Dengeki PlayStation this week has first details on the newly announced Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization.

The magazine features an interveiw with Bandai Namco producer Yosuke Futami and Aquria producer Satoshi Hirayae. Here are some excerpts:

Regarding the development concept…

Futami: “We wanted to make a game where Kirito starts from Level 1 at the beginning. That’s the kind of concept it is.”

Hirayae: “We want people to play in the world of the early days of Sword Art Online and then gradually start to feel like something is off as they progress.”

Futami: “The setting looks like Aincrad, but as a matter of fact, it’s a different world. It’s a world where everything is connected buy adjoining land, not a world divided into different layers.”

How are the action elements compared to Lost Song?

Hirayae: “You’ll fight and raid using a skill palette, and there are a number of management elements where you can direct your party members and such. One of the main features of the system is how these action and management elements coexist. Unlike Hollow Fragment, this time, you can take along up to three people. For example, one person could raise the toss, the second person could use a sword skill, the third person could restrain the enemy, and finally Kirito can deliver the finishing blow.

Regarding the heroine…

Futami: “She’s about 14 years old. The heroine is an AI character, and that AI will develop as she adventures with Kirito and friends.”