Info about SWORD ART ONLINE Alicization Lycoris:

Official game description:
Digital Deluxe Edition
======================
.  
The Deluxe Edition includes the following:  
• Full Game  
• Premium Pass which includes 2 Major Expansions and a Special Costume as a bonus  
• Virtual currency : 200 SAO coins
About the Game
==============
They always shared the same moments. They thought it would be like this for eternity.  
―――  
Kirito awakens in a completely unknown virtual world, but something about it feels a bit familiar...  
Set in Underworld, an expansive world introduced in the SWORD ART ONLINE anime, Kirito sets out on adventure in the series' latest RPG!  
Enjoy seamless, action-packed real-time battles using a combination of sword skills, sacred arts, and your favorite SAO characters!  
Kirito meets a boy named Eugeo. Somewhere deep within their hearts is a lingering promise. To fulfill that promise and avoid losing each other, they set out on adventure together. Nothing will keep them from reaching their goal.

Release date: Jul 9, 2020

Categories: Action RPG, Open-World Exploration, Character Progression, Cooperative Multiplayer, Crafting, Story-driven Gameplay, Character Customization, Combat

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 85; verdict: Predatory Monetization; summary: The game features several predatory monetization practices, including a cosmetic shop with loot boxes, premium currency, and DLCs that can be purchased with real money. There are also elements that can be interpreted as pay-to-win, although these advantages can be obtained through gameplay as well. The game is perceived as overpriced, which adds to the dissatisfaction among players. These factors contribute to a high severity rating for the game's monetization practices.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs Significant Improvement; summary: The game suffers from several significant issues that detract from the user experience. Complex mechanics are poorly explained, forcing users to rely on external guides. The inventory management system is user-unfriendly, and the game frequently crashes, particularly during alt-tabbing or fights. Additionally, many quests lack proper guidance, making them difficult to complete without external help. These issues collectively contribute to a frustrating and less enjoyable gaming experience.
- Steam Deck: score 75; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience reveals several significant issues impacting the overall user experience. The most critical problems include frequent game crashes and stability issues, frame rate drops and performance problems, control and user interface difficulties, and long loading times coupled with network issues. These issues collectively contribute to a less than optimal gaming experience, requiring attention and potential fixes to enhance user satisfaction.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Cooperative multiplayer mode (weight 0.62): The game includes a cooperative multiplayer mode for exploring the world and completing quests. Players can enjoy the game with friends and participate in multiplayer raids and daily quests.
- Open-world exploration (weight 0.59): The game features a large and open world with wide maps for exploration. Players can discover many activities and secrets, adding to the game's depth and replayability.
- Enjoyable and dynamic combat system (weight 0.59): The combat system is noted to be the best in the series, offering a variety of weapons and skills. It is dynamic, fun, and engaging, with depth and complexity that players enjoy.
- Variety in gameplay elements (weight 0.58): The game features a variety of locations, play styles, and equipment. It includes traditional MMORPG elements like blacksmithing, cooking, and fishing, as well as a flexible and functional gameplay system with various combos and skills.
- Rich content and lengthy storyline (weight 0.57): The game offers a large amount of content, including a lengthy and engaging storyline. It features a variety of characters, interactions, and a significant amount of post-game content to extend its lifespan.
- Engaging and emotional story (weight 0.53): The story is well-written, engaging, and emotional. It is fully independent and original, offering a complete and well-presented narrative that fans of the SAO universe will appreciate.
- Pleasant music and sound ambiance (weight 0.52): The game has a pleasant music and good sound ambiance that enhances the overall gaming experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the audio design.
- Enjoyable gameplay and character interactions (weight 0.33): The gameplay is enjoyable and not overly difficult. Players appreciate the character interactions and events, finding the overall experience fun and engaging.
- Well-developed characters (weight 0.25): The game features well-written and interesting characters with good development. Players appreciate the character interactions and the depth of the story.
- Character customization options (weight 0.2): The game offers a range of customization options for characters, allowing players to equip different skins and customize their characters after Chapter 1.
- Stable updates and playability (weight 0.12): The game is regularly updated and is considered playable. Despite initial issues, the game has seen improvements and is now enjoyable for players.
- Beautifully animated cutscenes (weight 0.08): The game includes beautifully animated motion-capture cutscenes that are emotionally engaging. These cutscenes add to the overall immersion and enjoyment of the game.

