SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection

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In "SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection" , players can experience the epic finale of the SAO game series with the largest roster of playable characters and sub scenarios yet. Based on the War of Underworld arc, players will join Kirito and his friends in challenging battles against the Dark Territory to unravel the mystery of the Dark Knight. The game features fast-paced and stylish MMO-like combat. The Deluxe Edition includes the main game, Premium Pass, and bonus Integrity Knights Costume Set. Premium Pass contents will be released at a later date, with DLC available by December 31, 2024.

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SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection screenshot

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 314 reviews

story54 positive mentions

grinding42 negative mentions

The combat system is faster and more fluid compared to previous titles, making battles more engaging.
The story is well-written and provides a satisfying conclusion to the SAO gameverse, with emotional moments that resonate with fans.
The game runs smoothly and is better optimized than its predecessor, Alicization Lycoris.

The game lacks significant content and features compared to previous SAO games, feeling more like a DLC than a standalone title.
Many gameplay mechanics have been simplified or removed, such as weapon upgrading and the dating system, leading to a less immersive experience.
Enemies are often damage sponges, making combat feel tedious and drawn out, especially in boss fights.

story
300 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
77%
5%
The story of the latest Sword Art Online game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its emotional depth and character development, particularly highlighting the new character Dorothy, while others criticize it for being half-baked and overly reliant on grinding. Many players feel that the pacing is uneven, with a strong start that fizzles out towards the end, and the gameplay mechanics detracting from the narrative experience. Overall, while die-hard fans may find value in the story's conclusion, many reviewers suggest it lacks the engaging quality of previous entries in the series.
- “The writing is amazing and the story itself is fun, exciting, and heartfelt.”
- “The story actually feels heavily thought out and executed with care.”
- “The story is on par with any other SAO game; I thoroughly enjoyed it; the end credits got me teary-eyed, perfect sendoff for those who've played all the games.”
- “Even as a die-hard SAO fan, I can't recommend this one unless you're okay with mindless grinding or rush through the story on the easiest difficulty for the sake of closure with the Aquaria SAO gameverse.”
- “The storyline is boring, nothing that draws you into the plot.”
- “I feel it was a mistake to put so much faith in this disappointing last chapter, even pre-ordering it in anticipation of finally closing the story of this separated arc of SAO.”
gameplay
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
45%
18%
The gameplay of this title has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it for being repetitive, lacking depth, and overly reliant on cutscenes that detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the smoother mechanics and tactical arts introduced, others feel that the game has dumbed down the complexity found in previous entries, leading to a less engaging experience. Overall, players recommend caution, suggesting that the gameplay may not justify the price tag and that fans of the series might be better off exploring other titles.
- “The gameplay is solid and fun, the characters are all full of life, and I feel with future updates this game will prove to be one of the most solid entries from the game-verse.”
- “Gameplay is good, movement feels great, and the character combos are amazing.”
- “The gameplay might actually be the best in the whole series, rivaling that of Hollow Realization.”
- “Very annoying gameplay experience.”
- “The cutscenes are so boring - but that's not the main issue; it's the amount of time those cutscenes take more than the actual gameplay itself.”
- “The worst release ever in SAO game's history, the game is a copy-paste of Alicization Lycoris, even worse gameplay-wise, it has poor content post-story which is kind of short too.”
graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
65%
15%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting improvements over previous titles, particularly in animations and certain visual aspects. However, many criticize the overall quality, describing it as outdated and comparable to games from a decade ago, with some even likening it to low-quality visuals reminiscent of Roblox. While a few appreciate the graphics during gameplay, the consensus leans towards disappointment, especially when considering the game's price point.
- “The animation and visuals of the unison arts and finish arts are beautiful.”
- “Loved the graphics, open world, monster drops, crafting, dating, huge dungeons, fishing and so on.”
- “Great graphics, gameplay, RPG core, story...”
- “Very poor graphics and clunky control scheme, combat feels like you're exploiting it via the set actions that cast skills without cooldown. I just feel bad having spent money on this.”
- “The graphics (and animations) at first look pretty good if you look at the pictures on the Steam store, but then you get into the game and you realize how cropped these pictures are or that some of these pictures are taken from either a finisher or a story cutscene.”
