As both a lifelong gamer and rabid otaku who has followed Sword Art Online since its light novel debut in 2002, I am absolutely obsessed with the burgeoning virtual worlds Reki Kawahara crafted in this iconic series. Like countless other fans globally enraptured by the anime and manga adaptations, I eagerly plunge into any new SAO game release that promises to let me immerse myself into worlds like Aincrad, Alfheim and Underworld.
So what is it about the Sword Art Online franchise that sparked such fervent admiration across media formats? At its heart lies a wish-fulfillment premise powerfully resonant with any gamer or tech enthusiast. The idea of donning a NerveGear helmet and directly linking your mind into persistent online virtual realities we can literally live in? It’s the ultimate escapist fantasy! Combine that with Kirito’s underdog triumph over tyrannical player-killing guilds and beautifully rendered fantasy worlds to explore, and SAO becomes the total otaku package.
Its cultural impact since airing in 2012 is undeniable, with over 20 million copies of the light novels sold internationally. The anime has consistently ranked amongst the top-streamed shows in multiple regions since debuting on Netflix. And annual franchise revenue has ballooned from $228 million in 2019 to over $313 million as of 2021.
As more anime-only fans get enthralled by the Alicization and War of Underworld arcs every season, I feel that same exhilaration I first experienced reading those light novel volumes years back. It seems Reki Kawahara has captured lightining in a bottle – one that will continue zapping new legions of obsessed fans yearly!
Which brings me to the explosive growth seen in Sword Art Online games releasing across console and PC platforms. More titles continue appearing that let us direct our inner protagonists through fresh SAO storylines or revisit iconic arcs from new perspectives. Join me now as I showcase the top 5 must-play SAO games out now, and why hardcore fans owe it to themselves to jack in!
Sword Art Online Game Franchise Revenue & Sales
To understand fan enthusiasm for each new game, let’s examine how the SAO gaming franchise has fared commercially since its debut title in 2013:
| Year | Game Title | Copies Sold | Platform | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022* | Sword Art Online Variant Showdown | 1+ million (estimate) | Mobile | $18+ million (sensor tower est) |
| 2020 | Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris | 1+ million | PS4, Xbox One, PC | $50+ million |
| 2017 | Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet | 1.5+ million | PS4, Xbox One, PC | $60+ million |
| 2016 | Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization | 1.5+ million | PS4, PS Vita, PC | $60+ million |
| 2015 | Sword Art Online: Lost Song | 700,000+ | PS3, PS4, PSVita, PC | $30+ million |
| 2014 | Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment | 500,000+ | PS Vita, PS4, PC, Switch | $25+ million |
With each new release outperforming the last commercially, the franchise has earned over $250 million from games alone. And these figures don’t account for the newest mobile, arcade and virtual reality titles also entering development!
The games clearly resonate with loyal fans globally based on review scores as well. Here is the critic/user review average across recent SAO console game releases:
| Game Title | Metacritic Critic Score | Metacritic User Score | Opencritic Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris | 73% | 8.2 | 74% |
| Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet | 72% | 8.1 | 73% |
| Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization | 72% | 8.4% | 74% |
| Sword Art Online: Lost Song | 69% | 7.6 | N/A |
| Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment | 67% | 8.0 | N/A |
With consistently strong critical and user acclaim, its clear SAO fans passion for the series translates into glowing support for adaptations into an interactive medium.
Now that the stage is set, allow me to cut to the chase – here is my definitive ranking of the top 5 must-play SAO games available right now!
#1 Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment – My Entry Point into SAO Gaming
Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment will forever remain special to me as the first SAO game I purchased. After bingeing the anime’s exhilarating first season, I needed to get my next fix of dangling from Aincrad’s floating castle tops by wire. This game hand-delivered with an original quest written under Kawahara’s supervision himself!
I still remember finally booting it up on my PS Vita back in 2014, heartbeat quickening as I gazed upon Hollow Area’s familiar precipitous vistas. The fact I could directly control Kirito using SAO’s signature sword skills system felt unreal. Developers Artdink perfectly translated combat mechanics like slicing through hordes of kobolds with well-timed parries.
While gameplay could get repetitive on lower floors, pushing up the floating castle with Asuna by my side kept me hugely invested. Late-night boss raid sessions remain etched fondly into memory. And reconnecting with SAO characters like Philia while exploring the mysteriously locked Hollow Area scratched my completionist itch. Even Vita hardware limitations couldn’t dull the joy of chasing rare loot drops so Kirito could don ever cooler coats!
For any fan who wishes they could dive back into the original Aincrad arc from season 1, this game is wish fulfillment. It reignited my passion for the franchise and compelled me to devour SAO media in all forms going forward!
#2 Sword Art Online Infinity Moment – Multiplayer Mayhem in Aincrad
While Hollow Fragment transports you back into SAO’s death game, 2012 Japan-only release Infinity Moment shakes up the formula by letting you create a custom character. Suddenly I could craft my ultimate avatar for raiding floors alongside the canon Assault Team heroes I grew up admiring!
