The digital world is a fantastic world full of possibilities. Gamers and kids alike have grown up experiencing all kinds of shows and even games that take you to the digital world. I don’t mean taking on the role of just any character in just any game but immersing yourself in an actual digital world. While shows and games like .Hack and Digimon led the way, Sword Art Online has revitalized and captured audiences around the world, although it’s not the only one that dives into a digital world though from a different perspective and execution. I guess it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Accel World was created also by SAO creator Reki Kawahara. When I found out that SAO and Accel World were getting a crossover it made perfect sense, so when Accel World vs Sword Art Online for the Vita landed on my desk I couldn’t wait to jump in.
The first thing about AW vs SAO is that if you don’t know either series really well then you won’t really get the connections characters from either side share with their accompanying cast. This is definitely a title suited for fans of both source materials but even so there is enough context to give newcomers the general gist of things. The second thing to know is that the title itself is kind of misleading in itself. While there is a brief scuffle in the opening act, AW vs SAO is more about both sides stopping a bigger threat to both worlds as they start to merge.
Almost right out of the gate, I felt right at home in AW vs SAO’s world as you start out in Sword Art’s Svart Alfheim. For newcomers and previous Sword Art Online series players, this is perhaps a very good thing as the developer Studio ArtDink already has had experience with SAO’s world with their previous work on SAO: Lost Song. It wasn’t just that Alfheim is the main world featured but also because much of Lost Song’s combat system can be seen here as well.
The main story of Accel World vs Sword Art Online features players from both sides who are trying to stop the destruction of their respected worlds. Caused by the mysterious Persona Vabel, this impending merger of worlds has caused panic amongst Kirito’s friends especially after SAO’s Yui is locked away in a tower to keep her quiet. It’s up to the Accelerated World’s Burst Linkers and SAO’s ALO player to stop her. Players can make up their team from a playable roster of 40 characters made from several notable faces from both worlds as they become available.
The beautiful thing about such a large cast is that there is plenty of opportunity to mix and match your favorite characters as you find a balance that works for you. While that many characters seems good on paper an important thing to note is that only the 3 active party members gain EXP making overall level management rather tedious. One of my favorite things about AW vs SAO is that you have two types of units. SAO’s Alfheim cast is comprised of aerial capable combatants while Accel World’s is made up of ground units (with exception of Silver Crow) even though some characters don’t actually touch the ground.
Despite their differences combat is mostly executed the same way for all units with some variances based on the character’s origin. Much like Lost Song, AW vs SAO has a rather complex control scheme that actually utilizes all of the Vita’s front inputs including the touch screen this time around. Fans of Lost Song should have no trouble adjusting to controls but it may take newcomers a bit to get the hang of things. Mastering and understanding the controls as well as each character’s abilities is particularly necessary when taking on the bosses, comprised of Accel World’s Seven Kings of Pure Color, as they are a substantially harder than anything else in the game by a good margin. Players can choose the overall difficulty of the game from the start but in any case diversity and control comprehension is definitely advised here.
There is plenty of content to dive into in Accel World vs Sword Art Online with an array of side quests to help you gain levels as well as an extra chapter after the credits. There are also the options once unlocked to partner up with other real players to take on powerful enemies in co-operative play. You can even go head to head in teams in multiplayer like the title suggests. Either way players can send a good deal of time in Accel World vs Sword Art Online with all the content available. Much like the existing SAO games while still portable this in not your simple pick up and play anytime RPG for the Vita.
It is notable that the cutscenes are actually a bit shorter this time around, which does get you into the action and interaction quicker. That said it doesn’t subtract from the actual storytelling and character interactions. It was actually really interesting to see how these two casts interact with each other and I’m actually surprised they haven’t done this in show form already. Reading is definitely necessary with Accel World vs Sword Art Online as it features only a Japanese audio track like its SAO predecessors.
The music is good and I really enjoyed the opening movie and title theme song “S x W” which felt like a marrying of both show’s original openers. Visually the game is hit or miss in areas. With the Vita’s smaller screen some environments look pretty good including main areas like Ryne. The menus and text (while rather small) are sharp as well as the character art. The biggest issue I faced at times was a framerate drop in more intense fights which while problematic wasn’t a huge deal breaker.
All in all, Studio ArtDink did a fantastic job taking two awesome shows about virtual worlds and combining them into a single coherent adventure that will be sure to please fans from both camps. Like I said before I’m actually surprised some sort of venture between these two shows hasn’t been done sooner, but I’m glad it’s something that I can personally interact with. I’ve played all kinds of crossovers in the past but none of them have really clicked like these two franchises have on a foundational level. If you have a Vita and are a SAO or Accel World fan then you have to check out Accel World vs Sword Art Online today.
