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Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris – Ambitious JRPG with rough edges
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris is a sprawling action JRPG with strong fan service and serious technical flaws, landing around a 5.0/10.
Game Info
Verdict
Huge in scope and faithful to Alicization, Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris is a flawed recommendation outside dedicated series fans.
Pros
- Faithful adaptation of the Alicization arc with extensive additional story content
- Deep party-based action combat once systems and weapon skills are unlocked
- Long campaign and generous postgame for players who enjoy grinding and optimization
- Strong character art and attractive environments that capture the anime aesthetic
- Two major expansions significantly expand the narrative and high-level content
- Flexible build options through weapon types, sacred arts, and passive skills
- Cooperative online quests and raids available for endgame-focused groups
Cons
- Performance problems and frame rate drops remain noticeable even after multiple patches
- Extremely slow opening hours and dense exposition deter many new players
- Quest design leans heavily on routine fetch and kill objectives
- Complex systems and tutorials can feel overwhelming or poorly explained
- Limited appeal for those not already invested in Sword Art Online's story and cast
Performance Notes
On PC, strong hardware can approach 60 fps at high settings but still encounters hitches in dense areas. Base consoles often struggle to hold 30 fps, especially on Xbox One, while PlayStation 5 backward compatibility improves stability modestly. The Switch version trades detail and consistency for portability, suiting only tolerant fans.
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris adapts the Alicization arc into a large-scale action JRPG that closely follows the anime while adding original story beats and characters. Critics praised its character interactions and combat depth but widely criticized performance, pacing, and bugs, resulting in scores in the mid‑40s on Metacritic and low OpenCritic rankings. This review explains how its systems work, where it shines for devoted fans, and why it struggles as a general recommendation.
How to Play Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris is a party-based action RPG: explore open zones, accept quests, and fight in real-time battles where positioning, skills, and buffs matter. Players control Kirito directly while issuing AI commands, chaining sword skills, sacred arts, and party attacks to stagger enemies, build combos, and manage cooldowns and resources.
- Controls – Standard third-person movement with lock-on, dodge, jump, and context actions, plus multiple skill palettes mapped to face buttons and triggers once shortcuts are customized.
- Progression – Experience points level characters while weapon types, sacred arts, and combat styles grow through use, unlocking large skill trees and passive bonuses over dozens of hours.
- Combat/Mechanics – Encounters rely on stagger gauges, burst attacks, perfectly timed guards, and chaining sword skills with sacred arts and support orders to maintain pressure on tougher foes.
- Tips – Reduce early grind by focusing on one or two weapon types, use quick travel often, enable useful AI tactics, and regularly upgrade gear rather than hoarding materials too long.
Who Should Play Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris mainly suits invested Sword Art Online fans and players who enjoy slow-burn JRPGs with heavy story and complex systems despite technical issues and repetition.
- Player 1 – Longtime Sword Art Online followers who want to relive Alicization with extra scenes, side stories, and new characters not present in the anime.
- Player 2 – Action JRPG players who enjoy tinkering with builds, skill rotations, and party compositions across a lengthy campaign and substantial postgame content.
- Player 3 – Fans of anime-styled RPGs comfortable with dense tutorials, numerous subsystems, and extensive dialogue segments between dungeons and boss battles.
- Skip if – You have low tolerance for frame rate drops, long loading, early-game slog, or grind-heavy structure that hides later strengths behind many hours of setup.
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris Platform Performance
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris looks attractive but runs unevenly on all platforms, with consoles in particular struggling to maintain a consistent frame rate in busy areas and large battles.
