Sword Art Online - Video Game Series (PSP/Vita/PS3/PS4)

[Nerroth]

Apologies if these have been noted elsewhere already, but Bamco's North American YT channel posted a couple of interview clips about SAO:HF a few weeks back:

(I like how the question is asked in a very "oh, by the way..." fashion about whether people in the West would be interested in that recent Japanese update being brought over, and the response is a loud "Yes!".)

[Nerroth]

Apologies for the double post, but I recently marathoned most of season 1 in order to try and get a better sense of where the IM/HF timeline branches off from.

(Originally, I had kind of zoned out of SAO season 1 after the first few episodes, but I did watch Extra Edition and have been following season 2. Which might seem like an odd way round, but anyway...)

Spoiler for Game thoughts:

So, from what I gather, the game splits off at or around the point when level 75 is cleared, only things go off-script for various reasons.

At that point in the series, it's made abundantly clear that Kirito has already built up a very serious commitment to Asuna, even before considering the role that Yui has played for both of them. (This development was enough to propel Kirito through the ALO arc, and carries on into their efforts to build a "real-world" relationship thereafter.)

And yet, the game seemingly allows you to go off and romance other girls instead.

The problem I have is not the idea that a player character could try to pursue such a relationship in the right circumstances, or even that a Kirito in another timeline might have ended up with someone other than Asuna.

But if the game wanted to let you do this, it should have either had you play as your own character (instead of Kirito) and do things that way, or have you be Kirito but start him off at an earlier point in the storyline, before he got together with Asuna in the first place.

Of course, relationships often come to an end, and there's no guarantee that things will go happily ever after for Kirito and Asuna even in the canon timeline. But given how much momentum had been built up between the two by the time they clear level 75, it feels like it would throw too much of both character's histories away to try and use the first contrived opportunity in order to get away from that.

But then, it seems the game does let you choose to stick with Asuna. So perhaps, in that circumstance, the "issue" ends up resolving itself.

I just hope that is something they might re-consider for the reported sequel. Either let you be your own Kirito from the outset, or allow you to play as someone new entirely.

[Frontier]

I think the game gets around that by never definitively having Kirito choose any other girl other than Asuna, since their marriage and Official Couple status is still canon no matter what route or ending you go for.

Spoiler:

Disclaimer: I'm only going off CG's and what little Japanese I actually understand:

In the game you have stuff like Lisbeth thinking to herself that she's in love with Kirito and mulling over what to do about it, but not confessing. All the girls get jealous or frustrated with Kirito having Dere moments with Asuna or getting attention from Strea, but never properly confess to him. This is also seen in the kiss CG, where Asuna, and surprisingly Strea, are the only heroines to get kiss CG that are on the lips and not the cheek like the other heroines. Heck, I think Asuna gets three kiss CG's .

The endings, aside from Asuna's, also aren't overtly romantic and pretty much just feature Kirito hanging out with the heroine.

I didn't want to spoil myself until Hollow Fragment is released with a better translation, but just going off Lizbeth's, the bed scenes also aren't as romantic as the imagery would imply. It's more that Kirito and the heroine just happen to be sleeping together on the same bed , and Lizbeth even asks Kirito if he would ever cheat on Asuna which he vehemently denies. Could be different for the others, but I wouldn't count on it

[Nerroth]

Hmm.

Spoiler for further thoughts:

In that case, it would be all the more reason for a future game to let you play as a new character, so that the other girls have actual prospects to move on with.

I was thinking that they could set the sequel in, say, New ALfheim (to include New Aincrad), and let players divide their in-game time between the two (akin to how both the floor-leveling from IM sits alongside the Hollow Area exploring in HF) - but that the choice of heroine would depend on who you choose to paly as.

As in, you either play as Kirito, in which case it's you and Asuna, or you create your own original character, and can go for heroines other than Asuna. But in the latter case, you still have to put in the time and effort to earn said heroine's respect and attention, and as your own person rather than as "Kirito 2.0".

Actually, since you'd no longer be in the "death game", it could be interesting if they incorporate a "real life" portion of things, akin to the split you see in games like Persona 4 Golden and Fate/Extra. You have portions of the day you do things in the regular world, either as Kazuto or as [insert name here], and then make regular Full Dives back into whichever game world is in play here.

Perhaps the relationship you may or may not have with a character's in-game avatar could be affected (for good or ill) by your interactions with them in real life?

[c933103]

Originally Posted by Nerroth

Hmm.

Spoiler for further thoughts:

In that case, it would be all the more reason for a future game to let you play as a new character, so that the other girls have actual prospects to move on with.

