Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Explained

Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment
Developer:Aquria[1]
Publisher:Bandai Namco Games
Producer:Yosuke Futami[2]
Series:Sword Art Online
Platforms:PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
Released:PlayStation Vita
PlayStation 4
Microsoft Windows
Genre:Role-playing
Modes:Single-player, multiplayer

is a video game for the PlayStation Vita based on the Sword Art Online light novel series. It is the second video game in the series, the first being , the content of which is included in Hollow Fragment. The game was released in Japan on April 24, 2014, North America on August 19, 2014 and Europe and Australia on August 20, 2014.[3]

A "Director's Cut" edition of the game titled Sword Art Online RE: Hollow Fragment was released on PlayStation 4 within North America, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East in July and August 2015,[4] and was released in Japan in November 2015.[5] This version comes with new features, including an online play mode, additional bosses and the ability to play as a female character, among others.[5] [6]

Hollow Fragment was succeeded by , which was released in 2015 for the PlayStation 4 and Vita.[4]

Gameplay

The game has over 100 recruitable characters which can be chosen to accompany the player in the game's dungeons.[7] Gameplay combines elements of a MMORPG—albeit in a simulated fashion as it is not an online game,[8] though it does include limited multiplayer via ad hoc for up to four players—as well as elements of a dating sim.[9]

Plot

The game takes place in the same continuity as the prior game in the series, , which exists in an alternate storyline from the Sword Art Online anime storyline.[10] Hollow Fragment takes place midway through the anime first arc.[11] [12]

The player controls the main character Kirito, who has been trapped in the titular virtual reality MMORPG where dying in the game will lead to his death in real life as well. Part of the game is actually a high definition recompilation of Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment, the original game in the series released for the PlayStation Portable,[13] including all content of "Floor Clearing" from the previous game[14] with the addition of new unexplored "Hollow Area" of Aincrad.[15] [16]

Development

The game was released on April 23, 2014 in Japan[17] and May 29, 2014 in Taiwan, Hong Kong, as well as some Southeast Asian countries[18] with Chinese and English subtitles.[19] It had also been announced that the game would be localized into English and released August 19, 2014 in North America[20] and August 20 in Europe and Australia. The American/European/Australian release is digital download only.[21] [22] The game also received an update adding content extending the game's play time by 30 hours, including new areas, gameplay, and costumes, while also raising the level cap from 200 to 250.[23] [24] [25] The game also features costume DLC.[26]

Reception

The game sold 145,029 physical retail copies within the first week of release in Japan, topping the Japanese software sales charts for that week,[27] slightly outselling its predecessor, Infinity Moment, which sold 138,180 copies.[28] By July 2014, it outsold the previous game's total copies sold domestically,[29] which is roughly 200,000 copies,[30] and sold more than 280,000 copies in Japan by December 2014.[31] The game was the top-selling digital Vita game on both the European region and North American region PlayStation Store in August and September 2014,[32] [33] [34] [35] which added up to more than 450,000 copies sold worldwide[31] as of December 2014. Of these, approximately 90,000 copies were sold in Asia, and 70,000 copies were sold in North America.[31]

The game received a Famitsu review score of 32/40.[36] An import review by PlayStation Lifestyle gave the Japanese version of the game a rating of 9/10, noting that the game provides plenty of hours' worth of content and has no obvious performance issues which affect the gameplay experience.[37] The Asian version of the game, which was localized into English and Chinese, was noted by The Straits Times to contain various localization errors, such as grammar and spelling mistakes within the subtitled dialogue; nevertheless, the game was given a review score of 8/10.[38] The production team is said to be aware of the problems regarding the game's English translation and it have been stated that its sequel would be translated differently to produce a better translation.[39]

