A strange mix of thrilling combat and visual novel elements
Scarlet Nexus is an action RPG featuring an anime art style, which isn’t surprising considering it’s made by Bandai Namco. While I did enjoy my 40+ hours spend with the game, this wasn’t an easy ride. The pacing was completely off and many of the moments between missions were painstakingly boring. But let’s start with the best part, the combat. In Scarlet Nexus you play as either Yuito Sumeragi or Kasane Randall, two youngsters who have just become members of the OSF (Other Suppression Force) who are tasked to defend humans from creatures known as the Others. All members of the OSF possess supernatural powers like pyrokinesis, hypervelocity, invisibility, and many others. The two protagonists can use psychokinesis to throw objects and debris at hostile enemies. It’s like playing Control in a different universe. As the game progresses, you’ll be able to use all the powers of your teammates who are fighting with you for some grandiose combos. Combat in Scarlet Nexus is smooth, fluent, fast-paced, and quite exhilarating. How you mix together your abilities and weapon attacks is the key to success. Some enemies are weak to certain elements, while others require stealth or hyper-speed. The game teaches you all the intricacies of the combat system, but it only gives you the key, so you’ll have to discover the best combos to apply in certain scenarios.
