The Best Order To Play The Sword Art Online Video Games

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.

title image SOA series order split image Part One Alicization Part 2

Sword Art Online: Best Order To Watch All The Series & Movies

With all the Sword Art Online content out there, it's hard for newcomers to know where to start. Here's the best order to watch all the material in.

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.

The following list includes the stand-alone or multiplayer games designed for handheld devices but excludes the various mobile games exclusive to Japan, discontinued games, or the SAO -themed MMORPG, Sword Art Online: Integral Factor .

7 Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment

Metacritic Rating: TBD

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.

6 Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment

Metacritic Rating: 67

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.

5 Sword Art Online: Lost Song

Metacritic Rating: 63

Kirito and companions flying through the skies of ALfheim

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.

4 Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization

Metacritic Rating: 69

Release date: November 8, 2016
Studio: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Developers: Aquria
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch

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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In keeping his reputation as the Black Swordsman, these individuals shaped Kirito to be what he is now in Sword Art Online.

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 either a good or bad character.

3 Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet

Metacritic Rating: 63

Release date: February 23, 2018
Studio: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Developers: Dimps
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch

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. There are also various endings depending on the main character's choices, including one official "canon" ending as a third option.

2 Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris

Metacritic Rating: 58

Release date: July 10, 2020
Studio: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Developers: Aquria
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

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.

1 Sword Art Online: Last Recollection

Metacritic Rating: 69

Release date: October 6, 2023
Studio: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Developers: Aquria
Platforms: PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

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.