Sword Art Onlineis a vast and rich property that includes movies, TV shows, books, comics, and video games. There are sevenSAOvideo 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.
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 playerswatch Seasons 1 and 2of 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.
10Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment
A Solid Introduction To The Sword Art Series
The first in the SAO video game series,Infinity Momenttakes place immediately after the end of the first season of the anime. In this version of the story, however,Kirito and Asuna are stilltrapped 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 Momentalso features the characters Lifa and Sinon, who don’t appear until the second season of the anime.
9Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment
An Updated Version Of Infinity Moment With More Interaction Between Characters
Hollow Fragmentis often described as a remake ofInfinity 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.
The storyline includes the plot ofInfinity Momentand a new location called the Hollow Area. This is a previously unexplored area of Aincrad, the digital open world where the first two seasons ofSword Art Onlinetake place.
8Sword Art Online: Lost Song
A Stronger Focus On Adventure And Gameplay
The storyline ofLost Songfollows the anime series asour heroes move their adventurestoALfheim 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 ofALO.
The third game in theSAOseries 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 withLost Songalong with the option of playing asother main characters besides Kirito.
Hollow Realizationcontinues 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.
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 Premierewho joins with Kirito, and depending on his choices, she can become make good or villainous choices.
6Accel World Vs Sword Art Online
A Non-Canon Spin-Off Event With Two Franchises
Accel World vs Sword Art Onlineis a crossover event betweenAccel WorldandSword Art Online.It isn’t canon to the video game’s narratives, but fans familiar with its predecessors will enjoy it more. LikeSword Art Online,Accel Worldoriginatedasa 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 Onlinefeatures 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.
Fatal Bulletcorresponds to Season 2 of the anime entitledGun Gale Online, whichalso features an MMOwith 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 theSAOuniverse. Various endings also depend on the main character’s choices, including one official “canon” ending as a third option.
Sword Art Online: Integral Factorisn’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 theSword Art Onlineanime and novels should try the free-to-playIntegral Factor.Players who only enjoy the single-player aspects of theSword Art Onlinegames can tackleIntegral Factoras a solo player, performing quests for and with familiarSword Artcharacters.
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 ofSword Art Onlinewho dedicate their time will find a lot of enjoyment inSword Art Online: Integral Factor.
The most often repeated complaint aboutAlicization Lycorisis 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.
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 theSAOuniverse.
The War of the Underworld, which is the main plot of the last season ofSAOin 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 Recollectionhas 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-SAOfans behind and has enough to do in the realm of character customization, quests, and combat to keep other players engaged.
Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydreamintroduces 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 Daydreamfeatures 21 characters from theSAOuniverse 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 ofSword Art Online.
