The Importance of the Bond System in Scarlet Nexus

Keep your friends close, your powerful friends closer.

The world of the far future is a harsh one. Players are required to continue mastering their skills using PSY skills and melee combos. But to truly master the skills needed to survive the world of Scarlet Nexus, one must rely on the Bond System or the SAS. The SAS system allows players to use their allies’ abilities in a limited time to either deal greater damage to enemies or getting through obstacles that would otherwise be impossible without the use of powers.

Individual Bond Levels and How to Level Them Up

As stated, bond system levels are essential in Scarlet Nexus because it makes SAS abilities much more powerful. In addition, strengthening the bonds with other characters will result in them becoming more active in combat, take damage for you, and even point out enemy weaknesses. Knowing this, beating the game will become a cinch. This helps tremendously in formulating strategies to overcome the odds. Having the highest bond level with all your teammates will unlock special endings during the game’s epilogue.

There are two ways to increase your allies’ bond levels:

  1. Bond Episodes:  When the relationship with your allies reach a certain point, special quests or missions are unlocked during the standby phase of the story. Here, players can interact and learn more of their companions’ origins and earn their trust. There are even times when players will team up with them in solo surprise events.
  2. Gifts: Friendship or bond levels can be also improved through gift giving. Gifts can attained by exchanging certain items in the shop. The required items can be easily found throughout the different areas. Also, certain gifts have a certain bond strength that determines who is best to give this item to and thus strengthening your bond levels.

Team Bond Levels

Team Bond LevelRewards
1None
2White Outfits for the entire squad
3None
4Team Bonding Episode
5White Outfits for the other squads

The Scarlet Nexus Team Bond level is reliant on your individual bond levels and is accessible a little less than halfway through the game. The benefits earned from raising Team Bond levels are worth pursuing if only to get the most out of your interactions with each of the characters you meet. Note that the lowest bond level of your allies will determine the level of your team bond level so keeping check your allies’ bond levels are a must.

The Lowest Common Denominator

To improve the team bond level, you must increase each of your allies’ individual bond levels to a certain point. Doing individual bonding events and gift-giving is a must if players wish to increase the team bond level. If it feels like it’s taking longer than usual, it’s alright. Since the team bond level corresponds to your lowest leveled ally bond, It will take time for most players to level up. If they are successful in doing so, however, they will be rewarded with mostly alternative costumes and a special team bonding episode.

Scarlet Nexus is already available on PS4, PS5, PC (on Steam), Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Read our full review here.