SCARLET NEXUS Game Cover

In the futuristic world of Scarlet Nexus, humans with psychic abilities, known as psionics, are humanity's last line of defense against deranged mutants called Others. As a member of the Other Suppression Force , players must utilize their psychic powers to protect humanity and uncover the truth behind the existence of the Others. The Deluxe Edition and Ultimate Edition include additional bonuses and content to enhance the gameplay experience.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,328 reviews
story1,827 positive mentions
grinding215 negative mentions
  • Engaging combat system that allows for creative combos and the use of psychic powers.
  • Visually stunning graphics and unique art style that enhances the overall experience.
  • Compelling story with interesting characters, especially when experiencing both protagonists' perspectives.
  • Repetitive gameplay and enemy design that can become tedious over time.
  • Overly long cutscenes and dialogue that disrupt the pacing of the game.
  • The story can be convoluted with plot holes and inconsistent character motivations.
  • story6,557 mentions

    The story of "Scarlet Nexus" is a mixed bag, with many players finding it engaging yet convoluted, filled with typical anime tropes and numerous plot twists that can feel overwhelming. While some appreciate the dual narrative structure that allows players to experience the story from two protagonists' perspectives, others criticize the pacing and presentation, often delivered through static visual novel-style cutscenes rather than dynamic animations. Overall, the narrative has its moments of intrigue and emotional depth, but it is marred by inconsistencies and a lack of character development, leading to a polarized reception among players.

    • “Genuinely one of the greatest games I've ever played, and the story is a masterpiece.”
    • “Amazing story-driven gameplay and fluid battle mechanics, truly a work of art.”
    • “The story is incredibly interesting and filled with unexpected twists that keep you engaged throughout.”
    • “I beat the mp's story line, started the fp's and just uninstalled when I realized it's the same story from slightly different points of view.”
    • “The story felt underwhelming and predictable.”
    • “The story is incredibly predictable and so bare bones, which is very unfortunate because there was a lot of raw potential in the world building.”
  • gameplay1,830 mentions

    The gameplay of "Scarlet Nexus" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its fluid combat mechanics and the integration of unique abilities through the SAS system, which allows for creative combos and strategies. However, some players have noted that the gameplay can become repetitive, particularly due to a lack of enemy variety and the frequent interruptions from lengthy cutscenes. Overall, while the combat is engaging and visually appealing, the balance between gameplay and narrative can detract from the experience for some players.

    • “Amazing story-driven gameplay and fluid battle mechanics, truly a work of art.”
    • “The gameplay is really good and smooth, enjoyed all the mechanics and abilities, also loved the graphics.”
    • “The gameplay is a ton of fun but you can barely do it for ten seconds before a notification pops up and when you try to close the notification, a confirmation.”
    • “Most of the gameplay experience is actually going through these kind of interminable dialogues.”
    • “The second half of the game starts to drag as the repetitive gameplay loop becomes more apparent.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive but can be mixed up by choosing different powers (4 usable and 8 powers total).”
  • graphics1,078 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their vibrant anime-inspired art style and impressive visual fidelity, often described as stunning and top-notch. Players appreciate the unique "brain-punk" aesthetic, which combines futuristic elements with a distinct cyberpunk vibe, enhancing the overall immersive experience. However, some critiques mention that while the character designs and combat animations are excellent, the environments can feel repetitive and lack detail, detracting from the otherwise polished visual presentation.

    • “The graphics are stunning and smooth.”
    • “The game boasts a vibrant, futuristic art style that brings the world to life, while the character designs are both eye-catching and memorable.”
    • “The graphics and the music are top notch, leading to a great overall presentation that has a lot of polish.”
    • “The graphics are just a typical $30 budget anime game and the combat only at the first few hours is fun.”
    • “However, that being said, it does not offer much in terms of visuals; heck, they even cost-cut budget for visuals since most of the cutscenes are mere static images with voiceovers on it.”
    • “The developers seemed to put too much effort into visuals and forgot to make the game actually interesting.”
  • music937 mentions

    The music in "Scarlet Nexus" has received widespread acclaim for its diverse and engaging soundtrack, which effectively complements the game's atmosphere and gameplay. Many players highlight the dynamic transitions between exploration and combat music, with genres ranging from electronic to orchestral, creating an immersive experience. While some find certain tracks forgettable or repetitive, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout feature, enhancing both the emotional depth and excitement of the game.

