What The FAQ Is Scarlet Nexus And Should You Buy It?

A ‘Brain Punk’ adventure that sets you in the immersive alternate world of superhumans and deranged monstrosities – you’ve seen the trailers, and heard the news, but what exactly is Bandai Namco’s upcoming title, Scarlet Nexus, all about?

Fret not, for our brief newcomer’s guide is here to explore and explain what the FAQ the game is, and why it might just be the only JRPG you need this summer. If you already own the game or already planning on getting it, read our complete beginner’s guide here.

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What is Scarlet Nexus?

The latest third-person Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) from Bandai, Scarlet Nexus pits players against the likes of Others, deranged creatures with a craving for human brains, that fall from the sky. 

To prevent humanity’s extinction from these mindless monsters, the world has set up a group of superhuman soldiers with extrasensory abilities known as the Other Suppression Force (OSF). Consisting of special individuals with unique abilities such as pyrokinesis, psychokinesis, and cryokinesis – made possible due to a psionic hormone in their brain – the task force is the only chance humanity has to survive the Others’ onslaught. 

This quest to save humanity starts with the duo of Yuito Sumeragi and Kasane Randall, with players stepping into their shoes to unravel the truth behind their unusual abilities and the mysteries surrounding the Others. Because the game features a dual-narrative campaign, players will be able to enjoy two different storylines, which makes clocking the heck out of your gaming hours a guarantee. 

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The JRPG Roots of Scarlet Nexus

Besides its distinctive premise, Scarlet Nexus also seeks to balance its narrative element with unique battle mechanics and character dynamics to offer an authentic and fresh JRPG experience. 

The game will introduce familiar themes from all your classic JRPG games such as item customisation, upgradeable skills and exciting battle gameplays alongside a character bonding system. Delivering an experience that encompasses the essence of a JRPG, Scarlet Nexus is established as will be the perfect game to scratch your JRPG itch.

That’s not all that fans of the genre will have going for them, however. The mark of a good JRPG lies in having a story-driven campaign, and the game does so by encompassing an overarching grand narrative filled with mysteries and plot twists. While the two-pronged protagonist approach allows players to delve deeper into lore and world exploration, the balance of animated cutscenes, enemy grinding, and distinct combat also proves important in stitching everything together. 

More prominently, Scarlet Nexus is helmed by JRPG veterans that have proved their mastery in the genre. Having worked on the iconic and successful Tales series, producer Keita Iizuka and director Kenji Anabuki are more than well-equipped to carry that expertise over to a new world. It’s no doubt that while both titles are different, they share similar elements of what one would tout as an authentic JRPG experience from Bandai. 

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Combat in Scarlet Nexus

This combination of novelty and familiar faithfulness comes into play where combat mechanics are concerned. There are fundamental similarities to existing games of the genre, such as the ability to unlock skills through a progression system by levelling up your characters, and a relationship-building feature. 

With that, players are able to improve their friendship with the other two allies through bonding events and side stories, thus allowing them to better the entire party’s prowess and set up a fighting style best suited for their three-man OSF party. 

The game will also feature a list of skills and abilities that can be employed by your team to take down enemies, but there’s a twist to it. Where monotonous button-mashing may be a common occurance elsewhere, Scarlet Nexus is more about finding the right combinations and mixing up different skillsets and abilities to defeat the Others with devastating combos. 

Done correctly, this freedom to experiment with and pull off various configurations will help to satisfy that thirst for fast-paced gameplay.

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A Distinct Brain Punk Look

Suffice to say, these skills and abilities are dependent on the non-playable characters that you meet in your journey as a member of the OSF. The gameplay experience is topped off with the visual prowess of New Himuka, which promises a breathtaking, futuristic landscape of a dystopian Japan that runs on hologram displays, futuristic bots, and a neural network. 

This shiny, sci-fi aesthetic will eventually be adapted into an anime adaptation set to be produced by Sunrise Inc, whose credentials include Gundam Seed, Gundam SEED Destiny, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Cowboy Bebop. Talk about ending things off with a bang – not many things can come close to the feeling of pairing your gameplay experience with an entire anime series.

After all that’s been said, our answer to the headline is pretty simple. If you’re seeking a JRPG experience or a compelling narrative that’ll set you on a wild adventure of monster-smashing and world-building, Scarlet Nexus is the right place for you to pour all that summer hours into.

Scarlet Nexus is out on 24 June on PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and 25 June on PC via Steam.