The gameplay of Scarlet Nexus is something a lot of players will have to get used to. As they play along with the game, however, they will slowly but surely get the hang of it, making them fully experience the beauty of the game's combat mechanics. While this is the case for most, there will still be a handful of things many players will get wrong.
Even though Scarlet Nexus isn't necessarily the most difficult game out there, it can have its challenging moments. If the player wants to overcome those trials, they'll need to be at the top of their game, and one way to do that is by avoiding these mistakes while playing Scarlet Nexus. On top of that, there are also minute details a handful of players will do while playing this game that will slightly decrease the level of immersion.
Updated November 5, 2021 by Mark Sammut: Bandai Namco's Scarlet Nexus is currently available on Xbox Game Pass, and the 2021 title should not be missed by fans of action JRPGs. Packed with plenty of main and side content, Scarlet Nexus will keep players busy for at least 25 hours, and that is only if they play through the campaign with just one of the two protagonists. For the full experience, the JRPG requires more than 50 hours. That is a lot of time to dedicate to any game, but Scarlet Nexus is worth the investment. Although not out of this world difficult, the RPG is nevertheless a challenging game that rewards those who are willing to take advantage of all its mechanics. These Scarlet Nexus tips should help out both new and more experienced players.
12 Not Paying Attention To The Dialogue
This is relevant for both inside and outside of combat encounters. The game's story can be considerably convoluted. Those who want to get the gist of the entire picture should take the time to listen to the dialogue or read the subtitles.
Within combat, the other party members will also give out useful information regarding enemy weaknesses and solutions to traversal puzzles, like which SAS ability to use. Therefore, it is important to not ignore the chatter during combat.
11 Not Building Bonds
Building bonds with the other characters is one of the most important mechanics in Scarlet Nexus. By building bonds, the player is also strengthening the abilities of the other characters, as well as making them more effective in combat for the player.
To build bonds, the player must simply talk to another character during every Standby Phase and choose the "bond episode" option. Another way is to constantly give them gifts, which can be exchanged from Satori the Archivist.
10 Neglecting Collectibles
There is a myriad of collectibles the player should stumble upon while navigating each level in Scarlet Nexus. Whenever the player finds them, especially the white glowing ones, they should always take the time to collect them.
These materials are very useful when it comes to exchanging items with Satori the Archivist, the game's merchant. Exchanging items is so much more cost-efficient than outright purchasing them. This will allow the player to save money for healing items and other plug-ins.
9 Using Outdated Weapons And Plug-Ins
To get the most out of the game's combat, the player must always use the best weapon that's available in the game. On top of this, they must also equip the best possible plug-ins for the upgrade they require, like health or power.
To do this, the player must constantly return to the game's merchant to see if the wares have been stocked with upgraded varieties. This will happen after a couple of phases, so whenever the player reaches a Standby Phase, it is good practice to just visit the shop.
8 Mishandling Party Line-up
For the most part, the characters the player chooses to join their active party mainly boils down to preference. However, there is one aspect where choosing a specific character as a party member is beneficial.
The player must choose a party member that has the SAS ability they frequently use the most. For example, if the player always uses the Duplication ability, then Kyoka must be an active party member. This will allow the player to use Kyoka's ability a little bit longer.
7 Not Learning The Perfect Dodge Mechanic
The Perfect Dodge mechanic is a passive ability any player of Scarlet Nexus should master if they want to ace this game. This ability is already pre-unlocked but there are a couple of plug-ins and Brain Map skills that can make the Perfect Dodge more effective.
The Perfect Dodge is activated when the player moves out of the way just before an enemy's attack makes contact. This will slow time, allowing the player to make a counterattack.
6 Not Getting Auto-Heal
Auto-Heal is a skill the player can unlock from the Brain Map. It is absolutely one of the skills that everyone should prioritize early on. By unlocking this, the player's health will gradually increase while they are outside of combat.
With the Auto-Heal unlocked, the player won't need to consume Jellies while outside of enemy encounters, allowing them to save it for actual combat situations. However, it should be noted that this skill doesn't work on other party members.
5 Not Maxing Out Concurrent SAS Activation
The Concurrent SAS Activation skill is unlocked from the Brain Map. There are two variations of this skill, the first one allows the player to use two SAS abilities at the same time, while the second allows them to use four.
Unlocking both skills will make the player incredibly powerful in combat. On top of being able to use their own psychokinesis ability, they will also be able to use four other abilities at the same time.
4 Not Experimenting Enough With SAS Combos
In the heat of battle, reflexes tend to kick in when the going gets tough, causing people to stick to what they know. Once every character is available in Scarlet Nexus, players will have access to nine SAS powers. Permitting the Concurrent SAS Activation skill has been unlocked, Kasane and Yuito will be able to utilize dozens upon dozens of unique combinations that could make a huge difference in combat.
Experiment as much as possible, and do not ignore the powers that are not made available until the second half of the campaign. While some are more situational than others, no SAS is pointless, even the ones that have a more supportive role.
Here are some combinations that result in massive damage:
- Arashi's Velocity + Kyoka's Duplication + Any Elemental SAS
- Luka's Teleportation + Gemma's Sclerokinesis + Any Elemental SAS
3 Relying On Companions To Revive Them
Sooner or later, every player will fall during combat. When that happens, there is a chance that one of the other party members will step in and revive Yuito or Kasane. This happens totally at random. While increasing a Companion's bond raises the odds of them sparking the player back to life, it is not something that can be relied on.
There might be situations when two revivals happen in a single combat scenario; conversely, Yuito or Kasane might succumb to the Grim Reaper without any of their Companions seemingly noticing. Players should not opt against using healing items in the hope that they will be revived instead. It is a gamble that will frequently not pay off.
2 Not Maxing Out Psionic Gauge Boost
The Psionic Gauge Boost skill can be unlocked from the Brain Map menu. Similar to the Concurrent SAS Activation, there are two variations of this skill. Activating both will maximize the player's Psionic Gauge, fully increasing it by 100%.
In Scarlet Nexus, using Yuito or Kasane's psychokinesis ability is something the player will have to do quite a lot. If left unupgraded, the player's Psionic gauge will run out very fast. However, with this skill unlock, they'll be able to use more of their powers without having to worry about their gauge running out.
1 Rushing Through The Game
It is an absolute mistake to rush through Scarlet Nexus. This is one of those games where it is vital that the player takes their time, appreciates the story, interacts with the other characters, and even checks out a couple of side quests to earn a handful of useful materials.
The player will have to dish in hours upon hours of their time into Scarlet Nexus if they want to experience everything it has to offer, especially since there are two interweaving storylines to complete.
Scarlet Nexus is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.