---
title: "Scarlet Nexus Review: Stylish Psychic Combat"
description: "Scarlet Nexus combines stylish psychic combat, dual campaigns and memorable character bonds in an ambitious action RPG with a strong identity."
url: "https://hermittalksgames.com/reviews/scarlet-nexus-review"
date: "2026-09-27T17:58:04+00:00"
language: "en-GB"
---

#  Scarlet Nexus Review: Stylish Combat and Strong Bonds

  ![Scarlet Nexus in-game screenshot](https://hermittalksgames.com/images/Reviews/scarlet-nexus-Review-HermitTalksGames_copy.webp) ## GAME INFORMATION

**Game Title:** Scarlet Nexus

**Platform Played:** Playstation 4

**Available Platforms:**PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

**Media Type:** Physical Disc

**Developer:** Bandai Namco Studios

**Publisher:** Bandai Namco Entertainment

**Genre:** Action RPG

**Release Year:** 2021

## PLAY ENVIRONMENT

**Playtime:** 65 hours

**Completion Status:** Platinumed

**Difficulty:** Hard

**Graphics Mode:** Performance (60fps)

**Playthrough Type:**Story completion, dual protagonist playthrough

**Game Version:** Latest Version

**Controller Used:** DualSense

**Display Environment:** 1080p Monitor

## QUICK VERDICT

Scarlet Nexus is one of Bandai Namco’s most interesting modern action RPGs. It mixes fast, stylish combat with a heavy anime story, strong character bonding, and a strange near-future world filled with psychic powers and unsettling monsters. It is not perfect. The level design can feel repetitive, enemy variety becomes thin, and both campaigns reuse too much structure. But when Scarlet Nexus is at its best, it feels sharp, stylish, emotional, and completely confident in its identity.

This is not just “another anime game.” It is a game with a clear vision. It wants to be a character-action game, a JRPG, a sci-fi mystery, and a party-driven story about trust, memory, loyalty, and connection. Somehow, most of that works.

![](https://hermittalksgames.com/images/SVGS/HERMIT-SCORE8.svg)

---

## PROS & CONS

## pros

- Stylish and satisfying psychic combat
- Two strong story campaigns with different perspectives
- Excellent character bond episodes
- Strong voice acting in English and Japanese
- Good balance between action and story

## cons

- Enemy variety is too limited for the full length
- Repeated areas weaken the second campaign
- Static story presentation may not appeal to everyone
- Combat can become tiring by the end

---

## STORY & NARRATIVE

Scarlet Nexus takes place in a world where psychic powers are normal. People communicate directly through brain messages, augmented-reality visuals fill the streets, and young soldiers with powerful abilities are recruited into the OSF, the Others Suppression Force. Their job is to protect humanity from strange, monstrous beings called Others.

The story follows two main characters, Yuito Sumeragi and Kasane Randall. Both are new OSF recruits, but they come from very different backgrounds. Yuito is warm, idealistic, and driven by a personal reason to join the force. Kasane is colder, more direct, and much harder to read at first. The game is split into two separate campaigns, and this is one of its strongest ideas.

At first, the dual campaign structure can feel like a lot to ask. Each route is around 20 hours, and the game expects you to play both if you want the complete picture. But this structure works because Yuito and Kasane do not simply repeat the same story. Their routes overlap at key moments, but they often see different sides of the same events. Questions raised in one campaign are answered in the other. Scenes that seem confusing at first become clearer later when you understand what the other character was going through.

This gives Scarlet Nexus a satisfying sense of mystery. The plot is full of secrets, betrayals, strange experiments, political tension, memory loss, and hidden motives. It can become very dense, and sometimes it feels like the game is throwing too many ideas at you at once. But the emotional direction is clear. Scarlet Nexus is a story about people trying to understand each other in a world where even memories and thoughts can be controlled.

What makes the story work best is not only the big twists. It is the supporting cast. Yuito and Kasane are joined by a large group of party members, each with their own personality, powers, fears, and emotional problems. At first, some of them look like familiar anime archetypes. There is the childhood friend, the quiet girl, the arrogant rival, the serious soldier, the playful teammate, and so on. But Scarlet Nexus gives them enough time and care to become more than that.

