SCARLET NEXUS

Open up your mind to this futuristic ‘brainpunk’ action adventure

For many videogame protagonists, success is all about mind over matter. For Yuito Sumeragi, however, the saying applies literally. In a world where a psionic hormone not only grants humans extra-sensory powers but also makes their brains delectable to monsters known as Others, life’s hard for young psychic Yuito. Gifted in the art of telekinesis, he is recruited to the Other Suppression Force as part of humanity’s last line of defence against the hungry horde.

Producer Keita Iizuka and director Kenji Anabuki describe Yuito’s world as ‘brainpunk,’ as the setting’s a society where technology involving the brain is far more developed and everyone’s minds are always connected. The pair feel the term communicates the strangeness and danger of their setting.

HEADS TOGETHER

Unlike Code Vein’s soulsborne stylings, Scarlet Nexus’ combat feels more character-action in flavour. Yuito can control particular objects within the environment and use them to his advantage. Even in this fantastical brainpunk world, a sense of realism was still important to the developers so larger objects have a real heft that’s especially noticeable via the DualSense for the PS5 version. It means some objects take time to raise from the ground due to their weight, “giving good responsiveness and a sense of realism to the players,” say Iizuka and Anabuki.

“LARGER OBJECTS HAVE A REAL HEFT THAT’S NOTICEABLE ON DUALSENSE.”

But whether Yuito is hurling boxes at baddies or using a lamp post to cut through a crowd, it all costs energy. The easiest way to refill his psychokinesis meter is by charging in with more traditional weapons like his sword. This means you’ve got to strategise, working together with your OSF teammates to ensure your most potent powers are coming into play. Hacking and slashing willy-nilly won’t use up any energy and might be great fun but it will overlook unique advantages the environment or even your own team mates may be able to offer.

SSD-LIGHT

The game makes use of PS5’s super-fast SSD too, ensuring loading times are cut and we’re never removed from the world of Scarlet Nexus. “The shortened loading times are really a big charm of these next-gen machines,” share Iizuka and Anabuki. “Especially, in RPGs, where the sense of immersion is very much emphasised, players could enjoy the story and the action without any disruption.”

PS5 can also display incredibly detailed animestyle characters and ultra-smooth action with no drop in framerate. “In order to let players experience realistic psychokinetic action in Scarlet Nexus, the maps’ graphics are designed to have a more realistic tone, while having a visual style with anime and realism naturally blended into one,” explain Iizuka and Anabuki.

Yuito’s comrades boast a wealth of psychic talents beyond telekinesis. These weren’t set in stone from the start but developers Iizuka and Anabuki tell us, “We [felt] that every power should be wellknown and easy for the players to imagine. By adding psychic powers that players might have thought of wanting to use once in their lives, it will make them enjoy the game even more.”

There’s a co-op nature to the game’s powers too. Hanabi, Yuito’s childhood friend, can create and control flames.

Yuito can ‘borrow’ her pyrokinesis and fling flaming objects at the Others. This borrowed power can also make Yuito impervious to burn damage. But Hanabi is no slouch and, carrying around a flaming pole, she can more than hold her own in a fight. Yuito himself has his customisable sword for when his psychokinesis meter runs out but much of the variance in combat will come from your comrades’ powers and the objects you can find dotted around in the environment to fling around.

Finding tactical ways to combine powers looks to be one of the game’s deeper loops. Lieutenant Colonel Luka Travers, for example, has a teleportation power and it’s not hard to find uses to mix and match his ability with others’ to jump in and out of danger.

That’s not all, as the game will also feature at least one more playable protagonist: Kasane Randall. A mysterious young woman, Iizuka and Anabuki will only tell us that she will have a different weapon to Yuito, offering an alternative experience.

After seeing more of the game we’ll definitely be looking forward to hurling lamposts at giant mutant pot plants in 2021, but we have some questions over how well the humble PS4 will run the game. If you are looking to play on Sony’s current gen there is a silver lining: Bandai Namco has confirmed a free upgrade to PS5 will be available.

“PS5 CAN DISPLAY DETAILED CHARACTERS AND SMOOTH ACTION WITH NO DROP IN FRAMERATE.”

Yuito can either charge in with his sword or borrow psychic abilities from his OSF teammates to help turn the tide of battle.

Right The game has a kinetic cinematic style that rarely gives us a moment to breath. PS5’s SSD is working overtime, so how will this run on PS4?

Left Hanabi’s pyrokinesis – which Yuito can ‘borrow’ – makes her possibly the hottest member of the team.

Above They’re older than they look: Kenji Anabuki says the OSF members have their ageing restricted as “The younger the brain, the stronger the power.”

Above As well as possessing a nifty teleportation ability, Luka wields a hefty hammer resembling an oversized Chupa Chup.

Above As a boy, Yuito was rescued from the Others by someone who looked suspiciously like Kasane. What’s her story?