I was thinking that they could set the sequel in, say, New ALfheim (to include New Aincrad), and let players divide their in-game time between the two (akin to how both the floor-leveling from IM sits alongside the Hollow Area exploring in HF) - but that the choice of heroine would depend on who you choose to paly as.

As in, you either play as Kirito, in which case it's you and Asuna, or you create your own original character, and can go for heroines other than Asuna. But in the latter case, you still have to put in the time and effort to earn said heroine's respect and attention, and as your own person rather than as "Kirito 2.0".

Actually, since you'd no longer be in the "death game", it could be interesting if they incorporate a "real life" portion of things, akin to the split you see in games like Persona 4 Golden and Fate/Extra. You have portions of the day you do things in the regular world, either as Kazuto or as [insert name here], and then make regular Full Dives back into whichever game world is in play here.

Perhaps the relationship you may or may not have with a character's in-game avatar could be affected (for good or ill) by your interactions with them in real life?

I don't think our current world have enough AI tech for this. actually, that is the way how most Japanese galgame/AVGs work

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by c933103

I don't think our current world have enough AI tech for this. actually, that is the way how most Japanese galgame/AVGs work

Well, it's not really a lack of technology, just lack of development time/budget. The more open-ended you make it, the more difficult it is to keep it fun because people could easily get lost in rabbit holes. These tie-in games don't have the development budget of something like Skyrim. ;p

But yeah, the problem with a true galge in the SAO universe is that the canon relationships are already set, including the fact that Kazuto/Kirito is the main protagonist. It'd take an even greater stretch to have a new player character be able to catch-up and have a world-changing impact in the story, without making that character even more "Gary Stu" than some accuse Kazuto of being. It'd almost be better to create a new universe with all-new characters in that case.

[Nerroth]

I may have given a more grandiose impression of what I was getting at than I had intended.

Spoiler for sequel thoughts:

For the "real life" portion of such a setup, I was thinking more in terms of how Inaba is shown in P4G. You could have discrete areas you can access (such as the Kirigaya household, for example), and commute to and from them as required.

Perhaps there could be a time limit for the game-world segment, based on the need to eat, drink, and go to the bathroom in the real world. So, if Kazuto trains in the Kirigaya dojo or something, it may allow him to go longer in the game-world in a single dive?


In the actual game world, you needn't go so far as to treat every location on the map as part of a single game environment. If one went with New ALfheim Online, you could treat each of the races' territories on Alfheim proper as separate areas (or sub-divide certain ones as needed), the way that the Hollow Area seems to be treated in HF. Similarly, New Aincrad could be broken up into the same kind of levels you see in the IM portion of the current game.

(Perhaps only a certain number of floors are left open for players to try and dig through in the time period the game would be set in, if doing up all 100 is too much of an ask.)


But in terms of new characters, my intent was not to have some new world-shaping character show up to steal Kirito's spotlight. But rather, it would be a means of showing more of the world beyond him - and that the girls who aren't Asuna (and Yui) actually have lives of their own. (Well, of course, Asuna does have a life of her own too, but her future is intertwined with Kirito's to the greatest extent.)

Here's a thought: Say, if you were playing in New ALfheim Online. When you get to the character select screen, you choose which race you go for. If you pick Spriggan, you are choosing Kirito by default - and you are automatically in the "Asuna route". But if you pick a different race (Sylph, Salamander, etc), each one counts as a new character - with only one "route" apiece.

For example, perhaps picking a Sylph represents a "real-world" character who interacts with Leafa, or the Cait Sith is someone else who ends up meeting Sinon instead. (They don't have to share the same race as the heroine's avatar, but some could.) And of course, perhaps one of the races (Salamander?) could trigger a "bro" route with Klein...

To put it another way, the game would have nine playable characters. One of them is Kirito, and he does what he does during the course of his and Asuna's storyline. But each of the other eight characters is a different (and new) person; and while the "lead" story would still be Kirito's to tell, the "side stories" you explore through each of the alternates would help explore a new aspect of the game universe - and a new side of a given heroine's character outside of her interactions with Kirito himself.

Does that make any more sense?

[Nerroth]

The major update which went live in Japan last month will be heading to North America on September 23rd.

[l.kostas]

Hollow Fragment Gets Free Costume DLC:
Bandai Namco Games announced on Tuesday that it will offer a free download content pack for Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment in North America. The bonus content will be available for download from launch on August 19 to November 18. The pack includes a wedding dress, dress shirt, nightie, and school swimsuit costumes.

[c933103]

Originally Posted by Nerroth

I may have given a more grandiose impression of what I was getting at than I had intended.

Spoiler for sequel thoughts:

For the "real life" portion of such a setup, I was thinking more in terms of how Inaba is shown in P4G. You could have discrete areas you can access (such as the Kirigaya household, for example), and commute to and from them as required.

