Scarlet Nexus: PS4 Review

Released by Bandai Namco

Platform: PS4

The traditional action-role playing game has been big business for consoles.

But while most of the combat ones seem to be chasing the likes of Nier: Automata, and Persona 5, there are some that stand out for different reasons - even if it does in parts feel like an offshoot of the Devil May Cry series.

One of those is Scarlet Nexus, a third-person perspective player that sees you taking on creatures known as the Others, as they invade the world of New Himuka in the near future and in an alternate reality.

You are a member of the Other Suppression Force (OSF) - be it Yuito or Kasane, two distinctive protagonists - who's tasked with using a series of powers to stop the invasion. But as ever, that's not quite the full story, and a series of conspiracies and twists are revealed as the game powers through its narrative.

A series of moments with supporting players helps to deepen the engagement of Scarlet Nexus, and contributes greatly to the world-building going on within. Early tutorials make it clear that combat is nuanced, and takes time to master, ensuring that payoffs during fights feel earned and skillsets are worthy of time usage to master.

Using psychokinesis to hurl objects at Others is tremendously satisfying, and the combat is well-executed but occasionally intrusive into the action. There is an occasional feeling of stumbling from one fight into the next one and some enemies feeling mostly the same in their methods of attack and dispatch, but smooth fighting sequences make a difference and make these niggles feel minor.

There's a sense of ambition and scale to Scarlet Nexus, which marks it out somewhat from the usual Japanese anime-led RPG games - it requires time, patience and investment to the world to receive some kind of payoff - but its dual narratives, and flipping of campaigns and insights-driven story mark it out as something welcomely different for the genre.