Successor of the Ribcage is quite the boss name, Code Vein

I’m into it, even if I’m torn on the game itself

After getting a feel for Code Vein thanks to the recent network test on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, I can’t say I’m in any particular rush to play more of Bandai Namco’s anime-leaning Souls-like RPG.

I liked how easy it was to experiment with different character classes and builds – it felt like I was constantly learning new tricks – and there’s some sense of intrigue with the vampire theming. Those were the main positives. As for everything else, I found most of the enemies and environments to be on the bland side, the combat was fine at best and stilted at worst, and the game’s general vibe (at least early on) just wasn’t that enticing in the moment. It’s not outright bad, but it’s all a bit forgettable.

That said, Code Vein is still sitting on my “eventually” list. One reason: this ridiculous boss.

I’m not sure what I’d call a multi-armed wolf-headed beast, but someone on the development team landed on “Successor of the Ribcage,” and I respect that name. They really went for it.

If you took the network test for a spin, what did you think? I’m hopeful Code Vein opens up later on and the short glimpse we got isn’t necessarily indicative of the entire game. We’ll find out in September.