How to beat Josee in Code Vein 2

Josee the Blind Hero is one of the five heroes that must be slain during Code Vein 2's main story, and she's the first one you'll meet after leaving MagMell and entering the open world. After defeating the Metagen Remnant and returning from the Sunken City's past, you can finally open Josee's cocoon.

If you go straight to Josee the Blind Hero like I did, you might be a bit underleveled for the fight. You can grind and come back later, but it is possible to beat Josee as soon as you open her cocoon. It just takes some practice. Here's what you need to know to slay Josee the Blind Hero in Code Vein 2.

Josee the Blind Hero phase one

Before getting started, make sure you bring De-Snares to this fight. Josee's attacks can inflict Bind and trap you in place. Getting stuck is a death sentence.

Josee uses a massive katana that can cover most of the cramped boss arena in a single slash. Her range is the biggest problem for this fight, but her sword has a lot of end lag. Stay close and be aggressive to score some easy strikes in between her combos.

Avoid her orbs: Josee will periodically launch golden balls of goop at you during the fight. They inflict Bind, so you really don't want to get hit by these. Before she throws them, she'll pull her arm back and her hand will start to glow. Be ready to sidestep when you see her wind up.

Watch for her AOE: If you're being too aggressive, Josee will plunge her sword into the ground and perform a huge AOE blast that inflicts Bind. If you see her raise her katana like she's about to perform a Sephiroth stab, sprint away and use the quick break to heal up.

Bait out the gap closer: If you get too far from Josee, she'll sprint at you and perform a big downward stab. This move has a ton of end lag, so roll behind her and get a few slashes in.

Dodge her slashes: Josee's main combos are wide, sweeping katana slashes that hit all around her. She uses these to keep you at bay. Dodge roll through them instead to maintain pressure. Keep a close eye on her, though, since she can sometimes delay her slash and hit behind her after you've already dodged. That one caught me more times than I'd like to admit.

Parry the flash: One of Josee's deadliest moves is a single katana slash. She'll sheathe her sword and perform an arena-wide attack that'll take out most of your health if it lands. Just before she unsheathes and attacks, her sword will flash. Dodge right after that flash to avoid damage, or parry it if you're feeling brave. This is your best chance to get reliable damage in!

You're probably going to die quite a few times during the first phase, but don't lose hope. Use your first few attempts to get a feel for Josee's combos and learn the spacing for the fight. Let your companion take most of the heat until you get comfortable.

Josee the Blind Hero phase two

Halfway through the fight, a short cutscene will play and phase two will begin. Just like other Code Vein 2 bosses, Josee gets much more aggressive in the second phase, and she has a few new tricks up her sleeve.

Avoiding Bind is the big thing for this phase since most of her new attacks can immobilize you. Have your De-Snares ready!

The orbs are back: Josee likes to use those golden orbs from the first phase way more often in the second half of the fight. They're exactly the same here, but she'll deploy more of them at once and try to hit you with other attacks while they home in on you. Keep moving and don't try to attack until the orbs are gone.

Her flash slash gets trickier: During phase two, Josee will repeat that sheathe attack from earlier. This time, though, she'll stomp her foot and create a Bind AOE underneath your feet before attacking. Watch her foot and dodge roll to avoid the trap, then dodge or parry the slash when you see the flash.

Avoid the stabs: During this phase, Josee will also periodically perform a trio of downward stabs right in front of her. She swings her sword overhead before bringing it down, so get ready to dodge when you see her raise it up. It's easy to get some damage in while she's recovering from this attack.

Keep your distance: Remember that AOE from the first phase where Josee stabs down below? She gets a more annoying version of that in phase two. Instead of using her sword, she'll just stomp her foot and create a huge Bind AOE. Don't get too aggressive during this phase. It's a lot harder to react to the stomp AOE, so keep your eyes peeled.

Bind feels really, really cheap during this fight, and it's going to lead to some frustrating deaths. Even if you're prepared, you'll still eventually end up getting caught in a trap on what felt like a great run.

To counter this, hit Josee with some cheapness of your own. As long as your companion is on the field, you can survive lethal damage and instantly revive yourself. There's a short cooldown until your companion returns to the field, but you can take advantage of this over and over again.

To have the best chance of defeating Josee, don't be too aggressive while your companion is down. Only attack when they're on the field so you have a safety net in case Josee smacks you. Save your heals for those moments when you're alone.

Also, take some time to customize your weapon skills for this fight. Infusing your weapon with fire can drastically increase your damage output for a very slim Ichor cost, and adding stun to your weapon will tire Josee out and eventually stagger her, giving you a window to heal up and deal massive damage.

Once you defeat Josee the Blind Hero, you'll finally be done in the Sunken City. You'll be rewarded with a new Blood Code and unlock a Fading Bond, a potential way to return to Josee's time for further exploration and additional quests. You'll need to progress further in the story and take out another of the five heroes to get the necessary item, though.