Infinity Moment missions play out much closer to an actual MMO, with intense boss battles requiring tactical coordination between my axe-wielder and spellcaster teammates. I’ll never forget the euphoria I felt after finally toppling Gleam Eyes after dozens of attempts working in sync with my party. The satisfaction of carving my own path up Aincrad separate from Kirito’s felt revelatory at the time!
With multiplayer functionality since discontinued in 2022, playing solo now does dampen the experience. But being able to directly customize a unique player avatar and manually tweak stats to create my perfect DPS machine still lends Infinity Moment tremendous replay value for number crunchers. It also marked the first time beloved heroine Yuuki made her canon debut ahead of Mother’s Rosario animated adaptation.
While Japan-only and needing fan translation patches on emulators, no SAO gaming fan’s career is complete without this criminally underappreciated entry! The DNA of modern franchise gameplay owes much to Infinity Moment proving Kirito isn’t the only burgeoning hero in Aincrad.
#3 Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet – Embracing My Inner Gun Gale Online Gangster
As someone who religiously plays shooters like Call of Duty, Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet triggered the same dopamine centers by letting me blast enemies away with experimental photon weaponry. Set in the futuristic world of Gun Gale Online, I could freely customize my android avatar down to hairstyles while building up a nuclear arsenal.
The shift to third-person shooting mechanics finally fulfilled fantasies stoked by Kirito crossplaying as badass sniper ‘Sinon’ in Season 2. Now I embodied that energy by slowing down time using AR mode to unleash explosive missile barrages! Charging onto the battlefield wielding massive firepower directly contrasts to SAO’s traditional melee focus so beautifully.
And while Fatal Bullet infuses fresh faces like AI companion ArFA-Sys with ties to SAO lore, it retains franchise essence with fan-favorite heroine cameos. Going on missions alongside Asuna and Leafa while mowing hordes down with my twin SMGs gave me life! And don’t get me started on wrapping up those emotionally charged DLC episodes focused on the underappreciated Yui.
While quality-of-life improvements could still enhance the experience, Fatal Bullet remains my personal favorite by evidencing how far Sword Art Online can push genre boundaries!
#4 Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris – Technical Marvel Realizing Alicization‘s Splendor
Given the Alicization arc in Sword Art Online chronicles Kirito adventuring through photorealistic virtual fantasy worlds, no gaming adaptation could be more tailor-made to demonstrate technical leapfrogging! Alicization Lycoris leverages Unreal Engine 4 to jaw-dropping effect in 2020 as Bandai Namco‘s most ambitious SAO title yet.
This action RPG spared no effort fully rendering Underworld‘s spectacular landscapes only teased at through the anime. Finally roaming across sweeping plains surrounding the Great Eastern Gate and gazing up at intricate gothic architecture left me awestruck! No flat 2D background art here – the devs built out actual 3D spaces replicating Kawahara‘s imagination.
And Lycoris gameplay evolves the series formula by expanding combo systems and introducing new abilities called Incarnation Skills. Small touches like shader animations when cloak fabric blows in the wind showcase amazing detail. Kirito‘s swordsmanship feels more impactful through enhanced particle effects and physics-driven models that ragdoll convincingly when struck.
By pushing console hardware to its breaking point, Bandai Namco makes a strong case for Lycoris as Sword Art Online’s ultimate playable tech sandbox. This represents the future direction of the franchise as platforms grow ever more powerful. And I for one can’t wait to see how much further they push next-generation visual boundaries!
#5 Sword Art Online Lost Song – Spreading Wings as an Alfheim Online Fairy
While not as consistently polished across areas compared to Hollow Realization, Lost Song earned a treasured spot on this list by realizing my fantasy of flying across Alfheim as a magical fairy! It shifts gears from previous title’s RPG focus and injects some beat ‘em up flavor through aerial combat against swarms of enemies filling the skies.
The sheer joy I felt from seamlessly transitioning from swordplay to freely soaring across rivers and castles with colorful wings sprouting cannot be understated. After watching Leafa dart gracefully through the air in Season 1, I was bursting with elation finally grasping Alfheim’s vertical freedom. It introduced new dynamics like dive bombing bosses with plunging sword skills.
And getting to further bond with prominent heroines like Leafa, Sinon and Strea during original quests proved wonderful fanservice. Even Philia popped up reprising her signature playful banter! While Hollow Fragment laid SAO gaming’s foundations, Lost Song dared to dream bigger.
The Journey Continues…
And there you have it – my picks for must-play SAO games that no self-respecting franchise fan should miss! Each title builds on mechanics and storylines flowing directly from the anime, while introducing well-integrated new elements keeping gameplay fresh even across multiple playthroughs.
Withfan enthusiasm and commercial success skyrocketing with every new release, Sword Art Online games will only grow more ambitious in scope. I eagerly await them pushing hardware to its limits realizing the splendor of Underworld or stunning vistas within Accel World, Reki Kawahara’s other seminal creation. These living and dynamic virtual worlds represent the ultimate escape cutting closer than ever to the elusive Total Immersion we all crave.
For now, I highly recommend all fellow SAO fans also explore the 5 phenomenal games above if you haven’t already. Then come join the discussion so we can geek out together over everything newly announced on the horizon!
Asuna forever!
- Eugene