    • “Amazing soundtrack, perhaps even one of the best I have heard in any game, solid hack and slash gameplay with unique and fun to use mechanics.”
    • “The music is god tier and one of the main reasons I keep having strong urges to get back into this game with tracks that are jazzy, glitchy, ambient, and more.”
    • “The soundtrack is fantastic, the story is great, and the characters are very well written and very likable.”
    • “The soundtrack is pretty lackluster in my opinion.”
    • “The music is just flat, nothing that really stands out.”
    • “The music is awful and repetitive.”
  • grinding240 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, especially in the later stages where enemy encounters become drawn-out and unvaried. While some players appreciate the minimal grinding required to progress through the main story, others express frustration over the excessive time spent on farming materials and completing mundane side quests. Overall, the consensus suggests that while grinding can be manageable, it often detracts from the enjoyment of the gameplay experience.

    • “Upgrade weapons and character boosters (not too grindy on the first half of my normal playthrough).”
    • “It is not grindy at all, and if you just simply follow the story, your levels end up matching with the mobs, which is great.”
    • “No grinding necessary, so I really hope for a part 2!”
    • “By phase 12, enemies turn into damage sponges, making fights tedious and unenjoyable.”
    • “The gameplay loop can feel grindy by the end.”
    • “It gets very tedious toward the end of the game, as the support density doubles.”
  • character development161 mentions

    Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant character designs and the depth provided through bond episodes, which allow for individual character growth. However, some players criticize the reliance on stereotypes and the lack of substantial development for minor characters, leading to a perception of superficiality in the narrative. Overall, while the character design is often highlighted as a strong point, the effectiveness of character development varies, with some players finding it engaging and others feeling it falls short.

    • “Great game for those who want an RPG with a great balance between awesome combat, good story, and character development.”
    • “The attention to detail in fleshing out the story, world building, and character development throughout the game was done better than most JRPGs out there today.”
    • “Character development is also pretty nice and well done, making it so that the story is very character-driven, which makes it great.”
    • “It's not a bad game, but its shortcomings in story and character development are significant, especially for JRPG fans who prioritize these elements.”
    • “The same with the story, the game is not 100% combat focused because it tries to be a 'Persona' styled game with a social link system, however the character development itself is very lackluster; I never felt a reason to care for the cast of characters as well as the main protagonist.”
    • “Unfortunately, the amazing combat is brought down by the overall storytelling and character development.”
  • optimization130 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance across a range of hardware, including high settings at 4K and 1440p resolutions. However, some users experienced performance issues, such as stuttering and frame drops in specific areas, particularly on lower-end systems or under certain conditions. While the initial hours of gameplay are captivating with excellent graphics and combat, the experience can become cumbersome as the game progresses, leading to mixed feelings about its long-term performance stability.

    • “Performance is great, no frame drops or crashes, and it's ultimately fun from start to finish.”
    • “The game is optimized beautifully for PC, no issues and looks amazing!!”
    • “An interesting storyline that gets more and more intriguing the further in you play, a combat system that just stacks more and more on top of itself and introduces skills that are fun to combo together and execute perfectly, with well done visuals and an interesting 'brainpunk' themed world and a good soundtrack to accompany them...best of all it's optimized extremely well so there's barely, if any, frame drops or freeze/crashes.”
    • “Fps dips and constant stuttering render the game unplayable.”
    • “It needs more optimization, too much stuttering and freezing in the middle of combat or even just running for that matter.”
    • “Tried really hard to like this game, but it's so poorly optimized for the PC.”
  • emotional106 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game elicits mixed responses from players, with some praising its heartfelt moments and character development, while others criticize the shallow plot and lack of emotional depth in key scenes. Many players found the bond episodes and character interactions to be touching and engaging, yet felt that the overall narrative often fell flat, failing to build sufficient attachment to the characters for the emotional beats to resonate. Despite these criticisms, some players still found the story to be compelling and capable of evoking strong feelings, particularly in its more poignant moments.

    • “The character’s routes and bond episodes were wonderfully constructed; the story is the most elaborate and heart-wrenching experience I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing, and most importantly, the gameplay itself was still incredibly fun.”
    • “There were a lot of truly heartfelt moments in there, both sad and warm, and the ending of the game was really good.”
    • “I would 100% recommend this game to anyone who is looking for a deep, strong, and very emotional storyline.”
    • “It's rough when you want to avoid fights because they aren't fun, just to rush into a boring story beat that you don't care about.”
    • “Which is why it is so disappointing that all of these successes, all of these wins, are paired with such tepid, cliché, and by-the-book boring story and revelations, as well as the most boring protagonist (just one, the other one is fine... not good, just fine) in a game that I have ever played in a long time.”
    • “I could overlook the boring story, clichéd writing about the power of trust and friendship, and the frankly terrible graphics (you’re lucky if you look at a character and they actually have a shadow half the time) if the gameplay was at least fun, but it just isn’t.”
  • humor72 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it amusing and engaging, particularly through character interactions and comedic moments that provide levity amidst the drama. While some dialogues and plot points are described as "hilariously bad," they contribute to a fun experience for those who appreciate absurdity. Overall, the humor is often highlighted as a bright spot, enhancing the enjoyment of gameplay despite some criticisms of the writing quality.

