Code Vein, the anime and gothic horror hybrid Souls-like title coming from Bandai Namco, is right around the corner. For those of you still on the fence, or hearing about this game for the first time, here’s a bundle of reasons to give Code Vein a shot.
1) The character editor:
While I was able to try the game at PAX West, one thing I didn’t get my hands on there was the character creator. I have played other Bandai Namco games developed with similar features, most recently God Eater 3, which has a quality editor, and you can try it for yourself by downloading the game’s demo. My favorite quote about the editor is from Jade King, who said: “Before we get into the meat of mechanics, I need to mention the stellar avatar creator. It feels like The Sims fell into a cauldron of gothic anime archetypes and you’re free to toy with the results”.
2) Vampires:
The simplest reason you should give Code Vein a shot at your heart is because the characters, called Revenants, are basically vampires, and they need you to live. Just sacrifice some of your blood, and they protect you from the villainous Lost, the end result of a Revenant who can’t get enough blood. If you’d rather not lose blood, you can instead take control of your Revenant’s destiny in the game, and seek out the Blood Tears that act as an alternative to straight-from-the-human sourced vitae.
3) You like Dark Souls:
This is the next simplest reason. Dark Souls has a following, but there aren’t a lot of games out there that try for a similar experience. Give Code Vein a shot because the aesthetic of the game is anime Dark Souls. Try it because the giant weapons, and even more gigantic enemies, are fun to fight. Try it because the combat feels polished, weapon strikes very nicely in timing and have an impact on them. Try it because you’re going to die getting it right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ-sgsiXpDQ
4) Because there’s a demo:
Code Vein has a demo if you want to try it for yourself. I’m one of those people who like demos and was sad to see them all but disappear for the last decade, only to make a comeback a few years ago. Go ahead and try it for yourself. Then if you’re hyped, enter Bandai Namco’s character creation contest, still open through October 1st. The winner gets their created character drawn by the developer, and there are runner-up prizes of plushies. There’s a follow-up Halloween-themed character contest too, for you spooky lovers out there.
5) Try it for the Skills:
If you are an action-game fan you’re used to using a series of skills, or abilities, to earn your victories. If you give Code Vein a shot, you’ll find that there are a large number of interchangeable skills called Blood Gifts, eight of which you can have equipped at one time, though I don’t know if that will be true from the start of the game. They vary from damaging spells to buffs, and heals, some of which are built around supporting a partner, and others which are greedier. Along with eight active skills, the version of the game I got to play had four passives that help you define how you play your class, which was another changeable option. If that customization depth of skills isn’t enough, you also get a companion NPC who brings their own skill set to the fight.
6) Co-op:
Speaking of computer companion. Along with a sizeable cast of NPC companions who have their own story relevance, you can set them aside to adventure with another human player. That lets you partner up with a friend to maximize your chances of success beyond what any NPC can provide. Since the game is balanced around having a companion of some sort, you’ll still be at constant risk of death, but at least you’ll get to die with someone cursing over voice chat.
7) Strategic game play:
In the short demo, I played at PAX West a key to victory was your strategy. I started out running in with the basic loadout and died at the third encounter stuck next to a cliff, and unable to dodge. I tried a second time experimenting with controls like parry, and a couple different weapons, and made it to a set of damage-resistant enemies who killed me. Then I spent more than five minutes adjusting my class, and skills and took that to a flawless run until I timed out the demo. My strategy affected my gameplay experience dramatically and felt very satisfying. The strategic depth is a little daunting, but when you get it to work for you it’s great.
There are a lot of reasons to give Code Vein beyond the above. It’s cool. It’s anime. But I aimed to cover more objective points. I hope that this article helps you out, and feel free to let us all know YOUR top reason for picking up Code Vein in the comments.
