Code Vein II is doubling down on what made the original special while fixing what held it back. At Tokyo Game Show 2025, Bandai Namco revealed the sequel’s dynamic Partner System featuring two distinct mechanics that fundamentally change how combat works. Partners can be summoned into physical form to fight alongside you, or channeled as powerful Forma attacks that temporarily grant you their abilities. Combined with time travel, massive boss battles, and the deepest character customization in the series, Code Vein II looks positioned to become the definitive anime soulslike when it launches January 30, 2026.
The Partner System Explained
Code Vein II introduces a partner mechanic that’s far more complex than just having AI companions follow you around. As you journey through time uncovering the origins of the Luna Rapacis threat, you’ll meet legendary Revenants like Josée Anjou, the Queen of Solitude who once ruled a sanctuary swallowed by the sea, and Holly Asturias, the Reaper Witch burdened by her healer’s title. These characters can offer their essence to be stored in a core embedded in the protagonist’s back, allowing them to become Partners who fight by your side and share their powers.
The system splits into two powerful mechanics. Summon materializes your partner into physical form to fight alongside you in real-time combat. They’ll draw aggro, deal damage, revive you if you fall, and provide communal gifts – powerful buffs that significantly alter battlefield dynamics. Forma channels your partner’s essence directly into devastating attacks and temporary ability enhancements. Think of it as borrowing their powers rather than summoning them as separate entities.
Summon vs Forma Strategy
The choice between summoning partners physically or channeling them as Forma creates meaningful strategic decisions. Physical partners excel at managing multiple enemies, reviving you during tough boss fights, and providing consistent damage output without draining your resources. They’re essentially extra health bars and DPS that dramatically reduce difficulty, which was a contentious aspect of the original Code Vein where some players felt partners made the game too easy.
Forma attacks consume ichor but deliver explosive damage and grant temporary access to your partner’s signature abilities. This allows solo players to benefit from partner powers without having an AI companion trivialize encounters. If you’re the type who refused to summon in Dark Souls because you wanted to prove skill and overcome challenges alone, Forma gives you a compromise – powerful abilities without an AI babysitter doing half the work for you.
New Combat Mechanics
Code Vein II expands the dynamic combat system beyond just partner mechanics. Jails are special devices connected to the Revenant heart on your back that grant unique abilities like bat wings for aerial mobility or lunging slice attacks. Executing Jail attacks replenishes ichor, creating a risk-reward loop where aggressive play gets rewarded with resources for more special moves. Think of these as Code Vein’s answer to Devil May Cry’s style system – flashy finishers that look cool and provide tactical advantages.
Forma aren’t just partner-related attacks. They’re categorized into Combat, Defensive, and Bequeathed types. Combat Forma are your offensive abilities. Defensive Forma affect guarding and parrying mechanics, potentially allowing for more complex defensive options than the original’s basic blocking. Bequeathed Forma are special summonable weapons unlocked after defeating challenging bosses, like a combat bow acquired from a specific encounter. This creates meaningful progression where boss victories grant tangible gameplay rewards beyond just story advancement.
Blood Codes and Weapon Customization
The Blood Code system returns with expanded options. Players drain ichor from enemies to unlock powerful skills and abilities, building combat strategies around specific Code loadouts that emphasize magic, melee, ranged attacks, or hybrid playstyles. The new build system allows free customization of weapons and abilities to match personal preferences, addressing complaints from the first game where some builds felt significantly weaker than others.
Weapons come with new movement and range options that expand tactical possibilities. The original Code Vein featured decent weapon variety but movement felt sluggish compared to faster soulslikes. The sequel promises improved mobility and additional range types, potentially including the motorcycle Forma teased in producer diaries. Yes, you might fight vampire monsters while riding a motorcycle. Code Vein has always embraced anime excess, and the sequel isn’t holding back.