After most major missions, the game enters a stand-by phase. During this time, you return to the hideout, speak with your allies, give gifts, and unlock bond episodes. These episodes are one of the most important parts of the game. They are not just light optional scenes. Many of them directly connect to the main story, explain character motivations, or show emotional details that make later events hit harder.

Some bond episodes are gentle and funny. Others are tense, awkward, or even hostile. That makes them more interesting. The goal is not always to become best friends immediately. Sometimes the point is simply to understand why a person acts the way they do. This gives the cast a lot more depth than they first appear to have.

By the end, characters who seemed annoying or one-note at the start can become genuinely likeable. Shiden is a good example. He begins as arrogant and difficult to deal with, but through his bond episodes and story moments, you begin to understand his pride, insecurity, and sense of duty. That is where Scarlet Nexus quietly shines. It uses familiar anime types, but then gives them enough humanity to matter.

![scarlet nexus img 1 Review HermitTalksGames copy](https://hermittalksgames.com/images/Reviews/scarlet-nexus-img-1-Review-HermitTalksGames_copy.webp)

## GAMEPLAY & SYSTEMS

Scarlet Nexus plays like a fast action game placed inside an RPG structure. The levels are mostly linear, and combat often takes place in closed battle spaces. You move from one area to another, fight groups of enemies, collect items, then continue forward. On paper, that sounds simple. In practice, the combat system gives the game most of its energy.

Both Yuito and Kasane use psychokinesis. This means they can lift objects with their minds and throw them at enemies. This is the heart of Scarlet Nexus. You are not only attacking with a weapon. You are constantly mixing physical attacks with psychic throws, special objects, and borrowed powers from your teammates.

Yuito fights with a sword, making him feel more direct and close-range. His attacks are quick, simple to understand, and satisfying. Kasane uses floating knives controlled with her mind, which gives her a slightly more technical and mid-range style. She is a little harder to use at first, but once her rhythm clicks, she feels just as strong.

The best part of combat is how naturally weapon attacks and psychokinesis flow together. You can strike an enemy with your weapon, throw an object, dash back in, then continue attacking. It gives every fight a strong sense of motion. The game feels fast without becoming messy. When it works, Scarlet Nexus has that stylish feeling you want from Japanese action games. It is flashy, smooth, and fun to watch.

The environmental attacks are also excellent. Some areas let you use special objects in dramatic ways, such as smashing enemies with large machinery, crashing vehicles through groups, or using the stage itself as a weapon. These moments make the psychic combat feel powerful and unique.

The SAS system, or Struggle Arms System, adds another layer. This lets you borrow the powers of your teammates. One character may give you fire attacks, another may give you invisibility, another may increase your speed, and another may help with defence or duplication. The system encourages you to understand enemy weaknesses and change your approach during battle.

Against tougher enemies, this becomes very satisfying. You might use water or oil in the environment, then activate fire to burn the enemy. You might use invisibility to approach safely, or speed to overwhelm a fast opponent. The best fights ask you to combine weapon attacks, psychic throws, and SAS powers until everything flows together.

There is also a strong relationship between combat and character bonds. Raising your bond level with teammates improves their SAS abilities and gives them more ways to support you in battle. This is a smart idea because it makes character relationships feel useful without reducing them to simple upgrades. As your connection with a character grows, their support in combat becomes stronger too.

However, Scarlet Nexus does struggle to keep combat fresh across the full experience. One campaign is already quite long for a stylish action game. Playing both campaigns means spending around 40 hours with the same core systems. The combat is good enough to survive that length, but only just.

The biggest issue is enemy variety. The Others look amazing, but there are not enough different enemy types to support two full campaigns. Many enemies work like puzzle locks. Once you learn which SAS power counters them, future fights against that enemy become predictable. This can make later combat feel routine, especially when the game asks you to revisit familiar areas and fight similar groups again.

Targeting can also be a minor problem. Most of the time combat feels smooth, but there are moments where attacks seem like they should connect and do not. It is not enough to ruin the game, but in a fast action RPG, small targeting issues can become frustrating.

Even with these problems, Scarlet Nexus has a strong combat identity. It does not feel like a generic action RPG. The psychic powers, character abilities, and stylish movement give it a flavour that is very much its own.

