New entries of each the Sword Artwork On-line anime and the video games have constantly been launched for greater than ten years now. On October 4th, each the latest anime season, Sword Artwork On-line Various: Gun Gale On-line II, and the latest recreation, Sword Artwork On-line: Fractured Daydream had been launched.
SAO: FD is already fairly completely different from the earlier within the online game sequence, however we needed to ask: What’s subsequent for the Sword Artwork On-line video video games? Right here’s what SAO: FD producer Shoehei Mogami and SAO recreation sequence producer Yosuke Futami needed to say about the opportunity of a extra mature SAO recreation and the MMORPG-style SAO recreation they know followers need.
“Sword Artwork On-line itself, the anime and the sport, will hold going into the longer term,” Futami mentioned. “We do need to deliver SAO to the subsequent stage, possibly even to a higher-performing console.”
Futami additionally defined that whereas Sword Artwork On-line: Fractured Daydream is extra character-based, they possibly additionally need to attempt to do one thing across the idea of SAO that in case you die in recreation, you die in actual life. That’s one thing they need to discover sooner or later, however Futami clarified they probably wouldn’t implement a permadeath mechanic as a result of “the present SAO recreation followers is likely to be indignant and simply may break their keyboard or one thing.”
“We need to attempt to have extra for these SAO followers who’re adults and expertise an SAO which is extra mature,” Futami defined.
The way forward for SAO in all probability additionally wouldn’t be one thing like a Souls-like, and due to the issue behind improvement, neither an MMORPG.
“MMORPGs are very troublesome to make,” Futami mentioned, joking that in Japan it’s mentioned to take 70 years to make one. “Whereas we all know the IP [Sword Art Online] can be nice for it, and plenty of of our followers and participant group are eager about it, it is one thing we’d solely pursue as soon as we all know we now have a robust idea and will do it proper. Possibly, if all the celebrities aligned, we’d have the ability to begin making it.”
Although it isn’t an MMORPG, Sword Artwork On-line: Fractured Daydream seeks to emulate raids present in MMORPGs with 20-person dungeons and raid bosses, full with boss-specific, uncommon loot that not everybody can choose up on the finish of the struggle. It’s additionally a standalone title, so anybody conversant in simply a few of the anime would have the ability to get into and perceive SAO: FD, no earlier SAO recreation data required.
“There’s a barrier to entry after ten years of [SAO] video games,” Mogami mentioned. “We wish individuals who haven’t performed the video games to have the ability to take pleasure in SAO video games.”
The crew additionally needed to problem themselves by implementing cross-play in SAO: FD, so buddies aren’t barred from enjoying with one another, Mogami defined.
There may be yet one more factor we learn about the way forward for SAO video games, too: Although the possibility will not be totally zero, don’t anticipate an SAO recreation with out Kirito or Asuna. Having an SAO recreation with out Kirito and Asuna, Futami mentioned, “is like having a Dragon Ball with out Son Goku.”
Casey DeFreitas is IGN’s Deputy Guides Editor.