PlayStation Magazine UK - 12.2019

085

REVIEW

locked doors that totally lack

their own sense of place. In
larger areas it’s easy to get

lost thanks to the absolutely

pants map. This is a problem
exacerbated by the way many

corridors in a given area look

alike, their design ignoring the
fact that even recent ruins have

history and personality. As you

explore, your AI partners either
offer bland observations about

your surroundings or deliver
overwrought but toothless

monologues during cutscenes.

The voice cast makes the
exposition-heavy script

bearable – as well as making

for a fun round of ‘oh hey,
it’s that guy’ – but even their

talents can’t save the day.

FANGS A BUNCH

The story holds you at arm’s

length. You have the power
to relive your comrades’

memories – which are
presented as the most bare-

bones interpretation of a

walking simulator – but even

with this pivotal ability you’re

relegated to the background

of most cutscenes. There is

the odd dialogue option, and a

gift-giving side activity offering

the opportunity to get to

know your fellow Revenants,

but it’s all surface-level, and

as the emotional exchanges

come in thick and fast in the

final act the game does little to

encourage investment early on.

While I enjoyed the fighting for

the fate of the world, I didn’t

care all that much about the

fate of the living or the dead

in it. Even though Code Vein

promised all the trappings of

my kind of nonsense, I find

myself with little reason to

fight its corner.

VERDICT

THE OPM BREAKDOWN

Right Amid drab
environments,
the love and
attention that
has gone into
the character
and boss
designs is clear.

Below While
enemy and
hero design is
inventive, the
world is dull.

Above left You can create the vampiric original character of your dreams...

This souls-lite with an artful

anime sheen impresses visually

and presents an accessible

take on the winning formula but

fails to endear us with its bland

environments and toothless

story. Jess Kinghorn

10% Tweaking

every detail of

your hero’s

appearance.

7% Wondering

how long it will

be before

someone starts

selling Blood

Veil-style jackets.

5%Desperately

wanting to like

your fellow

suffering

Revenants more.

5%Wishing the

tepid story veered

into full-on

melodrama.

WHAT YOU DO IN... CODE VEIN

59%

Getting lost in the

level that looks

suspiciously like

Anor Londo.

14% Humming

that one operatic

refrain.

STAT PACK

Revenants to

partner up with

and fight at your

side. They’re

pretty, but

lacking in chat.

Areas to explore

and claw your

way through.

And to swear

at the map over

as well.

Tortured bosses

to beat in the

main story, such

as Butterfly Of

Delerium and The

Queen’s Knight.

24 11 6

Blood

Codes – like

swappable

classes – at least

to mix and match

Gifts from.

Has a shirt that leaves

little to the imagination,

and a tortured backstory.

Cool-headed, sharp-

eyed, and protective of

her younger sibling.

Jack-the-Revenant-

hunter’s companion,

with one hell of a voice.

FRIENDS & ENEMIES

MIA EVA

FANGED FASHIONISTAS

We adore how ridiculously everyone

is dressed in this post-apocalyptic

world, and can’t get enough of the

vamps’ heavy pleather looks.

FLAPPING GUMS

We wish we cared more about the

story’s emotional beats. Nothing is

making our ‘top ten anime deaths’

list and we’re pretty sad about it.

LOVING/HATING

B

UI

LD

IN

G

TR

UST

TROPHY CABINET

M

EN

DE

R

OF

MIN

DS

GIF

TED

BRONZE

The gift-giving

side-quest is tricky.

You’ll net this when you

give a companion a

desired valuable.

SILVER

Save your Haze (which

you get huge amounts

of late in the game)

and spend it on learning

50 Gifts for this.

GOLD

Find every Vestige.

You’ll earn this trophy

after you’ve restored

each one and relived

the memory within.

14

YA

KUM

O