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Sword Art Online: Lost Song |OT| - " "

It really depends on what type of gameplay style do you want as both are quite different. One thing for sure is Hollow Fragment has a higher learning curve due to how the battle system works. Hollow Fragment is very skill based in the sense that its like an MMO and you will have a crazy amount of skills to work with.

Lost Song is more action based though depth and content wise not as packed out as Hollow Fragment.

Both story / character event wise are good for a fan of SAO.

How are the graphics for hollow Fragment? Also the battle system for Hollow Fragment is action/real time right?
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
How are the graphics for hollow Fragment? Also the battle system for Hollow Fragment is action/real time right?

The standard attacks are all auto-attacks. Everything else is manually activated by either the skills assigned to the various face buttons or from the full skill menu. There also is dodging and a parry skill. Though not all attacks can be parried. There is another type of "parry" that will defend against breath type of attacks I think it was. Been a while since I have played. It is very skill based in general and spamming skills will get you killed.

These are from the JP version of the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKHQ9BRrmV0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJkyz3HCEM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILR4GSqFi8I

The graphics are what you can expect from a JP developed Vita title. Its not triple AAA stuff, but its not a budget title either. Just dont expect something along the lines of Uncharted or Killzone Mercenaries and you should be fine.

The original game was done on the PSP which is why a lot of assets were also used from that version. Same goes for the whole Aincrad side of the game. That is all ported PSP content which is why the quality of those sections will look a lot lower than what was designed for the Vita hardware with the Hollow Area. So do keep that in mind also.

You will have access to the large free content update too which includes a bunch of stuff listed from GFAQs below.

Version 1.01 (646MB)

- New BOSS added.
- New maps (Garden/Snow Mountain/Volcano) are added.
- Level maximum is raised to 250.
- New Hollow Missions are added.
- Implement Element Research difficulty is adjusted.
- New Grand Quests are added.
- New weapons are added.
- Complete costumes for Philia & Strea are added.
- Retrieving the gift given away last time.
- Regardless of weapons and non stackable items, the storage limitation has been raised to 99.
- Chest numbers and items allowed are adjusted.
- Heroine Quests are added, allowing you to participate in Hollow Missions with the heroines.
- Argo is allowed to join the fights.
- Concealed Area is extended to 125 floors.
- Purchase of the DLC School Swimsuit (Navy) in store is now available.
- Items able to change on Option Screen are added.
- Display content, operation, combat system, and partial weapon perfomance are adjusted.
- Motion stability is improved.

This is the 1.05 stuff that was included in the JP version. Am not sure if the Western version made it to 1.05.
- Sword Skill camera toggle added to options menu.
- Camera zoom added to the options menu.
- You are now able to adjust the camera zoom with the left and right buttons while not in combat.
- Camera display range has been added to the map.
- The Col rewards from hollow missions have increased.
- You can now skip the Hollow mission intro by pushing START.
- It is now easier to accept the quest rewards.
- Relaxed the clear conditions of the Implement Element system.
- The Hollow Mission destination for monsters not displayed on the field is indicated with a red ring marker.
- Last attack bonus added to remaining rank 3 Hollow Missions.
- Blue treasure boxes have been added to the Hollow Area.
- Item use speed increased.
- HIDE potion is now available for purchase from the store.
- Items that increase the success rate of the Blacksmith have been added.
- Description of rarity has been added to some rare weapons.
- Experience point gain from enemies 1~15 Levels higher has been increased significantly.
- Experience potion and experience potion EX can now be found in treasure boxes.
- Short time compensation added to ‘Morgue Blocking Dark Domain’. (unconfirmed)
- Relaxed the timing for OSS.
- Number of sword skills you can connect in OSS has increased.
- Damage caused by OSS increased significantly when using longer chains.
- Treasure chests containing armor have been added to the deepest parts of the Concealed Area.
- Warp function has been added to Concealed Area.
- Increased the performance of Remains Heart.
- Increased the performance of Elucidator and Dark Repulser.
- Level item of Infinity Moment added as a high difficulty reward. (Unconfirmed)
- Day or night and destination zone have now been added to partner quest information.
- Tutorial events have been fixed.

The short of it is, it added a ton of content and made the game easier for those who were not used to the MMO type of mentality and how to go about leveling in an efficient manner.