![scarlet nexus img 2 Review HermitTalksGames copy](https://hermittalksgames.com/images/Reviews/scarlet-nexus-img-2-Review-HermitTalksGames_copy.webp)

## WORLD DESIGN

The world of Scarlet Nexus is one of its most interesting parts. It has a strong anime sci-fi identity, mixing futuristic city life with military drama and supernatural horror. The idea of a society built around brain technology is fascinating. People send messages mentally, digital advertisements float through the city, and personal connection is tied directly to the mind.

This makes the world feel stylish, but also uncomfortable. Scarlet Nexus often asks what happens when memory, identity, and communication are no longer fully private. That gives the story a deeper edge beneath the colourful anime surface.

The main city areas are visually striking, especially when the game leans into bright AR displays and clean futuristic architecture. The hideout is also a nice central space. It slowly fills with gifts you give to your teammates, which makes it feel more personal over time. Seeing characters interact with those gifts is a small but charming touch. It helps the party feel like a group of people living together, not just a menu of combat skills.

The weaker side of the world design is the level structure. Many areas are linear corridors with combat arenas placed along the path. This is not always a bad thing, especially for an action-focused game, but Scarlet Nexus repeats too many locations. Construction sites, highways, abandoned subway areas, and rooftops start to blur together after a while.

The two campaigns do include some unique locations, which helps. But because both routes share a lot of spaces, the second playthrough can feel too familiar. This is especially noticeable if you play the campaigns back to back.

The world itself is strong. The places you explore are not always as strong as the ideas behind them.

![scarlet nexus img 3 Review HermitTalksGames copy](https://hermittalksgames.com/images/Reviews/scarlet-nexus-img-3-Review-HermitTalksGames_copy.webp)

## VISUAL DESIGN

Scarlet Nexus has excellent visual identity. The character designs are clean, colourful, and clearly anime-inspired without feeling cheap. Each party member is easy to recognise, and their outfits fit the military sci-fi setting while still giving them individual style.

The real highlight is the design of the Others. These enemies are strange, beautiful, and disturbing. Many of them combine organic body parts with objects, flowers, masks, furniture, or machinery. They feel wrong in a memorable way. This is where Scarlet Nexus has some of its strongest art direction.

The Others are not just monsters. They look like nightmares made from broken pieces of the normal world. This gives them a unique presence, and it makes combat visually interesting even when the mechanical variety is limited.

The main weakness is environmental variety. Some levels look plain compared to the characters and enemies. There are areas that feel empty or flat, and repeated visits make this more noticeable. Scarlet Nexus looks best when it is showing its cities, characters, powers, and enemy designs. It is less impressive when you are running through another grey industrial space.

The story presentation also uses many static storyboard-style scenes instead of fully animated cutscenes. This may disappoint some players, especially because the story is such a big part of the game. Still, considering the amount of dialogue and the size of both campaigns, it is understandable. The art is clean, and the voice acting helps carry these scenes.

![scarlet nexus img 4 Review HermitTalksGames copy](https://hermittalksgames.com/images/Reviews/scarlet-nexus-img-4-Review-HermitTalksGames_copy.webp)

## SOUND & MUSIC

Scarlet Nexus has strong voice work in both English and Japanese. This is important because the game has a huge amount of dialogue. The cast needs to carry emotional scenes, casual hideout conversations, serious military moments, and dramatic story twists. For the most part, they do.

The Japanese voice track fits the anime style naturally, while the English voice track is also strong and easy to recommend. Having both options available is a good choice, especially for players who enjoy Japanese games in different ways. Some may prefer the original Japanese atmosphere, while others may connect more easily through English performances.

The music supports the game well. It mixes action, sci-fi, and emotional tracks without overpowering the experience. The battle themes give energy to combat, while quieter moments in the hideout help create a calmer rhythm between missions.

The sound design during combat is also satisfying. Psychic throws, weapon strikes, SAS activations, and enemy impacts all help sell the power fantasy. Throwing large objects with your mind feels heavy and sharp, which is exactly what this combat system needs.

## PERFORMANCE

Performance will depend on the platform played, but Scarlet Nexus generally feels responsive, which is essential for its combat. The speed of dodging, attacking, and using psychokinesis needs to feel clean, and the game mostly succeeds.

