Summary
- Experiment with archetypes based on 6 character types with unique abilities and fighting styles.
- Focus on story completion to unlock characters and improve player rank for co-op missions.
- Utilize unique awakened states for special abilities and target enemy weaknesses for extra damage.
Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream is the latest RPG based on the hit anime Sword Art Online, and a return to the series for developer Dimps. Their previous game, Fatal Bullet, is a favorite among many SAO fans. Fractured Daydream offers a similar mix of single-player story and online co-op fun.
WIth 21 characters, all with their own fighting styles and equipment to worry about, there's a lot for new players to get to grips with. These tips will help both with starting the game, and getting players up to speed for the online co-op missions that make up the endgame.
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The Sword Art Online franchise has some fun games under its belt for fans to sink their teeth into.
7 Experiment With Archetypes
Finding A Play Style
- Fighter: Melee all-rounders with access to perfect block and dodge moves.
- Tank: Larger health pool, defensive abilities, and aggro pull.
- Rogue: DPS focused melee characters with lower health and defense.
- Ranger: Guns and ranged abilities, with timed shots and weak spot targeting.
- Mage: Ranged magic DPS with AOE and elemental abilities.
- Support: Multiplayer focused characters with buffs and healing abilities.
The 21 characters in Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream all fit into one of the six archetypes above. Within that, each character has their own quirks and elemental affinities. Characters need to be leveled separately to get them to character rank 30, so it's worth experimenting to find a preferred play style.
6 Focus On The Story First
Unlocking Characters And Improving Player Rank
Before players have to worry about leveling efficiently and running through the multiplayer modes, it's worth finishing the single player story. This will help get players up to player rank 20, which is where they need to be to start taking on the co-op raid bosses.
Completing the story is also how players unlock the full roster of characters. Players can start taking on the early co-op missions after just a few story missions, though. For players who want a bit of variety, they can work through the Tier-1 co-op missions alongside the story.
5 Understand Unique Awakened States
The Purpose Of The Yellow Bar
For most characters, there's an additional meter above the health bar, which charges as they battle. Depending on the character, this has different effects, but players can think of it as a limit break or awakened state.
For example, with Kirito, activating the gauge when full causes him to regenerate health while attacking, and reduces his skill cooldowns. Keep an eye on this bar and make sure to use it, and learn what benefits it gives to each character.
4 Weak Points And Damage Types
Elemental Damage Matching Helps A Lot
Players will quickly notice that their weapon rank has a big effect on the damage they deal. What they might not realize, though, is that targeting an enemy's elemental weakness is worth around 10 weapon ranks of extra damage.
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Equally important is targeting enemy weak spots, especially with tougher enemies and bosses. Ranged characters will have an easier time of this, but melee characters that can fly can also easily attack the right spots for extra damage.
3 Fastest Missions For EXP And Leveling
Efficient Progress
After finishing the story, players will immediately want to run through each Tier 1 co-op mission. This will unlock the first co-op raid boss, Skull Reaper. After Skull Reaper is unlocked, this is players' most efficient method of EXP gain, both for character and player rank.
After clearing the Tier 2 co-op missions and reaching player rank 35, the second raid boss, SBC Trommel, will unlock. This provides more player rank EXP than Skull Reaper, but running Skull Reaper can still give faster EXP yields due to its shorter completion time.
In the latter game, Tier 3 co-op missions can give higher player rank EXP yields after players reach rank 55. Tier 3 co-op mission 3 seems to be the highest overall EXP per hour yield, even after the final raid boss is unlocked at rank 85.
2 When To Upgrade Gear
Hold On To Your Materials
Gear leveling, upgrading, dismantling and crafting can be confusing in Fractured Daydream. Fortunately, it's a superfluous system for most of the game. As long as a player's gear rank is close to their player rank, they'll be fine. Once players approach the Tier 3 co-op content, then it's time to refine and specialize.
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Avoid getting rid of materials and gear throughout the game, especially those with good passive stats. Players can use Effect Spheres to take passive effects from unwanted gear and apply it to other pieces. This is the key to build specialization in the late game.
1 Know The Co-op Modes
Awakened Levels, Explained
At first, the co-op elements of the game might be a little daunting for newcomers, but once players get used to it, it's the best way to earn rewards and EXP. The structure of co-op missions goes like this: players complete objectives and kill monsters in a group of four. As they do this, they gain awakened levels, unlocking new special attacks at specific milestones. That means players get stronger as the mission progresses. Then, once a few objectives have been completed, teams join up with 16 other players for a final round of monster and boss killing.
This is where "Switch" moves come in. These are powerful moves that co-op groups can execute on bosses. Watch for button prompts on-screen in these multiplayer boss battles to pull them off. Co-op boss raids work the same way, except the missions are condensed into a big final boss fight.
Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream
- Released
- October 4, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Language, Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Dimps
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Sword Art Online
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