Also read through this post.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=160797757&postcount=2049
 
I'm playing Hollow Fragment at the moment, and I must admit I love that the battle system has so much to it and the fact that the game is pretty complex. This seems like a step down and is a more straight-forward ARPG and that's slightly disappointing.

I still want the game, of course, just can't help but want a Hollow Fragment successor rather than this. I guess that's what Aquria are working on at the moment.

This game doesn't have the same floor-clearing content does it? That's one of the things I liked best about Hollow Fragment. Quest with a partner; help out some strangers on theri quest; and then start prepping for the boss fight which is completely different from what you've been doing before. It was pretty neat.

Are there even any NPC's doing their own quests in the zones you visit?
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
I'm playing Hollow Fragment at the moment, and I must admit I love that the battle system has so much to it and the fact that the game is pretty complex. This seems like a step down and is a more straight-forward ARPG and that's slightly disappointing.

I still want the game, of course, just can't help but want a Hollow Fragment successor rather than this. I guess that's what Aquria are working on at the moment.

This game doesn't have the same floor-clearing content does it? That's one of the things I liked best about Hollow Fragment. Quest with a partner; help out some strangers on theri quest; and then start prepping for the boss fight which is completely different from what you've been doing before. It was pretty neat.

Are there even any NPC's doing their own quests in the zones you visit?

This one follows the timeline where New Aincrad is fused with ALfheim Online. Though the story does not go to the New Aincrad and takes place exclusively in the new area that appeared in ALfheim Online. Its more they are clearing the various continents in the new zone before other groups do so. Basically all the groups from ALfheim Online have showed up in this new zone and are starting their exploration of it. Which also includes the large guild Shamrock that Seven and Smeragi belong to.

Unfortunately seems that they left out friendly AI wandering the maps as have mentioned in earlier posts. Not sure why they did that outside of budget / time constraints with the project itself. Since their Macross 30 game they had simple friendly AI present in the maps. And it is not like the enemy density would really make it an issue either. I guess they just did not have any sort of AI set up for constant melee combat where in macross it was they would just engage in ranged combat. Does take away from the zones feeling more alive. Maybe it will change later on, but so far nothing.

Overall though as a game to emulate the feeling of the freedom of flight which is what folks wanted out of a game that used the ALfheim Online setting, this title does do that quite well. But at the same time fans of Hollow Fragment will have to understand that this title is not done by the same team nor designed in a similar way. It is basically a reskinned / retooled engine to fit the SAO setting. This title was most def feels like it was done on a tight budget and dev schedule, but at least they pulled off a competent title for what it tries to do, while its not perfect it came out a lot better than what could have happened if they used a different developer with no experience for what they were trying to accomplish.

More casual fans of the series should have fun with the title Id imagine. For the hardcore HF followers, most def everyone will have to wait for a 2nd game to be made. Which Id imagine is going on now considering how well it did domestically and overseas if the constant digital sales ranking actually amounts to anything.
 

deanote666

Member
Anyone get to the point where they can customize characters since it was brought up in previous pages?

Are there parts with the real world or is it all in ALO?
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Anyone get to the point where they can customize characters since it was brought up in previous pages?

Are there parts with the real world or is it all in ALO?

After finishing the third chapter the option becomes available. Genders are preset though unfortunately.

Male
Salamander
Sylph
Gnome
Imp

Female
Undine
Spriggan
Cait Sith
Leprechaun
Pooka
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Taken from Gematsu

Content update for the game on the way next month.

Lux and Seven will join Sword Art Online: Lost Song for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita as playable characters via a major update on the way, this week’s Dengeki PlayStation reveals.

Lux, voiced by Chinatsu Akasaki, wields dual swords. She first appears in the Sword Art Online spin-off manga Sword Art Online: Girls Ops Volume 01.

Seven is one of the new characters already in the game, although currently not playable. It appears her weapon will be a bow.

Also coming in the update:

  • Player-versus-player matches and duel events. Two types of duel events are being prepared for multiplayer and single-player.
  • New sub-scenarios. There’s new CG events in a new episode focused on Seven and Rain.
  • A gigantic new boss over ten times the size of the player character.
  • Others: New Game+, Gallery Mode, change equipment in the field, balance and UI adjustments.

This weeks Dengeki had the DLC codes for the game which includes the God Eater 2 costumes for Kirito and Asuna.
 