Perhaps there could be a time limit for the game-world segment, based on the need to eat, drink, and go to the bathroom in the real world. So, if Kazuto trains in the Kirigaya dojo or something, it may allow him to go longer in the game-world in a single dive?


In the actual game world, you needn't go so far as to treat every location on the map as part of a single game environment. If one went with New ALfheim Online, you could treat each of the races' territories on Alfheim proper as separate areas (or sub-divide certain ones as needed), the way that the Hollow Area seems to be treated in HF. Similarly, New Aincrad could be broken up into the same kind of levels you see in the IM portion of the current game.

(Perhaps only a certain number of floors are left open for players to try and dig through in the time period the game would be set in, if doing up all 100 is too much of an ask.)


But in terms of new characters, my intent was not to have some new world-shaping character show up to steal Kirito's spotlight. But rather, it would be a means of showing more of the world beyond him - and that the girls who aren't Asuna (and Yui) actually have lives of their own. (Well, of course, Asuna does have a life of her own too, but her future is intertwined with Kirito's to the greatest extent.)

Here's a thought: Say, if you were playing in New ALfheim Online. When you get to the character select screen, you choose which race you go for. If you pick Spriggan, you are choosing Kirito by default - and you are automatically in the "Asuna route". But if you pick a different race (Sylph, Salamander, etc), each one counts as a new character - with only one "route" apiece.

For example, perhaps picking a Sylph represents a "real-world" character who interacts with Leafa, or the Cait Sith is someone else who ends up meeting Sinon instead. (They don't have to share the same race as the heroine's avatar, but some could.) And of course, perhaps one of the races (Salamander?) could trigger a "bro" route with Klein...

To put it another way, the game would have nine playable characters. One of them is Kirito, and he does what he does during the course of his and Asuna's storyline. But each of the other eight characters is a different (and new) person; and while the "lead" story would still be Kirito's to tell, the "side stories" you explore through each of the alternates would help explore a new aspect of the game universe - and a new side of a given heroine's character outside of her interactions with Kirito himself.

Does that make any more sense?

Well,, SAO: End World is created with something similar in mind apparently but that game itself is not that much high entertainment value i guess? (being a GREE game...

[Nerroth]

So, today's the day (in North America; Europe gets its turn tomorrow).

Is anyone here going to pick up the Western release of the game? And will you be looking forward to the September update?

EDIT:

[iceyfw]

LOLwhat. there are grammar mistakes, some punctuations missing, and the improper use of the question mark and period in the NA version. at least hire some people with an English bachelor's degree to properly edit the text from the Asian release. i have no tolerance level for this bullshit. i would get more headaches than enjoyment playing this game.

all this says to me is if the asian release had no english subtitles, then this NA release wouldn't have happened at all. damn bandai namco. good one on trying to make quick cash on the SAO fanbase in NA and EU.

[Nerroth]

I'm enjoying the game well enough so far.

Spoiler for basic game setup:

The prologue starts things off in the Hollow Area. Once you clear that first portion of the game, you teleport to the Control Area (inside that giant floatey sphere at the centre of the map). Once there, you are able to teleport across to Arc Sophia (the town on level 76 of Aincrad which serves as your home base). At that point, you are able to watch a convenient review of what has happened in Aincrad so far, which helps explain how and when the game turns away from the canon storyline.

From then on, you are free to alternate between the level-clearing in Aincrad and the exploration in the Hollow Area. (Essentially, the content from Infinity Moment has been integrated into a shared system.)

By and large, the two campaigns have quite different structures. The floors on Aincrad are to be cleared one after another, and each has a dungeon near the end where the boss monster for that floor awaits. In contrast, the Hollow Area is divided into distinct regions, and each region has a number of teleport stones you have to find and activate in order to cut down on travel times. As with the floors on Aincrad, each region of the Holow Area has its own boss, which you need to defeat in order to unlock the Area Gate leading to the next region.

It is true that there are more than a few typos and odd Engrish-ey translations, but most of the dialogue reads reasonably well enough. Plus, while there is no dual audio included, the Japanese voice track works fine for me.

Oh, and this is one game for which I'd strongly recommend taking the time to read through the manual. I made the mistake of ploughing in without doing so, and missed more than a few major and minor aspects of the game system as a result. (Once I stopped to look over the manual more carefully, I found things to go that much more smoothly once I started playing again.)

[DevilHighDxD]

Wait, the translation still suck even in the NA version?! God... I just went and brought it just now...

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by DevilHighDxD

Wait, the translation still suck even in the NA version?! God... I just went and brought it just now...

