Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Previews » HANDS-ON PREVIEW: ‘Sword Art Online: Last Recollection’

HANDS-ON PREVIEW: ‘Sword Art Online: Last Recollection’

LaNeysha CampbellBy LaNeysha Campbell07/11/20233 Mins ReadUpdated:08/07/2023
Sword Art Online Last Recollection - But Why Tho (1)
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Sword Art Online Last Recollection - But Why Tho (1)

The news of Sword Art Online: Last Recollection during Anime Expo 2023 at the Bandai Summer Showcase was met with a lot of excitement for many SOA fans. In Sword Art Online: Last Recollection players can experience the beginning of an alternate Sword Art Online adventure with Kirito and his friends in a new adventure. Based on Sword Art Online’s War of Underworld anime arc, our heroes await unique stories and challenges. The game features an entirely original story to the series as Kirito and his friends’ journey to a world we have never seen in the anime or previous games, the Dark Territory.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

I had the chance to play a demo session of the game while at Anime Expo. The mechanics to navigate and explore in Last Recollection are standard. The game, for the most part, is open-world, but not all of the areas are available to explore. Next, the graphics are very detailed, from the character designs, outfits, and the surrounding area. Everything is beautifully designed. I especially enjoyed the graphics during brief cutscenes for party members to perform their special attacks. 

Although it was necessary to keep the open-world aspect limited for the demo, aside from a few enemies and a shop to purchase goods, the path to the boss battle was direct. As I played through the game and journeyed through the Underworld, I gradually fought smaller enemies to work my way up to the boss battle. Aside from a few enemies and a shop to purchase goods, the path to the boss battle was pretty direct, thanks to the onscreen map to help me find my way around. 

Sword Art Online Last Recollection - But Why Tho (1)

The most significant appeal of Sword Art Online: Last Recollection is the combat system and characters. The demo highlighted a wide variety of skills available for each character, which can be extremely helpful when used strategically. The game incorporated a cool-down feature for switching between characters during battles. The cool-down feature makes fighting the boss with your party members harder. Since players have to wait the entire cool-down period before switching to the next character, however, it does force players to be more strategic and swap between each character more wisely. 

The gameplay of Sword Art Online: Last Recollection is reasonably challenging but gets you engaged with the game. Having so many combat command options for each character is excellent, but it can feel overwhelming when you are in the number of combat options. The combat system feels less overwhelming with more practice. 

As for the characters, each party member showcased distinctive gameplay mechanics. Kirito excelled in speed with his signature dual-wielding technique, although it carried some risks. Eugeo, the fan-favorite, offered a more balanced approach with decent speed and maneuverability. On the other hand, Alice exhibited slower movements but possessed formidable strength in her sword attacks. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to explore Dorothy’s abilities within the given timeframe.

Sword Art Online: Last Recollection demo was a great experience and a preview of what fans can expect for the game later this year. Although the combat system is complex and some aspects of the game were a little overwhelming, the characters and captivating graphics make for very engaging and offer an engaging experience. 

Sword Art Online: Last Recollection will be available on October 6, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Knight Terrors,’ Issue #1
Next Article ANIME EXPO 2023: ‘HATSUNE MIKU: COLORFUL STAGE!’ Demo
LaNeysha Campbell
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Just a blerdy girl trying to get through my ever-growing list of anime, TV shows, books, and movies.

Related Posts

Skate Skateboarder But Why Tho

Skate. Feels Like Free-To-Play Done Right

08/31/2025
Outer Worlds 2 Hero But Why Tho

‘Outer Worlds 2’ Delivers A Strong Opening Chapter In Our Hands-On Preview

08/27/2025
Sonic Racing Crossworlds promotional image from SEGA

‘Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds’ Is Fast, Flashy, And Full Of Fan Service

08/26/2025
Anno 117 Pax Romana Albion - Albion promotional image

Our First Look At Anno 117: Pax Romana’s Celtic-Inspired Albion

08/20/2025
Capcom at Gamescom But Why Tho

Hands-On With Capcom’s Gamescom Slate Wowed Us

08/20/2025
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Co-Op promotional image from Treyarch and Raven Studios

It’s All Co-op! How Black Ops 7 aims to keep the squad together

08/19/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

Cronos: The New Dawn Nest
8.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ Does Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Right

By Mick Abrahamson09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

While not particularly sacry, Cronos: The New Dawn is a lot of fun as a survival horror that puts you in the futuristic armor of the Traveler.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here