Code Vein II

Code Vein II is a 2026 action RPG developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, released January 29, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It holds a Metacritic score of 73 and an OpenCritic 73 (“Fair,” 48% recommend) — squarely mixed, and squarely disputed: the sequel to 2019’s Code Vein landed to clickbait “worst of 2026” January headlines on one side and a community whose recurring consensus threads run considerably warmer on the other.

Producer Keita Iizuka called it “completely different” from the original, and structurally it is: a new world, a new cast, and a time-travel spine replacing the first game’s walled city.

Technical Specifications

Luna Rapacis and Lou

In a future where humans and Revenants coexist, the appearance of the Luna Rapacis — a predatory moon — transforms Revenants into mindless Horrors. As a Revenant hunter, the player travels between the collapsing present and the past alongside Lou, a girl who manipulates time, unpicking the collapse at its roots. The original’s anime aesthetic and famous character creator return by explicit design — Bandai Namco cited player feedback for keeping them — while the partner system is rebuilt around a smaller, deeper companion cast woven into the time-crossing story.

Reception

The critical split mirrors the first game’s, one tier up: hands-on and positive reviews praised the improved combat flow, boss presentation, and the reworked take on companion “summons,” while the mixed majority cited familiar complaints — undercooked level design, uneven difficulty, and a story that swings big without always connecting. The 73 aggregate reads less as a verdict than a genre position: like its predecessor, this is a game built for its specific audience, and that audience’s own threads — debating sales, defending the tone — suggest history repeating: modest scores, durable fanbase, and the franchise’s fate decided by legs rather than launch reviews.

Where to Play It Today

Code Vein II is on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S at standard new-release pricing, with first seasonal discounts already appearing. The original Code Vein isn’t narratively required — new world, new cast — but at its perennial sale price it remains the natural first bite.