At the Game Awards 2020, Bandai Namco revealed a brand new story trailer for Scarlet Nexus, its upcoming “brain-punk” action JRPG game. Along with the confirmation that Scarlet Nexus would be released on the new-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X, there have also been a number of exciting reveals, combining the adrenaline-pumping style of combo-based combat together with JRPG mechanics and builds.
Backed by an experienced team of developers, producers, and artists, Scarlet Nexus takes on elements of games like Tales of Vesperia, Godeater, and Code Vein to create a unique spin on the JRPG genre. Scarlet Nexus also has a gorgeous art style that looks perfect for the new generation of consoles, while featuring a story driven by the themes of connection and loneliness.
Scarlet Nexus takes place in the distant future when a psionic hormone is discovered in the human brain, allowing people to make use of extra-sensory power. As humanity began to come to terms with this new development, deranged mutants known as Others began to descend from the sky with a hunger for human brains. Resistant to conventional attack methods, humanity scouted recruits with extraordinary psionic abilities and formed the Other Suppression Force (OSF) in order to fight back.
Players will take on the role of Yuito Sumeragi, a new recruit to the OSF who aims to become an elite psionic like the one who saved him as a child. Scarlet Nexus will feature kinetic psychic combat where players can interact with the environment to build combos and fight through enemies, and combat looks like a blend of the environment-based abilities of the Infamous series together with the fluid, combo-based mechanics of Devil May Cry.
Scarlet Nexus takes place in the futuristic city of New Himuka, a setting that mixes inspirations from classic anime with western science fiction. The stylized landscape is reminiscent of games like Astral Chain and Nier: Automata, and when merged together with cyberpunk details of hologram advertisements and neon lights, New Himuka looks stunning. Interestingly enough, the Scarlet Nexus developer also revealed that characters can interact with these holograms and advertisements with their minds. As a result, the city itself becomes linked together with the psionic powers that players will use, and this original take on the idea of a cyberpunk setting has led the development team to refer to Scarlet Nexus as a “brain-punk” game.
Players familiar with JRPGs should recognize some of the developers behind Scarlet Nexus. Game director Kenji Anabuki worked as a lead designer on Tales of Vesperia, while producer Keita Iizuka worked on Code Vein. It would seem that this game is intent on focusing on character relationships, seemingly derived from their experience working on Tales of Vesperia. In Tales games, characters often interact with each other through skits and side stories, giving depth to relationships that might otherwise be ignored. As seen in gameplay trailers, Scarlet Nexus features something similar with its bonding system. Players will be able to give gifts and interact with other party members to boost their friendship levels and, in turn, strengthen their powers.
Artist Masakazu Yamashiro has never worked on prior games but was brought aboard by art director Kouta Ochiai after seeing his work. Yamashiro is in charge of designing the enemies and bosses of Scarlet Nexus, known as the Others, of which the design captures the essence of their terror well. As shown in the Scarlet Nexus trailers, the Others have designs that merge together objects, plants, and even human anatomy. At the same time, the Others also have sleek, futuristic aspects that make the organic aspects of their design even more unsettling. The end result is a combination of the organic and inorganic, creating a morbid, unsettling design.
As revealed in the teaser trailers and gameplay preview, Scarlet Nexus seems to combine JRPG elements together with third-person action. The previews included the “brain map,” a skill tree that allows players to customize and enhance their powers. New abilities or combos can be unlocked through the “brain map,” and different paths allows for unique playstyles. Together with the bonding system and the levelling system, Scarlet Nexus should feel familiar to JRPG fans.
At the same time, though, Scarlet Nexus also features a distinct combat system. Unlike JRPG games that feature turn-based combat, Scarlet Nexus revolves around real-time combo-based mechanics that feel fluid and dynamic. Not only will players be able to wield a sword, they are also able to throw objects from the environment with psionic powers, and alternating between the sword and psionic powers will help players pull off satisfying combos. The previews also showed how players will be able to utilize the powers of other characters as well. For example, certain team members will imbue Yuito’s attacks with different elements and jump into battle alongside him.
The JRPG genre focuses heavily on story, and this is sometimes to the detriment of other features like combat. Scarlet Nexus seems to combine the best of both worlds with a development team experienced in storytelling and fast-paced combat, but of course, that remains to be seen.
One of the biggest reasons to look forward to Scarlet Nexus is that it’ll be released for the new generation of consoles. Although it will be arriving on the PS4 and Xbox One, it will also bridge the gap to the next-gen consoles of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. As the release of Cyberpunk 2077 has shown, there is a difficult challenge in bringing out the best of the newest hardware while catering to the previous generation. However, there’s little reason to think the release of Scarlet Nexus would go the same.
Regardless of the console that players experience Scarlet Nexus on, the game looks like a stylish new twist on the JRPG genre. It’ll be interesting to see how it explores the themes of loneliness and dystopia through the lens of the “red connections.” With the fast-paced, fluid combat and the eerie designs of the Others, Scarlet Nexus is shaping up to be one of the most interesting new-gen releases.
Scarlet Nexus is releasing Summer 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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