Code Vein

Code Vein
Developer: Shift Publisher: Bandai Namco Platform: Windows Released internationally: September 27, 2019 This game has unused areas. This game has a hidden developer message. This game has unused modes / minigames. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused models. This game has unused items. This game has unused abilities. This game has unused music. This game has unused sounds. This game has unused text.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

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Code Vein is an anime-esque Souls-like spin-off of the God Eater series. Despite being the first entry in the genre for Shift, it received an unexpectedly warm reception and managed to sell over a million copies in its first year.

Codename

Internal development codename for the project was "GEZ", which is speculated to stand for "God Eater Zero" due to plot elements of the game being intertwined with the previously-established God Eater universe, potentially making this a prequel to the series.

Story and Companions

Internally, the areas are numbered in a way that does not reflect the actual order they're encountered in-game.

Initially the game was intended to start with a first-person cutscene, leaving their character ambiguous at the time. The cutscene ends with the player being likely "killed" by the Queen during the section that is dubbed "memory of <player>" in the final game and is available much later in the story, which would've smoothly followed into the cutscene of the player waking up in a field hospital tent with Karen - this cutscene is used in the final game in its in-engine variant (a prerendered version exists as well). The cutscene also starts in first-person as the player was meant to define their character at the end as they're handed the "medical form" by Karen. In the final game, the cutscene jumps to third-person as soon as the PDA is handed to the player. Beyond that point, the game would've continued with the player memory section as its first area as a tutorial.

It is unclear why the order was changed. It's possible that the memory segment was considered to be more of a mechanical than worldbuilding type of tutorial and as such a new tutorial section was made with the already-made section shifted to being an optional area later in the progression. Following changes in story order, some of the exposition elements were shifted from being prerendered cutscenes to memory vestiges, such as Silvas' speech.

Unused voicelines also imply that originally companions were predefined per area or stage of the story, much like how Jack is forced as the player's only companion during their memory stage. Not many voicelines detailing initial plans for companions have been left in the final game.

Scrapped Online Modes

Various strings and items left in the files suggest that the game's multiplayer was intended to be much closer to Dark Souls with invasions/PvP and potentially covenants. The final game shipped with co-op as its primary and only online mode.

Unused Invasion strings
{guestname} has invaded in search of blood.
{guestname}'s presence can no longer be felt...
You no longer sense the presence of {hostname}. Your hunt has come to an end.
{vampirename} has invaded in search of blood.
Tracking faint traces of blood in the air...
Unable to use while one or more hunters are present.
A hunter has invaded in search of blood.
Your hunt has now come to an end.
Your hunt has come to an end.
Quit Hunting
A hunter and the Lost have invaded in search of blood.
You received {itemname} x{num} as proof of a successful hunt.
The hunter's presence can no longer be felt.
Begin Hunting
You received {itemname} x{num} as proof of having defeated a hunter.

It also appears that each type of online interaction would've rewarded the players with different items. In the final game, only "Marks of Honor" are obtainable through normal co-op interactions (helping host player to defeat a boss), however the game also has defined "Bloodstained Dogtags" and "Broken Fangs" which were intended as online reward items. Blodstained Dogtags would be awarded to players who managed to kill an invader, and Broken Fangs would be given to the invader who managed to kill their target (or possibly also another co-op player?).

Test Level

A sample Unreal Engine 4 test level, named "work". It can still be loaded if the player uses a console unlocker mod, loads up their save file, and then uses the "open work" console command.

The level is empty besides a walkable floor and a sky sphere.

Unused Items and Abilities

It appears that initially the developers intended for most if not all enemy weapons to be obtainable (which would make sense since their models already exist as they're used by the enemies), however besides models and textures (obviously) the only indication of them ever being planned to be obtainable by the player are their names and descriptions.