Time Travel Story Framework
Code Vein II’s story completely abandons direct connections to the original game. This is a fresh start set in a future where humans and Revenants coexist until the Luna Rapacis emerges, turning Revenants into mindless beasts called Horrors. As chaos spreads and humanity faces extinction, you play as a Revenant Hunter revived by Lou MagMell, a mysterious girl who sacrificed her own heart to bring you back. Lou possesses the power to transcend time, and together you’ll journey into the past to rewrite fate and prevent the world’s downfall.
The time travel mechanic isn’t just narrative window dressing. You’ll explore both present and past versions of environments, seeing how locations transformed from thriving communities into post-apocalyptic ruins. The flooded Sunken City, the Undead Forest, and the isolated MagMell Island each exist in multiple time periods with different layouts, enemies, and secrets. Your decisions in the past alter the present, revealing hidden information and changing the fates of important characters.
Meeting Legendary Heroes
As you delve into history, you’ll encounter the legendary Revenants who shaped the world before the Luna Rapacis destroyed everything. Josée Anjou ruled a sanctuary swallowed by the sea, and you’ll uncover what led to her kingdom’s destruction. Holly Asturias earned the title Reaper Witch despite being a healer, and discovering why creates one of the game’s emotional throughlines. These aren’t just NPCs who hand out quests. They’re fully realized characters with deep narrative connections that shape your journey and become the partners who fight alongside you.
Character Customization
Code Vein’s character creator was one of its biggest strengths, offering anime-style customization that put many AAA games to shame. The sequel expands this system even further with options to adjust body type, hairstyle, facial expressions, accessories, makeup, and more. You can create basically any anime protagonist you can imagine, from brooding edgelord to cheerful optimist to anything in between. The customization extends to equipment and cosmetics, letting you maintain your desired aesthetic without sacrificing combat effectiveness.
This level of personalization matters more in Code Vein than typical soulslikes because you see your character constantly during cutscenes and gameplay. Dark Souls hid your face behind helmets most of the time. Code Vein wants you attached to your protagonist’s appearance and invested in their journey through extensive narrative cutscenes where your custom character stars prominently.
Learning From the Original
The first Code Vein launched in September 2019 to mixed reviews. Critics praised the partner system, character customization, and anime aesthetic while criticizing repetitive level design, uneven difficulty, and technical performance issues. The game sold over three million copies despite those flaws, proving there was significant appetite for an anime soulslike with more accessible difficulty options than FromSoftware’s notoriously punishing titles.
Code Vein II addresses many of those criticisms based on preview coverage. Environments look more visually diverse with distinct biomes rather than the first game’s samey industrial corridors. The partner system gains strategic depth through the Summon vs Forma dichotomy instead of just being easy mode with revives. Weapon customization and build variety expand significantly, addressing complaints about limited viable playstyles. Whether performance and technical polish improve won’t be clear until launch, but Bandai Namco clearly learned from fan feedback.
Release Date and Platforms
Code Vein II launches January 30, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Steam. Pre-orders are available now in Standard, Deluxe, and Collector’s Editions. The Standard Edition costs $69.99 and includes pre-order bonuses like the Stylized Forma Set with forma face paint and Twin Fangs of the Lone Wolf weapon. The Deluxe Edition at $89.99 adds the Custom Outfit Pack and Expansion DLC: Mask of Idris. The Collector’s Edition presumably includes physical goodies like art books and statues, though exact contents haven’t been detailed.
No last-gen versions exist. This is a current-gen exclusive, which makes sense given the improved visuals, expanded environments, and more complex systems that would struggle on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One hardware. The PC version releases simultaneously rather than getting delayed months later, and given Bandai Namco’s recent PC ports, performance should be solid on modern hardware.
Community Reactions
Fans of the original Code Vein reacted positively to the sequel announcement, with many surprised Bandai Namco greenlit a follow-up for a game that received mixed critical reception. The time travel premise and expanded partner mechanics generated significant excitement, though some expressed concern about the lack of direct story connections to the first game. Veterans wanted to see how their choices in Code Vein affected the sequel’s world, but Bandai Namco opted for a clean slate that welcomes new players without requiring seven-year-old game knowledge.
