Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization
Developer: Aquria
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platforms: PS Vita, PlayStation 4 (Reviewed)
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here $99.95 AUD – Available Here
Overview
Localizing a video game based off of an anime series is a rather rare occurrence when you consider just how many titles like this are created in Japan. More often than not, only the most popular series have a chance of appearing in the West and until recently even Sword Art Online was seen as a risky proposal. After taking a chance and localizing the second game in the series, those risks have appeared to be nullified as Bandai Namco has promptly released subsequent titles in the West with the most recent game Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization being released in English only two weeks after being released in Japan. So now that the title has arrived, is it worth your time?
Story
It is worth noting that for those who haven’t followed the games, the story in the video games is a little different from what is found in the core storyline though most events do remain the same. That being said, Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization takes place after the events where Kirito managed to clear the 100th floor in Aincrad and free those trapped in the game from their death-threatened states. Years have passed and now a new virtual MMO using base code from the original Sword Art Online has been released.
Despite the trauma that many of them faced in the original game, Kirito and the rest choose to return to this game, called Sword Art: Origin set in the world of Ainground. With the ability to start at level 1 and not face the threat of death if they happen to fall in combat everyone takes kindly to the new MMO but it seems that things quickly become rather strange as Kirito comes across an unknown AI and begins to investigate.
It is worth noting that the plot lines in this game do take quite some time to develop but this is primarily due to the fact that Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is an absolutely massive game with a huge amount of exploration, side-quests, and relationship building that players can and occasionally must take part in when they aren’t focusing on the storyline. This does mean that the plot may plod a bit, especially near the start, but players who do decide to stick through the slow beginning will find that the game features a rather interesting storyline with a number of new mysteries being introduced to an already incredibly lore packed world.
It is worth noting that, outside of certain character interactions that players can end up unlocking by raising affection levels with your friends and even random NPCs if you so choose, almost all of the story content is presented through character portraits while the aforementioned scenes simply use the character models. Occasionally a cut-scene will play for a highly important part but almost everything else is told through a visual novel style that, while entirely voiced in Japanese, can be a bit slow going at times as certain scenes do drag on thanks to this presentation style.
Gameplay
As mentioned before, one of the first things players will notice in Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is that they are no longer beginning as an incredibly powerful character, though they are given Kirito’s signature “Blackwyrm” coat as a default armor set. Instead every character starts at level 1 and can be built from there which is a nice touch as players will no longer feel like they are already dropped into a high level game.
Venturing outside of the beginner’s town that serves as the game’s central hub players will find that the world of Ainground is surprisingly huge and although every area is divided up with loading screens these areas still feel rather large and most locations will contain a number of different monsters to hunt, field quests to complete, and even the occasional random spawn that can challenge the player by throwing a tougher than normal enemy at them.
Combat for the most part is a bit more refined than previous entries. Players can still simply attack at will if they over-level but thanks to the various new features players who mix things up will get the most out of the game. Dealing additional combo attacks can now add bonus damage, dodging and attacking at a proper time can stun an enemy, and even switching with your team mate, where you deal some damage with a combo only to step back and allow an ally to finish it off, allows for better damage dealing and a more rewarding experience.
Players can also make use of various party commands that allow for them to dictate how their party, of up to three characters, will react in combat as well as give them direct orders that allow them to chain up team skills that can be quite devastating. In fact, there are many time that a higher level foe can be easily toppled by playing as a cohesive unit though don’t be too discouraged if the absolutely massive amount of options and menu screens thrown at you is too much to handle for a while.
By traveling in the field with your companions and complimenting their fighting style players not only encourage certain actions to be taken by their allies but also build up their trust as well. This relationship building is carried into the aforementioned romance options and interactions that allow Kirito to ask characters out for walks, out to lunch, and more to grow close with and end up bonding with them, regardless of who they might be as Asuna isn’t the only character available for this option should players choose to go after their favorite girls, or guys, if they so please.
Visuals & Audio
With the release of Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization following less than one year after the previous entry players who tried out the last game will find that there are quite a number of recycled assets that have appeared in this game. For the most part these don’t stand out too much as enough effort has been placed into creating diverse, albeit uninspired, MMO environments that these smaller assets blend in well enough. The level of detail placed in character models and the actual character portraits is nicely handled as well which is a big plus considering the amount of time spent looking at these portraits.
