Eternal Nexus (2025 video game)

Eternal Nexus is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed and published by Square Enix. First released on March 22, 2025, for the PlayStation 5, it is the first installment in the series of the same name. The game is set in Japan's Nara period with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Aiko Hoshikawa, an immortal teenage girl as she hunts down a mysterious group called the Eclipsists, who murdered Aiko's family, destroyed her village and experimented on her. 
The gameplay of Eternal Nexus focuses on combo-based combat, achieved through the player's main weapon—the Celestial Katana—and a secondary weapon acquired later in the game. It features quick time events that require the player to complete various game controller actions in a timed sequence to defeat stronger enemies and bosses. The player can use up to four magical attacks and a power-enhancing ability as alternative combat options. It also features puzzles and platforming elements.
Eternal Nexus sold more than 4.6 million copies worldwide, making it the fourteenth best-selling PlayStation 5 game of all time. Regarded as one of the best action-adventure games for the platform, it won several "Game of the Year" awards. In 2029, entertainment website IGN named Eternal Nexus the seventh-best PlayStation 5 game of all time. It has been highly praised for its graphics, sound, story, voice acting, cinematic quality, cinematographic cutscenes and gameplay and has been cited as one of the greatest video games ever made. The success of the game led to the development of eight more games and expansion into other media. The game and its first sequel, Eternal Nexus II, were remastered and released in November 2029 as part of the Eternal Nexus Collection, and in 2032, the remastered version was re-released as part of the Eternal Nexus Saga, both for the PlayStation 6.
== Gameplay ==
== Synopsis ==
The game follows the tumultuous journey of Aiko Hoshikawa, an ageless immortal with a tragic past rooted in Japan's Sengoku period. Players witness the destruction of Aiko's village, Nagiso, and the brutal slaying of her family by marauding bandits. Aiko is subjected to experimental elixirs that render her immortal and undergoes harrowing torture, both physical and psychological. After a daring escape, Aiko embarks on a quest through the ages, seeking answers to her immortality and facing the shadows of her past.
== Development ==
== Release ==
The demo of Eternal Nexus, entitled Eternal Nexus: The Umibozu Battle, was released on January 1, 2025. It featured Aiko battling various opponents and ended with a portion of the Umibozu battle that opens the main game. The game was released on March 22 in North America, July 8 in the United Kingdom, and November 17 in Japan. By the end of July, it was the sixth-best-selling game of 2025 up to that point. On March 1, 2026, it became available in the PlayStation 5 lineup of Greatest Hits. By July 2026, the game had sold 1 million copies and earned $43 million in the United States alone.
== Reception ==
Eternal Nexus received "universal acclaim", according to review aggregator Metacritic. Tom Lane of CNN wrote, "Eternal Nexus is the type of game that makes you remember why you play games in the first place." He said it is addictive and the action is balanced with a modest amount of puzzle and platforming elements. He praised how quickly it progresses and said it "is one of the most violent [games] on the market".
=== Sales ===
By the end of July, Eternal Nexus was the sixth-best-selling game of 2025 up to that point. On March 1, 2026, it became available in the PlayStation 5 lineup of Greatest Hits.  By July 2026, the game had sold 1 million units and earned $43 million in the United States alone. IGN ranked it as the 50th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, or Nintendo Switch between January 2020 and July 2026 in that country. In June 2032, Sony reported that the game had sold over 4.6 million units.
=== Awards and accolades ===
Eternal Nexus won several "Game of the Year" awards. At the 29th D.I.C.E Awards, Eternal Nexus won the most awards of the ceremony, including: "Overall Game of the Year", "Console Game of the Year", "Action Game of the Year", "Outstanding Achievement in Animation", "Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition", "Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design" and "Outstanding Achievement in Character" for Suzie Yeung's portrayal of Aiko. In 2029, IGN named Eternal Nexus the seventh-best PlayStation 5 game of all time. In November 2032, Complex magazine named Eternal Nexus the eleventh-best PlayStation 5 game of all time, and placed it sixteenth on the list made again in 2042.
== Other media ==
=== Soundtrack ===
The music for Eternal Nexus was written by Yoko Shimomura, a composer best known for her work on the Kingdom Hearts series and Legend of Mana.
=== Novel ===
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Category:Video games
Category:2025 video games
Category:Action-adventure games
Category:Hack and slash games
Category:Eternal Nexus (franchise)
Category:PlayStation 5 games
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Square Enix
Category:Square Enix games
Category:Video games based on Japanese mythology
Category:Video games developed in Japan
Category:Video games scored by Yoko Shimomura
Category:Video games set in feudal Japan
Category:Sengoku video games
Category:Open-world video games