Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had something of a “character flaw”: every time I watch a new film or play a new game, I am usually extremely optimistic and forgiving of any potential shortcomings it could have. Nine times out of ten, when I walk out of the movie theater or reach the credits of a video game, even if I know in my heart that it’s flawed, it still manages to find a place in my heart. As I’ve grown older, that has changed slightly, and there have been plenty of times where I’ve enjoyed games that many hated, or disliked games that are beloved by many. Still, I’ve always been of the opinion that all art, no matter how flawed, inherently has value. Which posits a conundrum when I’m presented with a game that is universally hated.
Such was my dilemma when I was greeted with Code Violet, a recent game from TeamKill Media. It’s described as an experience akin to Dino Crisis, with dinosaurs positioned as the main terror in a mysterious world. However, upon release, many were critical of the game due to various issues. Some even called it “one of the worst games of the modern era.” When booting up Code Violet for the first time, I had no preconceived notions about what to expect: I hadn’t read any of the prior reviews, nor knew what issues people had with the game. Further, I was acutely aware of the fact that it was only made by a handful of developers, and tempered my expectations accordingly. How bad could it truly be?
Let me be perfectly clear from the forefront: if you are perhaps expecting me to claim that Code Violet is a misunderstood gem that has been unfairly torn to shreds, you are sadly mistaken. After beating Code Violet, I can confidently state that it is one of, if not the worst, games I’ve ever played in my life. There are no redeeming qualities with either the narrative, presentation, or gameplay, and the rare interesting ideas are immediately overwhelmed by the frustrating quality of everything else.
Story? What Story?
Code Violet begins with a mysterious character by the name of Violet being dropped into an unknown world. Within moments, she is greeted by scientists and other humans and ushered into a cryochamber. However, her sleep is interrupted by a breach in containment: out of nowhere, dinosaurs have infested the facility, and it is up to Violet to survive the onslaught, find any survivors, and escape the planet.
Code Violet‘s premise is extremely simple, almost to a fault. That’s not inherently a bad thing, though. The initial setup of dinosaurs as the major threat and establishing the mystery of Violet’s past, the nature of the world she has landed on, and why dinosaurs are so important, could create a satisfying narrative if done right. That said, multiple major issues with the game’s story make it anything but satisfying.
For starters, there’s the pacing and the manner in which information is conveyed. The game frequently throws in concepts without care for how they fit into the broader story. For example, in the final act of the game, Code Violet sets up the idea of time travel and an intergalactic kingdom where dinosaurs roamed freely. Its placement within the story feels random, and doesn’t add to the tension or overall worldbuilding.
In fact, even after beating the game, there really isn’t a clear reason why dinosaurs are so important. Instead, there is just plot twist after plot twist, such as the introduction of dinosaur-human hybrids, to the point that the overall story felt more convoluted than interesting. While there are several journal entries scattered throughout the world, I never felt the need to dive into these because of just how lackluster the writing was.
The dialogue is almost absurdly bad. In the early game, there is a particularly comedic line where a character by the name of James says to Violet that “I can’t get out…I need you to find where I am and get me out so we can get out of here.” Furthermore, even if the frustrating storyline wasn’t a factor, there isn’t anything unique or compelling about the overall narrative premise.
The idea of humanity trying to exploit dinosaurs for either war or genetic purposes has been used in both film and games alike. While the idea of dinosaur-human hybrids is kind of interesting, Code Violet never does anything with the concept, and said hybrid has barely five minutes of screentime. This brings me to, easily, the worst part of the story: the characters.
There are no “characters” in this game, per se. Instead, there are cardboard cutouts in the vague shape of characters. Not a single character in this game has an arc, a personality, or any shred of complexity. Take the aforementioned James, for instance. He is in a romantic relationship with Violet, yet all of his interactions with her are flat and devoid of any chemistry. He is essentially the typical “soldier” archetype, but we don’t even know if he’s loyal to his previous bosses or takes any issue with their current activities. When James’ safety is put at risk several times, it feels as though the game wants us to care and be invested in his survival, and yet, it gives us no reason to.
Then there’s Violet herself. If the other characters in the game are cardboard cutouts, Violet may as well be a mere “object.” She has no motivations other than survival; we know nothing about her personality, and the interactions she has with other NPCs in the game are completely vapid. Even when she is greeted with horrifying revelations about her past, she sobs, briefly resorts to anger, then just as we are about to learn more about her inner workings, the moment is quickly forgotten.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the inherent objectification within Code Violet and how it treats its characters, especially Violet. The reason I use the phrase “object” is that the lack of any observable character traits compared to the overwhelming focus on her “sex appeal” is, quite frankly, absurd. Every moment that Violet could organically share her fears and feelings about her current situation instead chooses to zoom in on her skintight suit. It feels as if the developers placed all their focus on the looks and appeal of Violet, rather than on her as a character.
Even the way the camera is positioned seems designed to focus on this idea. It’s not just in the gameplay, but in the story too. There’s a certain reveal later in the game that explains the manner in which the dinosaur hybrids come into being in the first place, and it left me apalled. Additionally, aside from Violet, every single female character in the game exists just to be killed off within moments.
