Quite a few games have already been released in the Sword Art Online series and in the meantime the game series is celebrating its fifth anniversary. This would make you think that every part is of high quality, as the series continues happily. Yet this is not the case. The various titles are known for being pretty nice, but no more than that. On average, around six are scored. Yet these games know enough to sell to come up with a new part every year. That is no different this year with Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet. Is this game in the same line as its predecessors or does this part finally rise above the rest?
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet
All parts in the series have the same story line as guidance and this is also the case in the newest part. So you play again as a person who is playing a game and an MMORPG. Here you start as a rookie, but slowly but surely you know how to work up with friends and experience different adventures. This time you enter a new game, Gun Gale Online. Where you used to work with swords and magic, there is fighting in this virtual world with guns. With this Fatal Bullet can distinguish itself in one way from its predecessors.
Old and familiar?
Besides the use of shooting now, the rest of the game has remained as good as the same. The missions and side missions still exist: go to point X to defeat enemy (s) Y, the HUB-world corresponds with the other parts and the storyline also offers no surprises, even though it's nice. That does not immediately mean that the game is bad, but it is in any case all cut cake. The series is now ready for a bit of innovation, because as you could read earlier, the previous parts were nice, but they never really scored well.
Something better
Yet Fatal Bullet knows how to set itself above the other parts, even if this is minimal. The shooting is well worked out. In other parts the fighting mechanisms felt a bit stiff, but that is not the case here. The steering runs as you would expect from a third-person shooter and you will therefore without any problems sow death and destruction. The variation in weapons is quite large and you can decide for yourself what type of shooting rods fit you. You can buy these, but the most exotic ones you will encounter during your adventures. Searching for this and finally finding a powerful gun, then gives a lot of satisfaction.
Up and down
Even though you will have a lot of fun of popping at your opponents, the game can become a bit monotonous. This is mainly due to the way the game has to be played. Each mission asks for a certain level of the player, otherwise the opposition is simply too big. So the game consists of grinding, collecting a mission and then repeating it. As you could already read, the missions consist of doing the same thing constantly, so that will get bored in the long run, especially towards the end of the game, which requires more grinding. What also does not really help is that the difficulty level sometimes fluctuates strangely. This way a mission can go smoothly, but you suddenly get a boss in front of you who will switch off your entire team within a few seconds.
However, there are also moments where the balance is just right and Fatal Bullet can deliver very cool fights. Here you will also have to use your 'buffs' and extra possibilities, because you can not stand with shooting alone. Some bosses can also provide intense fights, without giving you the idea that they are overpowered, which is the case at other times. It is therefore quite inconsistent in that area and that is a shame, because the good moments mask the simple design of grinding and the same missions. Because this is not handled properly, Fatal Bullet is therefore mainly in the same category as its predecessors.
Nice and smart
Another point that does not work well is the AI of your teammates. These are often not too smart and can even frustrate. You can give them assignments, such as focusing on your enemy or having them primarily a caring function to ensure that everyone has enough life energy. Only here is regularly not listened to. It happened that I and a teammate were killed, but that the person who still lived totally ignored us. The enemy also hid, so the only way to go further was to restart a checkpoint. You sometimes have the idea that you have to do everything yourself.
All together
There is a way to avoid this not always snappy AI and that is with co-op and online battles. In this you play with and against people and that takes away the aforementioned frustration immediately. Of course you can come across fellow gamers who do not know what to do, but this will not be as extreme as the AI can sometimes be. These parts are also very nice, because they can offer you a nice challenge. It is not very extensive, but nonetheless a nice addition to an already long single player campaign. So in terms of content there is nothing to complain about.
Anime
Also in the graphic section of Fatal Bullet is not very much to criticize. In fact, it makes even a step ahead of its predecessor (s), even if it is not very large. Everything looks well cared for now and there is more detail in the various characters and environments than before. The worlds can still be a bit on the simple side, but in general Fatal Bullet is doing well. Only the animated style for which is chosen is not very original. Gamers with a Nintendo Switch that have played Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will think that the same studio has worked on both games, but that is not the case.
Conclusion
Fatal Bullet knows only with his shooting action to be different than his predecessors, because otherwise everything remained the same. That is a shame, because the popping itself is well worked out. If everything is in balance, the fighting can be intense and fun and they even know the simple design of the missions and the grinding to mask. Only a regularly fluctuating difficulty level throws back a bit of a spanner in the game and the AI of your teammates can also be improved. There are also co-op and online fights, which are a welcome addition to the whole. But if the developer had given the game a bit more variety in gameplay and maybe had some new ideas, then this part had the potential to stick out well above the rest. Now Fatal Bullet is one of the better parts in the series,
The plus and minus points
✔ The popping itself works as it should
✔ More than enough content
✔ Coöp and PvP provide extra fun
✔ Can provide intense fights ...
✖ ...but fluctuating difficulty level sometimes disturbs the fun
✖ Is somewhat monotonous at a given moment
✖ Teammates are not too smart
Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!
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