Sword Art Online: Lost Song is a reflection of the show it adapts in nearly every way. Though the game is fast, fun, and enjoyable for the first half, it becomes repetitive and less interesting as it goes on.
Sword Art Online: Lost Song
Developer: Namco Bandai
Price: $59.99 (PS4), $39.99 (PS Vita)
Platforms: PS4 and PS Vita (reviewed)
Based on the wildly popular anime, Sword Art Online, Lost Song aims to adapt the show’s video game elements into an actual action RPG. The results are varied, with the game being noticeably made for fans of the anime.
Sword Art Online: Lost Song has an original plot taking inspiration from each arc of the anime, with the gameplay, setting and design primarily inspired by the ALO arc. The plot revolves around the main character, Kirito, and his friends, as they play Alfheim Online, a Virtual Reality MMORPG. Despite being a non-canon original story, the game takes place after the events of the first half of Sword Art Online, meaning players may be a bit lost if they haven’t seen the show before.
The story starts out with the main characters exploring the game’s newest expansion, called Svart Alfheim, in an attempt to find rare items and clear the game before any other players. The plot chugs along with this idea for a good portion of the game, which works pretty well. Despite being a primarily single-player game, the dialogue and questlines do a good job of making the player feel like they’re playing an MMO, as they go from dungeon to dungeon to find items and fight bosses with their friends.
The plot eventually incorporates several original characters. The main addition is Seven, a young idol and scientist who performs concerts for her Guild in ALO. Also introduced is Sumeragi, Seven’s scientific partner and protector of sorts, and Rain, a mysterious girl with unknown ties to the Guild. These characters become the driving force of the plot, as the game goes on to explore VR technology, idol culture, and the ethics behind these ideas.
The plot itself is okay, as the ideas it explores are interesting enough, but the game’s characters mostly fall short. Much like in the anime, Kirito is a bit too perfect. Not only is he one of the best players in the game, but he also attracts every woman he comes across, has a perfect and overly cheesy relationship with the game’s other top player, and has very little difficulties to speak of throughout the game. This complaint extends to the other characters as well, as they feel like accessories to Kirito, whose only purpose is to make him seem better.
Lost Song’s gameplay is as fun as it is flashy. Divided into three segments, players will explore the town of Ryne, where side-quests are accepted, equipment purchased, and where players can venture into the numerous elemental worlds. The different worlds have players run and fly around, while fighting enemies and exploring dungeons. Flying is truly enjoyable in this game, as it not only controls well, but it just feels whimsical. Though this is hampered early on by altitude limits, players eventually manage to get rid of the limits, giving them the ability to fly to any of the numerous hovering islands throughout the areas.
Much like the battles seen in the anime, the combat takes place in real-time and combines the feeling of a hack and slash game with plenty of RPG elements. Each character performs unique special attacks, depending on their equipped weapons, with each attack providing a fun and snazzy effect. Players also use magic, both to attack and buff/debuff stats, which looks very accurate to the show, and manages to be as viable as regular attacks in combat.
The biggest problems with the gameplay are the frequently recycled dungeons and the easy difficulty. Though each area’s dungeons have different aesthetics, there are numerous dungeons in each area, which all feel remarkably similar. Every dungeon boils down to hacking through weak enemies, flipping a few switches, and fighting a boss for just a bit too long. Even the bosses are recycled after the first few variations, with slightly stronger palatte swaps inhabiting almost every dungeon afterwards.
This typical combat is broken up by the occasional duel with another character that, while providing a nice change in pace, is ridiculously easy. Having done only a few sidequests, I didn’t expect the seemingly intense player duels to be so easy. It’s especially off-putting when your characters discuss how difficult the duel was, when in reality it took approximately thirty seconds to decimate the enemy.
The visuals are absolutely fantastic. Each of the main areas has an element-based theme, ranging from desert areas to frozen tundras. The areas all look and feel unique, and are a joy to explore while flying. The character models are also very well made, and reflect the series’s style very well. Characters’ mouths even move when they recite spells, which is a nice little touch.
Lost Song‘s sound is decent enough. The voice acting is that of the original anime, meaning that each character speaks in Japanese with English subtitles. The voices are all very fitting, with each voice matching its character’s appearance very well. The music in the game is alright with the exception of a few songs, like the boss battle theme and Ryne’s track, standing out above most. Though the music for the areas fits for their themes, it rarely stands out or becomes memorable.
The Final Word
For better or for worse, Sword Art Online: Lost Song is very accurate to the anime. Though the game is full of fun and flashy gameplay, alongside a decent story, it loses steam after the halfway point thanks to its mediocre characters and recycled dungeons. Though the game is decent overall, and may be worth checking out for fans of the series, others will probably find the game’s repetitive dungeons to be a bit much.
– MonsterVine Rating: 3 out of 5 – Average
