Code Vein 2 Is Being Held Back By One Glaring Issue

Although many of its mechanics have improved, one part of Code Vein 2 has derailed its path to success by a wide margin. After the game’s release on January 29, 2026, Mixed reviews on Steam reveal a shared problem that has fans frustrated in the kindest sense of the word. For Code Vein 2 to have any chance of resonating with audiences, it will need to fix the one thing holding it back from being an action RPG players latch onto.

Already an ambitious sequel, Code Vein 2‘s emphasis on open world elements and Soulslike combat craft an interesting title right as the new year begins. Unlike other praised action RPGs from last year, such as The First Berserker: Khazan, Code Vein 2 isn’t quite as optimized, leaving some players in the dust. The main issues with the game stem from what it demands from different systems, especially for those who got it on PC.

Code Vein 2 Launched On Steam This Week To Mixed Reviews Due To Poor Performance

Poor performance has plagued Code Vein 2, causing players to outright crash while playing multiple times. According to reviews, the game is “one of the most unoptimized games I have ever played,” “feels like wasted money,” and “simply does not run well” from the words of several who bought it. Even PCs with more up-to-date hardware are struggling to portray Code Vein 2, experiencing frame drops and stuttering throughout various attempts.

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Complaints highlight major pitfalls of Code Vein 2’s visuals in crucial moments, including loading new areas or transitioning gameplay into cutscenes. Some areas of the game are almost poisonous for any system, dropping the frame rate to unplayable levels in the worst case scenarios. Although it isn’t broken beyond belief, the parts that perform poorly are very noticeable and disrupt your experience quickly during important stages of your journey.

All of this takes away from the Souls-inspired combat of Code Vein 2, which has been refined somewhat compared to its predecessor. Yet, with criticisms calling out how the combat also feels less impactful than the previous game, the performance issues create an aggravating foundation for players to build their dislike from. Once players decide to refund a title like Code Vein 2, they very rarely give it a second chance, making these performance issues something that developers need to address as soon as possible.

Solid Action RPG Systems Can’t Reach Their Full Potential Through Stuttering & Crashes

Even if the action RPG systems of Code Vein 2 appear wonderfully through top of the line graphics, needing the best hardware for this game to match its potential is a huge setback. All signs point toward the game releasing slightly too early, with many bugs and problems simply not addressed at the time of its launch. While future patches can create some much-needed fixes, they may come too little too late.

One of the reasons why the performance issues are so glaring is due to how action works in Code Vein 2. Every fight, you build up the ability to unleash skills by draining blood from your enemies. Customizable weapons and character traits create dynamic fights, with partner characters joining with you to add their skills to your own. The main issue is that with multiple abilities taking place from multiple faces in combat, the number of effects increase, taking a toll on the game’s performance.

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Basically, the more chaotic fights get, the more the poor optimization of Code Vein 2 shows. Stuttering during combat, skipping frames, or other errors in visuals could spell certain doom, causing you to repeatedly die against a particular boss. With reports already confirming that some areas and enemies strain Code Vein 2‘s performance more than others, this creates heavy obstacles to ignore or surpass.

No matter what discounts the game may have, no one is going to want to play a title that breaks in its most important moments. This is quite a shame, as the action RPG elements of Code Vein 2 can be impressive when everything works as intended. The bad performance of the game is certainly holding it back, but also causing a lackluster first impression that may stick to it even after any solutions are found.

What do you think of Code Vein 2‘s performance problems on launch? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!