Bandai Namco has announced that action-RPG Scarlet Nexus will be free-to-play on Steam this weekend. That availability has already started today, and all editions of the game are on sale for 75% off, in case you decide you want to own it permanently after trying it.
Originally released on June 25, 2021, Scarlet Nexus was developed by Bandai Namco and Tose. The futuristic anime-styled action-RPG went on to receive favorable reviews, as well as overall commercial success. By April 2022, the game had sold more than 1 million units.
Wanting to keep that momentum going even several years after launch, Bandai Namco has now rolled out this weekend free-to-play deal for the game. That tracks with the multimedia ambitions that the publisher seemed to have and may still hope for with the game. An anime adaptation of the game was produced by Sunrise and aired through the second half of 2021, right after the game’s launch. Running for 26 episodes, the series told a functional, yet simplified version of the game’s plot.
The game is also offering deals across all its various editions available on Steam. In addition to the base game, there is a Deluxe Edition, which includes a digital art book and soundtrack, along with extra in-game attachments, plug-in variations, and attire sets. There is also the Ultimate Edition, which includes all the aforementioned bonuses plus the season pass for the game’s DLC, which added extra episodes and missions onto the base game. Each of these are available for 75% off their original prices during this weekend promotion, though oddly, the Deluxe Edition is only on sale through January 31, while the base game and Ultimate Edition will have their price cuts last until February 2, for an extra-long “Weekend Deal”.
On the other hand, as Scarlet Nexus takes around thirty hours to complete, it would be possible for enterprising endurance players to get through the whole thing over the course of the free weekend, if they were so inclined. Whether going full completionist with all of the game’s routes, or checking out the DLC was worth it afterwards, that’s the sort of thing a free trial like this is made for determining.