Following preliminary details last week, Bandai Namco has released more information on Code Vein‘s new Blood Veil, “Ivy,” Blood Codes, “Ridge of Frozen Souls” location, and more.
Get the details below.
■ New Blood Veil: Ivy
A Blood Veil that takes the form of a scarf that extends from the user’s shoulders. When attacking, it transforms into numerous thorns that pierce the enemy. It can also attack enemies at a distance. It is one of the more lightweight Blood Veils, allowing the user to fight battles with speed.
—The standard Drain attack. The Blood Veil transforms into thorns and can pierce even distanced enemies from through the ground.
—Drain attacks that follow parries, etc. can skewer the enemy and further tear them to pieces from their insides.
—The Ivy Blood Veil is characterized by its scarf-like appearance that extends over the backs of the shoulders. Eva Roux also uses the Ivy Blood Veil.
■ The Traits of Each Blood Veil
The “Ogre” Blood Veil has short reach, but is very effective when you get in close to the enemy. “Hounds” is a high-in-attack-power Blood Veil that can attack at a vast range ahead of the user. And the “Stinger” Blood Veil has a lengthy build-up time, but can attack enemies at a distance. The Drain actions available to the player change significantly depending on the Blood Veil equipped.
■ Experience Points and Levels
By using experience points called “Haze,” the player character will be able to level up. Haze can be acquired by defeating enemies, as well as by using dedicated items obtained in dungeons.
—By increasing the player character’s level, their basic stats will also increase.
—If you are defeated in a dungeon, you will lose all of the Haze in your possession. However, if you reach the spot where you died, you can recover your Haze.
■ Blood Code
A Blood Code is a special blood type possessed by Revenants caused by the special characteristics of the owner. The protagonist can obtain the Blood Codes of other Revenants from their crystallized memories.
—In many situations, the crystallized memories you obtain will be damaged. In order to obtain a Blood Code, you must first repair their core.
By equipping a Blood Code, the special characteristics of the Revenant from which it came will be granted unto the player character, enabling the use of their Gifts. By repairing crystallized memories to resurrect the owner’s lost memories, you can unlock the Gifts hidden within the Blood Code.
—To repair crystallized memories, dedicated materials and Haze are required.
—By repairing crystallized memories, the owner’s lost memories will be resurrected. The protagonist can look into those memories, find the truth hidden within them, and come to know the heart of the Revenant from which the memories came.
The Gifts that belong to the equipped Blood Code will be replaced when you change Blood Codes, but some Gifts can be used regardless of the equipped Blood Code depending on whether certain conditions are met.
Blood Code: “Ranger”
A Blood Code that places emphasis on survival during exploration. By equipping it, you can learn Gifts that bolster exploration, such as a passive Gift that increases stamina, or a long-distance attack Gift that lures in the enemy.
Here are a couple of the Gifts that can be learned with the Ranger Blood Code:
- Sonic Arrow – Generates a blade out of Ichor, and shoots at a distant enemy. It is low in power, but is very effective at luring the enemy to an easier place to battle.
- Poison Mark – Grants a poison status ailment effect to the equipped weapon for a fixed period of time. If you manage to inflict the enemy with poison through repeated attacks, you can steal the strength away from even a powerful foe.
Blood Code: “Hunter”
A Blood Code that specializes in long-distance attacks. Depending on the weapon, you can learn shooting-type attack Gifts that can, for example, slow down the movements of the target Lost and increase the power of your shooting attacks.
Here are a couple of the Gifts that can be learned with the Hunter Blood Code:
- Shooting Riser – Increases the attack power of your shooting attacks depending on the weapon for a fixed period of time. This ability is significantly effective when using a bayonet.
- Blood Sacrifice – Converts your own HP into Ichor. Since you can obtain Ichor without Draining it from Losts, it is possible to consecutively trigger powerful Gifts for a short period of time.
Blood Code: “Berserker”
A Blood Code that specializes in close-range battles. Its effect time is short, but it enables the user to learn powerful Gifts that exhibit their strength at close-range, such as easily pushing back the enemy and making yourself more difficult to push back.
Here are a couple of the Gifts that can be learned with the Berserker Blood Code:
- Crazy Blow – After activating the effect, the attack power of the user’s next weapon attack will increase. It is particularly effective when using weapons that deal powerful blows.
- Royal Heart – Makes the user more difficult to push back as a result of enemy attacks for a fixed period of time. It is particularly useful in dangerous situations such as when facing against numerous enemies.
■ Player Customization
By combining weapons, Blood Veils, and Blood Codes, the player can customize a unique character all their own.
—The Hit and Away Type: Equipped with a lightweight weapon and Blood Veil to increase evasive ability.
—The Power Type: Equipped with a heavyweight, high-power weapon and high-defense Blood Veil.
—The Gift Attack Specialization Type: Equipped with a Blood Code that increases the power of attack-type Gifts and Gifts that replenish Ichor.
■ Obtaining and Strengthening Weapons
Other than obtaining weapons from the fields, you can obtain weapons from enemy drops or by purchasing them at specific locations. By using Haze and strengthening materials, you can also strengthen the performance of your weapon.
■ Obtaining and Strengthening Blood Veils
In addition to obtaining Blood Veils from the fields, you can also purchase them. Just like weapons, a Blood Veil can be strengthened to enhance its abilities.
■ Field Introduction: Ridge of Frozen Souls
A field where the danger of falling constantly follows the player—be it by snowstorms that make it difficult to see the path ahead, paths that run along the sides of cliffs, or overhanging snow. This area consists of mountains and caves.
—A cave that continues into a frozen mountain.
—A battle to the death against a Lost on a mountainside with limited footing.
—The entrance to a cave inside the mountain.
A powerful Lost awaits at the innermost depths of the mountain. Its entire body is covered in armor, it has deer-like horns and a giant shield, and rocket boosters on its back, making it quite robotic. It uses high-mobility attacks through brute force utilization of its shield and horns, as well as its rockets, and can also use ice-type Gifts.
■ Character Introduction: Nicola Karnstein (voiced by Hiromi Igarashi)
A Revenant who is wandering in Vein with his older sister Mia. He is kind and loves his sister, and has strong courage in that he will fight without giving in to any enemy if it is for the sake of his sister.
■ Event Scenes featuring Mia Karnstein
—Mia prepares to attack in order to protect her little brother Nicola. She is occasionally prepared to be ruthless in order to protect her only blood brother and survive in Vein.
—Mia stands alone in the Ridge of Frozen Souls. What fate awaits her and Nicola on this land where everything has frozen over?
—Mia wakes up in a bed somewhere. Will there be a place to rest for the girl who continues to fight in solitude?
Code Vein is due out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC worldwide in early 2018.