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Sword Art Online Alicization: Lycoris Game Slated for May 21 in Japan
posted on by Egan Loo
The official Twitter account for the Sword Art Online games announced on Sunday that Bandai Namco Entertainment will launch its Sword Art Online Alicization: Lycoris game on May 21 in Japan. Store pre-orders will begin on Monday, December 9. A "SAO Home Console Game Series 2019 Retrospective With Yoshitsugu Matsuoka" and "SAO Alicization: Lycoris Release Date Confirmation Special!" will stream later this evening at 7:00 p.m. Japan Time (5:00 a.m. EST).
【SAOAL】
— ソードアート・オンライン ゲーム公式情報 (@sao_gameinfo) December 7, 2019
「SAOアリシゼーション リコリス」の発売日が、2020年5月21日(木)に決定!
予約は2019年12月9日(月)からスタート!#SAOAL pic.twitter.com/3Gmxh1MkR9
The game will be available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.
The game follows the same basic storyline as the Sword Art Online novel volumes 9 through 18 and the Sword Art Online: Alicization anime. However, it does not follow the same route as the Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld run that premiered in October. Instead, the game will branch off at that point into its own game route. The staff consulted with original creator Reki Kawahara, who wanted a game that depicts the original storyline, at least in the first half.
Bandai Namco Entertainment America describes the game:
Play as series protagonist, Kirito, and become immersed in the “Underworld,” a mysterious virtual world set in the anime series' Alicization arc. Featuring epic battles, stunning JRPG visuals, and an expansive world to explore; Kirito's journey through the latest Sword Art Online game is ready to begin.Following the events of the Sword Art Online Alicization anime series, Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris finds Kirito in a mysterious but familiar virtual world, “Underworld,” where A.I.s behave like humans. As players take control of Kirito, they will relive heart-pounding scenes from the series through intense combat. Players will also encounter fan favorite characters including Eugeo, Alice, Administrator, and many more. A wide world awaits Kirito and his friends in this exciting adaptation to the Sword Art Online: Alicization series.
Sword Art Online: Alicization premiered in Japan in October 2018 and is streaming on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and FunimationNow. The series is adapting the entire "Alicization Arc" of Reki Kawahara's original novels and will air for four cours, or four quarters of a year. The first two cours aired from October to March, and the second two cours, titled Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld, premiered on October 12.
Sources: Sword Art Online games' Twitter account, Dengeki Online
Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.
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