While gamers only have a few days left to enjoy these soon-to-disappear titles, they should really make the most of them before they’re gone. Code Vein in particular is a beautifully designed third-person action RPG with serious Dark Souls vibes that can provide players with a fun few hours. Come February 15, gamers will lose their chance to experience it as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, so they should get a move on if they want to check it out.
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Code Vein – An Enjoyable Dungeon Crawler
Despite its unabashed attempts to style itself after games in the Dark Souls series, Code Vein doesn’t actually play much like the punishingly difficult and infamously intricate FromSoftware games. From the baffling complex and detailed character creator to the surprisingly sweet and nuanced relationships and NPC stories, Code Vein isn’t quite what it might first appear. Although there’s still a hefty dose of slightly campy and full-blown anime-style vampiric silliness, the narratives that players encounter can be quite touching and unexpectedly affecting.
The near-future open-world dystopian setting, where players navigate a crumbling society affected by something known as the Great Collapse, is interesting and impressively designed. Gamers must fight Revenants — reanimated human corpses that act like vampires — which can only be killed once their hearts are destroyed. Revenants must consume blood to survive and to stop themselves from transforming into cannibalistic and frenzied monsters called the Lost. The game plays more like a dungeon crawler than anything else, with multiple areas to explore and a whole host of memorable bosses featured throughout Code Vein.
Why Players Should Check Out Code Vein
Frequently hailed as the anime version of Dark Souls, Code Vein combines the more macabre and intriguing style and features found in that popular series with a lighter, campier aesthetic that will appeal to anime fans. While Code Vein’s combat may feel slightly clunky and a little repetitive, it’s also comforting and uncomplicated compared to some of the harder and more complex soulslikes.
Despite its sluggishness, it definitely won’t leave players rage-quitting after they fail to defeat an enemy for the twentieth time. Code Vein also gives gamers the chance to complete levels with an AI companion or play co-op with a friend. Co-operative play is always a popular mechanic and helps to give something extra to gameplay when players can experience everything with a partner.
Code Vein may exist in a crowded group of soulslike rip-offs and copies, but its core mechanics and level of freedom when it comes to exploration mean that it’s near the top of the pile. For players waiting patiently for FromSoftware’s latest large release, Elden Ring, to finally drop, Code Vein could help to scratch that itch in the meantime. It has the familiar FromSoftware formula but provides enough differences and interesting takes on the series’ staples that it makes for a fun change of pace.
The sheer level of customization on offer in the character creator makes gamers feel like they’ve really been able to put their stamp on the game. With their decisions affecting the storyline and the fates of other NPCs, Code Vein can become a game with a set of characters and events that players really come to care about, despite its seemingly unserious exterior. Code Vein is not ridiculously complicated or demanding, and it could be a great distraction for a few days if players want to try it out before it disappears from Xbox Game Pass altogether.
Code Vein is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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