Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris Reviews
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.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycaris offers a compelling experience, but only forgiving players will ever get to fully enjoy it. Others may be frustrated by its strange design flaws.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris does little to step beyond using Sword Art Online to sell this experience. It's poorly optimized, looks, at best, okay, tutorials have little forethought, subpar gameplay, and questionable effort was put into this experience. As nice as the Alicization experience is, there is nothing in this game that motivates me to play it over simply watching the anime or reading the source material. It's unfortunate, as these games could really be engaging and have so much more to them than we've seen with this and other releases.
Overall, while there is some fun to be had in the game and a narrative that's genuinely interesting albeit flawed, Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is too filled with issues to be anything worthy of being recommended to those who aren't hardcore fans of the series, and the Switch port, unfortunately, still has a lot of the existing issues seen in other platforms. As a result, I'd suggest a different, better-optimized game to play for those interested in delving into the virtual world of Sword Art Online.
There's a solid base to work from but the development team ultimately failed to piece numerous promising elements together and produce a captivating adventure.
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris is a deeply flawed game but has the potential to be good.
Optimization issues aside, Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is a solid entry in to the SAO game series. Inviting visuals, recognizable characters, and action packed battles await those willing to put in the time to get past chapter one.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris it's not particularly memorable, but is also an enjoyable action JRPG for every SAO fan.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is more of an Anime than a video game, and if you are interested in this type of entertainment, there are far better options available on the market.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Marked by its myriad of technical and structural issues, Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris manages to be one of the worst games ever released under the franchise, with even its hits being limited by all the mistakes made in a project that at every moment feels like it was rushed and released without the necessary care and polish.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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.
METACRITIC: Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris had the potential to be a standout game with a dynamic battle system and good RPG mechanics. However, the pacing is agonizingly slow and has unforgivable tecnical issues. Sadly, it's only recomended for fans of the series or players with máximum patience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is a great combination for anime lovers and fans of fast-paced role-playing games. The variety of weapons in the game are very good and the game has a lot to offer. With a rich world and multiplayer section, the underworld experience is lovely. However, many technical glitches, poor side quests, and poor auto-save system sometimes damage the gaming experience.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Players with a passing interest aren't going to put the hours in to get past the initial chapter, and in doing so, are going to miss out on an enjoyable experience with a lot to offer for both casual players and hardcore fans. Stick with it.
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.
I'm sure it has its niche but if you're simply an RPG fan looking for a new game to sink some time into, you can do a lot better than Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris. Its lack of respect for the player's time and unforgivable performance issues are downright ridiculous.
There’s engaging combat to be enjoyed at some point in the game, but getting there is pretty painful
For fans of the franchise, it’s a purchase. Either at launch or the minute it gets to a “too good to pass up” sale. Especially when it’s such a popular series, and in this case a very popular arc that’s been adapted. For people who aren’t already in the know, nothing about the game is designed to bring people in. Little marketing, gameplay trailers unashamedly show off all the flaws, and the Japanese only voice acting is a huge deal-breaker for many in the west. For me personally though, I fall into the former category.
The energizing battle and fascinating characters aren’t sufficient to spare this activity RPG from being simply one more frustrating commentary in this current anime’s inheritance.