When does SCARLET NEXUS get good?

Give it 20 hours. In the first 2 hours 1 in 3 reviews are negative (39%); after 35h it's 1 in 13 (8%). Fully opens up by hour 35.

How many players finish SCARLET NEXUS?

27% of players who start reach the ending.

All games

ActionAdventureRPG

SCARLET NEXUS

Jun 24, 2021 Steam: Very Positive

Give it 20 hours

Gets good by 20h then rated almost like by veterans

Fully opens up by 35h rated like by long-time players

Reach the ending 27% of players who started

Started playing 75% of owners

Steam reviews 80% positive of 18,240

What the data shows

In the first 2 hours 1 in 3 reviews are negative (39%); after 35h it's 1 in 13 (8%).
Fully opens up by hour 35.
27% of players who start reach the ending.
The biggest drop-off is between “Scarlet Guardian” (Completed Phase 0) and “Suoh Incident”: from 100% to 59% of starters.
75% of owners got the first achievement.

When it gets good

Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.

before it gets good opening up fully opened up

Based on all 18,370 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 298 reviews: 27.3h for positive, 11.6h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.

Where players quit

Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (75.4% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Started playing 100%
Scarlet Guardian Completed Phase 0. 100%
Suoh Incident The Suoh Incident occurred. Most players quit here 59% −41
One Will Gathered all party members. 37% −21
To the Unknown Future Reached the 1st playthrough ending. 27% −10

story milestone ending biggest drop-off

Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.

All achievements (53)

story milestone ending side

Scarlet Guardian Completed Phase 0. 100%
Fierce Psychokinesis User Threw 100 objects with psychokinesis. 85%
Other Nemesis Used the Brain Crush on Others 20 times. 72%
Power of Observation Successfully performed 20 perfect dodges. 65%
Gifts Gave a gift to an ally for the first time. *Does not include add-ons. 63%
Trusted Ally Initiated a guardian vision for the first time. 63%
Collector Used Item Exchange for the first time. *Does not include add-ons. 63%
The Place Beyond the Pain Used the SAS over 100 times. 60%
Suoh Incident The Suoh Incident occurred. 59%
Fashion Debut First time you changed your Visual Equipment. *Does not include add-ons. 54%
Helping Hand Revived by an ally for the first time. 52%
Everyone's Ally Completed a quest for the first time. 50%
Seasoned Psychokinesis User Performed 50 successful Special Object Follow-Up Attacks. 48%
You Are Not Alone Saved inside the brain field for the first time. 41%
One Will Gathered all party members. 37%
Receiver of Protection Initiated Assault Visions 20 times. 36%
Wheels Gone Wild Defeated 5 enemies with 1 bus. 36%
Expanded Brain Functionality Learned all the skills in one of the Brain Map categories. 35%
Kins Millionaire Collected over 200 thousand kins. 30%
Brain Field Expert Raised the EXP bonus to the maximum. 29%
Conclusion of Millenia Finished the last battle against Karen. 27%
To the Unknown Future Reached the 1st playthrough ending. 27%
Mighty Soldier Defeated 1,000 enemies. 26%
Companionship Reached Bond Level 6 with an ally. 25%
A Line Beyond Time Saw Kasane Bond Episode 5 20%
Friendship Revived allies 5 times. 18%
Collecting Fragments of History Started a new game with a different main character after beating the game. 18%
Collection Freak Exchanged 100 types of items at shops. *Does not include add-ons. 16%
Power of Nexus Activated 4 different Combo Visions in 1 combo. 16%
Shared Feelings Saw Yuito Bond Episode 5 15%
Cunning Brain Smash Defeated 3 enemies at the same time with Brain Crush. 14%
Knowledge of the Past Collected all Mysterious Text Data. 13%
Master of the Psionic Space Finished off 50 enemies with the Brain Field. 11%
Tightly Wound Bond Reached Bond Level 6 with all allies. 10%
Owner of an Excellent Brain Learned all the skills on the Brain Map. 9.2%
Suppressor of All Enemies Completed the Enemy Compendium. *Does not include add-ons. 7.6%
Red Strings for Two Reached the ending of both Yuito's and Kasane's story. 7.0%
Fashionista Collected 100 attachments. *Does not include add-ons. 6.9%
To Run Together Viewed 'Hanabi Bond Episode 5' in Yuito's story and 'Hanabi Bond Episode 4' In Kasane's story. 6.6%
Life Goes On Viewed 'Gemma Bond Episode 5' in Yuito's story and 'Gemma Bond Episode 4' In Kasane's story. 6.5%
Remaining Pure Viewed 'Tsugumi Bond Episode 5' in Yuito's story and 'Tsugumi Bond Episode 4' In Kasane's story. 6.5%
Ghost Who Chose Life Viewed 'Kagero Bond Episode 4' in Yuito's story and 'Kagero Bond Episode 5' In Kasane's story. 6.5%
No Need to Go it Alone Viewed 'Luka Bond Episode 5' in Yuito's story and 'Luka Bond Episode 4' In Kasane's story. 6.5%
The Strength to Simply Exist Viewed 'Shiden Bond Episode 4' in Yuito's story and 'Shiden Bond Episode 5' In Kasane's story. 6.5%
My Past is Me, My Angst is Me Viewed 'Kyoka Bond Episode 4' in Yuito's story and 'Kyoka Bond Episode 5' In Kasane's story. 6.5%
Being Wasteful Ain't Bad Viewed 'Arashi Bond Episode 4' in Yuito's story and 'Arashi Bond Episode 5' In Kasane's story. 6.5%
One Lost in Madness Ran out of time inside the brain field. 5.7%
Heroic OSF Completed 30 quests. 5.0%
Protect! Stopped in front of the OSF poster in the hideout. 4.4%
Link Expert Activated all Combo Visions. 4.4%
Gift-Giving Freak Gave all gifts to all allies. *Does not include add-ons. 4.2%
Baki-s Everyone wore Baki heads. 3.8%
Woven Red Threads Unlocked all achievements. 2.9%

Steam page Updated: 2026-10-18.