A mysterious disaster has brought destruction to the world as we know it. Towering skyscrapers, once symbols of prosperity, are now lifeless graves of humanity’s past, pierced by the Thorns of Judgment. At the center of the destruction lies a hidden society of Revenants called Vein. This final stronghold is where the remaining few fight for survival with blessed Gifts of power, in exchange for their memories and a constant thirst for blood. 

This brief guide will introduce the controls and basic concepts of the game to help you get started on your journey as a Revenant in CODE VEIN.

On the main screen, important stats such as HP and Stamina will show. While Stamina will recover automatically over time, health will not. It is essential to maintain your health throughout your adventure. At your disposal, you will have recovery items that can be assigned to directional buttons for quick access or even a Mistle to rest and heal wounds.

Special abilities called “Gifts” can increase your strength, weaken enemies, or cast powerful attacks. To activate them, they use a resource called Ichor, which is equivalent to magic points or mana points. Ichor can be replenish by attacking, guarding, and draining enemies. Draining enemies also increases the maximum amount of Ichor you can store.

You can take damage or dodge enemies to build your Focus meter. Once the bar is full, your character will enter a focused state automatically and that fortifies you against attacks, resulting in less damage. While in a Focused State, you can perform a special launch attack that automatically drains an enemy. 
 

To attack, you can alternate between weak and strong blows to create combos against enemies. Some weapons allow you to perform a charged attack by holding the Strong Attack button. Each weapon has its own unique Special Attack which will consume more Stamina than regular attacks. Experiment with these Special Attacks to work them into
your combos.

To defend, you can guard, dodge or even parry enemies attacks. A successful parry will interrupt the enemy attack and drain their blood, dealing massive damage and restoring some of your Ichor supply. Parry attempts can leave you extremely vulnerable, so be sure to practice your timing against weaker enemies before attempting it on harder-hitting foes.
 
CODE VEIN would not be complete without blood-sucking abilities. You can drain blood from foes to restore Ichor reserves. The normal draining method will leave you vulnerable to attacks, but you can perform a Combo Drain which will allow you to quickly recover Ichor in the heat of battle. With a full Focus Meter, you can also perform a Launch Attack for another opportunity to drain your foes. However, special enemies (such as bosses) cannot be launched.
 

You're not alone in battle. Your partner will assist you in battle by attacking enemies, calling out items or locations, and even healing you from the brink of death. He/she has the Focus meter as well.

Weapons and armor, known as Blood Veils, can enhance your character and customize your playstyle. Multiple weapons can be equipped at once to quickly switch between them. Be sure to have the necessary stats to equip weapons and Blood Veils.

The stats determine abilities such as strength, survivability and available Gifts. You can change your stat rankings by switching Blood Code or equipping certain assets to your character.

Every Blood Code comes with a preset Gift loadout, but they can be customized to fit any playstyle. Gifts can be equip up to eight at one time, giving you a massive arsenal of skills ready at the push of a button. Any Gifts that cannot be equip are marked with a red slash. You can highlight a Gift to view its effects, Ichor cost, cooldown time, and required stats. To equip the Gifts, you can open the Field Menu and select any of the eight squares on the right side of the menu to change the Gift assigned to that slot. Each set of four boxes are tied
to different areas on the controller. 
 

There are eight types of Blood Codes to change your stats, as well as your access to certain Gifts and passive abilities.

• Fighter: Boosts endurance for melee combat. Raises abilities based on Strength and Dexterity.
• Prometheus: Well-balanced for combat, but fragile. Its Gifts bolster dodging and parrying.
• Ranger: Provides support and defense buffs with Gifts.
• Hunter: Features Gifts that support ranged attacks with the bayonet.
• Caster: Specializes in powerful attack-type Gifts that can be used from a distance.
• Mercury: Allows for safe exploration with its balanced stats and Stamina.
• Berserker: Features high Strength and Endurance. Its low Ichor stock is to set with its access to heavy armor.
• Hermes: Strikes a new balance between melee attacks and access to a wide variety of Gifts.

And this all you need to know for now. CODE VEIN will launch shortly in 2019 for the PS4®, Xbox One and PC. In the meantime, sign up for a chance to participate in the Network Test for Xbox One and PS4®!