Code Violet promises an enticing pitch: survival horror with dinosaurs, time‑travel and a conspiracy to unravel. Set in the 25th century, humanity has fled a ruined Earth for the planet Trappist 1‑E. You play as Violet Sinclair, an officer awakened in the Aion Bioengineering Complex after an unknown cataclysm. The facility is now overrun by prehistoric dinosaurs and militarised units.

 According to TeamKill Media’s official description, the story opens with a broadcast from a lunar base announcing the destruction of Earth, followed by a desperate mission to establish a colony on Trappist 1‑E. Violet is abducted by a mysterious organisation and forced to undergo an experiment that allows limited time‑travel, so she can manipulate events in both the past and future.

 As a premise, it’s wild – part Dino Crisis, part Terminator. The game introduces intriguing ideas about altering timelines, uncovering a conspiracy around Aion, and battling dinosaurs with futuristic weaponry. Unfortunately, execution matters, and this is where Code Violet falters.

Main characteristics:

Feature	Details
Release Date	10 January 2026
Platforms	PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro
Developer/Publisher	TeamKill Media
Genre	Third‑person action horror, survival
Play Time	~4 hours to complete

What the Game Gets Right

Visuals and Audio

On a technical level, Code Violet is impressive. The game uses ray‑traced global illumination, dynamic fog and highly detailed character models. Reviewers noted that the light glancing off Violet’s hair and the dimly lit corridors looks striking. The dinosaurs are equally well rendered, and the environments are dense with environmental detail.

Audio design is another bright spot: ominous music and ambient noises create the illusion of danger lurking around every corner. TeamKill Media also implemented Sony’s 3D audio and haptic feedback so you can feel every footstep and gunshot.

These technical flourishes suggest there’s a talented art and sound team behind Code Violet. When the game allows you to soak in the atmosphere, it almost feels like the next big sci‑fi horror adventure.

Ambition & Features

In theory, Code Violet offers an inventory management and survival loop reminiscent of classic Resident Evil titles. There are puzzles, item management and optional stealth. Adaptive triggers on the DualSense controller change resistance depending on the weapon, and the suit Violet wears displays her health like a wearable HUD.

The developers also tout quality‑of‑life features like improved performance on PS5 Pro (up to 60 fps) and post‑launch patches fixing bugs and adding camera options. These efforts show that TeamKill Media cares about improving the experience, even if the base game struggles.

Where It Falls Short

Unfortunately, the moment‑to‑moment experience of playing Code Violet undermines its potential. Multiple reviewers have described the game as a frustrating, unfinished mess. Varun Karunakar of GamingBolt wrote that although the visuals are eye‑catching, the level design is so convoluted that he spent his evening “hard‑pressed to think of anything that made the experience worth it”. He notes that most areas look nearly identical, resulting in tedious backtracking and repetitive exploration.

Noisy Pixel’s Azario Lopez was even harsher, calling the game “a broken survival horror mess” and saying it tests your patience at every turn. He criticises the game’s confusing story and poor introduction: you’re thrown into vague flashbacks and forced to manually equip weapons without any tutorial. The game never teaches its own systems, leaving players to discover basic mechanics like inventory management through trial and error.

Combat & AI

Battles with dinosaurs should be exhilarating, but the combat design is inconsistent. GamingBolt notes that dinosaurs often run straight into your line of fire, making them feel like brainless cannon fodder. Weapons lack impact; the DualSense triggers don’t differentiate between pistols and shotguns. Noisy Pixel describes bosses as “massive damage sponges” and criticises the inventory and crafting systems for clogging your inventory with useless items. Even the puzzles amount to turning valves or pressing buttons with no twist.

Technical Issues

Both reviews mention frequent crashes, stuttering, wonky animations, and a camera that induces motion sickness. There are reports of keyboard binding prompts appearing in the PS5 version. Game files sometimes unequip your weapon after saving, and death animations randomly fail to trigger. For a $50 game, such instability is unacceptable.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

“Code Violet isn’t worth a $50 price tag … it’s a game released before it was ready” – GamingBolt & Noisy Pixel.

Here’s a quick overview of what works and what doesn’t:

Good:

• Stunning diorama‑like visuals with realistic lighting and dense environments.
• Atmospheric audio design that hints at danger.
• Polished character model and stylish costumes.

Bad:

• Repetitive level design and tedious backtracking.
• Bland protagonist and poorly delivered story relying on tired sci‑fi tropes.
• Combat lacks variety; AI is weak, and enemies die easily.
• Clunky inventory and crafting systems; puzzles lack creativity.
• Severe technical issues: crashes, stutter, broken animations.

Final Thoughts

Code Violet had the ingredients to become a cult‑classic: dinosaurs, time‑travel, a conspiracy and flashy visuals. The official description teases an epic sci‑fi tale with time‑bending mechanics and dinosaur combat. However, the final product feels like an early access build rather than a polished release. Critics agree that the game’s good looks and audio can’t compensate for the repetitive design, shallow story and frustrating gameplay.

If you’re a hardcore survival‑horror fan or you simply love dinosaurs, Code Violet might be a curiosity worth trying after substantial patches and a deep discount. For most players, though, there are far better games on the horizon. With bigger titles like Resident Evil Requiem and Control Resonant on the way, you’re better off spending your time and money elsewhere.