Bandai Namco gave more details about characters, gameplay, and a release date for their game Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet.
The Sword Art Online II anime follows Kirito and his friends on a journey to stop gamers from dying in another virtual reality mmo game, Gun Gale Online, not long after the original Sword Art Online anime ends. Similar to what occurred in Sword Art Online, players died in real life if they died in the game, though it was unclear how the deaths happened while players were connected to Gun Gale Online’s network. Gun Gale Online had some mechanics similar to Sword Art Online but relied more on guns for weaponry rather than swords and magic.
Bandai Namco has released new information for their game Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet, which follows the gameplay and some of the storyline from Sword Art Online II and in-turn, Gun Gale Online. Players can create customizable avatar to use in-game, while “interacting with characters from the Sword Art Online original novels, anime and previous games as [they] navigate a world that is vastly personalized and visually enhanced.” The customizable options include a variety of character stat upgrades, as well as numerous outfit and cosmetic choices to change hair, eye color, and gender. In addition to the customizable avatar and familiar Sword Art Online II characters, two never-before-seen characters Kureha and Zeliska have also been introduced to the game.
The new trailer showcases the game’s third-person shooter style, as well as some of the enemies the player will face, which appear to be machines and robots of various shapes and sizes. Players will be able to wield futuristic glowing swords for fast-paced, close-combat action or choose from an array of guns for long-range and rapid-fire attacks. First edition orders of the game released in Japan will receive a special silver gun weapon along with a costume for Asuna, another Sword Art Online II main character, but no further details have been released on how other weapons and costumes will be obtainable.
IGN also released a video showcasing more extensive gameplay footage for Sword Art Online:Fatal Bullet, recorded during Tokyo Game Show 2017.
In an interview with Siliconera, producer Yosuke Futomi states he and his team “…drew a lot of inspiration from popular shooters and I really love games like Destiny and Fallout 4,” so fans of those franchises may expect to see similarities between those games and Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet’s weaponry and combat style. Fans of the Sword Art Online II anime may also be pleased to know that the Sword Art Online series creator has been hands-on with the game, and will “make sure the world stays consistent with his vision.”
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet will be available on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in 2018.