We are almost at the release of a new Sword Art Online game from Bandai Namco, Sword Art Online: Last Recollection. You are probably wondering what that means and what you need to know to understand the story. Well, fret not, the nerd that I am in Sword Art Online video games, it is time to help you understand the behemoth that this game series is. If you have only watched the anime and/or read the Light Novels, you are in for a confusing treat. The Sword Art Online video games have their continuity and follow the events of the anime you know and love, but there are many changes.
That said, this list does not include spin-offs, such as the Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax games and Sword Art Online: Integral Factor. It also does not include Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment (2013), which is unavailable and unplayable (legally) due to Bandai Namco releasing Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment, which is a remake of sorts and includes everything that Infinity Moment does.
Let’s get right to it, shall we?
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment (2014)
This game came out originally on the PlayStation Vita and was exclusive to the platform for a year before it came out on PlayStation and PC. This game suffers from being made initially on the PlayStation Vita with stiff combat animations and gameplay controls that are not conducive to fast gameplay. Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment is what happens when the Aincrad Arc in the anime does not end on floor 76. During that arc, Kirito defeated the Skull Reaper boss on floor 76 and then released that the Guild Master of the Knights of the Blood, Heathcliff, was the GM of the game, Kayaba Akihiko. After their battle, the remaining floors were destroyed and unreachable.
You have to process through the remaining 24 floors of Sword Art Online and attempt to survive. I am not going to post spoilers but note that there are a lot of characters that show up in the game that don’t show up in Aincrad normally. This section of the game covers the first 13 episodes of the original Sword Art Online anime. When Kirito gets stuck in Aincrad, it becomes a game of life and death. The PS4 version and PC version are called Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment. It includes some added stuff and an extra character.
Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment is available on PSVita. Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment is available on PS4 and PC.
Sword Art Online: Lost Song (2015)
The next game in the series is Sword Art Online Lost Song. This game takes place in ALO or Alfheim Online. In the anime, this was a rather short arc of Kirito trying to find Asuna inside the game she was held prisoner in. This game, however, takes things in a different turn as Asuna wasn’t kidnapped, and Kirito just started playing Alfheim Online due to his desire to learn more about game design and AI. There is a scientist known as Seven who is also an idol in the game, and Kirito wants to get to know more about her and her science in the game.
There is hardly anything about the story of the anime in this game. Honestly, a good thing since that is probably the lowest part of the anime series, in my opinion. Unlike the previous entry, this game came out multi-platform from the get-go. It was on PSVita, PS3 (In Japan only) PS4, and PC. I liked the story and the direction they took the game in, though the flying was slow as molasses. It had better combat but worse movement.
Sword Art Online is available on PSVita, PS4 and PC.
Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization (2016)
Sword Art Online Hollow Realization is the next game on the list. This one was when Aquaria found their footing in combat and made a fun gameplay mechanic. The game takes place at the re-created Aincrad in the Alfheim Online servers, and you get to traverse Aincrad from level one and work your way up. Ainground has recreated Aincrad as just one giant floor. Even though the floors are a bit of a disappointment, Hollow Realization added a ton of what has been moving the series forward in the current iteration of Sword Art Online games. We were able to customize Kirito completely, recruiting any NPC in the game to your party, the four characters in a party, and a better blend of gameplay to RPG mix.
If the previous games weren’t important to the series, this is the one I would suggest starting the series from. That is right; one of the reasons why the games are important is because the Sword Art Online game continuity starts from Hollow Fragment, and it brings in characters that are new to the games up to even this game. The anime and games have two different continuities. The important character this game brings in is Premiere. She is a rogue AI that is trying to remember what she is doing there and who she is.
Sword Art Online Hollow Realization is available on PSVita, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Accel World vs. Sword Art Online: Millennium Twilight (2017)
Just gonna get this one out of the way, Accel World vs. Sword Art Online isn’t necessary to play. So just skip this game if you are trying to get caught up unless you want to understand a bit more of Accel World, which was made by the same person who made Sword Art Online. Otherwise, the gist of the game is a witch hires a few of the characters of Accel World to distract Kirito so she can steal Yui and plans to use her to bring about the end of the online world. They then team up to get Yui back.
Accel World vs. Sword Art Online is available on PSVita, PS4, and PC.
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet (2018)
The next game in the game continuity is Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet, and unlike the rest of the games, Fatal Bullet was developed by Dimps. Up until now, Aquaria has done all the Sword Art Online games. Honestly, Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet is a gem of a game. It begins with you as your avatar, following after a real-life friend who is introducing you to the game Gun Gale Online. Throughout the game, it diverts a lot of attention from the normal cast of Kirito and his friends to put a story focused on the game itself. Kirito is a supporting character for your cast of main characters, and I think it works extremely well.
They did include a Kirito mode that covers the death gun story from the Anime, but it is completely separate from the rest of the game and can be done at any time once you unlock it. This is personally my favorite Sword Art Online game, and it is probably due to how much time is focused on your character and their place in the online world. It also brings in plot points from the previous games that feel satisfying.
Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris (2020)
The final game before Sword Art Online’s Last Recollection hits is Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris. This game’s tutorial is essentially a reimaging of the events of the Sword Art Online Alicization Anime. Once the tutorial chapter ends, a lot more interesting story begins after the end of the Administrator occurs. There are still some characters that show up from the previous games, but they are used in less capacity in this game due to the story being so focused on the Integrity Knights and the underworld.
This is probably a good spot to get into the Sword Art Online games if you don’t care about understanding all the differences between the anime and games and the new characters the game series adds. The best part of this game is the end game. There are a ton of new dungeons and raid bosses you can do online. You have a variety of weapon skills and customized play styles, so you can play around with your equipment to try out different builds. I shifted between dual wielding and bows since bows get a ton of damage buffs if you know the best stats to build. Outfits can be unlocked by doing dating simulator stuff, as well as the gacha system, which you will unlock by the end of the game.
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Sword Art Online: Last Recollection (2023)
The new game coming out is Sword Art Online’s Last Recollection. This takes place immediately after Alicization Lycoris. If you are planning to play this game, it is highly recommended you at least play Alicization Lycoris. The game system is still pretty similar but a little more polished. You are in the shoes of Kirito as you are trying to end the war with the Dark Realm before it gets fierce at the doorstep of the Human Realm.
Where Do I Start?
If you have been following along, this should be an easy answer, but I will try my best to give you starting points. If you want to understand everything that is different and how that impacts the current games, you need to start with Hollow Fragment and go through the entirety of the games.
If you are just wanting to play the games for fun, I would recommend starting with Hollow Realization or Fatal Bullet. If you just want to know what is going on in the newest entry, you should at least play through Alicization Lycoris. These games have a lot of meat to them, even if like 40% of that meat is mainly fan service moments or hot springs that are conveniently placed in your path.
Sword Art Online Last Recollection releases October 5th, 2023, on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
If you enjoyed this lovely gaming feature, be sure to check out my other one, discussing if Bandai Namco needs to release a .Hack / Dot Hack remake.
