Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization - Deluxe Edition

A lot of effort was clearly put into Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, because almost every aspect of its gameplay has an underlying set of properties and nuances to come to grips with. While I usually love that kind of complexity, here it rarely felt meaningful or even coherent. Paired with a story that lacks the stakes and urgency of the source material, it leaves Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization feeling pretty tepid aside from its enjoyable combat.

Sword Art Online is built on high-stakes drama and a compelling premise--Hollow Realization delivers on neither.

I feel conflicted about Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, because while it’s never been more interesting to play as a game, the fact that its narrative is typical of latter-day Sword Art Online stories has actually become something of a liability. A bolder story, one that took more risk, established a better sense of stakes, or even did something other than tread water would definitely not be Sword Art Online-like, and would make it much easier to recommend to people outside the show’s fanbase. As it stands, though, Hollow Realization remains a Sword Art Online game, for better and worse.

An improperly paced plot and annoying artificial intelligence aside, Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is the best Sword Art Online game on PS4. It's utterly packed with content, from the lengthy main campaign and tons of optional side quests all the way through to challenging co-op trials and even dating sim minigames. The combat's got a nice edge to it, too, and there's a lot to be said for the sense of adventure that exploring Ainground instils. For fans of the source material, this is a no-brainer, but even if you're not into the property's waifu wars, Hollow Realization still offers hours upon hours of RPG fun.

At the end of the day, Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is the kind of game that you probably already know if you’re interested in or not. This is an anime-inspired, in-depth RPG that comes with all the trappings, good and bad, that your mind associates with that description.

Fun MMORPG-style mechanics aside, this game lacks much of the excitement the license is known for.

Skip it unless you're a diehard Sword Art Online fan.

What turns out to be a fun JRPG with a big world to explore and good combat is marred by bad story, bad quests and some diabolical pacing. Only recommended for SAO fans.

It’s possible to argue that the release of Sword Art Online -Hollow Realization- is a bit much.

Having a game like Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization on-the-go made my experience with the title a positive one, one I believe that if I had played it in one swoop on my PS4, I may have had a differing opinion. But for fans, this is simply awesome, and I definitely can’t wait to jump back in, and grind a little more. Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization on Nintendo Switch, is a must have for JRPG lovers.