Too soon to be getting worried by the lack of a US release date?
Wait for E3. I'm sure Bamco is going to announce this along with God Eater 2 Rage Burst for PS4 and Vita, and maybe even the PS4 version of Zestiria (if they don't announce it soon since the cat has been out of the bag for a while now)
 

Cornbread78

Member
Wait for E3. I'm sure Bamco is going to announce this along with God Eater 2 Rage Burst for PS4 and Vita, and maybe even the PS4 version of Zestiria (if they don't announce it soon since the cat has been out of the bag for a while now)

every time I see this thread bumped in my subscriptions I get a little hopefull, lol. If ToZ PS4 and this get announced for release around the same time, I'm gonna have to pimp for the money, lol. I can't wait.
 

MSMrRound

Member
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CEx0RgiUsAE7Sg6.jpg:large

Delayed for two days here on our side =(
 
Not sure where was that pic taken (Singapore?) but i just got a message from my local retailer in Malaysia that its delayed 2 days also. No reason was given.
 
Oh, when I checked on the HD store I could only see JPN and CHN versions.

But regardless, I still don't know if I should grab it physical or not. Digital is cool but I'd need an Asian account and ways to get money on it to actually buy it...

I'll think about it some more.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
More SAO, gimme please! Are the vita and ps3 versions the same?

Yes its the same just on different platforms.

Unfortunately there is no cross-save type option so its get one or the other, as there is no reason to purchase both.

*speaking from experience here. lol
 

MSMrRound

Member
Woah. Really need to get used to all these flying, and the switching between Magic/Melee mode. Had my flying set to inverted controls which messed me up for quite a while.

Really like how my sword strikes leave "damage marks" on the enemies. The UI for accessing menus and stuff are closer to what I thought a SAO game would be.

Most importantly,

no "Penetrations" encountered yet. Colour me surprised, but Bamco really went about fixing the text and stuff, which somehow makes the game even more enjoyable.
 

cheesekao

Member
Wait this game is out in English in Asia?
*checks price*
Holy crap why is it so expensive? Nearly rm200(60+ dollars) for the vita version.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
this game sucks so bad compared to hollow fragment.... or even the Macross one. Cant recommend at all.

As i constantly said folks cant go in expecting hollow fragment.

Though you can most def tell the people at artdink are not used to doing melee combat
 
I'm still trying to figure out the appeal to hollow Fragment... I'm trying not to give up on it... But i hate feeling totally lost all the time.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
I'm still trying to figure out the appeal to hollow Fragment... I'm trying not to give up on it... But i hate feeling totally lost all the time.

Its the combat, exploration and finding loot.

Game really isnt for everyone as its more designed towards the core gaming audience as it is quite oveewhelming and if one is not good with directions they will get lost often. though latest version should have the improved maps. before the world map was fairly worthless.
 
Just heads up regarding DLC for the Asian English version. You can only redeem it on the SEA Playstation Store (this means Singapore/Thailand/Malaysia/Philippines/Indonesia). Apparently the English version isn't on the HK PSN so the DLC codes won't work there. Just something to note since I would assume most people holding an Asia region account for importing purposes will be on HK PSN. Someone over at GameFAQs have ran into this issue when attempting to redeem the DLC.
 
Just heads up regarding DLC for the Asian English version. You can only redeem it on the SEA Playstation Store (this means Singapore/Thailand/Malaysia/Philippines/Indonesia). Apparently the English version isn't on the HK PSN so the DLC codes won't work there. Just something to note since I would assume most people holding an Asia region account for importing purposes will be on HK PSN. Someone over at GameFAQs have ran into this issue when attempting to redeem the DLC.

I believe this has been the case for SEA Bandai Namco releases as of late. Xillia comes to my mind immediately.
 

hongcha

Member
thats good since initially and after release regardless that lots of fans were asking constantly

lost a bunch of double dip sales due to that before launch

Yep, it was really dumb of them not to have cross-save ready at launch, I don't know what they were thinking. Looks like it took about a month for it to come via patch.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Any chance this show I'll get upgraded to PS4 along with the other Tales Games at the Bamco show next month?

Not sure the producer has expressed interest in a PS4 version but outside of that nothing concrete yet. That was before launch though
 

Cornbread78

Member
Not sure the producer has expressed interest in a PS4 version but outside of that nothing concrete yet. That was before launch though

I typed "show" instead of game. Dammit, I need to cut back on my anime watching...


Well, maybe we will get surprised and Bamco will finally grow up and get their games on PS4. .
 
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