‘Sword Art Online’ Games Coming To PS4 And Vita
Two new games based on the hit anime Sword Art Online are en-route to North America via the PlayStation 4 online store, according to a report from CrunchyRoll.
Sword Art Online has seen huge success in North America and Japan alike, and as the Inquisitr has previously reported, seasons 3 and 4 of Sword Art Online have been confirmed, although the release date remains unclear.
In the meantime, for your SAO fix, Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment will be available as a digital download later this summer, with an enhanced version on its way to Japan in the fall featuring graphical improvements and other new features. Players who already own the PlayStation Vita version of Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment will be able to transfer items and unlock additional content.
Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment takes place in the same continuity as the previous game in the series, Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment, an alternate timeline for the original story. The game itself is a simulated MMORPG featuring over 100 recruitable characters.
Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment was announced for North America on Bandai Namco’s Tumblr page and an English trailer was shown at this year’s E3 Expo.
Also heading for Western shores is Sword Art Online: Lost Song which will be available both at retail and as a digital download this fall. Lost Song follows the events of Re: Hollow Fragment, following the cast into ALfheim Online for the first time. The game will be subtitled in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish and features a completely original story covering some 20-30 hours of gameplay. Bandai Namco released an English trailer last week.
Both Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment and Lost Song have received generally positive critical reception; at the very least, most reviewers agree that fans of the series will appreciate them. Being set in an alternate timeline has left the developers a lot of freedom to introduce new characters and new areas and expand on the Sword Art Online universe without having to avoid tripping over existing plot lines.
In contrast, Kotaku notes that Lost Song‘s conflict is somewhat weak. However, that is perhaps appropriate, as many of the conflicts the cast faced in ALO in the original series were weak as well, being played as a plot device to demonstrate how living in a world where death was a constant risk had changed them.
Overall, one thing is certain: fans of Sword Art Online will appreciate a break in the long wait for new episodes, and two new games will deliver that.
