Released in 2019, the first Code Vein had managed to build a solid fan base in the jungle of souls-like games, notably thanks to its unique artistic direction, mixing anime, post-apocalypse, and vampires, as well as very advanced customization of the appearance and build of its avatar. Six years later, its soberly titled sequel Code Vein 2 made a surprise appearance at Summer Game Fest 2025. This new opus, however, promises to be quite different from the first episode, at least in terms of its story, as we were able to discover thanks to an exclusive preview shared by its publisher, Bandai Namco.
Code Vein 2 will play on temporal duality
After a first opus depicting a dark post-apocalyptic universe populated by vampires, or Revenants, and other monstrosities, Code Vein 2 is not actually a direct sequel. This second opus will in fact tell us a completely different story that will involve time travel to save the present from total destruction. To do this, our avatar, which we will once again be able to create from scratch with an even more advanced tool, will receive the support of Lou, a character from the previous game. She will revive our dying avatar by sharing her heart, allowing us to accompany her on this time travel, where our mission will be to find other Revenants from the past to save our present from extinction. As such, in addition to Lou, we will once again be able to count on companions who will help us in our adventure, exactly as in the first game, but a priori in a more accomplished way.
The synopsis of Code Vein 2 will therefore imply that we will alternate between the present world of this sequel, and the world of the past of the previous game. We will therefore have in a way two sides of the same coin, with two radically different atmospheres, all visibly in a vast open world conducive to exploration, especially dungeons, since we will have the possibility of driving a motorcycle to move more quickly. If we find the artistic direction specific to the license, the presentation that we saw however seemed rather dated technically, and not very fluid to boot. Let's remember, however, that Code Vein 2 won't be released until 2026, and this exclusive preview is therefore not representative of the final version of the game.
Back to the future of vampire souls-like gameplay?
Besides its story and universe, this exclusive preview of Code Vein 2 also allowed us to see what to expect in terms of its gameplay. Here again, this sequel intends to take the basics of the first game and go even further. We find in particular a certain freedom to customize the character's build. This takes the form of the return of Blood Codes, but with a redesigned system. We also have Prisons, tools used as finishers to extract Ichor, or the traditional souls in FromSoftware's Soulsborne. Finally, we have Formae, which will allow us to add unique skills to our weapons. On this point, we will have a wide range of possibilities, with one-handed, two-handed, and dual-wielding swords, as well as heavier weapons and finally bows or rifles for fighting at a distance.
Souls-like obliges, Code Vein 2 will offer relatively demanding fights, especially against impressive bosses who will hardly forgive the slightest mistake. The whole thing seemed a bit rigid, but this brief preview is not enough to give a clear opinion. Code Vein 2 nevertheless presents itself on paper as a more accomplished version of the first opus, with a more ambitious story and more fleshed-out gameplay. However, it remains to be seen what it will really be in its final version. To do this, see you in 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series.
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