| Platform | Resolution | FPS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC (High) | 1440p/4K | 40–60 | Capable rigs can approach 60 fps but see drops in towns and crowded fights; CPU spikes and occasional stutter remain common. |
| PS4 / PS5 BC | 1080p | 30 (target) | Patches aimed for 30 fps, yet heavy areas often dip below; running on PS5 improves stability but does not eliminate hitches entirely. |
| Xbox One / Series | 1080p | Sub‑30–30 | Xbox One X and Series hardware still exhibit noticeable drops and blurrier image than marketing suggests, especially in open fields. |
| Switch | 720p/900p | 20–30 | Switch port prioritizes portability with reduced detail and frequent dips; most suited to tolerant fans who value handheld play. |
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris System Requirements
On PC, Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris expects a mid-range CPU and at least 8 GB of RAM, with recommended specs leaning toward modern mid-tier GPUs to smooth out demanding areas and large encounters.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64‑bit | Windows 10 64‑bit |
| CPU | Intel Core i7‑4790 | Intel Core i7‑9700 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 / AMD Radeon HD 7950 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 45 GB | SSD Recommended |
Similar Games to Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris
Players interested in Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris often compare it with other anime JRPGs that mix action combat and character-driven stories, each handling structure, pacing, and polish differently.
- Sword Art Online Hollow Realization – Similar party action focus with hub-based exploration, but less open zoning and fewer performance complaints overall.
- Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet – Third-person shooter spin that trades swords for guns and loot, offering faster combat and a different tone than Alicization Lycoris.
- Tales of Arise – Modern anime-styled action RPG with far smoother performance, snappier pacing, and more streamlined systems than this adaptation.
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Another large JRPG with complex systems, though built around auto-attacks and arts, with stronger technical stability on its native hardware.
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris vs Competitors
Compared with other anime-style RPGs, Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris offers length and fan service but falls short in polish, pacing, and accessibility, which pushes many newcomers toward more refined alternatives.
| Feature | Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris | Tales of Arise | Scarlet Nexus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | [$59.99] | [$59.99] | [$59.99] |
| Playtime | 60–200 hours | 40–70 hours | 25–50 hours |
| Multiplayer | Yes (online co-op segment) | No | No |
| Metacritic | [~46] | [~87] | [~80] |
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris Story and World
The story closely tracks the Alicization arc before branching into an original route featuring Medina and new conflicts in the Underworld. Dialogue-heavy chapters explore Kirito’s relationships, Integrity Knights, and church politics while slowly introducing mechanics. World design splits regions into large zones with towns, fields, and dungeons that capture the anime’s look, though frequent cutscenes and slow early pacing can overshadow strong character moments.
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris Multiplayer and Online
Online features unlock deep into the campaign, focusing on cooperative exploration and hunts rather than traditional competitive play, which makes matchmaking more niche and skewed toward dedicated players.
- Co‑op Quests – Up to four players team up to tackle bosses and high-level enemies in specific multiplayer fields and instances.
- Raids – Group content with tougher enemies and mechanics requiring coordination, best attempted with organized friends or communities.
- Events – Time-limited quests and bonus rewards occasionally rotate in, encouraging brief returns between major updates.
- Cross‑Play – No cross‑platform play; multiplayer is restricted within each ecosystem such as Steam or PlayStation Network.
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris DLC and Expansions
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris received two large story expansions plus various smaller updates, extending the campaign and adding new areas, gear, enemies, and challenge content for endgame-focused players.
- Blooming of Forget-me-not – First major expansion with a new story arc, maps, enemies, and equipment, typically sold around $24.99 on digital stores.
- Blooming of Matricaria – Second expansion that continues the narrative with additional dungeons, bosses, and gear, also commonly priced near $24.99.
- Premium Pass – Bundles both expansions and cosmetic bonuses at a discount compared with purchasing each episode separately.
- Free Updates – Multiple patches improved frame rate, loading, balance, and added smaller quests and events over the support period.
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris Community and Support
The community clusters around dedicated forums and Discord servers that trade builds, DLC impressions, and technical workarounds, while official channels delivered several significant patches during the game’s main support window.
- Official Forums – Bandai Namco community hubs highlight announcements, patch notes, and limited-time events for Sword Art Online titles.
- Reddit/Discord – Subreddits and fan servers share guides, coop groups, and troubleshooting tips, especially around performance and build optimization.
- Mod Support – No official mod tools; PC players rely on basic tweaks such as configuration edits rather than full-scale modifications.
- Updates – Early post-launch updates targeted loading, stability, and combat tuning; major feature additions slowed after the two expansion releases.