Best sword art online game

Important takeaways

• Some SAO games are held back by slow pacing, while others offer unique game mechanics and beautiful visuals.
• Developers made unusual choices like locking co-op options behind hours of gameplay, alienating some players.
• Some SAO game entries offer deep combat systems, rich storytelling, and enjoyable multiplayer experiences.

Set in various fictional MMO worlds Sword Art Online the series lends itself well to video game adaptations. It has gameplay systems built right into the story, so there are few other franchises that can switch mediums as easily. At least in theory.

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

8 Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris

Beautiful but slow

Alicization is one of the more modern entrances in 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 isn't 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 allows players to 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.

This means that in order to play with a friend, players must first get through about 20 hours of gameplay. And that's in the more boring, dialogue-heavy half of the game. Fans of the series are also divided on the game's story, which deviates significantly from the anime in a retelling of events, before going towards the end with a completely original story.

7 Sword Art Online RE: Hollow Fragment

A renewed reissue

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

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

Infinity Moment had stuck on the PSP by 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.

While the first version of the game was held back a bit in scope due to its handheld origins, the re-release added features such as multiplayer and additional content. This made 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 second arc of the series, Alfheim, but tells a unique “what if?” story that follows different events. The story falls a bit flat due to its lack of real connection to the main characters of the series.

The game introduced aerial combat to the series with neat flight mechanics that could be activated with the press of a button, giving a sense of freedom of 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 Songand borrows 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 plot.

With a huge roster of 37 characters and the interesting switching system that allows players to switch control between their team of three characters in battle, the battles are fun and frantic. There is also a significant upgrade in graphics between this game and Lost Songdespite similar environments.

Robust RPG systems like weapon synthesis help keep things interesting outside of combat. At the 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 Anime

One of the developer Aquria's better SAO game, Hollow realization does himself a favor by placing the story after the events of SAO manga/anime series. This means it doesn't have to spend time retrieving complex story events for a limited amount of time, which is where many other SAO games alienate newcomers.

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

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

3 Sword Art Online: Last Recollection

Completes the Aquria Gameverse

The starting point for Last memory will appeal to SAO fans immediately. The game collects a roster of 45 characters from across the series, both from its source material and previous games. It then places them in a climactic story intended to conclude the original story set up in the previous one SAO game.

As such, the back references to lore and countless character intros may be a little too obtuse for newcomers, but provide a satisfying amount of fan service for longtime fans. There are a large number of side quests and sub-stories to explore for those who love the characters.

The combat makes the most of the large roster, allowing players to take multiple AI companions and set skills and commands that they can use in battle. It has the same simple yet deceptively deep action combat that previous games enjoy 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 Sword Art Online the main series. It takes the setting from the fantasy worlds of previous entries to one of the later settings of the anime series, the fictional VRMMO Gun Gale Online. This switches the high fantasy forests to post-apocalyptic environments.

It also means that the game, under new developer Dimps, makes a refreshing switch from the series' longstanding MMO-style action controls to third-person gunplay. Players still have access to special skills and a whole host of RPG 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 Sword Art Online Series with Fractured Daydream. It is the most modern and graphically 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 substantial single-player story that sees Kirito and others trapped in Galaxia, a place where they will relive old quests and memories. Once that's done, players gain access to an endgame 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 distinct playstyle. Classes fit into different archetypes, with each giving parties different roles, especially in the later online mode. Series fans might even prefer Fractured Daydream to Fatal Bulletat least if it gets more endgame content over time.