2016 video game

Sword Fine art Online: Hollow Realization
Sword Art Online Hollow Realization boxart.png
Developer(south) Aquria
Publisher(south) Bandai Namco Entertainment
Series Sword Art Online
Platform(s) PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Release PlayStation four, PlayStation Vita
  • JP: October 27, 2016
  • WW: November 8, 2016
Microsoft Windows
  • WW: October 27, 2017
Nintendo Switch
  • JP: Apr 25, 2019
  • WW: May 24, 2019
Genre(s) Role-playing
Style(southward) Single-player, multiplayer

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization ( ソードアート・オンライン -ホロウ・リアリゼーション- , Sōdo Āto Onrain -Horō Riarizēshon- ) is a video game developed by Aquria and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Windows PC, based on the Japanese calorie-free novel series, Sword Art Online. It is the quaternary video game in the series and the successor to Sword Art Online: Lost Song. Hollow Realization was released on October 27, 2016 in Nippon,[1] and on November 8, 2016 for North American and European territories.[2] [iii] A Nintendo Switch version of the game was released on April 25, 2019 in Nippon, and worldwide on May 24th, 2019.[4]

Gameplay

Dissimilar in Sword Fine art Online: Hollow Fragment and Lost Vocal, a party in Hollow Realization consists of four characters including the player, instead of iii.[5] [vi] While HF is played like a role-playing game and LS similar an activeness role-playing game, HR is based on HF 'south fashion, but with action elements integrated.[7] Characters can be customized through in-game character creation, with gender, height, figure, weapons, and concrete advent child-bearing.[eight] Additionally, over 300 not-player characters appear in the game, with all of them beingness recruitable to join the role player's political party. Players can create special bonds with these characters by giving equipment to them. Strengthening the bond also increases the character's forcefulness.[9]

A new battle organisation besides features in Hollow Realization, where the four-person team of players fight monsters using sword skills in a similar fashion to the original Sword Art Online game. Players can too directly and receive guidance from party members in collaborating to perform team strategies and attacks.[2] Players perform chain attacks with party members using a "Switch" arrangement for greater harm output against powerful monsters, including charged attacks and aerial combos.[two] [10] This includes "Named Monsters", which are monsters with significant strength that appear without warning.[8] Fix in a "wider globe", Hollow Realization features monsters new to the serial.[9] A healing system in the game allows defeated characters to rejoin the battle equally long as teammates are still fighting.[10] The game features online multiplayer.[7]

Hollow Realization is approximately 30 to forty hours in length; yet, completely finishing the game such as leveling up to the highest level and completing all the quests volition take the thespian approximately 70 to 100 hours.[11] The game has downloadable content, including the costless expansion pack Fighters of the Blue Sky, featuring Sword Art Online: Lost Song characters Rain and Seven, a new PvP characteristic, and an additional story.[12] The paid expansion pack Shrine Maiden of the Completeness, adds an additional iii chapters.[12]

Synopsis

[...] You've e'er had to start at not-level 1 in all of the previous games—you know how Kirito would exist level 100 at the outset of the previous games, because he's already that level? I wanted to create a Sword Art Online game where players can starting time from level one. That's the gameplay experience I would similar to provide players. [...] Now, the player can feel how Kirito adventures through the world of Sword Art: Origin from the base level.

Yosuke Futami, producer[11]

Hollow Realization takes place in Sword Art: Origin, a restoration of Aincrad titled Ainground,[xi] with intentions of research and development[xiii] in the year 2026, three years after the original Sword Art Online event.[14] However, unlike in Sword Fine art Online, Ainground is i large floor, instead of multiple, while the castle itself was renamed to Aincrad,[7] where several monsters can be battled.[ii]

The primary graphic symbol of the game is a fourteen-yr old AI, known as Premiere,[15] that travels with Kirito.[half-dozen] Although she is part of the game's initial release, a subsequently patch would tweak her "vocabulary and personality" in-game to a "specific grapheme", based on keywords in Twitter tweets as part of a promotional campaign featuring the grapheme.[xvi] These conversations with Twitter users would dictate her personality over fourth dimension and ultimately decide if she would get a "good girl" or "bad girl" in-game.[17]

Other prominent characters from the franchise such as Asuna, Leafa, Sinon, Lisbeth and Silica also feature.[ii]

Development

The game was teased at Tokyo Game Show 2015 in September[xiii] with the working championship of SAO Four.[18] It was officially appear at Dengeki Bait-and-switch Fall Fest past Bandai Namco on October 3.[19] According to Bandai Namco Games producer Yosuke Futami, the game was devised with the idea of Kirito starting the game at level ane.[6] A Western release date was subsequently appear, with Hollow Realization releasing in Japan on October 27 and internationally on November 8.[20] The North American Vita release is digital-merely.[12]

Players who pre-ordered Sword Fine art Online: Hollow Realization via the PlayStation Store in Japan gain a one-week early on admission into part of the game's primary story.[12] The game will feature Japanese voices coupled with English, French, German, Italian, and Castilian subtitles.[21] The opening theme is "Windia" by Luna Haruna.[22] The ending theme is "Ii of Us" by Haruka Tomatsu. An advertising campaign for the game, titled "Sword Fine art On-Nyaine", featured cats playing with toys merely with Hollow Realization sounds dubbed over them.[23]

