Sword Art Online: Lost Song

Lore & Background

Lost Song takes place in an alternate timeline of Sword Art Online that does not follow the canon storyline of the light novels. It follows Kirito and his friends as they play the VRMMORPG ALfheim Online (ALO). The game introduces a guild named Shamrock, led by scientist and idol Seven, whom Kirito competes against to be the first to clear ALO's expansion, Svart ALfheim. The story occurs at the same chronological point as the Gun Gale Online arc in Sword Art Online II, but the characters are instead exploring ALO. New characters include Nanairo 'Seven' Arshavin, an idol and Russian scientist; Nijika 'Rain' Karatachi, an SAO survivor and Seven's older sister; and Sumeragi, Seven's bodyguard. The plot involves Seven's project called the Cloud Brain, a network that unites ALO players' emotions, and Kirito's refusal to assist, leading to a confrontation.

Reader's Guide

Lost Song received mostly mixed reviews. Critics praised the multiplayer and controls, but criticized the dungeons as bland and recycled. Reviewers noted the game appeals more to fans of the series. It is the first game in the series to allow play as characters besides Kirito, with 19 characters available (two via DLC) and a player-created character for story mode. The game introduced action-oriented gameplay rather than MMORPG-like mechanics, with ground and aerial combat, a three-member party system, and a 'Union' gauge for switch attacks. Multiplayer supports up to 16 players in a lobby, split into four-person parties for quests or 4v4 PvP battles. A sequel, Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, was announced at Dengeki Bunko Fall Fest 2015 for PS4 and Vita, with a 2016 release date.

Did You Know?

• Lost Song is the first game in the series to allow players to create their own character for story mode.
• The game features 19 playable characters, with two obtainable only through downloadable content.
• The opening theme is 'Cynthia no Hikari' by Eir Aoi, and the ending theme is 'Yoru no Niji wo Koete' by Luna Haruna.
• A character from Accel World, Kuroyukihime, was added as playable DLC at Tokyo Game Show 2015.