You Can Get a Head Start on a Big PS5 Game Releasing Next Week

Gamers can currently download a Code Vein 2 demo ahead of the upcoming Soulslike’s release on January 30. While not a full gameplay demo, the Code Vein 2 demo gives players the opportunity to hop in and get to grips with the new character creator tools, which will transfer to the full game at launch.

The original Code Vein was released back in 2019, so fans have been waiting quite a while for the next iteration. It was an interesting attempt at a Soulslike game from Bandai Namco Studios, although it only received mixed reviews from critics. On review aggregator site OpenCritic, the first Code Vein holds a Top Critic Average of 74, with just 58% of critics recommending it to gamers. The game received praise for applying a strong anime aesthetic to the Soulslike genre and still managing to remain visually cohesive, but faced criticism for its boss fights and overall story, despite the characters themselves being positively received. Importantly, the character creator in the original Code Vein came in for a lot of praise, but it’s still one area that Bandai Namco Studios is looking to improve in the sequel.

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You Can Create Your Code Vein 2 Character Before The Game Releases

Ahead of Code Vein 2‘s release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, gamers can head to any of the respective storefronts and download a character creator demo right now. The demo will allow players to utilize the full character creation suite, and experiment with their Revenant Hunters. These characters can be transferred to the full game, so players have a chance to get ahead so that they can jump straight into the action on January 30. Players are able to create up to 64 characters, so there shouldn’t be any concerns about running out of slots.

Video game character creation tools can often be deceptive, highlighting the characters in the best possible lighting scenarios. This can lead to characters looking wildly different in-game compared to when they were created by the player, and the new Code Vein 2 demo aims to avert that. Players can explore the MagMell Institute in the demo, allowing them to see how their characters look under different lighting conditions. This should help prevent any accidental character creation nightmares in the full game. The demo also has access to the full game’s Photo Mode features, so players can take a few screenshots of their Revenant Hunters before the adventure truly begins.

Any game with a robust character creator is always worth paying attention to. Even if the game itself doesn’t deliver, players will always use these tools to create interesting protagonists for their playthroughs. In recent years, games like Oblivion Remastered and Dragon’s Dogma 2 have had particularly versatile tools for gamers to play around with, and the gaming community always delivers. Considering the original Code Vein already received praise for its character creator, it seems the sequel is set to follow suit, and it will be interesting to see the kind of things players are going to create.

Code Vein 2 is going to be one of the first major video game releases of 2026, and the wait is almost over ahead of its January 30 launch. Unfortunately, Bandai Namco Studios has already confirmed that Code Vein 2 will not support enhanced features via the PS5 Pro, but there’s still plenty for gamers to look forward to. The game will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, so most gamers (outside Nintendo-exclusive gamers) should have access to it, wherever they choose to play.

Released

January 29, 2026

ESRB

Teen / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases