As promised, Famitsu unleashed the first screenshots and details of Bandai Namco’s vampire RPG Code Vein in this week’s edition. The game is being created using Unreal Engine 4, and it is being helmed by Producer Keita Iizuka, Director Hiroshi Yoshimura, and Team Leader Yusuke Tomizawa, all members of Bandai Namco’s God Eater team.

Gematsu has the full translation over on its website, but I’ll pick out the highlights. The game takes place in the future after Earth is ravaged by “thorns of judgment,” huge spikes that jet up through the surface of the Earth. Players take on the role of “Revenants,” vampire-esque creatures who exist in a closed society called the “Vein.”

The game unfolds in a dungeon exploration style, and they will dive into the depths of the Earth to learn more about their fate and also drink a lot of blood.

One of the biggest features of Code Vein is the existence of a “Buddy.” When exploring Vein, you can take along a single Buddy. By sharing the sense of accomplishment of defeating strong enemies and overcoming the point of death, that feeling evolves into something special. You’ll witness Vein’s variety of faces—from mountainous regions enclosed by ice to caves and underground shopping areas—as you travel alongside your Buddy.

A Gift is Revenant’s special ability that creates various battle effects using the absorbed blood of enemies. It has various effects, including direct attacks on the enemy, self strengthening, and weakening the enemy. Figuring out how to successfully land blood sucking attacks and when to use Gift in battles against Losts are key to exploring Vein and clearing dungeons.

Looks different from the teaser, butit’s still rad as hell

The first screenshots are hardly dripping with the style that Bandai Namco used in the trailer. They carry a bit of the “gleam over anime” look that occurs a lot in JRPGs these days, Valkyria Revolution being the first game to come to mind. That’s not to say that the art isn’t cool. I’m not really one for flash over substance, but that only applies when the artists don’t go totally over the top. Not the case here. These vampires are awesome.

I only hope that Bandai Namco can set it apart from the rest of the action games of the world. I wouldn’t want to see it devolve into a musou game or yet another Monster Hunter knock-off.

The best part is that it has a worldwide release date, meaning it will be coming to North America in 2018 as well. No platforms have been announced yet.

Use a chess clock to keep track of move and play times
Tick tock

Use a chess clock to keep track of move and play times

These chess clocks feature dual clocks for players to control their own timers, and loud alarms so everyone knows when time is up. These clocks can be used for other 2-person games, like checkers, that may benefit from a game timer.