[UPDATE - January 13, 2026] We have now also published an interview with Bandai Namco where the developers explain why this is a numbered sequel set in a different world, and briefly discuss the new 'Assimilation' mechanics, time travel, and more. Check it all out here.
[ORIGINAL STORY] It’s December 2025 in Los Angeles. Players are furiously posting on ResetERA or Reddit about what bonkers predictions will show up at The Game Awards 2025: will Phantom Blade 0 get a release date, will Geoff Keighley bring up a Muppet or Kojima onto the stage first, and what the hell is that monolith in the Mojave Desert all about? Before any of that took place, Wccftech was invited out along with a core group of fellow Soulslike-experienced journalists and content creators to visit Bandai Namco for an all-day preview event, going hands-on with Code Vein II for the very first time.
Despite the obvious sequel numbering in its moniker, Bandai Namco Studios and Shift reiterated multiple times that this is intended to be its own standalone story from the first game, and no prior experience from the original game is required. Of course, with Code Vein II set to launch at the end of January, that’s plenty of time to dive into the original game on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or PC.
In the first Code Vein, players assumed the role of a Revenant, an artificially-made vampire who requires some form of blood to sustain and maintain any sort of bloodthirst and cravings (Blood Beads being the most common way to satisfy those cravings without needing to seek out a human donor. Those same Revenants are being transformed into Horrors in the numbered sequel, necessitating the player in this new title to become a Revenant Hunter instead.
The core theme to Code Vein II is a future that’s not set in stone. While the first game was about continuing on a linear path and the occasional dive into the player’s memories to view events in the past, Code Vein II is largely about changing the past to affect the present. The story opens with a cutscene telling the tale of a great Upheaval and four heroes that sacrificed themselves to seal away calamity through something called the Luna Rapacis. In order to enact great change in a world that’s already on the brink of further extinction, the hands-on session focused on venturing into the past to destroy one of these seals.
Despite the role reversal between the hunter and the hunted, many core themes that gave Code Vein a unique sense of combat are present here in Code Vein II. Players still don’t have to venture into the dungeons of the world alone and are instead accompanied by an NPC to complement a player’s chosen gameplay style. Of course, there is the ability to absorb that NPC into yourself for several statistical buffs, but even against the bosses of Code Vein II, I found having that extra body helped, especially when it comes to keeping the enemy distracted while I charged up a hefty hammer swing.
Defensive tech works a bit differently in Code Vein II than what players might expect. It all comes down to the defensive forma that players equip and set to the L1 button. One allows for blocking, another allows for timed parries. They’re each situational, but with enemy attacks being well telegraphed, the parry forma should be the perfect fit for Soulslike veterans.
On the other hand, combat skills and weapon forma are much like their counterparts from the first game. Players can set a palette of four different weapon skills between active attacks and passive temporary boosts, each with their own resource cost. Attacking and using a special drain attack both recharge this resource, allowing players to pull off vicious combos if they’ve accumulated enough stocked resources.
Leveling up has been simplified for the player's view in Code Vein II. Each level-up gives players a modest boost of HP, Stamina, and Attack, with the majority of other stats coming by way of the equipped Blood Code and boosters. This is where the real versatility in character builds comes into play and tracking down a specific Blood Code will be necessary to optimize the player’s build depending on their chosen weapon type and form of engagement. It’s these Blood Codes that give players six different stats (Strength, Dexterity, Mind, Willpower, Vitality, and Fortitude), with equipped gear requiring enough of a particular stat to be wielded effectively without placing a Burden upon the player if they go over one of these thresholds. Take Strength, for example; if your gear is too heavy or you picked a massive hammer to go with a more nimble Blood Code, the burden placed on the character is twofold: your attacks will deal more damage, but you’ll also consume more stamina for these attacks if you swing and miss the target completely.
Heft is something that I found the original Code Vein was lacking, as with Shift Inc.’s earlier works with the God Eater franchise. In those games, it didn’t matter how massive a metal tool your character was wielding: the visual impact and weight of strikes felt next to nothing, and the enemy reactions never quite matched up with what one would expect from being struck by a forty-kilogram chunk of solid iron. In this numbered sequel, I felt proud to be picking up a hammer and knocking the ever-living daylights of whatever stood in my way. Charged attacks both feel and deal the amount of damage one would expect, compared to a much lighter and more nimble single-handed weapon.
While Code Vein II does away with the traditional multiplayer (meaning no summoning players to join in if you’re stuck on a particular encounter), the Partner system from the first game has been brought back, giving players a better fighting chance. Much like the first game, these fellow Hunters will complement the player’s given style, providing unique active/passive boons depending on who you pick to accompany you. There is also a system to “absorb” the Partner, forcing the player to venture off solo but with an additional set of unique boons. Partners also serve as a sort of second life for the player. Take enough damage and go down, and your Partner will automatically get you back on your feet, albeit at the cost of some of their own life and a recharge timer. Die a second time before your Partner has a chance to recover, and you’re dead for good, dropping your collected Haze on the ground and respawning at the last checkpoint.
I can’t speak definitively to the level design in Code Vein II quite yet, but I was a fan of the first game’s looping paths and recursive design, where shortcuts found often cut down on large chunks of time spent navigating through decrepit or horrific dungeons. There was the occasional branching path and secret stash of loot, so the exploration spirit in me will be eager to see just what secrets lie in the past to uncover.
Code Vein II launches on January 30th, 2026, but players eager to step into the shoes of a Revenant Hunter or invest hours in the character creator will have their chance to rewrite history with a public demo launching on January 23rd.
[Editor’s Note: Code Vein II was previewed on the PlayStation 5 Pro. Travel and accommodations were provided by Bandai Namco for this preview event.]
About the author: Kai joined the gaming team of Wccftech in 2016 and has since penned over a hundred reviews and interview pieces, covering a bit of everything from one-man indie gems to AAA masterpieces and whatever lies in between. Over the recent months, Kai has expanded into preview and interview coverage of not only the gaming side of the industry but also tech and consumer electronics.
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