It is also worth noting that there are quite a large number of CG scenes that are well-produced and appear during certain events. As mentioned before, the game has been given complete Japanese voice work for almost every element of the game, including side events. This is a nice plus especially since the voice actors have all returned to reprise their roles in the game. The soundtrack is unfortunately fairly standard and rarely stands out in any way.
Overall
Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization may take a while to get going and throws a whole lot of different elements at the player at once with only the bare minimum of a tutorial but once players get past the starting elements of the game, they will find that a refined combat system and an enjoyable new storyline await them beyond some recycled elements. Those who are fans of the series will enjoy this entry as it offers more customization, interactions with the cast, and a far better storyline than previous entries while newcomers may be put off a bit but thankfully the title does give those unfamiliar with the series enough explanation to get off the ground.
The girls of Hanzo Academy, Homura Crimson Squad, Hebijo, and Gessen are all included in this release and Hanzo couldn’t be happier as he is able to not only enjoy some delicious cooking, but also quite a show. Each of these characters is given her own unique story mode that will unlock special accessories and costumes as well as some visuals. These story modes range from ridiculously funny to just plain funny as none of them are meant to be taken seriously. Each story is told through a visual novel type narrative though only a few actual dialogue scenes populate each of the girls’ story modes as most of it is simply setting things up and then delivering a punch line at the end.
The food that is being prepared is determined by your opponent so players will find that some characters will vary wildly in difficulty depending on the songs that accompany each dish. This can create some rather unusual difficulty spikes, especially with this entry offering songs and characters that weren’t in the base version of the PS Vita release. That being said, the game is still played in the same manner as before with players needing to match the button prompts on the screen to the music in order to successfully build up combos and create a perfect dish.
It is also worth noting that doing well in the earlier rounds will fill up a heart meter that, when full, appears as an extra note in the song that, if activated, will zoom the camera around your opponent as she continues to cook. The camera puts emphasis on your opponents “life and hometown” and while there are two angles that the camera can take, it appears to be random which one will trigger.
This is continued into the dressing room where players can unlock countless different accessories, outfits, and underwear to dress up their favorite girls. There is so much to unlock in the game and so many different combinations to put together that fans will have a lot to unlock.
The cooking sequences change depending on the item that is being made at any given moment and some of the creations that come out of the final round are quite ridiculous looking and they match perfectly with Hanzo’s euphoric reactions to eating the winner’s food.
Once she manages to find its exact location, IF witnesses a falling star that turns out to be a girl in distress. After rescuing the girl, IF learns that she is named Hatsumi Sega, or Segami and that she suffers from amnesia. To make matters worse, when the pair arrive at the library and meet Histoire, entire shelves filled with books of history begin to vanish. With the help of Histoire and Segami, IF is tasked with traveling through time (via her modified motorcycle) in an effort to resolve the problems in the worlds history and try to return things back to normal, or as normal as it can get in this series.
The main plotline does allow for players to have quite a bit of freedom thanks to the way the missions are structured. Players will be given various missions they can attempt to complete and depending on what you select there are various endings that you can begin to travel towards. With the Goddesses battling against one another and potentially destroying the world and only IF and Segami attempting to put a stop to things, this is a highly entertaining entry that will keep fans laughing along with the story but might be a bit much for those who haven’t jumped into the series yet.
After selecting a mission and traveling through time, players will find that Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls plays very similar to past games though the field exploration has been upgraded a bit. IF and her allies have the ability to run quickly through dungeons, crawl through holes, climb certain walls, and more while traveling which is a nice addition rather than simply running and jumping through the same dungeons and fighting enemies as you encounter them.
Since IF is the main character of this entry, she has been given her own transformation form for the first time in the series. When IF enters her “Flame Awakening” state she will be given a large stat boost and given a number of bonuses that allow her to become a real force to be reckoned with on the battle field. With these little additions to the standard combat Compile Heart has thrown a little bit of extra life into a series that is always trying to refine itself bit by bit.
The soundtrack for the game will also feel quite familiar as many background tracks are re-used from previous titles but considering the quality of these tunes, most players will feel right at home rather than annoyed at the recycled nature of the music. The voice work for the English cast is also handled quite nicely with the new girls being voiced well enough and the old fan favorites voicing returning characters.
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