The partner system debate that defined the original continues into the sequel. Some players argue partners trivialize difficulty and ruin the soulslike challenge. Others appreciate having accessibility options that let them experience the story and world without banging their heads against bosses for hours. Forma attacks might satisfy both camps – solo players get powerful abilities without AI assistance, while those who want partners can summon them physically. Choice matters, and Code Vein II provides more of it.
FAQs
When does Code Vein II release?
Code Vein II launches January 30, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Steam. Pre-orders are available now in Standard, Deluxe, and Collector’s Editions.
What is the Partner System?
Partners are characters whose essence you store in a core on your back. You can either Summon them to fight physically alongside you, or channel them as Forma attacks that grant you their powers temporarily. This creates strategic choices about how to use partner abilities.
Is Code Vein II connected to the first game’s story?
No, the sequel features a completely new story with different characters and settings. While it’s still about Revenants in a post-apocalyptic world, there are no direct narrative connections requiring knowledge of the original game.
What are Forma attacks?
Forma are special abilities categorized as Combat, Defensive, or Bequeathed. Combat Forma are offensive attacks. Defensive Forma affect guarding and parrying. Bequeathed Forma are summonable weapons earned by defeating specific bosses. Partner Forma channel companion abilities without physically summoning them.
What are Jails?
Jails are special devices connected to the Revenant heart on your back that grant unique abilities like bat wings or lunging attacks. Executing Jail attacks replenishes ichor, creating gameplay loops that reward aggressive play with resources for more special moves.
Can I play solo without partners?
Yes, you can choose not to summon partners physically and instead use Forma attacks to gain their abilities without AI assistance. This satisfies players who want soulslike challenge without companions trivializing encounters.
Is there character customization?
Yes, Code Vein II features deep customization letting you adjust body type, hairstyle, facial expressions, accessories, makeup, and more. The system is even more extensive than the original’s already robust character creator.
What platforms is Code Vein II coming to?
The game launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Steam. There are no PlayStation 4 or Xbox One versions. This is a current-gen exclusive.
How much does Code Vein II cost?
The Standard Edition is $69.99. The Deluxe Edition costs $89.99 and includes additional costume packs and expansion DLC. Pre-orders receive exclusive bonuses like the Stylized Forma Set and Twin Fangs of the Lone Wolf weapon.
Conclusion
Code Vein II is shaping up to be everything the original could have been if development had more time and resources. The expanded Partner System with Summon and Forma mechanics addresses the biggest complaint about the first game – that partners made it too easy – by giving players meaningful choices about how to use companion abilities. Time travel adds narrative depth and environmental variety that the original lacked. Expanded weapon customization, new Forma types, and the Jail system create build diversity that should prevent the meta-staleness that plagued Code Vein’s endgame. Whether Bandai Namco delivers on these promises won’t be clear until January 30, 2026, but the pieces are in place for Code Vein II to become the definitive anime soulslike. The original sold three million copies despite mixed reviews, proving there’s massive appetite for accessible action-RPGs with deep customization and anime aesthetics. The sequel just needs to refine what worked and fix what didn’t. If the partner system actually creates strategic depth instead of just being easy mode, if environments maintain visual variety throughout the campaign, and if technical performance matches the ambition, Code Vein II could be the breakout hit that establishes the franchise as a genuine competitor to FromSoftware’s dominance. For fans who loved the first game despite its flaws, the sequel looks like validation that Bandai Namco heard feedback and invested in making improvements. For newcomers curious about anime soulslikes but intimidated by difficulty, Code Vein II offers accessibility without sacrificing depth. And for veterans who dismissed the original as baby’s first Dark Souls, maybe it’s time to give this franchise another look. January 30 is coming. Prepare your Forma, choose your partners, and get ready to rewrite history. The world depends on it.