$59.99Is CODE VEIN worth it?
CODE VEIN is worth it if…
- you want soulslike combat but the classics have beaten you down once too often
- you like anime style, vampire lore and a story told in dramatic cutscenes
- you enjoy rebuilding your character around new weapons and abilities mid-game
- you want a dark action RPG to run through with a friend
- you have hours to spend in a character creator before the first fight
Screenshots
Blood codes: change your whole build on a whim
Most action RPGs make you commit to a class. CODE VEIN does the opposite: Blood Codes work as classes you can swap at almost any moment. Run a heavy greatsword tank in one fight, switch to a spear-wielding skirmisher ten minutes later, then mix magic into your melee without ever remaking your character.
Each Blood Code comes with its own Gifts, abilities that strengthen you, weaken enemies or unlock overpowered attacks. Skills you have learned can be carried over between codes, so experimenting never feels like starting over. Stuck on a boss? That is a reason to try a new build, not a reason to mourn a wasted character.
Weapons, Blood Veils and drinking your enemies
You fight with bayonets, axes, spears and more, each with its own rhythm. The twist is the Blood Veil: part armour, part blood-draining weapon, each with its own look and attack style. Drain blood from enemies with well-timed strikes, charged attacks or parries, and it becomes Ichor, the resource your Gifts run on.
So the loop is aggressive by design: the closer and bolder you fight, the more fuel you earn. A parry is not just a defence, it is a refill. Pair that with a Blood Veil whose drain attack suits your weapon and the combat opens up into a surprising number of strategies, all of them hungry.
A soulslike that meets you halfway
The Souls DNA is unmistakable: deliberate combat, stamina to manage, dodges and parries timed to enemy patterns, and bosses that take many attempts. But this is the forgiving end of the genre. Checkpoints sit close together, and your AI partner fights beside you, heals you and can even revive you when a boss combo goes wrong.
Several of the story's bosses are genuinely satisfying to beat solo, learning each attack until the dodge comes naturally. If you want the punishment, leave the companion behind. If you have bounced off harder soulslikes before, this is the one people keep recommending as the way in.
Fighting the apocalypse with someone at your back
You never have to face Vein alone. Venture out with an AI companion, each with their own role and fighting style, or bring a friend in online co-op and coordinate your approach: one of you draws attention while the other flanks, or you both pile onto an enemy that would flatten either of you alone.
Partners warn you about ambushes, pull enemies off you when the pressure builds and revive you at the edge of death. A friend makes the whole run lighter and livelier, and the game is built around having someone there. Solo is entirely possible; it is just lonelier, and the bosses hit harder when nobody is watching your back.
Can you play it solo?
Can you play the whole game solo?
Yes. The AI companion is optional, and going without one raises the challenge considerably, which is exactly why some players prefer it. Bosses are designed to be learnable on your own, and beating them solo is a highlight for many. Just expect more retries than with a partner at your side.
Is there a character creator?
A very deep one. You can spend hours adjusting your Revenant before ever drawing a weapon, down to fine details and accessories, and the editor is often singled out as one of the best parts of the game. Your look stays yours across every Blood Code you try.
What is the story about?
You are a Revenant, an undead being that needs blood to hold off madness, in a post-apocalyptic world sealed away from the rest of it. Your character wakes with no memory, and the plot unfolds through memories and cutscenes as you uncover the past. There are three distinct endings.
