Best Sword Art Online Games

Taking place in various fictional MMO worlds, the Sword Art Online series is highly suited to video game adaptations. It has game systems built right into the story, so there are few other franchises that could transition mediums as easily. At least, in theory.

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By  Oluwatokiloba Folami

Not all the games that have come out of the series have been great, but there have been some stand-out entries since Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment was released on PSP back in 2013. Of the seventeen games in the franchise, (including mobile games and releases that haven't made it to the West), these are the best.

8 Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris

Beautiful But Slow

Alicization is one of the more modern entries into the Sword Art series. As such, the character models and stylized anime action are beautiful to behold. Unfortunately, the game is held back by incredibly slow pacing that is not helped by the number of 2D visual novel-style cutscenes.

Once SAO: Alicization Lycoris opens up, it can be quite fun to play. The combo system lets players work with an AI partner, team up with players online, and string together attacks. However, the developers made the unusual decision to lock the co-op option until the back half of the game.

That means to play with a friend, players need to first get through around 20 hours of gameplay. And that's in the more tedious, dialogue-heavy half of the game. Fans of the series are also split on the game's story, which departs significantly from the anime in a retelling of events, before heading to the ending with a completely original story.

7 Sword Art Online RE: Hollow Fragment

A Revamped Re-release

• Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS Vita
• Released: April 24, 2014
• Developer: Aquria

The game's timelines get a little confusing here. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment was the second game in the mainline series, but it contained all the content from the first game, Infinity Moment.

Infinity Moment was stuck on the PSP at this point, and this bridged the gap between a sequel and a re-release on the PS Vita. RE: Hollow Fragment was a Director's cut re-release of the game that updated it for the transition from PS Vita to PS4.

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While the first version of the game was held back a little in scope due to its handheld origins, the re-release added features like multiplayer and additional content. This brought the game more in line with its sequel, SAO: Lost Song.

6 Sword Art Online: Lost Song

Lost In Translation

• Platform(s): PC, PS3, PS4, PS Vita
• Released: March 26, 2015
• Developer: Artdink

Coming in 2015, SAO: Lost Song was the third game in the mainline series. The game takes fans into the series' second arc, Alfheim, but tells a unique "what if?" Story that follows different events. The story falls a little flat due to its lack of real connection to the series' main characters, though.

The game introduced aerial combat to the series with a neat flying mechanic that could be activated with a button press, giving a sense of freedom to the exploration and movement. With developer Artdink at the helm for the first time, the game took a step up both graphically and gameplay-wise from its predecessors.

5 Accel World vs. Sword Art Online: Millennium Twilight

Two Anime Worlds Collide

• Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS Vita
• Released: March 16, 2017
• Developer: Artdink

Building on the foundation of Sword Art Online: Lost Song, and borrowing a lot of inspiration (and assets) from the game, Accel World vs. Sword Art Online brings together characters from both anime worlds in an original storyline.

With a huge roster of 37 characters and the interesting switch system letting players switch control between their team of three characters in battle, combat is fun and frenetic. There's also a significant upgrade in visuals between this game and Lost Song, despite the similar environments.

Robust RPG systems like weapon synthesis help keep things interesting outside of combat. In its time, the online co-op system in the game was another highlight. Unfortunately, the story is nothing to write home about, and there are some very bland character interactions.

4 Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization

What Happened After The Anime

One of developer Aquria's better SAO games, Hollow Realization does itself a favor by placing the story after the events of the SAO manga/anime series. This means it doesn't have to spend time rehashing complex story events in a limited time, which is where a lot of other SAO games alienate newcomers.

The combat is deceptively deep, opening up from initial one-button combos to add timing, special skills, parrying, and combos with AI companions into the mix. The RPG systems are deep, if a little convoluted, and there's a lot of customization and crafting.

The only real drawback is that the multiplayer options don't match up with later games, with an online co-op mode that is separated from the single player game, and accessed from the game's main menu.

3 Sword Art Online: Last Recollection

Ending The Aquria Gameverse

The premise of Last Recollection will appeal to SAO fans immediately. The game brings together a roster of 45 characters from across the series, both from its source material and previous games. It then pits them in a climactic storyline intended to conclude the original story set up in previous SAO games.

As such, the back referencing lore and myriad character intros can be a bit too obtuse for newcomers, but provide a satisfying amount of fan service for long-term fans. There's a huge number of side missions and sub-stories to explore for those who love the characters.

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The combat makes good use of the large roster, letting players take multiple AI companions and set skills and commands for them to use in battle. It has the same simple but deceptively deep action combat that previous games like Alicization used, and it's still a lot of fun here.

2 Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet

RPG, TPS, And MMO In One

Fatal Bullet is a unique entry in the Sword Art Online main series. It takes the setting from the fantasy worlds of previous entries into one of the anime series' later settings, the fictional VRMMO Gun Gale Online. This switches the high fantasy forests for post-apocalyptic environments.

It also means the gameplay, under new developer Dimps, makes a refreshing switch from the series' long-standing action MMO-style controls to third-person gunplay. Players still have access to special skills and a whole host of RPG progression mechanics on top of that, too.

As with other entries in the series, fans especially praised the actual online multiplayer aspect of the game. The PvPvE 4 versus four-team deathmatch was a highlight, and quite innovative for a multiplayer mode at the time.

1 Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream

MMO Realization

Developer Dimps recently returned to the Sword Art Online Series with Fractured Daydream. It's the most modern and graphically the most impressive SAO game. It also helps push the multiplayer aspects of the game closer to the series' premise of an MMO world.

The game still has a significant single player story that sees Kirito and others trapped in Galaxia, a place where they'll relive old missions and memories. Once that's done, players gain access to an end-game co-op mode that includes some massive raid bosses.

The combat helps carry the experience. The roster is streamlined to 21 characters here, but each of them has a unique and distinctive playstyle. Classes fit into different archetypes, with each bringing a different role to parties, especially in the latter online mode. Series fans may even prefer Fractured Daydream to Fatal Bullet, at least if it gets more end-game content over time.

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