As far as the JRPG genre goes, there are combat-heavy titles and story-heavy titles. In an ongoing struggle to find balance between the two, most games pick one and oftentimes the other suffers for it.
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is thankfully one such gem that avoids this pitfall. With both superb gameplay and a narrative framework to back it up, its immersive combat and excellent characters help it overcome a few problems to be a fantastic action-RPG.
For those unfamiliar with the hit anime franchise spawned from a series of light novels, both of which now localized in English, this game might not be near the top of the list of “must-buys.” And admittedly, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment does rely partly on having some knowledge of its universe. Fortunately, it’s so much fun and does such a great job of easing newcomers in that a lack of prior knowledge isn’t a deal-breaker.
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment takes place in the world of a fictional virtual reality MMORPG called Sword Art Online in an age where full immersion VR isn’t just a pipe dream. When the player starts the game they’re given a chance to customize their version of Kirito and after a brief cutscene, are immediately thrust into the action where a giant skeletal centipede tries to kill them.
Fortunately a tutorial is tied in to the game’s opening moments. It succeeds at getting the player on their feet, and into the game’s primary focus, combat, and afterwards does an even better job of getting the player up to speed on the world of SAO.
Combat plays out very similarly to a Monster Hunter-esque game. Kirito will attack automatically as will his partner but the player influences the action with Burst attacking, dodging, parrying, and Sword Skills of which there are at least a dozen for almost a dozen types of weapons. Also there are Battle Skills for healing, buffing, and de-buffing.
The other major aspect of combat is the companion chosen from a number of major NPC’s and a few minor ones. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment utilizes a Risk system which affects aggro, damage dealt, and damage received. Managing this with a partner is a key to survival, as is performing combos via Sword Skills.
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment’s battle system is incredibly complex for a handheld action-RPG, but it plays out beautifully; at least once the player gets a handle on it. Learning the system is pretty intimidating as almost everything is accompanied by at least one paragraph explaining what it is. Those who take the time to learn it will be rewarded, while those who don’t will eventually be forced to, as the game’s RPG mechanics are similarly intricate.
Kirito can gain levels via EXP as well as skill points. Skill points are gained by levelling up weapon skills such as one-handed sword, two-handed sword, dagger and so on. Leveling in this manner occurs simply through attacking, and the skill points earned are then spent on Sword and Battle skills.
Skills deplete a SP gauge which is maintained through using other skills, attacking, and morale boosting. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment demands that attention be paid to Kirito’s partner. Keeping their morale up helps SP regenerate faster, and congratulating them when they do something well grants a small boost.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is a combat-focused game. It’s where the player will spend most of their time and winds up being the most addicting part of the game. Exploring the worlds of the Hollow Area and the floating castle Aincrad are extremely addicting. Better yet, the character-driven story only fuels this fire.
The backstory of SAO is extensive, but the game makes it easy for new players. As mentioned earlier, soon after the game begins a cutscene/montage will explain exactly what is going on and what events led up to the start of Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment. It doesn’t really do the backstory justice, but it’s the best thing the game could have done to give context to the huge story.
This narrative also takes some time to get off the ground, but the time in between major events is driven by the colorful cast of characters. Each of Kirito’s friends has their own set of storylines and events that play out as the Hollow Area and Aincrad are explored. Enter the dating sim elements of the game: Kirito is able to “go on dates,” “hold hands,” and otherwise enjoy some R&R.
Together with the combat, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment does a great job of making the player care about Kirito and his buddies. Wandering about the town with a partner in tow is cute in that virtual dating sim kind of way. In-between conversations and buying food for Kirito’s latest flame, he can use free time to stock up on weapons, armor, items, and upgrade his weapons at the forge.
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is a great experience but is marred by a couple issues. On the minor side are a bunch of continuity issues from the original series. Fans of the series will likely be disappointed over how the game handles characterization and pretty much the entire narrative. There are a bunch of inconsistencies, but they don’t really detract from the overall experience.
The game’s other problem is its translation. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment was not localized to English, only subtitled from its Japanese voicing and region-coded for the West. Too many of these subtitles seem to be “machine translated”, a process that often yields unnatural vocab and phrasing. It’s not a game-breaking issue, but it is annoying enough to warrant notice. Fortunately, the game is good enough to withstand a few typos and the overall experience isn’t soured by them.
The PS Vita does a fantastic job with the game. In only one instance does it hiccup, and it’s when too many NPC’s are present in one small area in town. Combat is always fluid, and the visuals and sound are stunning and crisp. Since the game also includes the PSP title Infinity Moment, now remade in glorious HD, English-speaking players get the upgraded experience of both games wrapped up in one beautiful package. And there’s multiplayer, if the 100+ hour single-player with New Game+ isn’t enough.
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is a great game that is held back by some translation issues and very intimidating learning curves. That same complexity however creates an incredibly engaging experience backed by a fun story with even more immersive characters. Even if you’re not a fan of Sword Art Online, this is a great action-RPG worth trying.
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