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Scarlet Nexus’ telekinetic combat looks like a lot of fun

Take on nightmare moose creatures in the abandoned hospital using psychokinetic powers and spectral swords

Developed by Bandai Namco’s Tales team, Scarlet Nexus has looked like an extremely anime game since we first caught wind of it, and that’s a perception that’s reinforced by two new gameplay videos the publisher released today. They showcase two combat encounters, each featuring a different one of Scarlet Nexus’ characters. While they’re showcasing different sets of skills and combat approaches, both look like a lot of fun.

Scarlet Nexus is a ‘brain punk’ game about fighting an otherworldly force called the Others that feeds on human minds. In the first video below, you’ll see hero Yuito Sumeragi take on a beast called the Slippy Chinery – it’s a twisted mass of wooden antlers, mechanical humanoid limbs, and a big tank full of oil.

The thing is, it’s also ephemeral, and so Yuito and his pals have to use SAS abilities just to be able to see where it is. Once the battle pops off, it’s a constant flurry of melee abilities and specialised combat manoeuvers that often involve telekinetically pulling inanimate objects from around the arena into the fracas to smash the creature.

Here’s that encounter:

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In the second, Kasane Randall and company make their way through a museum, encountering several nightmarish abominations and smashing them with telekinesis. Entering one room, Kasane is confronted by several long-legged ‘Buddy Rummies,’ which she dispatches by wrenching a chandelier off the ceiling and spinning it through the enemies like a blender blade.

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It all looks extremely cool, and the open question is how fun it will actually be to play. On the one hand, adding telekinetic pulls to the right and left triggers and using the sticks to add motions could feel fantastic, but there’s also the danger of these inputs feeling too much like Quicktime events.

In any case, we’ll find out soon: the Scarlet Nexus release date is just about two months away.