SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection
- October 5, 2023
- AQURIA Co., Ltd.
- 40h median play time
Get on SteamIn "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.
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The combat system is significantly improved, offering a faster and more fluid experience compared to previous titles.
- The game features a large roster of characters from the SAO universe, providing fans with a nostalgic experience.
- The story is engaging and well-written, serving as a satisfying conclusion to the SAO gameverse.
- The game feels overly linear, with restricted exploration and a lack of meaningful side content compared to previous entries.
- Many features from earlier games, such as weapon upgrades and a dating system, have been removed, making the gameplay feel simplified.
- Boss fights can be excessively long due to high enemy health, leading to a tedious grinding experience.
- story150 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
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 lackluster 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 within the SAO universe, many reviewers suggest it falls short compared to 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 a continuation but there is a lot of quality of life improvements.”
“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 SAO gameverse.”
“The storyline is boring, nothing that draws you into the plot.”
“I finished the game, but it's just bad, content-wise and how it's made. There are many problems, one of them is that because the story is short, they made every mob/boss have a ton of health so you must spend time on it, just to claim they have 20 hours of story content. At the end of the day, it's forced and not enjoyable.”
- gameplay56 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title has received largely negative feedback, 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, the consensus suggests that the gameplay is not worth the price, with many recommending alternatives from the series.
“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.”
“The gameplay might actually be the best in the whole series, rivaling that of Hollow Realization.”
“Gameplay is good, movement feels great, and the character combos are amazing.”
“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 compared to 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.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting improvements over previous titles, particularly in animations and certain cutscenes. However, many criticize the overall quality, comparing it unfavorably to older games and describing it as clunky or reminiscent of outdated graphics. While some appreciate the visuals in specific contexts, the consensus leans towards disappointment, especially given 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.”
- grinding26 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 81 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious due to enemies acting as damage sponges and requiring significant time investment for progression. While some appreciate the fluid combat and story, others criticize the lack of meaningful rewards and variety in grinding activities, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game seems to balance between offering enjoyable gameplay and overwhelming players with grind-heavy mechanics, which may deter those not fond of such playstyles.
“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.”
“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.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is significantly improved compared to its predecessor, Alicization Lycoris, resulting in smoother performance and fluid combat. Players appreciate the lack of major bugs and the ability to run at unlimited FPS, making it the most optimized entry in the Sword Art Online series to date. However, some still find the grinding mechanics and enemy health to be drawbacks.
“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).”
“The performance is wonderful; they really knocked it out of the park.”
“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].”
“The combat may at first feel like a step back if you've put a lot of hours into Alicization Lycoris, but the improved performance and fluidity made me really like the game regardless.”
- music13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
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.”
“- solid voice acting, and music”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching credits and heartfelt writing, which resonate strongly with players. Many find the ending to be particularly impactful, often surpassing the emotional weight of the overall story, contributing to a memorable gaming experience.
“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.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
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 detract from the overall experience.
“The game is very buggy.”
“Combat flow is smooth and significantly less buggy than at launch.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express strong dissatisfaction with the game's monetization, indicating that they would prefer watching ads on YouTube over continuing to play, suggesting that the monetization strategy detracts significantly from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“I would honestly have more fun watching YouTube ads than playing this game any further.”
“The monetization system feels exploitative and ruins the overall experience.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted through characters like Kainan, whose relatable motives and actions add a comedic touch to the experience, making him a standout favorite among players.
“You meet a merchant, Kainan, who is personally one of my favorite characters because his motives are understandable, and his actions sometimes bring humor.”
