Sword Art Online Hollow Realization Characts Getting Stuck on Bench Pc

Notice out what happens after the 75th flooring

Despite how you lot may feel nigh the polarizing 2nd arc of Sword Fine art Online, fans more often than not have aught but good things to say virtually the first arc. It managed to nail a lot of aspects of MMO culture, along with marrying the aspect of a virtual game of death into an interesting narrative full of mostly likable characters.

Sword Fine art Online: Hollow Fragment manages to re-tell the end of the arc in videogame form, and even though it isn't the best RPG on the Vita, information technology's pretty much a must-have for hardcore fans of the series who always wondered what lurked beyond the 75th flooring of SAO.

Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment (Vita)
Programmer: Bandai Namco Games
Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
Release: April 23, 2014 (Japan) / August 19, 2014 (NA)
MSRP: $39.99

And so what is Hollow Fragment? Well, in Japan, there wasSword Art Online: Infinity Moment on PSP. Hollow Fragment is basically a semi-sequel that brings the upgrades the original visuals and adds more than content, such equally a new storyline and zone called "The Hollow Surface area". In other words, you're going to be up to speed if this is your first SAO game.

Hollow Fragment'south story takes place in the first half the Sword Fine art Online anime's plot, but changes the narrative drastically from a key point. In the serial, the initial story ends at the 75th level of "Aincrad", the 100-flooring main dungeon, after the players defeat the "Skull Reaper" boss, solve the "mystery" of SAO, and move on to a new arc. In Hollow Fragment, players must keep all the way to the 100th flooring to truly find out what happened.

If you aren't a fan of the evidence, the game does a decent job of catching y'all upwards to what's happening in the world: Players are locked into a virtual reality MMO, with their bodies substantially comatose in real life until they "beat" the game. Simply you really need to buy into the characters to enjoy yourself. Quite simply, the story immediately takes a backseat in favor of grinding and combat as y'all work your way towards clearing the game, and private interactions are paramount.

In that location's going to be fanservice, tropes, and cutesy conversations just like the prove. In short, you aren't going to like everyone, and since the game packs in 100 companions (too as characters never seen before on the commencement ii arcs of the show similar Sinon), you take a lot to sift through. Having said that, the Japanese voices are smashing, I mostly like the characters at hand, and the paw-drawn models during conversations look directly out of the anime — on the Vita's OLED, it looks incredibly crisp. If y'all find yourself loathing a certain conversation though you tin can use the handy fast-forwards button (L).

On your journeying from floors 76-100, you'll have admission to one town — Arc Sofia. I similar the "one city" concept in theory, but the hub itself isn't all that vibrant visually, or lively in terms of gameplay. Since the game is technically offline, you'll take to discover NPCs by mode of your "friends list," and track them down. You likewise take the pick to enter the "Hollow" anytime yous want, and complete a separate storyline with newcomerPhilia — which definitely breaks upwards the monotony of Arc Sofia since the Hollow is more of an open world compared to Aincrad'south floor-by-floor structured arroyo.

You take the pick of simply playing as the principal graphic symbol of the anime (Kirito), or changing your avatar'southward proper noun and concrete advent using a express character creation screen. To be clear though, yous'll still exist taking the place of Kirito's graphic symbol equally he was in that part of the show — level 100 and all, so yous'll have to do a bit of digging into his skillset to play take hold of-upwardly.

The game's combat is what I'd call "sufficient, simply fun." Information technology's mostly a slasher, where yous occasionally time attacks in a quasi-rhythmic mode, dodge when enemies are telegraphing their attacks, and hit a few "combo" attacks with companions. It'south kind of like Phantasy Star Online's combat only more forgiving, and with a few more than abilities to juggle.

The combo attacks are actually enjoyable, equally your partner may suggest certain tactics to you from time to fourth dimension, granting an set on bonus if yous fulfill their request. As well, you lot can give them words of encouragement with the d-pad and raise your stats temporarily. Information technology'due south all very simplistic, but the bright visual manner and assail animations assist add to the allure of beating up tons of enemies. It's as well very true to the bear witness, even adding nuances similar the "terminal hit bonus," where you're granting a bonus item if you lot stop off a boss.

Proceed in mind though that Hollow Fragment does take a superficial amount of depth. Although your characters practise have access to a number of abilities and strategies, most enemies and bosses can exist whittled down by sheer strength of will with the aforementioned tactics. There is a level of customization to assistance bolster your fun though. Although Kirito's specialty is dual wielding, there are 10 weapon types in all that you can switch to at will to suit your playstyle.

Merely keep in listen that the game doesn't actually get that hard until level 85. Virtually of your enjoyment is going to be via role play, where you buy into the game's world, characters, and lore. Again, it helps if you come into the game liking the prove and then that you lot can enjoy the ride. Y'all'll need that excitement if y'all want to go far through the roughly 50+ hr tale, because there's lots of grinding involved equally you lot complete typical MMO kill quests to unlock floors and make your way to the end.

Things like dating minigames, conversations between NPCs, and other sideshows ultimately aid distract you from the dungeon-crawling nature of the game. In that location's too a New Game+ to go on you going — so if you're looking for a lengthy RPG, this is it. Sadly, the simply multiplayer is a minor ad-hoc (local) mode where you lot can risk with friends in a express fashion.

Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is ultimately a base-level RPG, simply if yous enjoy the prove it's definitely worth checking out. It'southward very shut tonally to the anime and actually feels like a natural extension of the testify inside and out. Just don't expect a whole lot in terms of gameplay variety.

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Source: https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-sword-art-online-hollow-fragment/

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