Yhep, the translation can be offensively bad at times. There's stuff in there that clearly wasn't proofread which really makes it a bitter pill to swallow given the price. On the other hand the mechanics are fantastic and it really feels like being inside sword art online. The cutscenes are also very good looking with some very interesting filters and textures. I was definitely not expecting to be as happy with the game is I am.

However I still find it hard to accept having Sinon in the game. I can sort of accept Leefa being in this because, if I remember this right, ALO was made with alpha code from SAO and had to be up and running by the time Kirito freed everyone in the original novel but GGO was based on The Seed right? That would make it impossible to have Sinon in a VRMMOG before people were out of SAO. (and yes, I'm aware that this is an alternate reality. )

[Vsin]

Originally Posted by Dextro

Yhep, the translation can be offensively bad at times. There's stuff in there that clearly wasn't proofread which really makes it a bitter pill to swallow given the price. On the other hand the mechanics are fantastic and it really feels like being inside sword art online. The cutscenes are also very good looking with some very interesting filters and textures. I was definitely not expecting to be as happy with the game is I am.

However I still find it hard to accept having Sinon in the game. I can sort of accept Leefa being in this because, if I remember this right, ALO was made with alpha code from SAO and had to be up and running by the time Kirito freed everyone in the original novel but GGO was based on The Seed right? That would make it impossible to have Sinon in a VRMMOG before people were out of SAO. (and yes, I'm aware that this is an alternate reality. )

Spoiler for Sinon's Excuse:

Something something Medicuboid therapy, something something accidentally the internet.

Yeah, that's basically the whole setup for Sinon. It's also why she doesn't have the light blue GGO hair and instead has her natural hair colour.

Spoiler for The Real Asspull:

For some reason though, she gets the unique skill to use Bows out of flipping nowhere. She was still in therapy and presumably hadn't done sharpshooting of any sort up until GGO, so the only possible trigger would be...uhhh...killing people and the subsequent trauma helping her stay calm? Oh wait, there are tons of people like that running around Aincrad already.

Spoiler for Season 2 minor spoiler..?:

The only reason why the game gives her a bow is because after the GGO arc she uses a bow for...the rest of the story (Caliber, Mother's Rosario, Alicitization).

[DevilHighDxD]

Just clear floor 76, the English isn't as shitty as I thought but does get questionable at time. Anyhow I just raised Leafa's mood to Lv 6 after bridal carried her, but after I put her down and tried to carried her a second time her mood reset back to normal. Why is that, anyone know? I thought only dying and disbanded the party reset the mood or is there more?

[c933103]

Originally Posted by Vsin

Spoiler for Sinon's Excuse:

Something something Medicuboid therapy, something something accidentally the internet.

Yeah, that's basically the whole setup for Sinon. It's also why she doesn't have the light blue GGO hair and instead has her natural hair colour.

Spoiler for The Real Asspull:

For some reason though, she gets the unique skill to use Bows out of flipping nowhere. She was still in therapy and presumably hadn't done sharpshooting of any sort up until GGO, so the only possible trigger would be...uhhh...killing people and the subsequent trauma helping her stay calm? Oh wait, there are tons of people like that running around Aincrad already.

Spoiler for Season 2 minor spoiler..?:

The only reason why the game gives her a bow is because after the GGO arc she uses a bow for...the rest of the story (Caliber, Mother's Rosario, Alicitization).

Spoiler for vspoiler:

i think there're more explanation for it in later the game..?

[Hana]

So.. I kind of just got the game. I do not really understand the battle system that well. I think I'm kinda just spamming O but.. I don't think I'm doing this right. Any help?

[ArchmageXin]

Originally Posted by Hana

So.. I kind of just got the game. I do not really understand the battle system that well. I think I'm kinda just spamming O but.. I don't think I'm doing this right. Any help?

Here is the basic version.

O = Basic "empowered attack" that suck away your burst bar. Also initiate combat.
X = Let you dash. Also drain burst bar.
Triangle = Shield block, this grant you 100 SP if you do it right.
Square = Stun, this can stun the boss for 1 second.

Press R or L will bring up another menu+ O/X/T/S will let you trigger other special moves, AOE attacks and what not. These moves use SP (Blue bar). A fast way to re-fill SP is press L, and bring up your partner control bar. By praising your partner, your SP is recovered +50.

You can also change your icons by pressing L and R together, this bring up your battle/weapon skills and potion list so you can setup what do you want to use.

-------------------------------

With that in mind, this game definitely have a shitty English translation. REALLY-AWFUL Ones.

And the dating Sim is just LOL. Press a button and a girl fall in love with you? Gosh. This isn't even up to nukiage level writing.