Put down your swords SWORD ART ONLINE (SAO) fans, it’s time to take aim in SWORD ART ONLINE: Fatal Bullet.

We love SAO because it is the classic trapped in another world trope, playing to a gamer’s desire for escapism and submersion into an unknown world. The anime has everything a video game or anime fan could ask for, including futuristic technology, action-packed battles and a charm that hooked many first time anime watchers. SWORD ART ONLINE: Fatal Bullet is a game mirrored after the latest and greatest SAO arc – Phantom Bullet, and in preparation for its release, we thought we’d FullDive into a refresher of the anime to get you fired-up. 

AINCRAD 

Fast forward to the year 2022 where a virtual reality MMO game called SWORD ART ONLINE is becoming popular. A young beta tester, screen name Kirito, enters the virtual reality MMORPG through the game console helmet called NerveGear. Once there, Kirito quickly discovers that he is among thousands of other players that cannot log out. And there’s one other catch, an in game death equates to death in real life. As a beta tester Kirito has a one up on most of the other players and is labeled a beater – or beta cheater – but uses his advantage to rally together the players, improve sword and magic skills and fight his way through the game’s levels and bosses. The ultimate goal: beat the game and return everyone to the real world alive.

FAIRY DANCE

At the end of the first arc comes the destruction of Aincrad, and many of the captive players are released back to the earthly realm unharmed. However, a handful of players remain trapped in the game, including Kirito’s love interest Asuna. When she is found in a new fairy filled virtual reality game called ALfheim, Kirito must log back in to save her. This time, Kirito doesn’t have the advantage of being a beta tester, and starts out as a newb just like everyone else, but prevails nevertheless. The sword battles continue and Kirito must learn to use his fairy wings to complete the ultimate quest, save Asuna and uncover a sinister plot to enslave and experiment on the remaining captive players.

PHANTOM BULLET

The latest story arc introduces yet another virtual reality world – Gun Gale Online. This new video game realm has a post-apocalyptic feel and its players are packing guns and ammunition to take part in battle. Like previous VRMMOs in the SAO world, this game is not without its dangers. A mysterious player by the name of Death Gun is murdering players with his fatal bullet in the game, resulting in their deaths in the real world. Being the VR gaming expert that he is, Kirito is recruited to log into the new world to look into the enigmatic deaths caused by Death Gun. He adopts a photon sword and joins forces with a troubled sniper by the name of Sinon to enter the Bullet of Bullet tournament in hopes of finding Death Gun and ending his murdering spree.

There’s a new SWORD ART ONLINE game in town.

Equip a gun, or photon sword in SWORD ART ONLINE: Fatal Bullet. This newest game in the SAO franchise is very different from the last; it allows its players to become of the protagonist in the barren, yet beautiful landscape of Gun Gale Online and is loaded with expansive and versatile gameplay. Characters and environments come alive with the power of Unreal Engine 4, and the customization never ends with the ability to get creative with your avatar’s appearance and skills along with greater weapon and partner A.I. personalization. The story changes with your choices to boot, so go ahead and become the hero of Gun Gale Online, or get your Kirito fix by playing in Kirito Mode. Whether you love SAO, or want to try your hand at an anime based third-person shooter, jump the gun and order Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet here, or put another notch on your barrel when the game comes out on February 23, 2018.