Code Violet Review – More Irritation Than Tension

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Look, it really hurts to say this, because I know a lot of talented people poured their hearts into Code Violet. But honestly? The only things that really stood out to me were how the game looked and sounded, and maybe a glimmer of a good idea hidden somewhere underneath it all. It’s inspired by some of my favorite survival horror games, but it just doesn’t quite come together. I’m struggling to think of anything that made playing it feel worthwhile, and that’s a tough thing to admit.

Despite its flaws, the game is visually appealing. The lighting is well done, especially how it reflects off the main character and the environments within the mysterious facility. However, it’s disappointing that most of the indoor areas look very similar to each other, with only a few outdoor locations offering any real variety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI-HzM8azT8

The story relies too heavily on familiar science fiction horror clichés, making all the major plot twists predictable.

I could have overlooked the repetitive aspects if the game had offered something truly engaging, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. The level design is overly complicated and forces a lot of unnecessary backtracking, which is frustrating despite the appealing visuals. To make matters worse, the game sometimes runs poorly with occasional stuttering, and the animations and facial expressions look awkward and distracting.

The story relies heavily on predictable science fiction horror clichés, making the major plot twists obvious. Despite this, it had the potential to be a compelling narrative if the writing had been more consistent throughout its four-hour runtime.

Throughout most of the game, we didn’t learn much about why Violet was in trouble, making it difficult to really care about what happened to her. The ending suggested this was only the start of her story, and it could have launched a fantastic new series for PlayStation. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Violet will become as popular as characters like Aloy anytime soon.

The game’s story is overly complicated and feels unfinished, which completely ruins any attempt to build suspense – and it fails badly. This is especially disappointing in a horror game, and it’s frustrating to see a promising idea fall flat like it does in Code Violet. I really hoped the gameplay itself would be engaging enough to make up for the story’s flaws.

“Violet is about as bland a character as they come.”

I was disappointed again. I think I went in expecting more than this game delivered. I’d hoped Violet would be a captivating main character, and that seeing her run from dinosaurs would be exciting. Unfortunately, she’s a very flat and uninteresting character. She often seemed to be deliberately trying to appear emotionless, even when describing terrifying things. It’s hard to connect with her, and her dialogue makes her feel shallow compared to other strong female leads in the genre.

Honestly, playing this game was frustrating because the controls, animations, and camera just didn’t feel right – they seemed to be working against me. The enemies weren’t much of a challenge either! The dinosaurs would practically run into my bullets, which meant I didn’t really get to play the game, you know? I was almost glad they died so easily, because the AI wasn’t very bright and didn’t put up a good fight.

The game offers a decent selection of weapons, but the inventory is frustratingly clunky. I ended up storing most of my heavier weapons, only carrying one powerful gun along with my pistol and a knife – which felt out of place. I mostly used the knife to quickly deal with smaller dinosaurs, saving my pistol for larger threats and occasionally using my shotgun or assault rifle when I ran low on ammo.

While Code Violet supports the DualSense controller, the weapons don’t feel very impactful. This is particularly noticeable when fighting dinosaurs—the controller vibrates similarly whether you’re using a weak pistol or a powerful shotgun, making it hard to feel the difference in firepower.

I encountered only a few different dinosaur types during gameplay, and even the biggest one, which seemed designed as a boss, was too easy to defeat. It was hard to believe these powerful creatures could be taken down so quickly, which made the combat feel repetitive and unengaging.

The game often felt more frustrating than scary. I spent a lot of time dealing with surprisingly easy dinosaurs and repeatedly searching for necessary items, which became tedious. Although I appreciated the clean interface without a traditional heads-up display – the armband showing Violet’s health was a nice touch – the game could have benefited from clearer guidance to prevent players from wandering around unnecessarily.

It’s easy to overlook important items because they’re often hidden in obscure spots. For example, I didn’t discover an upgrade to increase my inventory space until I was well into the game – a frustrating reminder that crucial improvements can be easily missed. And that’s saying something, considering I’m the type of player who meticulously searches every area for hidden treasures! It was disappointing to realize the level design actually made finding those items harder.

“The audio design is fairly good.”

The sound design is effective, creating a sense of unease and making the environment feel genuinely threatening through a clever use of silence and music. However, the voice acting and character facial expressions aren’t convincing enough to make the story truly resonate.

Okay, let’s be real – Code Violet just isn’t worth $50. Honestly, I’d even be disappointed if I paid $30 for it. The gameplay just doesn’t click – the different parts don’t work together to create something fun and addictive. And the story? It had potential, but it ended up feeling like a rehash of other things I’ve seen, which is a shame because it was trying to be something big.

This game doesn’t bring anything new to the table – similar games already exist and are much better. It’s a letdown and surprisingly poor for a 2026 release. Honestly, I’d rather have nothing to play than waste time on this; it’s simply not worth it, even as a last resort.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

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2026-01-14 16:19