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Action-RPG Sword Art Online: Lost Song hits PS3, Vita in 2015
Publisher Bandai Namco has revealed that Sword Art Online: Lost Song, the latest adaptation of the popular Sword Art Online manga and anime series, will reach both the PlayStation 3 and Vita at some nebulous point in 2015. As its name suggests, Sword Art Online centers on a fictional massively multiplayer online roleplaying game dubbed "ALfheim Online." Despite its faux-MMO roots, Lost Song is described as an action-RPG that borrows the series' familiar characters for an offline adventure. Not much is known of Lost Song at the moment, but Siliconera reports that it will feature a wholly new plot created specifically for the game. There's currently no word on whether Sword Art Online: Lost Song will be released outside of Japan, or if the game will remain exclusive to its native country. Given the anime's burgeoning international popularity, it's quite possible it could be localized for Western audiences, but nothing is certain until Bandai Namco unveils official launch plans. [Image: ASCII media works]
Vita RPG Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment coming to EU
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is a multiplayer Vita game based on an anime in which characters play a massively multiplayer virtual reality game. This, the Inception of gaming, is confirmed now for Europe, Australia and New Zealand, where Bandai Namco's releasing it on the PS Store in July. The Vita RPG's concept certainly won't be unfamiliar to fans of the .hack series, especially how players (not real-life ones!) who die in the VR game also die for realsies outside of it. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment does place more emphasis on romance and building up relationships, as showcased in a trailer for the Japanese version. Namco says SAO fans can expect to bump into characters from the light novels, anime and manga. The game's also been confirmed for North America, although there's no word on a release date beyond "summer 2014." On the plus side, all Western versions come with a free HD version of PSP game SAO: Infinity Moment, which was previously limited to Japan. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Bandai Namco bringing RPG Sword Art Online to NA Vitas this summer
Bandai Namco announced today that its PlayStation Vita action-RPG Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment will hit North American shores as a digital exclusive this summer. Launching in Japan this week, Sword Art Online merges dungeon-crawling gameplay with dating sim elements. The game offers an in-depth character creation system, and players can team up with fellow PS Vita owners and AI-controlled partners in a monster-slaying multiplayer mode. A release date for Sword Art Online was not announced. [Image: Bandai Namco]
