Code Vein 2 is built to support wildly different playstyles, from players who rush the critical path to those who comb every optional dungeon and character quest. That flexibility is exactly why estimates for “how long it takes to beat” can vary so much.
Quick answer: Expect roughly 25–30 hours if you push the main story, 40–50 hours if you regularly detour into side content, and around 100 hours or more to clear all endings and trophies.
Code Vein 2 main story length
For players who care most about seeing the end credits once, without worrying about cleaning up every optional activity, Code Vein 2 sits in a mid-length range for a Soulslike RPG.
Publisher Bandai Namco states that the main story is designed to take about 30–40 hours to complete under normal play conditions, with no difficulty selection and no multiplayer to carry you through encounters. That estimate assumes a reasonably direct route through story regions with only limited time spent on detours.
Hands-on completion reports narrow that further:
- Focusing almost only on main missions and doing minimal open-world exploration tends to land around 25–30 hours.
- A more relaxed “normal” first run that still prioritizes the critical path over collectibles often falls in the 30–40 hour band.
The main story is structured in three large acts, each with several zones and major bosses. Skipping most side activities is possible, but it also keeps your level, weapons, Jails, and Formae weaker, which can make late bosses slower or more punishing to clear. That is the main variable that pushes players toward the higher end of the main-story range.
Code Vein 2 time with side quests and exploration
Code Vein 2 moves away from the original’s mostly linear layout and leans into a fully open world with optional dungeons, Hero memories, Requests, and regional activities. As soon as you choose to engage with these systems consistently, the total playtime ramps up.
Typical ranges look like this:
- Main story plus a good portion of side content (Hero memories, some Requests, occasional dungeon clears) usually reaches about 40–50 hours.
- Thorough first playthroughs that fully explore most regions, chase many optional bosses, and resolve partner-related quests frequently land around 50–60 hours.
These numbers reflect how the game is tuned. Spending time in the open world gives you more levels, better gear, stronger Regeneration via Golden Nectar and Golden Blood Beads, and upgraded Jails and Bequeathed Formae. The difficult curve is effectively adjusted by how much of this content you use, so slower, more exploratory runs naturally take longer but also smooth out some of the hardest fights.
Completionist and Platinum playtime
Clearing every major system in Code Vein 2, including all endings and trophies, takes considerably more time than a single story run.
For a completionist approach, the playtime breaks down as follows:
- All major endings (A Hero’s End, Luna Fraterna, and Miraculous Bonds), which are tied to Partner quests and specific NPC interactions, push total time well beyond a simple credit roll.
- Full map exploration, all optional dungeons, side bosses, Hero memories, and Requests combined with ending cleanup typically push the game to around 100 hours or more.
- Platinum trophy expectations align with this, at roughly 100–110 hours when you account for missed items, build experimentation, and any time spent in New Game+ after the first clear.
Because Regeneration upgrades, powerful Blood Codes, and Partner traits come from exploration and progression systems, a completionist run not only lasts longer but also gives you a noticeably stronger character for subsequent playthroughs or NG+.
How NG+ and replays affect total hours
After you finish the main story once, Code Vein 2 unlocks New Game+. In NG+, you can start again with your character stats carried over, including levels and progression on weapons, Jails, and Bequeathed Formae. That dramatically changes how long another “beat the game” run feels.
With a fully leveled build and the world already mapped in your head, repeat clears are far shorter than a blind first run. Even so, the core timing reference points stay anchored to the first completion:
- First clear, main focus: generally 25–40 hours.
- Subsequent clears for alternate endings: often under half of that, depending on how aggressively you skip exploration and dialogue.
Because of carried-over power, later runs are usually where players experiment with different Blood Codes and Partner setups without worrying about being underleveled, which can add extra hours beyond the bare minimum needed to hit credits again.
Why estimates for Code Vein 2 vary
Playtime in Code Vein 2 shifts so much from player to player because several systems directly trade time for power.
Key factors include:
- How often you explore optional areas – Hunting every hot spring, dungeon, plant, statuette, and Regional Pathos interaction pushes you toward the 40+ hour mark, even if you only care about a single ending.
- How thoroughly you pursue side quests – Partner affinity, Requests, and Hero memories feed into both endings and character strength. Actively doing them lengthens the run but reduces boss retries.
- How quickly you adapt to combat – There are no difficulty settings and no multiplayer. If bosses take many attempts, the in-game clock climbs. If you lean into builds that exploit enemy patterns, combat time shrinks.
- How much you invest in Blood Code proficiency – Time spent grinding enemies that match your current Blood Code strength to raise proficiency, unlock higher-tier Blood Codes, and test builds adds hours that don’t strictly move the story forward.
The result is a spread where experienced action-RPG players who aim straight at the finale can land near 25–30 hours, while slower, meticulous players see 50 hours or more on a first file without ever touching every last activity.
If you only want a rough benchmark for planning, use this simple rule of thumb: allocate about 30 hours if you intend to see credits once with modest detours, around 50 hours if you enjoy regular exploration and side quests, and close to 100 hours if you want every dungeon cleared, all three endings, and the Platinum trophy.
