Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 42
  3. Negative: 3 out of 42
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  1. RPG Fan
    Apr 25, 2018
    45
    You better be a hardcore fan of the series, or you won't find much to like in Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet.
  2. GameGrin
    Feb 23, 2018
    40
    The focus may be on you and your avatar but sadly Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet relies too heavily on it's source material and won't let you leave the shadow of the series protagonist. Repetitive gameplay, undeveloped systems and a story that is forgettable leave this entry in the series rather disappointing.
  3. RPGamer
    Mar 5, 2018
    30
    Saying that Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is at least playable is the best compliment I can give it, as there's occasional fun to be had from running around and shooting things, though not nearly enough. Almost everything else about the game amounts to a sterile waste of time. The story is vapid, the variety of locations and enemies is practically non-existent, and everything you do in the game feels completely pointless. It's not even content I'd recommend to diehard fans of the series, as there's not really even enough of that here to matter. Fatal Bullet was a chance for the game portion of the Sword Art Online franchise to step up and shine under a new developer with a new gameplay focus, but instead the entire thing shamefully fell flat on its face.

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2018
96
#96 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2018

User Reviews

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User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 114 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 114
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 114
  3. Negative: 23 out of 114
  1. Play_Maker2000
    Feb 23, 2018
    10
    The game overall isn't bad, but at the same time is rather enjoyable. If you're an SAO fan, i'm sure you'll love this game. The story andThe game overall isn't bad, but at the same time is rather enjoyable. If you're an SAO fan, i'm sure you'll love this game. The story and customization is very deep and enjoyable. And the game play mechanics are somewhat unique compared to other Third-Person shooters. In my honest opinion, if you want a new type of game to play, this is definitely it.… Full Review »
  2. Uncompromising
    Feb 24, 2018
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Surprising dull, considering the premise. Ignoring functional (and practical) flaws of the game, SAO:FB leaves a lot to be desired. While the artwork, controls, and overall RPG elements work well, the lack of replay-ability, immersive co-op, and immediate need to grind (which never lets up) make this a less than exciting new release.

    Campaign/Story Mode:

    SAO:FB had potential to make this a game worth playing for years with their story premise. Integration of a persistent online-world sans NPC simulation could have launched this into the atmosphere. However, the game itself relies on the player to read everything (thanks to Japanese voice-overs) and periodically offers the chance to choose between one of two non-impactful options in between dialogue. This doesn't work well, as a huge chunk of the core gameplay is spent either reading dialog or waiting in-between loading screens.
    To put it into perspective: The simple task of leaving your in-game room takes between 20s-45s of loading, within the city.
    Combine this with the cookie cutter dungeon run gaming template, you essentially have a single-player version of every other MMORPG.

    Multiplayer:

    Multiplayer is divided into two parts: Co-op -or- PVP. That's it.
    On the PVP-side, each room is host-based (to include ranked matches) which means you'll either never find a match or if you're too good, host will quit.
    Needless to say, multiplayer is not (nor do I predict it will ever be) populated enough to have a good time.
    On the Co-Op side, you and up to 3 other players can be in a room together where the only thing you do is constantly rematch dungeon bosses you or the host have beaten in the single-player campaign.
    No, you do not run through the dungeon again. No, you do not have the option to run through the dungeon again. No, you cannot explore with the coop group.
    Once you defeat the dungeon boss, you go back to lobby and hope that host has beaten other, challenging bosses. If so, then you 'ready up' and go again. IF not, then you simply stay and keep fighting the same boss over again. When you're done, you leave room and go back to single player campaign.
    There is no substance on the multiplayer-side. Which was the most surprising factor considering this game cannot be played offline.
    In a nutshell, you're forced to use bandwidth to play this game yet there is nothing to do multiplayer-wise and there is no additional content to download.
    Honestly, I believe that the only reason players are forced to stay online to play this is simply to keep the "persistent" leader-board updated with the boss trial numbers (those who were able to defeat bosses really fast in the co-op multiplayer mode).

    End-Game:
    Basically what you see once you finish the two-hour long tutorial is what you get. There is no dedicated end-game nor is there a reason to grind the end-game. You have nothing to show off, compare, or compete against thus making it pretty much a pointless endeavor.
    Should you strive for the end-game for whatever reason, just be prepared for the load times.

    Conclusion:

    Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is not worth $60. The combined value of the story, lack of multiplayer, and overall product is far less than that. My opinion is based on my play preference which I'd define as a hybrid player: 50% Singleplayer-Rpg player and 50% Coop/competitive multiplayer.
    SAO lacks in all areas of what I typically enjoy and despite spending around 8 hours grinding the to the end of the game, that opinion never changed.    … Full Review »
  3. Jacob0988
    Feb 23, 2018
    10
    It is a great game with amazing character customization a beautiful great graphics open world and the SBC glockenspiel is huge with manyIt is a great game with amazing character customization a beautiful great graphics open world and the SBC glockenspiel is huge with many things to do. The gameplay and the amount of weapons is great the system is a bit confusing at first but you get the hang of it.… Full Review »
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