Weapon Name	Description	Comments
Trono	A sword used by the Queen's vanguard that has changed with time. The weapon holds the power of lightning, which is released as a Gift when swung. The knights who guard the cathedral are all veterans of the Queen's vanguard, and their transformation is a sign of willpower that rivals that of their liege.
Folgore	A polearm used by the Queen's vanguard that has changed with time. It contains lightning energy that allows the wielder to make swift, lunging thrusts. The knights who guard the cathedral are all veterans of the Queen's vanguard, and their transformation is a sign of willpower that rivals that of their liege.
Black Baccarat	A black polearm used by female Lost who served in the Queen's vanguard. Its flower-petal-like blade inflicts painful wounds that drain a great amount of ichor from revenants struck. The vanguard once served as special forces in Operation Queenslayer, and their equipment still bears a hint of the beauty its designers gave it.
Landini	A black blade used by the female Lost who served in the Queen's vanguard. Its slick, red edge draws great amounts of ichor from its victims, adding to the strength of the wielder. The vanguard once served as special forces in Operation Queenslayer, and their equipment still bears a hint of the beauty its designers gave it.
Devil Scrap
Burned Scrap
Tyrant's Kopis		The Insatiable Despot uses these knives in the first phase of the fight before joining them with the stake through its chest to form the Tyrant's Labrys axe which the player can use.
Advent Blade
Inferno Claw		Might be the wakizashi used by the Successor of the Claw; the player can acquire and use their katana, the Blazing Claw.
Knight's Word		The weapon used by the Queen's Knight in the Memories of Player.
Knight's Answer		The weapon used by the Queen's Knight Reborn in the Provisional Government Outskirts.
Gilded Voulge		The halberd used by the Gilded Hunter. It doesn't drop this, so the player can never use it.
Invader's Great Axe		Might be related to the Invading Executioner, who drops the Assassin's Sickle.
Huge Halberd		Possibly related to the Huge Hammer which the player can find in the Ashen Cavern.
Advent Halberd
Pike of Thralldom		Might be used by enemies in the Ruined City Underground, since the player starts with a Pipe of Thralldom and a Hammer of Thralldom.

Veil name	Description
Battered Claw Veil
Battered Thorn Veil

Depths

Remainders of orignal files for depths imply that initial plan for the depths might've been strongly inspired by Bloodbornes Chalice Dungeons with depths being procedurally generated (to some unknown extent).

This idea morphed over time to lesser and lesser forms with potential peak being a plan for each depths theme having two maps, one being fixed/handmade (as the ones available in the final game) and one procedurally-generated variant.

Over time, names of the depths also changed slightly with alterations like "Null District" being renamed to Zero District or "Empty White" becoming Silent White. Map items for some of the original depths still exist in the final game, however they do not serve any function anymore.

Depths Name	Description
Map: Town of Gehenna	A map leading to the depths. It holds the location data for the Town of Gehenna.
Map: Sheer Cliffs	A map leading to the depths. It holds the location data for the Sheer Cliffs.
Map: Empty White	A map leading to the depths. It holds the location data for Empty White.
Map: Chaotic Grotto	A map leading to the depths. It holds the location data for the Chaotic Grotto.
Map: Feeding Grotto	A map leading to the depths. It holds the location data for the Feeding Grotto.
Map: Null District	A map leading to the depths. It holds the location data for the Null District.

Domino's Pizza

Present in the files are several unused voicelines for home-base characters that praise Domino's Pizza.

It is speculated that the voicelines were recorded for a collaborative promotion that was meant to take place at one point, but fell through contractually due to the game being delayed. It is unknown how the collab event would've worked or when it would take place.

Speaker	Transcript
Yakumo	Alright, it's here! Been looking forward to this. Especially that crust... Fluffy, chewy... perfect.
Louis	They must have experimented with a lot of different flavors before they settled on these...
Jack	The flavor, the thickness of the crust, even the way the sauce was spread...
Louis	What we have now is the result of a lot of hard work and care. We should enjoy it.
Murasame	It doesn't always turn out that great, but it's a good way to discover new flavors, so I'm gonna keep trying!
Yakumo	Go on, grab a slice. Dig in while it's still piping hot!
Mia	Oof. All this talking is making me hungry... Let's dig in, shall we?
Coco	Amazing... And they still manage to turn a profit. That's quite a business.
Coco	I wonder if they have a book I can study
Davis	If you don't believe me, try it for yourself. One bite is sure to convince you.
Louis	We've got pizza? I'm always surprised by how many options they have at this place.
Eva	They're the perfect size for eating on your own, and easy to pack up and travel with too.
Jack	You can see the soul of an uncompromising artisan in this pizza.
Davis	I suggest trying the phyllo crust. Biting through all those layers is really satisfying.
Davis	Pizza really depends on the crust. The type you choose changes it entirely.
Eva	They might be good to take on explorations. I just hope the aroma doesn't draw the Lost like it does me.
Io	Let's hurry up and eat while it's hot.
Io	My stomach is growling... I cannot hold back.
Io	That aroma... I've never smelled anything so tasty. This world is full of surprises.

There is a Twitter video presenting the voice lines.

Unused Audio

The game's files contain several unused audio tracks. Some are unused mixes of existing game tracks (like variant of theme used only in first trailer), while others are directly taken from previous God Eater games.

Perhaps most interesting is the presence of "Velvet room theme" from the Persona 3 soundtrack, likely as a placeholder.

Unused Models

It appears that key promotional art was done in-engine (or even directly in-game) using copies of actual game assets as some of them are still contained within game files. Final game contains couple of high-poly character models that have been pre-posed and exported as static meshes, it is unknown why only some of those assets have been left in the files instead of either removing all of them or leaving all of them in the files.

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  Promotional Art image