A DLC called Chapter one: Explorer of Illusory Mists became bachelor starting on May xvi, 2017.[24] On July 21, 2017 the 2nd expansion[25] was released with the title Chapter II: Tuner of Causality. The last mail service-release content was released on September 26, 2017 endmost the Abyss of the Shrine Maiden saga and it was titled Chapter Iii: The Ane Who Opposes God released on September 26, 2017.[26] [27]

Reception

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization received "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[28] [29] Both PlayStation iv and Vita versions received final scores of 32/xl by Famitsu, being awarded 9, 8, 7 and 8 by 4 individual reviewers.[32]

References

  1. ^ てけおん (April 25, 2016). "『SAO ホロウ・リアリゼーション』の発売日が10月27日に決定！". Dengeki Online. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e Paolo Togonon, Miguel (15 March 2016). "'Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization' PS4 release date set on 2016 in North America; Bandai Namco stream new gameplay trailer, crossover with '.hack' anime". Yibada. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  3. ^ Romano, Sal (23 December 2015). "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization coming west in 2016". Gematsu. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  4. ^ "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization and Fatal Bullet for Switch launch in bound and summer 2019". Gematsu. 17 December 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  5. ^ James, Thomas (October iv, 2014). "Kickoff Sword Art Online: Lost Song gameplay details". Gematsu. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c Romano, Sal (October vi, 2015). "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization first details". Gematsu. Retrieved October seven, 2015.
  7. ^ a b c Romano, Sal (October xiv, 2015). "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is ready in Ainground". Gematsu. Retrieved October fourteen, 2015.
  8. ^ a b Romano, Sal (March 22, 2016). "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization introduces character customization, marshland area, and Named Monsters". Gematsu. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  9. ^ a b Aguda, Patrick (June 9, 2016). "Sword Fine art Online: Hollow Realization, More Characters and Details". Operation Rainfall . Retrieved August half dozen, 2016.
  10. ^ a b Martinez, Phillip (April 8, 2016). "'Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization' Gameplay Footage Shows Monster Fighting And Combos". iDigitalTimes. Archived from the original on June 14, 2016. Retrieved Baronial 6, 2016.
  11. ^ a b c Romano, Sal (thirteen October 2016). "Interview: Sword Fine art Online: Hollow Realization producer Yosuke Futami at NYCC 2016". Gematsu. Retrieved i November 2016.
  12. ^ a b c d Romano, Sal (19 October 2016). "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization details Japanese early access version, starting time PS Vita gameplay". Gematsu. Retrieved ane November 2016.
  13. ^ a b Romano, Sal (October iv, 2015). "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization announced for PS4, PS Vita". Gematsu. Retrieved Oct iv, 2015.
  14. ^ Halestorm, Bradly (March 14, 2016). "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization Headed Westward This Year, Gameplay Shown". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  15. ^ "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization Game's English-Subtitled Trailer Now Lists 2016 Engagement". Anime News Network. March fourteen, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  16. ^ D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Latest Sword Fine art Online Game Lets Twitter 'Raise' A Grapheme". Kotaku . Retrieved 1 Nov 2016.
  17. ^ Dennison, Kara. "Aid Train the Newest "Sword Fine art Online" NPC". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  18. ^ てけおん (October four, 2015). "ゲーム『SAO』第4弾は"ホロウ"の後継作！ MMOらしさとアクション性を両立させた作品に" (in Japanese). Dengeki Online. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  19. ^ Storm, Bradly (Oct 3, 2015). "New Sword Art Online Game Scheduled for Release Adjacent Yr". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved October iv, 2015.
  20. ^ MacGregor, Kyle (Apr 23, 2016). "Sword Fine art Online: Hollow Realization coming west this fall". Destructoid . Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  21. ^ "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization Videos Showcase Battle Deportment, Dominate Battle". Anime News Network . Retrieved Apr 19, 2016.
  22. ^ "Sword Art Online Hollow Realization PS4/PS Vita Game'south 3rd Trailer Previews Luna Haruna's Theme Vocal (Update)". Anime News Network . Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  23. ^ Dennison, Kara. ""Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization" Shares Cat Videos on YouTube". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  24. ^ "BANDAI NAMCO Amusement America – More fun for anybody!". www.bandainamcoent.com . Retrieved 2017-05-xvi .
  25. ^ "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization DLC 'Affiliate II: Tuner of Causality' launches July 21 in the west - Gematsu". Gematsu. 2017-07-20. Retrieved 2018-02-24 .
  26. ^ "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization's Third And Terminal DLC Chapter Releases Today - Siliconera". Siliconera. 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2018-02-24 .
  27. ^ "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization's Third Chapter DLC Gets New Trailer and Details". DualShockers. 2017-06-26. Retrieved 2018-02-24 .
  28. ^ a b "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  29. ^ a b "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization for PlayStation Vita Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved Baronial 12, 2018.
  30. ^ "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization - Deluxe Edition for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  31. ^ Tolentino, Josh (December vii, 2016). "Review: Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization". Destructoid . Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  32. ^ a b Romano, Sal (October eighteen, 2016). "Famitsu Review Scores: Outcome 1455". Gematsu. Retrieved October xviii, 2016.
  33. ^ Hawkins, Janine (December 12, 2016). "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization Review". GameSpot . Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  34. ^ Ingenito, Vince (November 16, 2016). "Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization Review". IGN . Retrieved November sixteen, 2016.

External links

  • Official website (in Japanese)
  • Official website (in English)
  • Game'southward Manual - PS4 (in English)