- “Graphics look like a Roblox game at max settings.”
grinding
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
4%
81%
Reviews indicate that the grinding in this game is excessive and often tedious, with enemies acting as damage sponges that prolong combat unnecessarily. While some players appreciate the fluid combat and story, many express frustration over the lack of meaningful rewards for grinding, particularly in the endgame where farming for skills and materials becomes a chore. Overall, the game seems to alienate players who are not fond of mindless grinding, despite its appeal to die-hard fans of the Sword Art Online franchise.
- “Some may think 'no grinding for materials? I can just enjoy the game', well... no... it's not, and the reason is simple: no grinding is just as boring as excessive grinding.”
- “Having that in the game is a staple, and they just got rid of it, but it's not as if they just got rid of the affection system; it's still there, but remember when I said there was no grinding?”
- “No grinding was needed through the whole story.”
- “The most annoying thing about this game is the enemies are ridiculous damage sponges, and the whole thing is just a grindy chore.”
- “Even as a die-hard SAO fan, I can't recommend this one unless you're okay with mindless grinding or rush through the story on the easiest difficulty for the sake of closure with the Aquaria SAO gameverse.”
- “Affinity grinding caused me to go from 40 hours to 120 hours.”
optimization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
69%
8%
The game's optimization has received widespread praise, with many reviewers noting it as a significant improvement over its predecessor, Alicization Lycoris. Players appreciate the smooth performance, fluid combat, and the ability to run at unlimited FPS, contributing to a more enjoyable experience. Overall, the game is considered the best-optimized entry in the Sword Art Online series, with fewer performance issues and a less grindy gameplay experience.
- “This game stands out as the most optimized and smooth Sword Art Online (SAO) game I've ever played.”
- “Wow, the main issue here is how much better optimized the game is than its predecessor, Alicization Lycoris (AL).”
- “This game is what Alicization Lycoris should have been: all the characters are here, it's optimized vastly better, it's nowhere near as grindy.”
- “Fluid combat, the conclusion to the Sword Art Online 'gameverse' story, as well as a solid performance on PC (thanks, Unreal Engine!) may attract SAO fans - but too much grinding, combined with enemies with too much HP, will push most of them away.”
- “- [b]aberrant optimization and graphics[/b].”
- “Despite the overall performance issues of Alicization Lycoris, I did enjoy many aspects of it.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
50%
12%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the area themes, boss music, and cutscene soundtracks as some of the best in the series, particularly since "Lost Song." However, some players found the overall soundtrack lacking in memorable tracks, with one reviewer even forgetting the game had music at times. Customization options for battle music and the inclusion of nostalgic tracks from previous titles have been highlighted as positive features.
- “The area themes, the boss music, the cutscene OSTs, the music in this game is absolutely amazing and possibly one of the best out of all the SAO games.”
- “The soundtrack is the absolute best we've gotten since Lost Song or Millennium Twilight.”
- “The game runs smooth, looks great, and the soundtrack is wonderful as always.”
- “- [b]awful ost[/b], there is not a single memorable track, so much so that at some point I forgot the game had music.”
- “The combat is fine, feels more like a baby's first hack and slash combined with Lost Song combat honestly.”
- “- dating (chatting and stuff like that) with characters is missing, even though it has been in every other (except Lost Song and AW vs SAO).”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth, particularly highlighted in the well-crafted credits, which many found to be the most touching part. The writing and overall story are described as fun, exciting, and heartfelt, with the ending eliciting strong emotional responses from players.
- “And the credits, surprisingly well done, super emotional and probably the most touching part of the whole game.”
- “The writing is amazing and the story itself is fun, exciting, and heartfelt.”
- “The ending was more emotional than the story, but the game was still good.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that the game's stability is generally good, with a smooth combat flow and fewer bugs compared to its predecessor at launch. However, some players still experience notable bugs that affect gameplay.
- “The game is very buggy.”
- “The game is very buggy.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express significant dissatisfaction with the game's monetization, indicating that they find it more enjoyable to watch ads on YouTube than to continue playing the game. This suggests that the monetization strategy may be overly aggressive or detrimental to the overall gaming experience.
- “I would honestly have more fun watching YouTube ads than playing this game any further.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often highlighted through characters like Kainan, whose relatable motives and actions provide comedic moments that resonate with players. His character stands out as a favorite for many, adding a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.
- “You meet a merchant, Kainan, who is personally one of my favorite characters because his motives are understandable and his actions sometimes bring humor.”