Scarlet Nexus

In a world where strange mental powers are almost the norm, where telepathy is a reality, and where dangerous and strange creatures threaten humanity, we will be called upon to do our part. As soldiers of the Alien Suppression Force, our task will be arduous but not impossible.

Yuito or Kasane?

In Scarlet Nexus, the new action title from Bandai Namco, we will be called upon to make an important choice and then to fight hard. As anticipated by the introduction, the world of Scarlet Nexus is a world that is a bit precarious. Strange monsters, the Others, are a constant and terrible threat. To fight them, there are the OSF, the Other Suppression Force, of which we will be called to be a part. The twelve chapters of the game can be approached from the perspective of Yuito Sumeragi or Kasane Randall, two neo OSF fighters who are quite different. Kasane prefers mid to long-range attacks, while Yuito is more of a close-combat fighter.

The initial character choice will therefore be crucial not only for your combat style but also from a story perspective. In fact, to achieve 100% completion in Scarlet Nexus (at least in terms of the story), you’ll need to play through the game twice with both characters. The events and perspective also change quite significantly between the two, offering perhaps not two games in one but certainly plenty to keep the player engaged. Mind you, the powers are fundamentally the same—psychokinesis—but it’s how one uses them that makes the difference. The differences between the two protagonists are also reflected in their personalities and motivations. Kasane is a warrior by nature, while Yuito is the scion of an important family of politicians and fighters, whose brother is already part of the FSE. In true Japanese production style—of which Scarlet Nexus is a prime example—the story will soon become far more complex than we imagine. Amid secrets and the terrible schemes of corrupt politicians, we’ll have to face far more than just “simple” monsters.

Fights and lots to read

Scarlet Nexus is not shy at all when it comes to story and text to read. The narrative is told substantially through conversations between the player and the many NPCs we will meet during the adventure. There are also “animated” sequences, almost like manga panels with minimal animation that you may or may not like, but which in our opinion has its own style. And obviously, like any good action JRPG worth its salt, there will be a massive amount of text to read. In short, if reading this paragraph gave you goosebumps, don't get Scarlet Nexus because the style is quite clear.

However, the game is clearly not just a sort of dating sim; there's plenty of room for action. From the outset, we realize the gameplay is complex. A dense tutorial allows us to familiarize ourselves with the combat system. Kasane and Yuito have two sword attacks, but it's their psychokinetic powers that make the difference. Initially, we'll be quite limited in terms of offensive abilities, but soon we'll have a truly impressive arsenal of moves available. Kasane, for example, can throw blades, is agile, and thanks to her mental powers, she's capable of unleashing some rather wild melee attack combinations with devastating aerial juggles. As we progress through the game, we'll need to start planning our build through a typical Japanese-style upgrade system: complex, convoluted, but also very powerful if we take the time to delve into its facets. Combat will be a succession of strikes, powers, utilizing environmental objects to hurl at enemies, and of course, explosions.

We’ll soon have an impressive array of abilities at our disposal: pyrokinesis, teleportation, invisibility, clairvoyance, and more. But that’s not all—in addition to controlling our protagonist, we’ll have adventure companions. We can bring two of them into battle with us, and they’ll act according to our instructions—whether that means proceeding cautiously or relentlessly attacking one or more enemies. For example, we can ask them not to overdo it so that once health drops below 75%, attacks will be less frequent and healing will take priority. At 50% health, they’ll then retreat to heal. In short, pretty precise stuff! Obviously, we won’t be able to have all the companions in a single playthrough because they’ll need to be unlocked as the story progresses; we’ll then be “forced” to start a new game (even using New Game Plus to keep skills and upgrades we’ve already acquired) with the other character and do it all over again.

A destroyed world

Scarlet Nexus's settings are what disappointed us a little. Rather than a game for the end of the old gen/beginning of the new one (we played on PS5), we're looking at a fairly basic product. Semi-arena zones, rather bare and featuring invisible walls, contrast with some rather suggestive areas. It's a shame about the long, anonymous, and empty corridors between combat zones, which serve a bit too much as filler (but then again, a country that created Naruto and Dragon Ball knows how to create filler!).

The design and execution of the enemies are very inspired and at times even spectacular. The same applies to the characters; thanks to the choice of cell shading, they are very “anime-like” and generally excellently characterized. However, overall, we are not dealing with a title that makes graphics its strong point. On PlayStation 5, the game runs in 4K at 60 fps, and the latter figure seems the most significant, given the frenetic action.

Not for everyone

Scarlet Nexus is a fascinating game but you have to like the genre. And by “like the genre” we mean you have to appreciate the boundless customization, the search for every power and how to combine it with others and with your companions. If you're looking for an action game that's easily approachable, it's not for you. The Japanese put the RPG component in “Action RPG” before everything else, after all. The game isn't even an open world, but rather a series of levels connected in such a way as to resemble a larger area. Exploration is enjoyable, as it very often yields some useful trinket or money, but there are no real side quests. And you'll soon notice some recycling of assets and environments.

So, Scarlet Nexus is a polarizing game. On one hand, we have deep and well-functioning gameplay (aside from some occasional issues with enemy lock-on) and character and monster designs that positively impressed us. On the other, a world that feels a bit like déjà vu, especially in the final stages of the game. However, if the genre appeals to you, it could be a good game for the summer.