![]() On paper that sounds like a horrible idea, MMORPG mechanics are not known for being fun in their own right – with the long term enjoyment of those games coming from human interaction and co-operation. ![]() It’s a game that’s pretending to be an MMORPG when it’s not. Hollow Fragment is an odd game, in that it’s an MMORPG simulator. I have to say that it wasn’t in the least what I was expecting gameplay wise. Mercifully, I’m pleased to say that Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment is a really great RPG in it’s own right. ![]() The worry, of course, is that it’s happy to rest on it’s laurels and deliver a mediocre game, laced with characters skits an titillating CG. Hollow Fragment isn’t even trying to pretend that it isn’t anything other than an excuse to extend your enjoyment of this particular part of the SAO universe. This is basically SAO fan service (in both senses of the word) they’ve even gone so far as to have Laefa and Sinon (the female leads of the other two story arcs) literally fall from the sky so that they can be a part of the game. If you like that Story-arc, then you’re not going to be disapointed here. You’re essentially getting two games in one then – and frankly, there’s a staggering amount of content in here, hours upon hours questing and exploring and character interaction with the cast of SAO in their Aincrad story-arc guises. This part is the original PSP game ‘Infinity Moment’ – the ‘Hollow Fragment’ bit is a whole new game, or rather a whole new area for you to explore, introduces new character Philia and also allows for multiplayer raids with friends who also own the game. Without spoiling anything, it’s at this point Hollow Fragment takes a massive diversion from the anime, asking players to fight their way to the 100th floor, which essentially means continuing to quest, MMORPG style, with the cast of the anime series. Hollow Fragment takes place in the Original SAO story arc – specifically, when main character Kirito reaches floor 75. The Third story arc, Gun Gale Online (which is currently running) is a little more gritty, ‘kill-people-with-guns-in-arenas’ – and feels like a pretty big departure from the previous two story arcs in atmosphere.Ī super-brief overview for sure – but it’s important to know Hollow Fragment’s place in all this. That’s set in a game called Alfheim Online, and it’s less ‘kick-ass-swords-and-combat’ and more ‘fearies-in-a-flower-garden’. The second story arc is the one that a lot of people don’t like. That’s basically the first story arc – which is set in a place called Aincrad. If they die, they DIE, and if they don’t reach the 100th level and finish the game, they all die. Sword Art Online is an anime series where a bunch of kids get stuck in a Virtual Reality MMORPG. It’s very much a game for the series fans, but for the uninitiated, I guess I should give you a quick overview so you have some context. The mystery of the plot is somewhat compelling, and it may be that you fall in love with the game once (or, rather, if) you figure out the fighting mechanics, but it's simply too much of an uphill road for the average player to get there.This being the case – Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment is the perfect game for me. It's a tedious addition to the game - when you choose the "chat" option, you're forced to watch a stream of unintelligible comments from your date and reply on occasion with things such as "Right," "Uh-huh," and so on. You'll be encouraged to "date" and flirt with other characters to build up a team with strong morale. The female characters are often scantily clad and, for some reason, besotted with Kirito, the married lead. ![]() You might hope that the dialogue would clarify the story line for the uninitiated, but it never quite hits the mark. There are spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as strange uses of punctuation. There's a never-ending stream of dialogue with other players (it can go on for 15 minutes or more at a time, even with quick reading), all of which is poorly translated from the original Japanese and related in subtitles. Less committed players will be lost before they even have a chance to begin. Battle mechanics are complex and confusing, a situation that's worsened by the slow release of tutorials for gameplay. ![]() Unfortunately, things go downhill from there. Fans of Sword Art Online will be excited to play in a beautiful rendering of Aincrad and the Sword Art world. ![]()
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