Code Vein - review of the newcomer Bandai

Finally available to the public Code Vein, the long-awaited SoulsLike by Bandai Namco. Let's find out together if he managed to scratch the hearts of fans like his more famous cousins!

Version tested: PlayStation 4

When I was asked to review Code Vein, as a veteran of the Souls, I immediately accepted with pleasant interest the challenge that was presented to me. For this reason, without hesitation, I proceeded to "warm up the engines" and throw myself headlong into a new adventure.

Although the title has not enjoyed a great advertising campaign, the most attentive gamers and that group of fans have long known that a new pearl could come out on the market. And Bandai Namco, distributor of its larger cousins, could not fail to deliver a product of such depth to the public.

A unique clone.

Code Vein it draws in all respects from the Souls, however it detaches itself widely in a unique way. This trait, unfortunately, has escaped many other titles present in the SoulsLike subgenre. In fact, drawing fully on the classic components of the "founding fathers", Code Vein embarks on its own personal path that leads to the most classic of JRPGs.

In what, then, are you curious to know, does it separate? First of all, it has its own technical and artistic sector very reminiscent of the God Eater that the developers themselves had the honor of delivering to us long ago; secondly, Code Vein relies heavily on storytelling, leaving little room for user inventiveness and discovery. The developers, in fact, literally take us by the hand and throw the events of history in front of us.

A world in ruins.

Throughout the story, we will guide our protagonist - fully customizable - inside the city of Vein, in a post-apocalyptic world. Ours will remember nothing of his past and will not be able to leave the city, as a miasma has blocked the exits. Furthermore, the protagonist is a Revenant, half monster and half human, in constant struggle with the darkness inside.

Right from the start, the title will present us the main protagonists and the most important secondary players. Each of them has its own path in history, outlined by secondary missions that will refine its character. Certainly we are not faced with multiple sensational choices, but being able to make choices and define the characters of both our protagonist and the supporting actors can not fail to please.

A multifaceted warrior.

From the very first moments, since we will be called to compose our character through a well varied editor, we will be able to notice how Code Vein relies on a very solid and well-organized RPG structure, enriched, as we will later see, by more than good gameplay. Customized our avatar, during the game we will be able to notice how ours will be able to carry both ranged and physical weapons, from simple short swords to heavy hammers, which will allow you to combine blows after blows without ever falling into button smashing.

The experience will accumulate per enemy killed, and will be usable in certain checkpoints that, unfortunately, wink a lot and too much at the so famous bonfires. These, in fact, will also be usable for other vital functions, such as teleportation along the map. Growth, however, is entrusted to Bloodcode, a division into classes typical of every RPG title. These branches, although they are not too fundamental, will allow you to dramatically customize the gameplay and approach to the game of each user, from the most shy to the most daring.

Also, the bloodcodes can be reversed at will; indeed, many of them can be found in the course of the adventure. In addition to all this, during the game it will be possible to unlock gifts, special abilities that can be used thanks to an energy bar called Ichor, which will regenerate through the normal attacks of your character. Thanks to all this, it is easy to realize how - unlike its bigger cousins ​​- Code Vein does not focus on the punitive difficulty of the clashes, but on the tactics and diversification of the combat.

The long way.

Despite the good narrative structure of the game, the same is not free from flaws and flaws. Surely, the largest is represented in all respects by the level design. In fact, the whole world of Code Vein can be defined in a few simple words: a long corridor straight up to the boss fight.

The city is our central hub. From the same, then, our character will be sent on a mission to the neighboring areas, of varying sizes. The entire narrative arc lasts approximately 35 hours, and it will be possible to face it entirely with other companions, for those who prefer cooperative modes.

A point in favor, however, I feel compelled to break it in favor of the boss fight. These, in fact, greatly increase the total difficulty of the title, but never exasperate it. Well-designed arenas, well-thought-out movesets make each fight unique in its genre.

From a technical point of view, finally, Code Vein shows its muscles, with a really beautiful manga / anime graphics and treated for the genre it represents. However, the same cannot be said for the game environment, a bit sparse and poor in content, which contrasts the polygons and well-kept details of the characters. Even at the level of frame rate, a few drops too much makes the experience a bit unnerving for those who, attentive to these light details, simply want to sit with a pad and enjoy the game without external influences and disturbances. Last note, the Spanish dubbing is valuable.

Conclusions.

Code Vein it is a title that deserves to be played. In the chaos of pseudo-Souls and clones he manages to carve out a slice of niche where he belongs both to that subgenre and to the JRPG genre, mixing unique elements from one and the other world without seeming "a little bit of this and a little ' of that". Recommended.