Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris

Gamers HeroesBlaine Smith

70/100

Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is a game that many will love, but many more will not. With some interest in the source material and a passion for the JRPG space, there's probably 100 hours worth of content here for dedicated players. Unfortunately, glaringly obvious technical problems hinder what would otherwise be an amazing Sword Art Online game.

COGConnectedThi Chao

70/100

It’s hard to believe that the original Sword Art Online light novels first debuted in Japan over a decade ago and garnered mass popularity that eventually spawned a very successful anime. It was no surprise when games began following its path, as the concept of playing a fantasy MMO VR game couldn’t be any more perfect for fans to be able to further engross themselves in the story. Unfortunately, the previous SAO games haven’t really performed as well as fans had hoped but here we are with the latest entry into the series: Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris. Will it prove to be a worthy suc...

ShackNewsDonovan Erskine

7/10

Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris feels like a run-of-the-mill JRPG, done in the style of SAO. Not ever did I think the game was downright bad or poorly made, but rarely was I taken or impressed by anything going on from a story or gameplay perspective. The game would have benefited greatly from leaning more into the online/MMO universe that it’s based on. However, fans of the anime and manga will surely still find some enjoyment with the latest adaptation of Sword Art Online.

TheSixthAxisReuben Mount

6/10

Ultimately SWORD ART ONLINE: Alicization Lycoris takes too long to get to the point both in its combat and story, leaving the player disinterested before it even really begins. There is a good game here if you do commit to it, with some great character and world design, enjoyable combat, and interesting game systems, but it’s just not worth the slog to reach it.

GameSpewRichard Seagrave

5/10

If you’re a huge Sword Art Online fan, or are simply after an expansive JRPG to sink your teeth into, you will get some enjoyment out of Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris. It requires some patience and persistence, however, and you’ll still be far from impressed by it. Poor performance hampers its gameplay, while long and frequent load times in conjunction with poor pacing often make it feel like a slog. So many times, especially during the first chapter of the game, you’ll be itching for some action only to be hit with an hour or more of story scenes. Eventually, you might be tempted to j...

Attack of the FanboyDean James

People have been waiting for years to finally get what could be considered a really good Sword Art Online game, but the fourth time is certainly not the charm for developer Aquria with probably the most disappointing attempt yet due to the overall squandered potential in Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris.

IGNDavid Jagneaux

5/10

Alicization Lycoris feels like an amalgamation of ideas for Sword Art Online games of different genres without much thought given to how they can combine together, and the seams are showing. It definitely had potential, but squandered the majority of it on a lackluster retelling of the anime’s story that leaves out interesting parts in favor of extended boring conversations, locking out co-op and character customization for the first half, and a litany of performance problems. The exciting combat and interesting characters aren’t enough to save this action-RPG from being just another disappoin...

PC InvasionJason Rodriguez

5/10

A poorly structured first half, questionable gameplay design, and ill-conceived introduction of mechanics aside, Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris also suffers from numerous technical issues and performance drops. There are moments that will entertain you, but these are few and far between and you're left to contend with bothersome frustrations time and again.

Video ChumsA.J. Maciejewski

4.7/10

The game-within-a-game series is back with a new installment so let's dive into the virtual world of Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris.

TwinfiniteKeenan McCall

Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is, at best, a passable anime game. It has the bones of a decent action adventure title, and offers a decent retelling of its source material's story, but it's mechanically bogged down to the point of tedium and exhaustion.

GameGrinJudgemental Waifu

3/10

While Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is ambitious in scope it ends up being a largely unenjoyable title full of technical problems, bugs, and horrible pacing.

TechRaptorAndrew Stretch

2/10

Between the elongated dull story, the boring and monotonous gameplay, and frequent and in your face technical issues there is little to redeem Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris. Fans of the franchise will want to avoid it, and those interested in a bad game won't even be able to get a laugh out of it.