictable, annoying ways. The writing in Code Vein II feels entirely disconnected from the lore established in the first game. The dialogue is remarkably dry, lacking the melodrama and stakes that made the original Revenant struggle compelling. Characters feel like placeholders rather than personalities, and the "Blood Echo" memories—previously a highlight of world-building—are now tedious, unskippable walks through static environments with minimal payoff. Code Vein II is a sequel that is clearly embarrassed by its predecessor. By trying to appeal to everyone, it has ended up appealing to no one. It has stripped away the personality, the style, and the mechanical depth that made the first game a cult classic, leaving behind a hollow, sterilized experience. Bandai Namco took a unique IP and sanded down all the edges until there was nothing left but a boring, functional(?) product.