By the end of Code Violet, I wasn’t satisfied at all: instead, I was extremely frustrated in ways I’ve never experienced before. The story isn’t just bad; it is borderline offensive. These issues could maybe be mitigated if the gameplay and presentation were strong. Unfortunately, the gameplay loop is monotonous and dull, and the presentation is quite lacking.
Extremely Unfun
In the past, I’ve talked at length about the strengths of the horror genre. In the last five years alone, we’ve had some truly incredible entries in the genre, whether they’re completely original, sequels to beloved IPs, or spiritual successors to long-forgotten masterpieces. It doesn’t matter what the core concept is or how the visuals look: if there is good gameplay, a unique art direction, and a great sense of tension, then you will have a great and memorable experience with it. Code Violet has none of these things.
Starting with the presentation, the visuals of Code Violet look like a bunch of random Unreal Engine assets stitched together. The game looks identical to other recent games made using the engine, such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. However, unlike Expedition 33, the setting that Code Violet takes place on has no sense of identity.
There are a few moments where you’ll be walking around outside of facilities, and it looks just like a generic grassland in a post-apocalypse. Further, the facilities that you spend most of the game in all look almost identical to each other, making traversal quite irritating. Also, for some reason, the game has a film-esque 2:39:1 aspect ratio by default, and while you can switch it off in gameplay, it still looks really bad in practice.
As for the soundtrack, pretty much the entire OST is composed of either the same music track that plays in every scene, or a remixed version of a classic song like Beethoven’s “Für Elise.” It just feels lazy and adds to the uninspired nature of the overall presentation of Code Violet. Neither the music, the visuals, nor the setting was even remotely memorable, and I’ll probably forget all about them within the next week or so.
When it comes to the moment-to-moment gameplay, it’s not as offensively bad as the narrative. However, much like the presentation, it just feels lifeless. There are a lot of familiar concepts for those who have played a lot of horror games in the past, such as the inclusion of a save room and upgradeable weapons. There are plenty of monsters in your way and a few boss battles scattered throughout. In theory, the game has all the basic building blocks to make for a fun time, but the way in which they are implemented is all wrong.
Exploration isn’t particularly fun. Partly because of the aforementioned issues with the presentation, but also because the overall gameplay just isn’t enjoyable enough to justify looking around. Gunplay feels clunky and lacks any sense of satisfaction. When you shoot dinosaurs, there’s no tear in their skin, and instead, they just ragdoll.
On the subject of the dinosaurs, there is no tension when encountering them. Ammo is far too readily available, so every time a raptor would show up, I’d simply aim, shoot, and then the encounter was over. There were very few moments where I was nervous or on edge, and despite the fact that you could cloak your suit to hide from the dinosaurs, I mostly just opted to go guns blazing. This also applied to the boss battles, which I would beat within mere seconds.
Occasionally, the game would try to introduce new gameplay concepts, such as a brief segment that featured tank controls or an on-rails turret segment. Yet, these still felt derivative of other horror games that handled these concepts far better. As a whole, there was not a single point where I had fun with Code Violet. I didn’t have fun when I was shooting dinosaurs, I didn’t have fun when I was trying to find out where to go next, and I didn’t have fun with any of the puzzles.
If anything, playing this game felt more draining than enjoyable. There have been very few times in my life when I’ve played something that has made me want to do anything else with my time, but this is the sole exception. At the end of the day, nothing about Code Violet is enjoyable, whether it’s the story, gameplay, or presentation. As such, I cannot recommend this game to anyone under any circumstances.
Do Not Play This Game
Over the last few decades, we’ve had some truly incredible games. We’ve seen experiences that completely rewrite the rulebook of what is possible in the medium, let alone in its respective genres, and we’ve also seen ones that simply prioritize fun above all else. While there have been plenty of bad games over the years, they usually end up getting fixed with post-launch updates or fit more into the category of shovelware, and are completely negligible in their inferiority. Code Violet is none of these things.
This game is cataclysmically bad. The narrative lacks any interesting substance, and the characters have no sense of personality or complexity. Plus, with how abhorrent the portrayal of Violet is, the story is almost insulting. On the other hand, while the gameplay and presentation are nowhere near as egregiously offensive as the story, it feels lifeless due to how carelessly it reuses concepts from other games, while misunderstanding what made those games fun in the first place.
If Code Violet was cheap and had some redeeming qualities, then these issues would just make for a game that could maybe be salvaged. However, there is absolutely nothing good about the overall package. Plus, if you want to try it for yourself, you will need to pay $50. I cannot stress enough that this is the last thing you should use that money for. There is no reason you should buy this game under any circumstances.
Quite frankly, I feel as though I was robbed of both my time and money after beating Code Violet, and the thought of a sequel, let alone the prospect of playing New Game Plus or getting all the achievements, is frankly laughable. Is it the worst game ever created? No, there are far more technically broken games available for far more money. However, I can confidently say that it is the worst game I’ve ever played in my life. I look forward to playing any other game now that I’m done.
Disclaimer: Code Violet was reviewed on a PlayStation 5.