Common complaints:
- Performance and stability issues (weight 0.8): The game suffers from various performance issues, including crashes, bugs, long load times, and FPS drops. These issues affect the overall gaming experience, especially on lower-spec PCs.
- Slow movement and long load times (weight 0.39): The game has slow movement speed and long load times, especially during map changes. This makes traversing the game world tedious and time-consuming.
- Poor optimization (weight 0.36): The game is poorly optimized, leading to frame stuttering during combat, long load times, and various technical issues. This affects the game's performance across different systems.
- Complex and poorly explained systems (weight 0.32): The game's systems are described as complex, difficult to understand, and poorly explained. This makes it challenging for players to grasp the mechanics and enjoy the game.
- Excessive and unskippable cutscenes (weight 0.18): The game has too many cutscenes, some of which are unskippable. These frequent cutscenes interrupt gameplay and make the experience tedious.
- Confusing and non-intuitive UI (weight 0.12): The user interface is described as convoluted, confusing, and not user-friendly. The controls are non-intuitive, making the game difficult to navigate.

Gameplay feedback:
- Complex combat system (weight 0.96): The game features a complex combat system with a variety of weapons, skills, combos, and strategic elements. It includes real-time combat mechanics, team coordination, and dynamic interactions.
- Open world exploration (weight 0.64): The game offers a large, open world with many activities, secrets, and lore to discover. It includes exploration mechanics and social interactions.
- Character customization and development (weight 0.59): Players can customize their characters and develop them through a unique character development tree. This includes various side quests and interactions that affect character progression.
- Multiplayer and cooperative modes (weight 0.49): The game includes cooperative multiplayer modes for exploring the world, completing quests, and engaging in raids. It features new interactions and mechanics for multiplayer gameplay.
- Story and dialogue (weight 0.45): The game is story-heavy with a high ratio of dialogue to combat. It features full voice acting for events and engaging character interactions.
- Variety of quests and content (weight 0.42): The game features multiple story chapters, side quests, and challenges. It includes a variety of content such as boss battles, treasure chests, and optional bosses.
- Crafting and secondary mechanics (weight 0.39): The game includes various traditional MMORPG elements like blacksmithing, cooking, fishing, and alchemy. These mechanics add depth to the gameplay.
- Grindy gameplay (weight 0.18): The game involves a lot of grinding and repetitive content, especially in the late game. Players need to grind for equipment and fight tougher enemies.
- Progression systems (weight 0.17): The game features a progression system that includes weapon mastery and character development. It has a complex skill tree with over 200 skills.
- Controls and movement (weight 0.12): The game offers control customization and movement physics. It includes camera movement and control options for PC/laptop.
- Side quests disappear (weight 0.06): After completing a chapter, all side quests from the previous chapter disappear and there is no way to revisit them. This can be frustrating for players who want to complete all content.

