It's a great time to be a fan of Japanese RPGs. With titles like Final Fantasy VII Remake, Persona 5 Royal, and even lesser-known titles like Nier and Yakuza, various RPGshave found well-deserved mainstream success. Of course, another big entry in the genre that fans have been waiting for is Bandai Namco’s Tales of Arise which is set to release later this year.
Until then, however, Namco has just released a brand new IP Scarlet Nexus. It’s a title developed by key players from the Tales, Code Vein, and God Eater teams. It’s a stunning title that deserves to be on every JRPG fan’s radar. Of course, like every other new IP, there’s always room for improvement so let's weigh up the good and what could use some work for a potential sequel.
10 Loved: The Combat System
A key area that sets Scarlet Nexus apart from other JRPGs is the combat system. It’s very reminiscent of pure action games like Devil May Cry. Fans of Nier: Automata will also feel like they are in familiar territory with this game too.
However, despite its influences, Scarlet Nexus holds up as having some of the best combat mechanics in the action RPG genre. Players are able to combine the high-energy hack and slash fighting system with the very satisfying psychokinetic powers to create some stunning combos. The enemies from the monstrous “Others” and the human-based squads with powers similar to the protagonists all require distinct tactics. It will seem very complex but as the game progresses it becomes very rewarding.
9 Didn’t: Repetitive In The Early Stages
The game's combat system is great but it does take its time to open up. As a result, the gameplay can feel repetitive when in the early stages of the game. Depending on how one plays through the RPG, the game can last at least 25 hours. But it probably takes around ten hours for the combat to gain some depth.
In fairness, even the simple hack and slash mechanics in the early phases of the game are still a lot of fun and satisfying to execute. The ability to combine psychokinesis powers and combo attacks look and feel impressive but they lose their appeal after several hours in the dungeon areas.
8 Loved: The Visuals
Coming from a team that created the God Eater series, Code Vein, and Tales of Vesperia it shouldn’t surprising that Scarlet Nexus has a distinct Japanese anime style. This game, however, takes full advantage of Unreal Engine 4 and manages to look stunning on last and current-gen systems.
This is in large part, due to the excellent cast of characters, monsters, and city designs that never fail to surprise. The developers have dubbed Scarlet Nexus’ setting as “Brainpunk” but those familiar with the Cyberpunk genre will be able to see the Blade Runner and Akira influences here.
7 Didn’t: Some Lengthy Boss Fights
The boss fights provide quite a bit of spectacle in Scarlet Nexus. They are beautifully designed, creative, and highly imaginative. However, they can feel like drawn-out affairs, and this where the repetition can rear its ugly head.
They can take a lot of damage and players will be tasked with hacking and slashing away at their enemies while only taking away small amounts of damage at a time. Additionally, some of the complexities of the combat may take a while to click with some players in the early stages which too can result in lengthy fights.
6 Loved: The Storyline
One major draw for Japanese RPG fans is almost always the storyline. Thankfully, Scarlet Nexus delivers on all fronts. It’s intriguing from the start and even though the events and the goings-on will seem baffling at first it all starts falling together nicely.
Regardless of its different setting and modern combat, there’s still something very familiar and old school with Scarlet Nexus. Fans of the genre will love this especially when it comes to the narrative. Yet, despite its JRPG roots, the game will consistently surprise and enthrall its players from start to finish.
5 Didn’t: Heavy Story For Action Fans
As a JRPG, Scarlet Nexus is one of the most accessible games in the genre. This is thanks to its rewarding combat system. As a slasher, it shares a lot in common with the Devil May Cry series as opposed to Bandai Namco’s Tales of series.
However, despite its setting and combat system, Scarlet Nexus is a traditional JRPG at its heart. This means that there is a lot of dialogue, a lot of cutscenes, and long conversation skits to sit through. Fans of JRPGs love this but action fans looking to get back into the action may find it tedious. It’s a game for fans of anime and it may not connect quite as well with non-anime fans.
4 Loved: Like An Interactive Anime
A lot has already been said about the storyline in Scarlet Nexus but it is a game for fans of anime and JRPGs in general. The stunning visuals, the setting, great characters, and bizarre science fiction plot will make players feel like they are taking part in an interactive anime.
The production values are great and the lengthy but deep storyline could easily make up for a large-scale anime show. It’s easy to see that influences have drawn from other sources like Akira but Scarlet Nexus but it's never in danger of feeling unoriginal.
3 Didn’t: The Enemy Variety
The crazy monster designs in Scarlet Nexus are some of the best in the genre for years. The boss encounters are memorable and distinct in scale and grandiosity. The same quality extends to the regular enemy designs too.
However, there is an unfortunate lack of enemy variety in the game when comes to the Others as they are known in the world of Scarlet Nexus. Players will frequently find that they are fighting the same monsters over again which only adds to some of the repetition.
2 Loved: The Characters
In addition to a great storyline, a good JRPG needs to have great characters that can back it up and Scarlet Nexus delivers. Fans familiar with the Tales series will know what to expect when it comes to character interactions, banter, and the bonds of friendship.
Scarlet Nexus has borrowed some elements from the Persona series with its bonding system. It’s very similar to the Social Links of the game and allows players to deepen their bonds with specific characters. This allows for wonderful character development while also granting the protagonists new powers.
1 Didn’t: Lots Of Static Cutscenes
As stated above, the visuals in Scarlet Nexus are outstanding. This also extends to the cutscenes which transition seamlessly into the game’s action. However, much of the game’s story and character interactions are told through static cutscenes.
They aren’t terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but they do feel at odds with the rest of the game’s top-notch art design and visual flair. It’s possible there were budget constraints that could have impacted the cutscenes, which are more reminiscent of a visual novel than what you'd expect to find in an RPG.