Scarlet Nexus (PS5)

I've been playing for just over 27 hours now on my first playthrough (you do it twice to see everything), so I think I have a good idea on what I like and dislike about this game.But first, just a quick word on the packaging. It's quite barebones with two leaflets slipped in to advertise the anime and also provide a Bandai Namco points code. The sleeve isn't reversible, but the disc looks good and the spine of the case looks excellent (I might add a picture later if possible). It's a spine that has the game's font and design on it to match the rest of the case art, instead of the generic font (like for example, the spine on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade case. Ugly!).Anyway, things I like:1) Combat is absolutely excellent. It looks and feels great to play and just gets better as you unlock more and more skills. They've captured the anime look and feel with the combat and after 27 hours I'm still not bored of it.2) There are nice little touches. You can see the gifts that you've given to your team mates displayed in the hub of the game and sometimes you'll see special animations of them using those gifts.3) Music is mostly great and definitely is a good fit.4) Every character has a unique purpose and personality. They're useful for different reasons during combat and they'll all form different kinds of relationships with the main character. They're all well designed.Dislikes:1) Most of the world is accessed via a quick travel menu. Some people will love this as it makes a long game more bearable and easy to travel around especially due to the nature of the side quest design. Don't expect an elaborately strung together world like some of the From Software games. I prefer games that allow you to form a connection with the world whilst you travel within it from place to place, but that kind of world probably wouldn't suit the fundamental design of this game.2) Most of the maps feel flat and empty. You'll mostly be running through levels and not stopping much to look at the environments. They're not terrible but at the same time they're a bit generic and not interesting enough to hang around in. You'll run to the next checkpoint to fight and then move on. Go in to do what you need to do and leave.3) This may or may not bother you, but there's a lot of unnecessary lines in the script. If you love anime and don't mind the story being explained to you constantly as though you're a child, you'll be fine. I mostly picked up my phone and waited for the cutscenes to end. They talk so much that I knew things would be explained clearly later on if I missed anything anyway. I personally can't stand it in any game, even Persona 5 which is another excellent JRPG. Time is precious and not to be wasted on basic dialogue that isn't intriguing at all. There are plenty of other games out there with great dialogue and this isn't one of them.To sum it up, it's an enjoyable game if you don't mind the anime style pace and writing. A solid but not perfect game.

*PRE-ORDER NOTE* - As other reviews have stated for the PS5 version of Scarlet Nexus, the game did not come with any codes for the pre-order bonuses in the game case, and Amazon did not provide these on the day of launch. However, on 29th March I received an email from Amazon with the codes I had been promised for my early purchase, including the cosmetic items and the 2 months subscription to Funimation. It is a little dissappointing to have received these late but I will not fault the game or reduce my rating for this reason. Also, I must applaud Amazon for listening to the feedback from customers who were in a similar position.*THE GAME* - This game has been a joy to play all the way through, and should appeal to any fans of hack 'n' slash combat (think Nier Automata) or anime-style games of recent years (like the Tales Of series). You'll spend most of your time fighting strange enemies called Others alongside your party members, all of which you can customise to your liking in terms of what they wear or how they fight. One of the best parts of this game is also the mechanic of "borrowing" your teammates powers and using them to enhance your own abilities in combat. When you're not fighting things, you'll have some downtime to converse with your party members and can complete various side missions associated with each of them if you spend enough time with them. The game's soundtrack is phenomenal and extremely varied (in a good way), with styles ranging from electronic drum 'n' bass to heavy metal, and some softer piano pieces to round it all off. The story is a wild ride too, with a good number of plot twists and compelling moments to keep you fighting your way through to the finish line. If you spend some time completing the side-missions and optional conversations with your platoon members, the game will likely take you about 30-35 hours to complete, but you are encouraged to play the game again from a different character's perspective if you want to see the other side of the story. The second playthrough will be quicker than the first, especially if you choose new game+, but in total the game could easily take you 50+ hours if you wished to invest the time into it, and I'd highly recommend doing so. The game runs perfectly smooth on PS5 despite the highly-detailed environments and fast-paced combat, and I'm thoroughly impressed with the graphics and performance of the game on the PS5 system.*FINAL THOUGHTS* - A game that was definitely worth the wait, and delivers on all the things I hoped it would. Some people might be put off by the anime-style design of the world and characters, or the cutscenes that tend to just be still images while the characters talk (though they are all fully voiced), but I'd highly recommend giving it a try despite this. The combat is satisfying and complex, the characters are all interesting and unique, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the game looks incredible. Once I played the demo I knew I'd be hooked, and I wasn't disappointed!