Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 100 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 100
  3. Negative: 21 out of 100
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Lardar
    Feb 21, 2018
    10
    Game is very well made and easy to pick up if you have ever played an RPG with depth before. Cut scenes may run a little long at times, but the world is big and full of things to collect and fight. Just don't expect tons of quests as most are narrative and reward nothing but progression in the story.
  2. NexusTsunami
    Mar 26, 2017
    8
    Als Fan des SOA Anime und eingefleischter JRPG´ler war es nur eine Frage der Zeit bis ich mir ein SAO Spiel zulegen würde. Nun nach ca. 50 Stunden Spielzeit habe ich die Credits gesehen und muss sagen ist ganz gut geworden.

    Das Spiel bedient sich wie der Anime dem (noch) fiktiven VRMMORPG. Somit ahmt das Spiel ein MMO Umfeld nach ist aber im Kern ein Singleplayerspiel.# Auch das    Als Fan des SOA Anime und eingefleischter JRPG´ler war es nur eine Frage der Zeit bis ich mir ein SAO Spiel zulegen würde. Nun nach ca. 50 Stunden Spielzeit habe ich die Credits gesehen und muss sagen ist ganz gut geworden.

    Das Spiel bedient sich wie der Anime dem (noch) fiktiven VRMMORPG. Somit ahmt das Spiel ein MMO Umfeld nach ist aber im Kern ein Singleplayerspiel.#

    Auch das Kampfsystem ist gespickt mit MMO Anleihen. Es braucht einiges an Angewöhnungszeit, ist aber definitiv sehr gut gelungen. Es macht Spaß mit aktiven Swordskills und passiven Buffs den Gegner ins VR Zeitliche zu schicken. Des Weiteren gibt es mehrere Waffengattungen aus denen man frei wählen kann (und je nach Spielstil oder Situation ändern kann) die wiederrum ihre eigenen Skills (Aktiv als auch Passiv) mitbringen. Die Swordskills sehen effektgeladen aus und das Feedback ist durchaus gut nur hätte ich mir flüssigere Animationen gewünscht.

    Die Story kommt schleppend in Fahrt nimmt aber gegen Mitte ordentlich an Tempo zu. Allerdings bleiben Überraschungen aus. Aber durchaus solide.

    Die Grafik ist im Animelook gehalten (was sonst :-)) und wirkt zeitlos wenn auch etwas detailarm. Die CG´s der Charaktere sind animiert und sehen sehr gut aus.

    Der OST ist mit einigen Ausnahmen leider durchschnitt. Nerven tut es aber zu keiner Zeit.

    Die Nebenquests sind, wie in alten MMO´s üblich, auf Sammle 10x hiervon und töte 5x hiervon beschränkt. Die Charaktersidequests sind aber durchaus spaßig (aber bestehen nur aus Text!).

    Die Charaktere selbst sind dem Anime Universum (mit einigen Ausnahmen) entnommen und deren Persönlichkeit diesem angepasst. Wer also die Charaktere aus SAO mag wird hier nicht enttäuscht werden.

    Alles im allem ein solides und spaßiges JRPG    … Expand
  3. ZeroBorne
    Jan 12, 2017
    8
    I've played every SAO game that I know of to be released here in America. Is this game worth your time? Is it good for veterans? What about fans? What about the newcomers? Stay for awhile, I'll be the one to answer those questions best I can.

    Keep in mind that these views are that of someone who has played through the good and bad of every game and beaten every last one I can get my    I've played every SAO game that I know of to be released here in America. Is this game worth your time? Is it good for veterans? What about fans? What about the newcomers? Stay for awhile, I'll be the one to answer those questions best I can.

    Keep in mind that these views are that of someone who has played through the good and bad of every game and beaten every last one I can get my hands on, I can handle these games better than most because I am easily entertained, but you are reading my view on the game so keep that in mind please.

    Is it for everyone?
    Okay so I know that SAO is a touchy subject and I'm quite convinced a lot of hate will come to it for being SAO because that's people right? This game is most definitely for fans, if you hate the series then you've got no reason to play this. If you have a passing interest I recommend it though.

    The Gameplay:
    Okay I'm starting here because this game could piss a few veterans off. This new combat, rocks. It's the best in the series so far, I find myself actually wanting to fight for once rather than run past everyone this time around and it feels like it would be how the real thing would control. This game has a lot of things to do in town and in the battle zones, which is commendable after the lacking quality of Lost Song. The new dating system is better now so you can finally date Yui, you freak. Or Sinon, because Asuna is dumb.
    The new skills system is more entertaining as skills can be fired off repeatedly and are gained at a nice and fair rate, once again far better than Lost Song's skills.

