The experience players have with Scarlet Nexus depends on their approach to the combat mechanics. Once mastered, Scarlet Nexus is fairly undemanding. However, those who simply treat this game like an average hack-and-slash title may find themselves in a hairy situation, especially during the later game.
Those who master the combat mechanics of this JRPG title will really feel the enjoyment this game offers. There are a ton of enemies to face, ranging from superpowered humans to massive alien creatures known as Others. For the player to defeat these enemies effectively, they'll need to learn a couple of pro tips to utilize while playing.
Updated November 2, 2021 by Mark Sammut: Scarlet Nexus has been out for a while now, and the JRPG was even added to Xbox Game Pass at the end of September 2021. A new IP, Bandai Namco's title was a pleasant surprise, delivering a long story along with fluid and engaging gameplay. Scarlet Nexus is not the hardest game out there, but it can be challenging until someone grows familiar with all of its mechanics. With the end of the year approaching, people looking to catch up with the 2021 releases they missed might find themselves taking on this JRPG, and they should keep a few tips in mind when jumping into Scarlet Nexus. The game is worth it, especially for fans of action RPGs such as the Tales series.
12 Unlock The Concurrent SAS Activation Skills
In the game's Brain Map tree menu, the player can find two different versions of the Concurrent SAS Activation skill upgrade. Without these skills, the player can only use one SAS ability at once. Unlocking one will allow them to use two, and unlocking the second and last one will allow them to use up to four abilities at the same time.
This will make the player much more powerful in combat. They can mix and match different SAS abilities to enhance effectiveness. This will also allow them to be more creative, and find the abilities that best suit every situation.
11 Exchange Instead Of Buying
There are four ways of gathering various kinds of items and plug-ins in Scarlet Nexus: finding them from the world, earning them as rewards from side quests, or going to the game's merchant and either buying them or exchanging them.
Finding them in the world and earning them from side quests can come naturally as the player progresses through the game. For the merchant, however, it will serve the player better to exchange items instead of just purchasing them. This way, they'll be able to save up their money for Jellies or for other items they may need to purchase later on.
10 Increase Bond Level
This game has a "bond" mechanic, which dictates the player's relationship with the other members of their party. Aside from uncovering more about each character's backgrounds and desires, the bond level will also make the companions more active in combat and their abilities more powerful.
Increasing a character's bond level is straightforward. During every standby phase, the player is given the chance to do Bond Episodes with certain characters. Participating in these will increase a character's bond level. They can also give characters gifts, which are exchanged from the merchant.
9 Do Not Ignore Presents
Along with Bond Episodes, Yuito and Kasane will need to buy Presents for their teammates if they would like to maximize their friendships. Each character's Bond Level can be increased six times, and there will not be enough episodes to reach that point.
Gifts will not produce rewards instantly, as a lot of them are required to increase a character's Bond Level. During each standby phase, head to the store's Exchange page and collect as many Presents as possible. Most players should have the necessary materials to create Presents permitting they are completing side quests and doing some exploration during missions.
When it comes to gifts, characters can have three reactions to them: Accepts, Likes, and Favorite. Naturally, prioritize the second two as those impact the Bond Level far more than accepted gifts.
8 Balance Melee Attacks & Psycho-Kinetic Abilities
For the player to be as effective as they can be, they need to know how to balance their melee attacks and their psycho-kinetic abilities effectively. There are instances that call for the use of the player's powerful weapon, while others require them to be more liberal with their powers.
The game ultimately forces the player to utilize both of these combat elements. While the player's psychokinesis is more powerful than a melee attack, the latter is also needed to replenish the power gauge needed to perform the former.
7 Know The Enemies' Weak Points
Every Other-type enemy in this game has a weak point the player can exploit. Thankfully, these weaknesses are very easy to spot. They are usually highlighted by their glow and take up considerable space in an enemy's body.
The player can exploit these weak points by attacking them with their weapon or by hurling an object at it using psychokinesis. Attacking these enough will cause an opponent to stagger, giving the player a chance to perform a powerful Brain Crush.
6 Prioritize Certain Brain Map Skills
Every skill found in the game's Brain Map menu comes with its own usefulness. However, the Brain Points needed to unlock them only come each time a player levels up. With this in mind, the player should prioritize the skills that are arguably better and more useful than the others.
These are some of the Brain Map skills the player should prioritize early on:
- Concurrent SAS Activation
- Auto-heal
- Weapon Combo Attack Hit
- Double Jump
- Perfect Dodge Attack
- Additional Plug-In Equip Slot
- Max Psy. Gauge Boost
5 Do The Side Quests
The side quests in this title aren't as story-extensive as the player would expect out of this genre. What they do present, however, are series of tasks that are very easy to do. They also net incredible rewards at completion.
These quests are marked by a diamond-shaped pin on the minimap. Whenever the player sees this, they should head up to it to trigger the quest. More often than not, the player will be able to complete these quests as they progress through the game, defeating certain types of enemies using various abilities.
4 Lock On To Your Target
Locking on to a target is something a lot of players already do in a lot of third-person action games. However, because of the nature of the game's camera movement and attack tracking, locking on to an enemy is a handier tip than ever in Scarlet Nexus.
The player should make it a habit to lock on to the enemy they wish to fight first whenever a combat encounter arises. This way, every single melee and psychokinesis attack will have a higher chance of landing.
3 Assess Which Characters To Include In The Party
While the player has the option to choose between four abilities at the beginning and nine at the end, only two party members are allowed to join the player in the actual gameplay. These characters are the ones who will actually fight alongside the player and revive them when they're down.
The characters the player should have in their party are the ones who own the SAS abilities they use the most. Whenever the player uses a SAS ability belonging to someone in the party, that ability will last longer.
2 Carefully Pick Which Companions Should Have More Plug-in Slots
While Yuito and Kasane unlock new plug-in slots by expanding their Brain Map, their Companions will only do the same if they are gifted Plug-in Parallelization Program H or V. These items can be found during missions or obtained from Satori the Archivist's shop. Once in a standby phase, the protagonist can then gift these items to their Companions so they will unlock a new plug-in slot.
Plug-in Parallelization Program H or V are in short supply during the campaign, especially if someone doesn't feel like grinding for the materials necessary to unlock them. Consequently, it is important to pick and choose the right Companions. Do not try to be "fair" and spread them out evenly – unlock the two plug-in slots for the characters most commonly used in battle. The rest can wait.
1 Know When To Use The Brain Field
The Brain Field ability functions as a boost, which will make the player more powerful in a short period of time. Their attacks have more damage, their psychokinesis gauge is infinite, and they move faster.
This ability can only be activated when the Brain Gauge fills up, which takes time to happen. The player shouldn't use the Brain Field ability on smaller enemies and regular encounters. Instead, they should be saved up for bosses and encounters involving multiple powerful Others.
Scarlet Nexus is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.