In a fast action RPG, performance is not just a technical detail. It directly affects how good the game feels. Scarlet Nexus relies on quick reactions, smooth transitions, and visual clarity during busy fights. When the game is running well, combat feels fluid and satisfying.

I did not experience anything that seriously damaged the overall experience, though your own results may vary depending on platform and version.

## DIFFICULTY

Difficulty Rating
**5 / 10**

Scarlet Nexus is not an extremely difficult action RPG, but it does ask the player to pay attention. If you only mash basic attacks, tougher enemies can become frustrating. The game wants you to use the full system: weapon attacks, psychokinesis, dodging, SAS powers, environmental objects, and enemy weaknesses.

The difficulty mostly comes from understanding the right tool for each situation. Once you learn how enemies work, many fights become much easier. This is both a strength and a weakness. It feels satisfying to solve an enemy at first, but repeated fights can lose tension once the answer is obvious.

Boss fights and larger enemies are at their best when they force you to use multiple systems together. These moments make Scarlet Nexus feel stylish and rewarding.

## REPLAY VALUE

Scarlet Nexus has better replay value than many action RPGs because of its two-campaign structure. Playing only one route gives you an incomplete understanding of the story. To fully appreciate the plot, characters, and major reveals, both Yuito and Kasane’s campaigns are important.

The ability to carry progress into the second campaign helps a lot. Without that, replaying similar areas and combat encounters could feel exhausting. With carry-over progress, the second route becomes easier to enjoy for its story and character perspective.

Outside of the two campaigns, replay value depends on how much you enjoy the combat and character bonding. There are gifts to collect, bonds to complete, skills to unlock, and combat systems to master. But for many players, the main reason to stay will be the story rather than pure completion.

## RECOMMENDED FOR

Recommended for:

- Players who enjoy anime-style action RPGs
- Fans of Bandai Namco games
- Fans of stylish combat like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta
- JRPG fans who want a stronger action focus
- Players who enjoy sci-fi mysteries and character-driven stories
- Anyone interested in modern Japanese games with a distinct identity

Not recommended for:

- Players who dislike anime storytelling
- Players who want deep enemy variety across the full game
- People who prefer fully animated cutscenes
- Anyone looking for a short, pure character-action game

## PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

What I enjoyed most about Scarlet Nexus was how much it committed to its own identity. It could have been a simple anime action game with flashy powers and little else. Instead, it tries to be something bigger. It wants the combat to matter, the characters to matter, and the world to matter.

The combat pulled me in quickly. Throwing objects with psychokinesis feels great, and the way attacks flow together gives the game a stylish rhythm. Yuito and Kasane both feel different enough to make their campaigns worthwhile, and the SAS system gives the party members a purpose beyond just being story characters.

But the part that stayed with me most was the cast. The bond episodes made the group feel more human. Even characters I did not care about at first slowly became important. That is one of Scarlet Nexus’s biggest strengths. It understands that in a long RPG, the player needs to care about the people standing beside them.

At the same time, I did feel the length. By the end of the first campaign, I was ready for a break from the combat. The enemy variety was not strong enough to make every fight exciting across both routes. Playing the second campaign for the story was still worth it, but I was glad progress could carry over.

Scarlet Nexus is a game I respect because it takes a risk. It blends stylish action with JRPG storytelling, and even when it stumbles, it still feels ambitious and memorable.

## FINAL VERDICT

Scarlet Nexus is a stylish, emotional, and ambitious action RPG that succeeds more often than it fails. Its psychic combat is fast and satisfying, its dual campaign structure gives the story real depth, and its character bonding system turns a familiar anime cast into people worth caring about.

It does have clear weaknesses. The levels repeat too much, enemy variety is limited, and the combat does not fully sustain the combined length of both campaigns. Some areas feel plain, and the static story scenes may not appeal to everyone.

But Scarlet Nexus has something many games do not: a strong identity. It knows what kind of world it wants to create. It knows the feeling it wants to give the player. It is strange, stylish, dramatic, emotional, and very Japanese in its approach to action, bonds, and story.

For players who love Japanese action RPGs, anime storytelling, and character-focused adventures, Scarlet Nexus is absolutely worth playing. It may not be perfect, but it is memorable. And sometimes, that matters more.

   Details   Written by: Joshua Hawkins    Published: 01 July 2026    Hits: 88

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