    Graphics:
    The new monster models are amazing, hands down they are amazing, the bosses in particular are ginormous and awe inspiring, you want to tear down these beasts. As for the character models, you don't really get to have that massive Warhammer 40K armor but the weapons get insane looking. As for animation quality, it's uh... well better than Lost Song.

    Soundtrack:
    Forgettable. It works in-game but I'll be damned if I could hum a single track out of context.
    At least the sword clangs and enemy death noises are satisfying.

    Warning section:
    I got the best weapons early game by pure chance, your enjoyment of this game can come down to if you get the Riot Sword and Relfector shield early on or if you get something else. Those two weapons have made the game kind of easy for me, as it is a simple matter of "Oh look, an enemy... DEAD" now. So uh.. if you want to make it hard on yourself, if you get these weapons throw them away like instantaneously.

    Keeping a level head during this review, Hollow Realization has a lot to offer fans and potential fans, but if you hate the series you aren't going to be convinced, save your money and buy God Eater 2 Rage Burst, otherwise, have at this game, you may like it.    … Expand
  4. Justin1353
    Jun 24, 2017
    8
    Sword art online is probably the best game in the Sword Art Online series to date. That said, the game still unfortunately has flaws that are hard to overlook. The story takes place after the events of SAO (Sword Art Online), in which they were trapped in a game where if they died there, they would die in the real world. The characters from the previous anime and games return and play theSword art online is probably the best game in the Sword Art Online series to date. That said, the game still unfortunately has flaws that are hard to overlook. The story takes place after the events of SAO (Sword Art Online), in which they were trapped in a game where if they died there, they would die in the real world. The characters from the previous anime and games return and play the SAO again, this time without the risk of death. For the first time in the series, you can make your own character, instead of being Kirito. For once, i was able to enjoy feeling as if i were a part of SAO and its lovable characters. The story is about a strange NPC who gives a strange quest for 1 col. You and the cast find this strange and try to solve the quest, eventually finding out that she is a goddess and she could possibly destroy the entire game if the quest is completed. There is more, but i won't give any more details. The main story left me interested, but it certainly was boring in a lot of parts. It left me aching for the excitement and intensity that i got from the anime. While the story was boring, the combat was amazing. You can pick from many different types of weapons to choose from, all having tons of skills and perks that left me trying out all weapons to see what fit me. However, the skill tree is..... littered. It has so many stats just mushed together, with no tutorial to help me figure it out, that i just gave up and used what i was able to piece together. Enemies were plentiful, bosses were exciting, and there were also tons of extra mini bosses, or NM's, that u could kill for rare weapons or XP. Multiplayer is also a good way to level your character, and you can fight bosses or just farm for items together with your friends. All in all, while this game has some undeniable flaws, its still a solid game. While the story falls short, combat, multiplayer, and extra bosses made me come back time and time again. Its a solid game, just needs a few strong polishes to become a bestseller. 8/10 is my final score. NOTE: this game does have DLC and more are supposed to be released in the future.… Expand
  5. GreatWyattNorth
    Apr 27, 2017
    9
    The rating I gave it is for hardcore SAO fans. If you love the series, you will love this game. If you haven't watched it, or are impartial to the show, you likely won't be a fan of it. For me, I'm a hardcore SAO fan, so I bought a PS4 just to play this game, and I've loved every minute of it.

    The pros and cons vary at some points. My biggest con, is that being friendly enough with    The rating I gave it is for hardcore SAO fans. If you love the series, you will love this game. If you haven't watched it, or are impartial to the show, you likely won't be a fan of it. For me, I'm a hardcore SAO fan, so I bought a PS4 just to play this game, and I've loved every minute of it.

    The pros and cons vary at some points. My biggest con, is that being friendly enough with characters like Klein and Agil is painstakingly painful. You have to just spam the O button enough times, before you can change their basic gear.
    The second biggest con, is that you have to walk around to every food stand, with every female character, engage in some kind of "romantic" dialogue just to get their trust up high enough to give them better gear. If you want to max out everyone, enjoy the grind. By the way, it's not enjoyable. Pick your waifu.

    Aside from the biggest cons, I still can't put the controller down. The game basically runs as SAO. Use your skills, and you unlock better skills. You use enough skills of one skill tree enough (or maybe it's just one skill repeatedly, I'm not 100% certain), you can unlock another chain of sword skills for that weapon.

    There's additional levels of difficulty as well. I thought using a two handed sword, and no potions was the best way to win. It doesn't work like that on higher difficulties. You need to use potions, learn to chain sword skills, get great equipment, etc. The normal difficulty is easy if you ask me.