Following its release in the west, the game received mixed reviews. It has a score of 67 out of 100 on Metacritic. IGN awarded it a score of 5.5 out of 10, saying Sword Art Online excellent combat is marred by a juvenile romance system, a horrible translation.[40] Destructoid gave the game a rating of 7/10, noting that the game is solid and provides a fun experience, however may lack replay value,[41] while Gaming Age gave the game a "B" score, praising the game environment and mechanics, although noting that the camera controls feel flawed.[42] PlayStation Universe awarded it a score of 5.5 out of 10, saying "Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment will only offer the most enjoyment to hardcore fans of the franchise that are willing to slog through the uninspired, tedious gameplay to get to the ample fan service on offer."[43] GameZone gave a rating of 8/10, praising the amount of content available within the game.[44] Twinfinite gave the game a 4/5, criticizing the steep learning curve and the dialogue translation, while finding the combat and game design to be positive.[45] Nevertheless, Hardcore Gamer rated Hollow Fragment a score of 1.5 out of 5, referring to it as a bad game and an imbecilic software, that is the most debase garbage Japan has to offer, and comes with an awful story, combat, and translation.[46]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment. Bandai Namco Games. January 8, 2015.
  2. Web site: Bandai Namco announces Anime Expo 2014 plans. Gematsu. June 28, 2014. June 6, 2014.
  3. Web site: New details on Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment!. Bandai Namco Games. July 2, 2014. July 2, 2014. September 6, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140906165236/http://www.bandainamcogames.eu/news/2014/07/02/new-details-on-sword-art-online-hollow-fragment/4461. dead.
  4. Web site: Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment and Lost Song announced for PS4, coming west. Gematsu. May 27, 2015. May 28, 2015.
  5. Web site: 『SAO Re:－ホロウ・フラグメント－』＆『－ロスト・ソング－』最新情報が到着！ 前よりパワーアップした点は？. ASCII Media Works. June 11, 2015. June 11, 2015. Japanese.
  6. Web site: Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment Will Let You Make A Female Protagonist. Siliconera. June 9, 2015. April 24, 2022.
  7. Web site: You Can Befriend Over 100 Characters In Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment. Siliconera. February 24, 2014. April 24, 2022.
  8. Web site: Duo Of Sword Art Online Games Coming To North America. https://web.archive.org/web/20140502121023/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/05/01/duo-of-sword-art-online-games-coming-to-north-america.aspx. dead. May 2, 2014. Game Informer. May 1, 2014. May 2, 2014.
  9. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Arrives in North America this Summer. The Escapist. April 22, 2014. May 2, 2014. March 9, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160309175550/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/133910-Sword-Art-Online-Hollow-Fragment-Arrives-in-North-America-this-Summer. dead.
  10. Web site: Infinity Moment Takes Everything You Know About Sword Art Online, and Turns It on Its Head. Kotaku. April 2, 2013. May 2, 2014.
  11. Web site: Review: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment. 2020-07-22. Destructoid. 19 August 2014. english.
  12. Web site: Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem. 2020-07-22. www.techinasia.com. en-US.
  13. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment will come bundled with another HD game for SAO fans. Pocket Gamer. May 1, 2014. May 2, 2014.
  14. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Includes An HD Version Of Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment. Siliconera. May 1, 2014. April 24, 2022.
  15. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment announced for PS Vita. Gematsu. 2013-10-06. 2014-04-02.
  16. Web site: "Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment" Screens Show Battle System, Event Scenes, and More. Crunchyroll. January 10, 2014. January 10, 2020.
  17. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment – Hold Hands With A Heroine And Other Tidbits. Siliconera. October 8, 2013. April 24, 2022.
  18. Web site: Southeast Asia to enjoy Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment this end May. Yahoo!. May 2, 2014. July 6, 2014.
  19. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment will have English and Traditional Chinese subtitles in Taiwan. Gematsu. 2014-03-22. 2014-04-02.
  20. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment. Bandai Namco Games. July 4, 2014.
  21. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Coming To North America This Summer. Ishaan. Siliconera. April 22, 2014. April 24, 2022.
  22. Web site: SWORD ART ONLINE: HOLLOW FRAGMENT to be released in Europe and Australia. Bandai Namco Games. May 14, 2014. July 22, 2014. July 28, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140728034032/http://www.bandainamcogames.eu/news/2014/05/14/sword-art-online-hollow-fragment-to-be-released-in-europe-and-australia/4295. dead.
  23. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment's Major Update Adds 30 Hours Of Content. Siliconera. April 29, 2014. April 24, 2022.
  24. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment boasts free DLC costumes and major update. GameZone. August 12, 2014. August 19, 2014.
  25. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Major Update Arrives September 2014 in North America, Europe. PlayStation LifeStyle. August 12, 2014. August 19, 2014.
  26. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Gets Free Costume DLC. Anime News Network. August 14, 2014. August 19, 2014.
  27. Web site: Media Create Sales: 4/21/14 – 4/27/14. Gematsu. April 30, 2014. April 30, 2014.
  28. Web site: This Week In Sales: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Begins Its Quest. Siliconera. April 30, 2014. April 24, 2022.
  29. News: "Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment" Game Sequel Being Discussed. Crunchyroll. July 8, 2014. July 10, 2014.
  30. Web site: 『ソードアート・オンライン ―ホロウ・フラグメント―』大規模アップデート＆無料DLCの詳細が二見鷹介Pへのインタビューで判明 【SAOトゥデイ】. ASCII Media Works. April 24, 2014. July 10, 2014. Japanese.
  31. Web site: 『SAO ロストソング』の情報も明らかに! 二見鷹介Pと河合泰一Pが語る2015年の目標は?. ASCII Media Works. January 13, 2015. January 13, 2015. Japanese.
  32. Web site: PlayStation Store charts, August: inFAMOUS: First Light & Diablo III: RoS fight it out. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. September 8, 2014. September 8, 2014.
  33. Web site: PS Store's Top Downloads for August 2014. Sony Computer Entertainment America. September 8, 2014. October 22, 2014.
  34. Web site: PlayStation Store charts, September: Destiny, Minecraft & FIFA fight it out. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. October 9, 2014. October 15, 2014.
  35. Web site: PS Store's Top Downloads for September 2014. Sony Computer Entertainment America. October 9, 2014. October 15, 2014.
  36. Web site: Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1324. Gematsu. April 15, 2014. July 4, 2014.
  37. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Review – Go Virtual (Vita Import). PlayStation Lifestyle. June 30, 2014. July 4, 2014.
  38. Web site: Tan . Colin . Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment feels like a real MMORPG . . June 11, 2014 . July 5, 2014 . July 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140712000550/http://www.straitstimes.com/digital-life/gaming/story/sword-art-online-hollow-fragment-feels-real-mmorpg-20140611 . dead .
  39. Web site: Sword Art Online: Lost Song Producer: Expect A Better English Translation. Siliconera. October 29, 2014. April 24, 2022.
  40. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Review. IGN. September 19, 2014. October 31, 2015.
  41. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment. Destructoid. August 19, 2014. August 19, 2014.
  42. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment review for PS Vita. Gaming Age. August 19, 2014. August 19, 2014.
  43. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Review. PlayStation Universe. August 29, 2014. October 31, 2015.
  44. Web site: Review: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment traps fans inside an MMO simulator. GameZone. August 19, 2014. August 19, 2014.
  45. Web site: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Review. Twinfinite. August 19, 2014. August 19, 2014. August 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150810013336/http://www.twinfinite.net/2014/08/19/sword-art-online-hollow-fragment-review/2/. dead.
  46. Web site: Review: Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment. Hardcore Gamer. August 19, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140819205635/http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2014/08/19/review-sword-art-online-hollow-fragment/99686/. August 19, 2014. live. August 19, 2014.

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