I may not totally understand the story of Code Vein’s vampire anime protaganists and the ruined hellscape of a world they traverse, but I was more than happy to sit down and try my hand at slowly battling my way through a small section of the game – leading up to a very peculiar and challenging boss fight. Bandai Namco had informed me that there was more story and cinematics to be found in other parts of the game, letting me focus solely on my enemies – which included both unsettling grotesque mutants and the terrain itself.
It’s easy to draw comparisons with a game like Dark Souls – the “Mistle” flowers that must be rested at like bonfires to save progress and level up, the methodical encounters with enemies where watching stamina consumption is key, the treacherous narrow pathways and ledges where monsters lurked just behind a corner – but I was more interested in what set Code Vein apart from the pack. There’s challenge to be sure, and interactions with enemies felt a bit more dire as I noticed my health dropping slightly even when blocking their powerful blows. This necessitates a strategy that favors ways to avoid damage entirely, like having a trusted companion. I was able to choose between three AI-controlled friends: Louis, Yakumo, and Mia, and each provided supports in different ways – as I would soon learn more of when I encountered the boss of this demo: the Invading Executioner.
Source: IGN.com In Code Vein's Boss Fights, Companions Prove Their Worth