Performance notes:
- Poor optimization and performance issues (weight 0.43): The game suffers from significant optimization problems, including frame stuttering, long load times, and high system requirements. These issues lead to a subpar gaming experience, especially on lower-spec PCs.
- Excessive loading times (weight 0.41): Players report long and frequent loading times, sometimes extending up to 3 minutes due to network issues or frequent transitions between event stills and normal maps.
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.29): The game is prone to crashing frequently during gameplay, which disrupts the gaming experience. Crashes are particularly noted when alt-tabbing or minimizing the game.
- Graphics and visual issues (weight 0.2): There are various graphics-related problems, including display issues and the need for performance improvements. Some players have noted issues with LoD, DoF, and visual effects.
- Numerous bugs affecting gameplay (weight 0.18): The game has numerous bugs, some of which are game-breaking. These bugs have significantly impacted the player experience, although some have been resolved over time.
- Frame rate drops (weight 0.15): The game experiences significant FPS drops, particularly during intense scenes like raids, which affects the overall gameplay experience.
- Controller input issues (weight 0.09): There are problems with controller input, where certain buttons are ignored, and Steam controller settings need to be adjusted for proper functionality.
- Camera control issues (weight 0.07): The camera controls are reported to be subpar, affecting the overall gameplay experience and making it difficult for players to navigate and enjoy the game.
- Slow motion gameplay experience (weight 0.06): Some players report that the gameplay feels like it is in slow motion, which can be frustrating and detract from the overall experience.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for hardcore SAO fans (weight 0.24): The game is primarily recommended for those who are hardcore fans of the Sword Art Online series. Casual players or those not familiar with the series may not find it as appealing.
- Wait for a sale (weight 0.23): Many reviewers suggest waiting for a sale or discount before purchasing the game. This indicates that the game may not be worth its full price.
- Positive experience for JRPG and SAO fans (weight 0.08): Reviewers who enjoy JRPG games and the SAO universe find this game to be a fantastic experience. It caters well to fans of the genre and the series.
- Skip Chapter 1 (weight 0.08): Several reviews mention that Chapter 1 is not representative of the rest of the game and can be skipped to get to the better parts of the game.
- Positive reception from anime and story lovers (weight 0.08): Players who enjoy anime and detailed storylines are likely to enjoy this game. It caters well to fans of deep narratives and anime-style storytelling.
- Consider other games in the series (weight 0.07): Some reviewers suggest that other games in the series might be better options. This could be due to better gameplay, story, or overall quality.
- Enjoyable for fans of the series' characters (weight 0.07): The game is recommended for those who enjoy the characters from the Sword Art Online series, particularly the integral knights.
- Good for solo MMO experience (weight 0.04): The game is suggested for those who want to experience an MMO-style game solo, without the need for other players.
- Mixed feelings on gameplay mechanics (weight 0.04): There are suggestions that turn-based combat might be a better fit for the game. This indicates some dissatisfaction with the current combat system.
- Suggestions for future DLC content (weight 0.04): Players have expressed hopes for future DLC content, specifically mentioning changes to in-game monsters as a desired improvement.
- Recent gameplay experience positive (weight 0.04): Some players report having a positive experience when returning to the game after a break, indicating that recent updates or changes may have improved the gameplay.

Other player notes:
- Criticism of microtransactions (weight 0.21): The game has been criticized for its greedy microtransactions and cash shop. Additionally, the Premium Pass is noted to be more expensive than the base game itself.
- Game needs technical improvements (weight 0.18): Reviewers suggest that the game could be recommended if the developers fix the code, reduce load times, and improve visual effects.
- Game induces sleep (weight 0.04): Some reviewers mention that the game can help with sleep issues, implying it might be boring or monotonous.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.35): Players are frustrated by a multitude of technical issues, including frequent game crashes, excessive loading times, and poor optimization leading to performance problems. The gameplay experience is further marred by repetitive and tedious elements such as excessive dialogue, slow pacing, and unengaging side quests, which disrupt the flow and enjoyment of the game.
- Disappointment (weight 0.28): Players express disappointment due to the game's failure to meet expectations, particularly in terms of story quality, gameplay mechanics, and overall innovation. Issues such as poor optimization, lack of refinement in combat, and tedious gameplay elements contribute to a sense of letdown.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Players enjoy the game's immersive world, graphics, and engaging combat mechanics. The story and character interactions also contribute positively to the overall experience.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Players find joy in the game's combat system, which is described as flashy and immersive. The character interactions and events, as well as the overall positive experience despite some flaws, also bring happiness.
- Anger (weight 0.05): Players are angered by the game's poor optimization, excessive cutscenes, and loading screens. Technical issues such as game crashes and poor performance further exacerbate this frustration.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Players are satisfied with the game's combat mechanics, which are described as improved and enjoyable. The game's graphics, combat system, and overall solid action-JRPG experience contribute to this satisfaction.
- Happiness (weight 0.03): Players are happy with the game's fun combat and enjoyable storyline. The positive aspects of the game bring a sense of happiness and enjoyment.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Players are excited by the game's features, including its lengthy story setup and high replayability. The dynamic combat and new elements like spears add to the excitement.
- Hopefulness (weight 0.02): Players feel hopeful about the game's potential for improvement through updates and patches. The expectation of future enhancements contributes to this hopeful outlook.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players experience boredom due to the game's stretched story and repetitive fetch quests. Long conversations and tedious gameplay elements contribute to this feeling of boredom.
- Disappointment (weight 0.01): Игроки разочарованы сюжетом и механикой игры, а также плохой графикой и оптимизацией.
- Irritation (weight 0.01): Игроки раздражены добавлением лутбоксов и доната, а также плохой оптимизацией и множеством багов.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the continuous improvements and new content added by the developers. The fan-pleasing elements and balanced gameplay are also well-received.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Players feel sad and moved by the story, which evokes strong emotional responses.}