    Contrary to what other people have said, the AI does not suck. Normal = easy. Both the opponent and allied AI change. Again, a bit grindy, but you have the opportunity to change your allies behavior by choosing what traits you like, which ones you don't like, and giving them the big ol' thumbs up when they do what you like in battle. Silica used to stand around like a dunce. Now she's always restoring the HP of the tank, and throwing in a sword skill when she can. Why? Because I threw my likes and thumbs up on support skills. Balance out the behavior of your party members, and you'll have a solid party. Just highlight their tendencies, see what the description says, and dislike the ones you don't want, and support the ones you want. The enemy AI gets far more aggressive once you get past "normal".

    Like I said at the top, if you're an SAO nut, you'll love it. If you're on the fence, maybe wait a bit for prices to drop before trying it. Also, the devs did add free additional content, which is very nice.

    9/10 if you're a fan
    4-5/10 if you're not, and like some grindy MMO-ish gameplay.    … Expand
  6. snakekill321
    Nov 8, 2016
    8
    Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is aptly name because I realized that it wasnt at all hollow. This game has so much to do, and for fans of the series, you will absolutely love it. The art is crisp, and the story, while not all it could be, kept me engaged. The MMORPG simulator motif here works, and it has just as much wit and humor as the anime its based off of. The soundtrack soundsSword Art Online: Hollow Realization is aptly name because I realized that it wasnt at all hollow. This game has so much to do, and for fans of the series, you will absolutely love it. The art is crisp, and the story, while not all it could be, kept me engaged. The MMORPG simulator motif here works, and it has just as much wit and humor as the anime its based off of. The soundtrack sounds exactly as it should, and the character customization was fun as well, all in all a worthwhile game… Expand
  7. AramisHS
    Nov 10, 2016
    10
    I love this game! I'm a weeb but that shouldn't taking away this game being great the characters and waifus are amazing you'll get addicted to the skill system
  8. onelifeclew
    Dec 7, 2016
    8
    um.. this game SAO AI is bad really real bad but sword art online : hollow realization is fun game
    finally my opnion is strea is very beautiful!!! strea is goddness
  9. tutosleep
    Nov 15, 2016
    10
    tiene una narrativa hermosa y me encanta este juego hicieron un muy buen trabajo las graficas estan bien y el desenlace del juego tambien hubiera estado
  10. Jamesshen
    Nov 16, 2016
    10
    Well, its SAO time. I dont understand all these hate for SAO but im presonally a SAO fan. Well SAO might not be a suitable game for every one but to me its one of the few japanese RPG that had interesting gameplay and stories. Its a 10 for me
  11. BenNeco
    May 4, 2020
    10
    I wish they made a good game for a good anime, a high budget AAA game.Keşke yüksek bütçeli bir oyun yapsa vr versiyonu olun bir oyun aaa kalitede bir sword art oyunu olmalıydı ama hiç olmadı .
  12. asccffvfe
    Dec 7, 2020
    10
    This game is really awesome! Haven't played it yet but i'm already enjoing it!!
  13. PiguinhuBrazil
    Nov 18, 2020
    10
    Without a doubt the best game of the franchise, it fights with its own complexity and very refined.
  14. cheburagen
    Jul 13, 2020
    8
    Это аля ядро Айнкрада где и происходят действия. Они на сколько смогли вернули боевку, пусть и убравдобавив что-то.
    Подвезли историю на пойдет.
    Локаций приемлимо. Вообщем попытались повтори самую первую и на мой взгляд удачную игру. Поэтому и получилось лучше чем в трех других.    Это аля ядро Айнкрада где и происходят действия. Они на сколько смогли вернули боевку, пусть и убравдобавив что-то.
    Подвезли историю на пойдет.
    Локаций приемлимо.
    Вообщем попытались повтори самую первую и на мой взгляд удачную игру.
    Поэтому и получилось лучше чем в трех других.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. IGN Italia
    Oct 23, 2017
    79
    Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is a good JRPG. It's made with diligence, dedicated to anime fans from which it's drawn, but also suitable for simple lovers of the genre.
    Read full review
  2. RPG Site
    Dec 23, 2016
    60
    Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is easily the best SAO game made by far. Not only is there plenty of things to do, but the combat, gameplay mechanics, and production is far better than the prior entries. It is clear a lot of work went into making this game, and they continue to add content with nearly every patch they've released so far. Unfortunately, it's weighed down by a low-stakes plot; awful party intelligence; and one too many systems at play. They've an ample amount of potential here, but unless you're a fan of the series or at least have a passing interest, it's difficult to recommend.
    Read full review
  3. Atomix
    Dec 20, 2016
    71
    Hollow Realization is easily the best game based on the SAO Series; however its far from perfect. Albeit it offers a functional scheme of controls, a rich world to explore and an ambitious relations system, its weak and boring story, confusing menus and poor character AI make this game a hard test for all those die-hard fans. If you are a desperate gamer then maybe you will have a difficult time with this game; if you prevail all of its flaws, then you will get rewarded with a game that overflows with personality and fanservice.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »