Sword Art Online is a vast and rich property that includes movies, TV shows, books, comics, and video games. There are seven SAO video games, and they take place in the same setting and feature a few of the characters, along with several new ones that don’t appear in other properties.
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The video games are similar to television shows in the sense that you can play them in the same order in which they were released to see the story in chronological order. It’s recommended that potential SAO players watch Seasons 1 and 2 of the anime series to get a basic understanding of the setting, narrative, and an introduction to a few of the main characters.
Updated January 7th, 2025, by Michael Llewellyn: The Sword Art Online video game series works well as a service to the fanbase that follows the anime and visual novels of the same name. It’s also a great way to introduce new fans to its universe, lore, and characters, getting them interested in the source material. Thankfully, there are lots of games fans get play, and this list has been updated to include another title Sword Art Online fans can enjoy: Sword Art Online: Integral Factor.
The following list includes the stand-alone or multiplayer games designed for handheld devices but excludes the various mobile games exclusive to Japan.
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Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment
A Solid Introduction To The Sword Art Series
- Release date: March 14, 2013
- Studio: Namco Bandai Games
- Developers: Aquria
- Platforms: PlayStation Portable
The first in the SAO video game series, Infinity Moment takes place immediately after the end of the first season of the anime. In this version of the story, however, Kirito and Asuna are still trapped in Aincrad because of a glitch and have to keep fighting their way out.
The game is mainly an RPG, just like in the manga and anime, and players can build their characters with a variety of different gear and weapons. It also has some open-world elements, giving the characters the ability to move freely through a large, unique world. Infinity Moment also features the characters Lifa and Sinon, who don’t appear until the second season of the anime.
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Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment
An Updated Version Of Infinity Moment With More Interaction Between Characters
- Release date: August 19, 2014
- Studio: Namco Bandai Games
- Developers: Aquria
- Platforms: PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
Hollow Fragment is often described as a remake of Infinity Moment, and that is an accurate description, but there’s a lot of extra content other than what was included in the first game. It still retains the RPG and open-world elements of the first game, but also includes extra features like romance and multiplayer options, and up to 100 recruitable characters to build your unique adventuring party.
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The storyline includes the plot of Infinity Moment and a new location called the Hollow Area. This is a previously unexplored area of Aincrad, the digital open world where the first two seasons of Sword Art Online take place.
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Sword Art Online: Lost Song
A Stronger Focus On Adventure And Gameplay
- Release date: November 17, 2015
- Studio: Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Developers: Artdink
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Windows
The storyline of Lost Song follows the anime series as our heroes move their adventures to ALfheim Online, another Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG). There are a few differences between the main plot, however; the main antagonist is a rival guild leader named Seven, and the ultimate goal is to be the first to complete the new expansion of ALO.
The third game in the SAO series is more adventure than RPG, and includes open-world exploration and multiplayer options of the previous installments, although it doesn’t include a lot of lore or exposition for those that aren’t familiar with the light novels, movies, or TV shows. Online tournament play was introduced with Lost Song along with the option of playing as other main characters besides Kirito.
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Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization
More Party Members And Up To 300 Recruitable Characters
- Released
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November 8, 2016
- Developer(s)
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Namco Bandai
Hollow Realization continues the tradition of previous games, with their RPG and adventure elements, but now an adventuring party has expanded to have four players instead of three. There are improvements to the character customization and the number of possible recruitable companions has increased to an impressive 300.
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The setting for this game is Sword Art: Origin, a revamp of Aincrad called Ainground, three years after the events of the first game and the original anime series. The main character is an AI being named Premiere who joins with Kirito, and depending on his choices, she can become make good or villainous choices.
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Accel World Vs Sword Art Online
A Non-Canon Spin-Off Event With Two Franchises
- Release Date: July 7, 2017
- Studio: Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Developers: Artdink
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Accel World vs Sword Art Online is a crossover event between Accel World and Sword Art Online. It isn’t canon to the video game’s narratives, but fans familiar with its predecessors will enjoy it more. Like Sword Art Online, Accel World originated as a light novel series where characters physically immerse themselves in a virtual reality universe.
The crossover is ideal due to the similarities between the franchises, and it translates exceptionally well into a video game format. Accel World vs Sword Art Online features shine with the epic boss battles that implement flying mechanics into combat. Fans of both series will enjoy this title a lot more than those unfamiliar, but there’s enough content and exposition for fans to familiarize with themselves with the characters and their worlds.
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Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet
An Adventure Featuring A Unique Protagonist And Gunplay
- Released
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February 23, 2018
Fatal Bullet corresponds to Season 2 of the anime entitled Gun Gale Online, which also features an MMO with first-person shooter elements. Another interesting addition is the use of firearms as weapons, hence the title and the FPS combat.
This time, instead of playing Kirito, the player creates their own character as in classic RPGs, and this unique protagonist can have conversations with the various NPCs and companions that make up the SAO universe. Various endings also depend on the main character’s choices, including one official “canon” ending as a third option.
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Sword Art Online: Integral Factor
A Free-To-Play MMORPG Set In The Sword Art Universe
- Released
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December 2, 2017
Sword Art Online: Integral Factor isn’t a must-play for continuity purposes, but the way it implements the lore characters makes it worthwhile. Fans who enjoy the idea of playing an MMORPG based on the Sword Art Online anime and novels should try the free-to-play Integral Factor. Players who only enjoy the single-player aspects of the Sword Art Online games can tackle Integral Factor as a solo player, performing quests for and with familiar Sword Art characters.
Unfortunately, as with all free-to-play games, there’s a lot of encouragement to spend real money to bypass several hundred hours of grinding to earn crystals. Fans of Sword Art Online who dedicate their time will find a lot of enjoyment in Sword Art Online: Integral Factor.
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Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris
Visual Novel Aspects That Stay Close To The Source Material
- Released
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July 10, 2020
- Developer(s)
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Bandai Namco Games
The most often repeated complaint about Alicization Lycoris is that it’s mostly for fans of the show, using a video game as a venue for what’s more like a visual-style novel. This is great for those who want more canon material with their favorite characters, and it stays mostly faithful to the source material that finds Kirito trapped in the Underworld with a few faithful companions, many of which are also playable.
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For those who have watched the anime, it follows the same basic plot as Season 3 and includes some extensive dialogue with certain characters that fill in parts of the lore and story beyond the main storyline. The combat, design, and setting still look amazing, even if you don’t know the finer details of the SAO universe.
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Sword Art Online: Last Recollection
Visually Impressive Combat And Explorable World
- Released
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October 5, 2023
- Developer(s)
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Aquria
The War of the Underworld, which is the main plot of the last season of SAO in anime form, also takes place in a video game. The publicity surrounding the game’s release was also part of Bandai’s promotional events focused on the 10th anniversary of the franchise.
Last Recollection has a unique storyline apart from the Underworld plot that explores the possibility of alternate endings if certain events in the light novels and anime series had progressed differently. Even with the story-heavy elements, this game doesn’t leave non-SAO fans behind and has enough to do in the realm of character customization, quests, and combat to keep other players engaged.
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Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream
The Best Looking Sword Art Game In The Series With A Strong Online Element
Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream introduces a new story in the franchise, with Kirito at the center. He discovers a time and dimension-altering force called Galaxia within ALFheim Online. It stands out as the most visually impressive installment in the series, with appealing character designs, customization options, and imaginative monster creations. Additionally, with 20-person online cross-play multiplayer, it’s also the most technically impressive.
Fractured Daydream features 21 characters from the SAO universe and lets friends and foes from the series unite to try and repair the timeline. It’s a solid entry, but newcomers to the series should start with one of the earlier titles as there’s a lot of fan service, cameos, and finer details made for veterans of Sword Art Online.
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