At the Summer Games Fest showcase last week, Bandai Namco unveiled the next entry in their anime inspired Soulslike series, Code Vein II. While at Summer Games Fest, we got to see a bit about the game without actually getting to go hands-on with it.As someone who played the first game for the first time last year, this one looks bigger and better in every way. First and foremost though, Code Vein II is not a direct sequel to the 2019 original. Instead, the game features a whole new world and cast of characters for player to explore and meet.  The developers described it as more of a spiritual successor to the original but is a new story in the Code Vein universe.

From what we learned of Code Vein II, the big focus this time around is on time travel. Players will be able to shift between two separate time periods of the world: one being the present after a cataclysmic event has basically ravaged the world, and the second being the past right before the event happens. This is key as you are able to make choices in the past and those choices may change something about the world in the present.

Otherwise, there are many mainstays and mechanics from the original that return but have been enhanced.  Blood Codes are back and more important and there will be Boosters that both boost a Blood Core at the downside of some sort of penalty. There will be more weapons and weapon types in the game this time around. Plus, there will be far more character customization than in the first game.

Where this game shines most compared to the first, is in its world and design. This game is far brighter and vibrant in its art direction. While not fully open world, the developers described the game as an expansive field where you go to the specific mission dungeons instead of how you had your small base in the first game and would fast travel to mission areas.  Plus, the world is now big enough to where you can use a motorcycle to get around at an easier pace.

Code Vein II is set to release at some point in 2026.