Code Vein – Game Review
Since the release of Demon Souls, and the popularization with Dark Souls (FromSoftware), the Souls-Like genre has been pleasing fans of challenging games for a few years, and Code Vein is a nice addition to this list of games.
Since the beginning of the game, it is already possible to see the huge influence of the JRPG style in the game, along with all the features that games are more focused on anime fans, such as: good diversity in character creation; soundtrack and cutscenes with great influence on Japanese animations; game plot with main character, and several people helping to achieve his big goal.
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Graphic: the game performs well, with beautiful and interesting scenarios for the player to look at. That said, the vast majority of the game is heavily tied to its identity (color palette, enemies, backgrounds), similar to what is seen in the Bloodborne game, which is also true to its defined identity from start to finish. This may be seen as quality by some people, but I believe in this case it was a waste of opportunity. Apart from a few exceptions during the game, it has similar scenarios to each other, along with little diversity in the color palette used, and in the enemies found.
Sound: When it comes to soundtrack and sound effects, there is nothing exceptional. The sound effects in general are very basic and repetitive throughout the game, and the soundtrack is not remarkable, but it manages to set key moments in the game.
Plot: The game’s plot is solid, with a not-so-engaging beginning, but it gives an interesting continuation as the game progresses. However, the excess of cutscenes and stories not relevant to the main plot can annoy players with less patience. It’s common during gameplay that you’ll have to look at playable cutscenes to unlock new abilities, and even if you decide not to watch them, you’ll come across mandatory loading screens, as there is no option to disable these cutscenes. It’s important to point out that even though it’s not an exceptionally creative story, the universe that the game created behind the game’s main plot is actually very interesting, and can certainly be better used in sequels.
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Gameplay: The gameplay is the main point of the game, for being very diverse, with a few dozen different classes, and a skill learning system, allowing you to mix a skill or passive of each class if it is of interest. Still there are some shortcomings like weapon unbalance, in which if you choose the wrong weapon you will have an extremely difficult game, than if you choose one of the stronger weapons. The movement of characters can also be considered a little harder, when compared to Dark Souls 3, for example.
Replay Value: It has great replay value, but it’s not for everyone, as it involves a lot of grinding and repetition. However, for lovers of games like Diablo 3, this Souls-Like gives a taste of the ARPG genre, where there is the possibility to keep unlocking and testing builds, combining passives and abilities, and leveling up. This is given even greater emphasis on their DLC’s, which have very high difficulty selection content, and various challenges with built-in achievements.
The Code Vein game doesn’t address all audiences, focusing on players who like the anime style and the Sous-like genre. If you fit into this audience, this game is definitely for you.