Code Vein II, launching for PlayStation 5 on January 30, is the most recent entry within the dramatic exploration motion RPG sequence, Code Vein. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, it depicts the drama of Revenants and people who battle to defy their doomed destiny. Gamers confront relentless foes and treacherous areas alongside a trusted companion, whereas their decisions rewrite historical past and form the destinies of each the world and its characters.
We just lately bought an opportunity to go hands-on with the upcoming title and have a chat with the sport’s producer, Keita Iizuka, and the director, Hiroshi Yoshimura.
Observe a hero’s journey that transcends time to rewrite destiny and historical past
PlayStation Weblog: Your studio has labored on motion RPGs just like the God Eater sequence, the Tales sequence, and Scarlet Nexus. What features did you give attention to to set this title other than these video games?
Yoshimura: I believe certainly one of Code Vein’s defining options is its difficult issue.
Iizuka: One other essential facet of Code Vein is which you could solely convey one companion in your journey. Even when dealing with lethal environments or highly effective enemies the place a single mistake may imply dying, it’s simply the 2 of you. Which will really feel isolating at occasions, however the distinctive bond and belief that kind between you and your companion is exclusive to Code Vein.
Yoshimura: Code Vein additionally locations a powerful emphasis on making a world grounded in practical backgrounds. The staff made considerate design decisions to mix anime-style characters naturally into these detailed environments. This dedication to a particular visible fashion is one other hallmark of the sport.
Yoshimura-san, again whenever you have been creating God Eater 2, you talked about the way you organized your concepts by fastidiously placing them into phrases. Did that strategy carry over or affect your work on this challenge?
Yoshimura: The “verbalization technique” I used throughout God Eater 2 has been utilized not solely to this title, but additionally to the earlier Code Vein. It includes the big activity of writing out each sport component and clarifying how they join to 1 one other. We repeatedly iterated on the core motion programs from the prototype stage. As tasks develop in scope and growth durations stretch, the market and participant expectations hold evolving. If the staff doesn’t frequently replace its mindset throughout growth, the sport dangers feeling outdated by the point it launches. The motion on this title is the results of in depth iteration; whereas respecting and carrying ahead the sense of camaraderie together with your buddy that was so effectively acquired within the earlier sport, we rebuilt the system round two new strategic ideas – “Summoning,” the place you battle alongside your companion, and “Assimilation,” the place you develop into one with them. We hope gamers will get pleasure from this new strategy.
In terms of the sport’s worldbuilding, have been there any components you carried over from the earlier title or particular features you selected to emphasise?
Yoshimura: Code Vein II establishes a brand new setting whereas nonetheless retaining core components from the earlier sport. As a result of this title is constructed across the concept of rewriting historical past, straight linking it to the earlier sport’s world would threat overturning the established historical past and participant experiences. That stated, it’s not a completely separate world both; followers will discover acquainted objects, weapons, items, and different small callbacks scattered all through the sport.
In the course of the hands-on demo, the design variations between Josée as your Revenant buddy and as a boss actually stood out. What’s the idea behind the Revenant’s boss transformations?
Yoshimura: These design variations are meant to make gamers marvel what occurred to the character. Whereas their look modifications drastically, there are nonetheless refined components shared between the 2 types. You may miss them throughout battle, however because the story unfolds, you’ll start to know the reasoning behind the transformations. We’d love for gamers to look again on the character designs after these revelations.
Guaranteeing narrative integrity amid history-altering modifications
Participant decisions play an enormous function on this sport. Does altering historical past end in a number of endings?
Iizuka: The core gameplay revolves round touring between the current and previous to progress the story. Whenever you intervene prior to now and return to the current, relationships with characters or the world itself will change. The sport has a number of endings, so even after reaching one ending, you’ll be able to return in time to change it.
Yoshimura: It’s a fairly distinctive construction. There are a number of endings, however the way in which gamers strategy them is completely different. What actually defines this sport is how gamers actively form the story by way of their very own decisions.
Iizuka: There’s additionally New Sport+ that permits you to carry over your ranges and sure progress for many who wish to revisit the story from the start.
The history-altering system should be difficult to take care of story consistency. What have been your key focuses or struggles when crafting the narrative for this title?
Yoshimura: I took it on myself, however it was far tougher than anticipated. As I constructed out the narrative, I discovered myself eager to push the boundaries additional. I wish to create dwelling, respiratory characters, so I refused to make them act like puppets that have been handy to the sport’s system. Sustaining narrative consistency was robust, however character integrity mattered much more. My core rule was guaranteeing that participant experiences have been mirrored with none contradictions. The complexity made it troublesome to convey my imaginative and prescient clearly to the staff, so I simply powered by way of it myself (laughs).
Iizuka: The story went by way of in depth rewrites. Nonetheless, the ultimate model achieves strong consistency and a easy move, making the historical past alterations really feel seamless with none sense of disconnect.
What are the standout options of the brand new Rune Blade and Twin Blades? Are there any modifications to weapons carried over from the earlier sport?
Yoshimura: The Rune Blade is a tough weapon that leverages formae energy to levitate swords. With particular formae, you and the blade can transfer independently to assault, pulling off solo coordinated assaults. Twin Blades, held in each palms, prioritize velocity and spin. It was extremely requested by followers of the earlier sport, so we’re excited for the brand new addition. In Code Vein II, you’ll be able to stack wounds with each hit to maximise Ichor from blood drains, so hit depend is vital.
It’s troublesome to pinpoint modifications to the 5 returning weapon varieties, however the animations have seen a serious high quality improve, so nothing feels precisely just like the earlier sport. Each transfer, from weighted swings to combos, has been absolutely rebuilt to match the elevated animation requirements.
Iizuka: This sport now enables you to equip formae straight onto weapons, with many extra type-specific choices. This makes tailoring builds to every weapon’s strengths way more intuitive than within the earlier title.
Code Vein II launches on PS5 January 30. For extra gameplay particulars, take a look at the most recent hands-on report.
