Everything Dark Souls & Code Vein Have In Common

Darks Souls has had a profound effect on the world of video games, inspiring an entirely new genre known as the “Souls-like.” Tons of other games have followed suit since then with unique takes on the Souls formula. One of those games is Code Vein which is, more often than not, referred to as anime Dark Souls.

Code Vein comes from the same team behind the God Eater series, and those inspirations can be seen just as clearly as the ones from Dark Souls. However, the game does bring its own unique mechanics as well, like Blood Codes that grant unique abilities to players, as well as a partner system.

Code Vein manages to stand out among the slew of Souls-likes, due in part to its unique sense of style. Here’s everything Dark Souls and Code Vein have in common.

Both Games Have Character Creation, But Code Vein’s Is Way More Detailed

The first thing players do in both Dark Souls and Code Vein is create their characters. The two games have an emphasis on putting players into the experience, both in terms of character creation and equipment. Code Vein, however, goes above and beyond with its character creation, giving players an unbelievable amount of options. Dark Souls doesn’t have a bad character creator, but just looking at a Reddit thread of Code Vein creations shows how dynamic it is.

Bonfires and Mistle Are the Same

Bonfires are one of the core pieces of Dark Souls‘ design, giving players a much-needed respite, as well as a chance to restore their healing items. In this aspect Code Vein sticks exactly to the formula Dark Souls set up, just replacing Bonfires with a white plant called Mistle. When players visit Mistle in Code Vein let players level up and save their game, among other options.

Code Vein Has Limited Healing Options

Part of the challenge of Dark Souls is the limited healing options players have while exploring. In Dark Souls this takes the form of a limited number of Estus Flasks, and Code Vein has a similar system known as Regeneration. Just like in Dark Souls, Regeneration can be restocked by resting at a Mistle. Code Vein isn’t quite as challenging, however, as the player’s partner can also heal them.

Both Games Have Methodical Combat With Multiple Weapons

Code Vein’s combat draws inspiration heavily from Dark Souls, as both games have methodical battles that are all about timing and learning when to block and dodge. Players have to be sure not to overextend themselves during combat as enemies can easily take advantage of mistakes. Dark Souls presents a wealth of different weapons for players to use like daggers, greatswords, spears, etc. Code Vein has something similar, with each weapon completely changing a character’s fighting style. For example, the hammer focuses on slow impactful blows, while the bayonet lets players fight from a distance and dodge quickly once enemies get close.

Code Vein Also Has a Punishing Death and Experience System

Dark Souls is renowned for being a challenging game, and the Souls-like genre has taken that on as a kind of mantra. Code Vein is similar, although not nearly as challenging as Dark Souls. Code Vein’s death system, in particular, is pretty similar to Dark Souls. Haze is the equivalent of Souls in Code Vein and works as experience. When players die they drop all the Haze they were carrying, respawn at the most recent Mistle, and have to make their way back to the spot of death to reclaim their experience. Code Vein does add another option, however, by letting players get back half of the experience they lost by resting in the hot spring at their base.

Both Games Let You Call a Friend to Help

While Dark Souls and Code Vein are primarily single-player games, both employ some kind of multiplayer system. Code Vein’s multiplayer is much more standard co-op, simply letting a friend join your game at any time. That is in addition to the partner character, however, so players will technically have two allies with them. By comparison, Dark Souls’ multiplayer is much more emergent with the whole invasion system.

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