SAO Alicization Lycoris Combat 'Looks Like Dark Souls', Loses Original Characters, & More - News

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by, posted on 22 May 2019

Game Koryaku Wiki happened to have some hot takes about BandaiNamco's recently announced Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris. The information comes from an interview published in the latest Dengeki PlayStation magazine, in which producer Yosuke Futami and game director Satoru Hirayae discuss concrete features like battle and world design. After double checking in the aforementioned issue of Dengeki, we can now assess certain details.

On the battle system, Futami makes it clear that Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris is totally different from Sword Art Online Hollow Realization (Aquria's previous SAO title) and more like a new start for the series. The camera will be closer to the character, blows will be heavier, and there will be much more emphasis on defending and counterattacking. It's more action-oriented than any other Sword Art Online game, a concept that Futami links to the "Souls" series. Most battles will be close duels (one versus one or two) just like in the TV anime. Given Alicization's particular setting, the player won't encounter any enemies in the early stages of the adventure.

Unfortunately for fans, he has also bad news: none of the original characters that have appeared in past SAO games will return in Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris. Heroines like Strea, Philia and Premiere did join the party in Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet last year, but there is no role for them this time around. The producer justifies this for story-related reasons. In the novel, there are too few Soul Translaters for every character to connect to Underworld (although that wouldn't apply to Strea and Premiere, who are purely digital entities). Obviously they chose realism over content for the new game.

Sexual content will likely be reduced. Asked by Dengeki about co-spleeping events - a tradition in the series - the producer said it might be "difficult in the current times" and that players "shouldn't expect too much about it".

In the TV show the character called Administrator is an entirely naked woman, but we've already seen in the trailer that she will wear clothes. Futami says that he is aware that people will be surprised by this, but the decision was made in order to avoid a CERO D rating in Japan (recommended for 17 year olds and up). He points out that BandaiNamco wouldn't accept an SAO game rated D, which makes sense since every game in the series so far has been rated CERO C or less. Finally, he promised further information for August, so we'll likely see more of the game at Gamescom.

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