After less than a year, Code Vein II has already released its DLC titled Mask of Idris, which was announced back in July. Players with the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition of the base game will be able to play Mask of Idris. Before we dive into the DLC, there is also a free 2.0 update that adds a post-game epilogue allowing players to explore the world freely with their partners, new character episodes, and the all-time favorite Boss Rush mode called Trials of Remembrance, while unlocking even more character customization galore. On top of that, there is a new partner, Jadwiga, who joins the adventure. Players are also given a more story-focused mode that eases the difficulty (now that is definitely built for Subash ;).
Alright, let’s talk about “Mask of Idris”. First and foremost, players need to finish the game and get the “Luna Fraterna” ending, and don’t forget you need to finish the “Valentin’s Request” sub-mission as well. Just in case: to get the “Luna Fraterna” true ending, players need to continue the game after the initial ending by going through Insula Carcere prison, defeating Retainer of Idris, and beating Soul Savior Valentin. It is indeed one of the saddest endings out of the 3 alternate endings, but to save humanity, sacrifice is needed for the greater good (and it unlocks the DLC, lmao).
Immediately after that ending, a new quest will appear: “Head for the temporal rift” at Magmell Island, and that leads to the Isle of Serenity. Players will be able to explore a whole new location with expanded story and questlines; on top of that, a whole ton of powerful new enemies await. The entire DLC offers a handful of new content—far more than players expected. It definitely suits existing players better than welcoming newcomers, especially with its wide array of classes, skills, and equipment to go crazy with.
Remember Valentin Voda, the companion that players spent so many hours with? Guess what, he has a sister, Liv Voda, and she’s crazy. Not only is she crazy, but she’s also your new companion! However, players need to earn her by exploring a dimensional rift, which is where we meet the “shadow” version of Lou. Liv later explains the situation regarding this troubled realm, and players are tasked with defeating this new threat to restore peace. Players will be able to explore more without any further spoilers in terms of the story.
Liv Voda is not the only new companion. Jadwiga is now a full partner character! Previously only summonable during combat, she can now be recruited as a full-time companion, expanding gameplay even further. She’s an all-rounder who excels at aggressive mid-range combat, but is also super strong during close-combat attacks—a master of all.
I guess the main gripe I have is how rushed the new content’s narrative feels. Not only do we have the expansion of the Idris DLC, but they’ve also added a true ending post-story WITH its own post-game. I know this might look like a rant over having an absurd amount of stuff in a single package, but the overall pacing is indeed too rushed, leaving no room to breathe. It is still Code Vein, but with meatier, packed content. Enemies are also quite imbalanced; some feel tankier than usual, while others feel like a breeze to deal with. The majority of the enemies are existing monsters with a reskin.
Overall, it is indeed a HUGE DLC with a ton of updates that are a feast for players. The all-new character shader allows an anime cel-shaded look reminiscent of the first game, along with a new and improved camera mode featuring over 30 new poses, new photo frames, and the list goes on. For players who wanted more, this is exactly the DLC for them.
Thank you again to Bandai Namco for the Mask of Idris DLC. Code Vein II: Mask of Idris is out now on all platforms except Nintendo Switch 1 and 2.
