Similar to Persona 5's confidant system, Scarlet Nexus puts heavy emphasis on relationships between the protagonists Yuito and Kasane and their allies. But while some relationships are more than friendly, some players may be disappointed to find out that Scarlet Nexus' version of romance isn't what they may be hoping for.
Yuito and Kasane are new recruits to the OSF, or the Other Suppression Force, meaning they're tasked with constantly fighting off Others, Scarlet Nexus' unique version of monsters. While the protagonists may sometimes fight on their own, they'll often be assigned a squad with their companions. Yuito and Kasane can access their companion's abilities through the SAS link, and as their bond increases, so will the number of abilities and skills the protagonists can access. For example, increasing Hanabi's bond to level 6 grants the flamethrower ability.
Scarlet Nexus' bond system feels very reminiscent of Persona 5's confidants, which also allows for special attacks and moves while in Palaces or in the Metaverse. Yuito and Kasane can spend time in bond episodes to increase their friendship levels. Additionally, they can also give their companions gifts of their preference based on conversations and further increase their bond levels. Figuring out what gifts a companion might like requires speaking with them. For example, Tsugumi has a love for plants, she explains to Yuito, so she'll enjoy being gifted the Green Curtain: Fresh Verdure.
However, unlike Persona 5, maxing out these relationships doesn't lead to romance. Still, Scarlet Nexus does have romance, but not in the way that many JRPG fans might be hoping for. Instead, romance is weaved within the storyline. For example, thanks to Scarlet Nexus' use of the myth known as the red thread of fate, there may be heavy implications of romance between Yuito and Kasane. Additionally, players will notice early on that Yuito's childhood friend Hanabi has had a crush on him for some time, a common trope in anime.
Scarlet Nexus takes on a similar perspective that avid anime fans would find familiar. However, in terms of gaming, some players might find Scarlet Nexus to be a bit disappointing in the romance department. It doesn't quite feature the visual-novel style that one would find in a dating simulator, a big part of Persona 5's gameplay, meaning that anime fans can't date their favorite waifus.
But to find out whether or not any of Scarlet Nexus' possible romantic relationships pan out, players can play through Scarlet Nexus to satisfy that craving.
Scarlet Nexus is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.