    • “The dialogue, story, plot, all the stuff that is just 'putting words into a script', is hilariously bad, make a drinking game of it with mates type bad.”
    • “Interactions between characters are often funny, providing some much-needed levity against the heavy atmosphere of the main storyline.”
    • “The story is solid and the bonding episodes are short and fun - they're not so long that you want to hit esc as soon as possible, they genuinely made me laugh out loud sometimes.”
    • “I know it's unfunny trash, but who cares? I enjoyed writing it.”
    • “The jokes fell flat and felt forced, making the humor cringe-worthy.”
    • “I expected clever wit, but instead, I got tired clichés that missed the mark.”
  • atmosphere67 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals and immersive environments, blending a vibrant cyberpunk aesthetic with dystopian elements. Players appreciate the unique art design, captivating soundtracks, and the emotional depth these elements bring to the storytelling, although some note that certain areas can feel repetitive. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics, atmospheric music, and engaging character interactions creates a memorable and immersive gaming experience.

    • “The neon-lit cityscapes and dystopian atmosphere create a unique 'brain-punk' aesthetic that blends futuristic technology with psychic abilities.”
    • “Prosperous electronic cities, decaying abandoned urban ruins, silent underground railways, solemn central computer, and cold, windy, snow-covered mountains... the outstanding art design is enough for players to enjoy an unprecedented visual feast, and the atmosphere and artistic conception created are unparalleled and unforgettable.”
    • “The cyberpunk feel doesn't seem out of place and the abandoned, post-apocalyptic style cities you explore add to the heavy atmosphere of a dark and deep story.”
    • “The atmosphere is very gritty, dark, and dead, which can be overwhelming at times.”
    • “The cyberpunk feel doesn't seem out of place, and the abandoned, post-apocalyptic style cities you explore add to the heavy atmosphere of a dark and deep story.”
    • “Music and visuals are beautiful, but the game can feel a little gray in some places, which may be due to the depressing atmosphere the characters are placed in at times.”
  • replayability65 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability through its dual-narrative structure, allowing players to experience the story from two distinct perspectives with different protagonists. While many players appreciate the depth added by this approach, some feel that the gameplay itself lacks variety after completing both storylines, leading to mixed opinions on long-term replay value. Overall, those invested in the narrative and character development will find ample reasons to replay, but others may find limited incentive beyond the initial runs.

    • “This dual-narrative approach adds replayability and fleshes out the larger picture of the world’s mysteries.”
    • “The game also has a lot of replay value, as you can switch between the two stories and discover new secrets and endings.”
    • “Replay value is excellent for a single-player title as you can play through the story with two different characters and witness the story from different points of view.”
    • “The gameplay is shallow with artificial replay value.”
    • “Overall the biggest issue this game has is replay value after 2 runs of the game unless you want to complete all the in-game challenges and 100% the achievements too.”
    • “Sadly for me, the game has zero replayability value after the second playthrough in my opinion.”
  • stability46 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and great graphics on various hardware, there are frequent mentions of bugs, glitches, and occasional freezes, particularly during combat and cutscenes. Some users experienced significant issues like softlocks and audio glitches, while others noted that their gameplay was mostly bug-free. Despite these inconsistencies, the game generally runs well on decent PCs, with many players enjoying a largely stable experience.

    • “Game's quite light on resource usage, and runs great/smooth for 95% of the time.”
    • “The game is just gorgeous and it runs great as well even on budget-ish machines.”
    • “The fighting is also very smooth and the game runs great at 1440p with no stuttering or hiccups and no lagging.”
    • “The game stutters and freezes during play, most commonly during combat and cutscenes.”
    • “The game freezes, like it pauses every 30 minutes, and conversations keep autoskipping, making it feel like a very fast PowerPoint presentation.”
    • “The only real issues I had with the game were a couple of weird audio glitches where lines of dialogue would be repeated or random words would be completely different and out of context.”
  • monetization21 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many reviewers labeling it as a cash grab due to its reliance on microtransactions and numerous DLCs. Players feel that the high price tag does not correspond to the content quality, as the game appears to prioritize advertising and in-game purchases over a compelling narrative or gameplay experience. Overall, the monetization approach has left a negative impression, overshadowing the game's potential.

    • “Microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
    • “Microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
    • “Without microtransactions and instead of gameplay and storyline, I suggest playing Scarlet Nexus and I dare put 10/10 on it because in my opinion, it's just a vague little extra costume.”
    • “I can't tell if this game is an advertisement for the anime or vice versa, but with its age and its content, it should have dropped to €15 a long time ago.”
    • “Game is just a cash grab from Bandai, and it shows.”
    • “Obvious cash grab with low story investment.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

25hMedian play time
41hAverage play time
10-40hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 59 analyzed playthroughs

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