After 36 hours [played in offline mode] I have finished the game and I can say for myself that this is a very great game. I went to it practically totally blind, because I was fascinated by stylization and fights from the trailer. And I was extremely satisfied in that regard. Unfortunately, the rest of the game is not as good in places as I would expect.

Right at the beginning, an important choice awaits you as to which of the two protagonists you will play. But how important is it really? Surprisingly, since each of the characters has their own storyline, so they visit different locations, have different people on the team, and solve different problems with other enemies. From time to time, their lines intersect and in the last third they are forced to cooperate, so it's not a completely different game, unlike the second act of The Sorcerer 2, which was completely different depending on who you were affiliated with. Each of the heroes is also played differently - Yuito is more likely to be slashed, while Kasane likes to keep a slight distance from enemies. However, if you immerse yourself fully in the story, you will still want to go through both stories, because in one pass certain questions will still remain unanswered and the events you would otherwise have to face yourself will be communicated to you in just a few sentences. This is made easier by New Game Plus, so you don't have to worry about having to start from scratch again on the second pass. Not that it bothers me, because the game is very easy. But about that later…


Where Scarlet Nexus gains valuable points are the characters. During the game you will meet almost two dozen, which are interesting and almost half of them will be in your party. You can only take two into the fight, but the abilities can be used indefinitely by everyone. Between parts of the story, there are so-called standby phases, when you are in your hiding place, you can have conversations with the characters, help them with tasks, give them gifts and thus strengthen the bond between you, which brings very useful bonuses to the fights. The higher the bond between you, the more often they will save your neck, they will offer to help you make a stronger attack, or the skills you use are stronger, longer lasting, etc. In addition, it is a pleasure to watch the interaction with them, which is often funny and it is such a lightening of the dense atmosphere from the basic story. I was pleased that most of the time they don't just stand dumb in the character's hiding place, but do something, so you witness often smiling animations. Some people might mind the stylization of the cutscenes, which are overwhelmingly told through comic book boxes, but it didn't bother me and it sat here.


Fights are then a delicacy. Their styling is famous and even though they are very simple from the beginning and with even increasing time and increasing skills they are even lighter, I must say that they look at them beautifully and it is nice to play. It's terribly satisfying gameplay. Enemies have lives and a shield, if you take the latter to zero before health, you can execute them in a great short animation at the touch of a button. Otherwise, you beat the enemy with a weapon that can be upgraded to a new level thanks to crafting. Among other things, there are also a few accessories, whether functional or visual. But chopping into enemies is just a necessity. Each of the characters in the party offers, in addition to a total of intelligence in a duel, where you can set exactly what to do, especially their ability. And these are also available for characters that you don't have on a mission, so instead of two abilities, up to nine will be available to you. And something can be done about it. In addition, over time, you can unlock the ability in the ability tree so that you can activate up to 4 different abilities at once, leading to brutal results. Cutting at enemies with a sword can be fun, but once you activate fire damage (so huge flames whip from your cuts), you'll add the ability to teleport short distances (so dodging enemy attacks is even easier), plus the ability to see the invisible enemies (in some instances an absolute necessity) and the icing on the cake is the short-term immortality…no… It's just a delicacy. The main characters themselves are not far behind, they can lift objects and throw them at the enemy, and even in this respect the game surprises when you need to jump on the roof of the bus and ride with it on the highway littered with enemies and cross them… And thanks to With up to nine abilities that are different and each suits not only a different situation but also a different enemy, the whole process of elimination is fun. The combat system is far too good, which unfortunately encounters fewer types of enemies. Their design is incredible, in a good way, but the numbers are larger and the variety smaller. In addition, new species are usually just slightly modified old versions. At least it's visually great to watch them and watch the killing animations.
But that's not all. There is a special Brain Drive, during which you get bonuses to kill enemies and then especially Brain Field. Once the second indicator is full, you can activate it at any time. You will then move in style to a breathtaking location for a few seconds, where the rules are slightly different than in the basic game. The main character goes crazy, giggles like crazy while literally crushing the enemy's head. Here you have a limited time when you have to get out quickly, otherwise you will die because it will hurt your brain. But thanks to the ability tree, you can be a god, so you don't have to take any damage in Brain Field, you can double your time here and increase your attack in such a way that not only your character but also you will just laugh.
The visuals and the music are great, the whole styling suited me immensely. The locations are ok, some breathtaking, others so empty and nothing much. They are linear, but from time to time you can get somewhere for a bonus item. It is possible to return to them and farm the enemies. There are also side missions, which are challenges and I didn't enjoy them much. They are that x you have to kill the enemy in a way. I also found it strange that sometimes the text didn't match what the character was saying. The game saves itself, but it can also be saved in certain places. The last downside is the constant display of tips that can't be turned off, as well as after time annoying offers and tips from NPCs that infuse you with familiar info.


Scarlet Nexus is a demonstration Japanese game. The fights, together with the styling, are the absolute top. The characters are memorable and you will care about them. You will be happy to miss a few lapses in the story, because the gameplay is so incredibly addictive. It's just a great game and I recommend it to all fans of hack and slash style games.