Reviews

Code Vein II is a good, honest sequel that moves the franchise in the right direction on several fronts, while dragging a heavy ball that stops it from truly taking off. The souls‑like combat is solid – the Jail and Forma systems are deep and addictive, the boss fights are still as satisfying as ever to overcome, and Lou is one of the best companions Bandai Namco has ever put in an RPG. The jump to an open world was a bold, logical idea for the franchise. But in execution, the huge, poorly signposted map quickly becomes a problem. You wander, you circle, you look for NPCs and objectives with no clear idea where to go – and that feeling comes back too often to not seriously weigh on the overall experience. The combat is great: varied Jails, customisable builds, spectacular boss fights. The partner system is much improved – Lou is genuinely endearing and actually changes how you play. The visuals are a big step up thanks to Unreal Engine 5, and Go Shiina’s soundtrack delivers again. But the open world is a mess – too big, badly signposted, and constantly frustrating when you’re not fighting. The pacing suffers badly because of it. Antagonists and side characters are also underdeveloped. Overall, it’s a good, accessible, content‑rich game that’s genuinely fun when you’re in the thick of combat. But with a better navigation system, this could have been truly excellent. Bandai Namco, please fix the map for the next one. Full French review: https://rogueh24.fr/test-du-jeu-code-vein-ii/