Code Vein II SGF Preview — The Revenants Return

We sat down with the team at Bandai Namco to check out their freshly-announced soulslike (anime-borne?) game, Code Vein II.  While we didn’t get to go hands-on, we got a solid rundown of some of the more ambitious changes coming to the over-the-top brutal foundation laid by its predecessor.  

A direct sequel to 2019’s cult-favorite anime-soulslike, Code Vein II is shaping up to be more ambitious, dark, and narratively driven. Set several decades after the collapse of the original Revenant society, Code Vein II drops players into the ruins of a new world: overgrown cities swallowed by nature, corrupted ley lines of miasma twisting through concrete. The trailer and developer walkthrough teased a world that's even more fragmented and cruel, but also strangely beautiful — think NieR: Automata meets Demon’s Souls.

Visually, Code Vein II benefits from a new engine, helping add a bit more detail and depth to the anime aesthetics.  Better particle effects, physics, animations, and a creepier reimagining of enemies pulls together the best parts of a grotesque soulsborne as viewed through a shōnen manga lens.  It’s an interesting combination that somehow works far better than what I’m describing.  

The first Code Vein is easy to describe as anime Dark Souls, but the sequel is certainly trying to establish its own identity as a more of a stylized action-RPG with systems that try to go beyond just dodging and parrying. Here are a few of the new systems that the developers are bringing to the table.  

The first game used a stamina-based melee system, with dodge-rolls, and ranged Blood attacks.  These return for Code Vein II, but now are joined by what the team is calling “chain-style weapon arts”. These customizable combo sequences that let you string light and heavy attacks into unique chains in a similar fashion to the likes of current Monster Hunter games.  

Blood Codes get a fresh coat of paint here, upgrading to a new class-swapping system from the original game.  These are now hot-swappable mid-combat, allowing players to fluidly shift roles on the fly, encouraging you to try new attack synergies.  This means you can move from tanky enforcer to nimble assassin to ranged debuffer with Blood Codes, using the right Code for the various enemies you face. Each Code now has a signature “Blood Surge” ultimate as well.  These are cinematic, high-damage abilities tied to your synergy with your partner (we’ll get into that in a moment). There’s also a new parry system built around timing-based “Veil Breaks” that looks like it’ll lean into the tight timing souls fans know and love.  When executed perfectly, these not only stagger enemies but also refill your ichor (read: mana) and trigger passive abilities — a risk/reward mechanic that should excite returning fans.  

If you liked the buddy mechanic of the first game, you’ll be happy to see that this has gotten a solid upgrade. Dubbed “Ego Bond” by the devs, this new system leans into an RPG-lite system that has your helpful AI buddies fighting with their own combat style and Code Bonds. We’ll have to see when the game ships, but the devs also mentioned that they’ll have their own story arcs. 

To help with your new buddies, they now have “Emotional Tiers”. These help your characters evolve based on your dialogue choices, keeping them safe in combat and other interactions. This system pays you back in the form of synergies with your character, including passive buffs, revives, and other positive benefits.  On the opposite side of the coin, these bonds can be broken, causing the characters to be less effective in battle, leave the team, or possibly even become a late-game boss.  Yikes.  Take care of your friends.  

Beyond game mechanics, the game also has a new fashion-forward approach to customization.  Both aesthetic and mechanical upgrades for your character and your buddies will be a major factor.  Five upgrade paths for your weapons (including one tied to the aforementioned Bond system) will be available at launch.  

The last and frankly most important change is one of world design.  Gone is the linear approach, with Code Vein II taking place in a massive semi-open world.  These interconnected zones also have a lot more verticality than before to take advantage of the new movement mechanics like wall running and mid-air dashing.  

If you’re getting the vibe that Code Vein II is a complete overhaul, if not a total reimagining of its predecessor, then you’re on the right track.  If you’re a fan of the original, this looks like a far more ambitious and deep version lies ahead.  

While no release date has been confirmed yet, the team stated they’re aiming for a 2026 launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.  Stay tuned right here at GamingTrend.com for more on Code Vein II and all your gaming needs.