Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Closed Beta Test Report! Up to 20 players are playing together in a hot co-op battle!

This article reports on their play. In addition to the above two modes, we will also discuss the characters we were able to control this time. Note that the various button operations described in this article are based on the initial state of PS5.

Flashy combos are possible by combining normal attacks and skills! Exclusive actions for each character!

This title is based on combo attacks using a combination of the □ and △ buttons. Pressing the ○, △, and □ buttons while holding down R1 activates the corresponding "advanced skill. Pressing ○, △, or □ while holding down R1 activates the corresponding "advanced skill," which is more powerful than a normal attack. However, it takes some time before you can use them again, so you need to be a little creative in how you use them, such as combining them with normal attack combos or exploiting gaps in the enemy's attack.

The "Ultimate," which can be activated by pressing R1+R3, is a trump card, and although it has a longer re-use interval than the advanced skill, it boasts overwhelming performance. The techniques vary from character to character, but one should watch the timing carefully to make sure they are not missed.

Of particular note is the "Switch Chain," a move that can only be used against bosses with HP below a certain level, and in which all players in the vicinity of the target enemy participate in the attack. If you press R3 within the time limit after your turn comes around, a "Chain Attack" is triggered. This is repeated as many times as the number of target players, and eventually all players participating in the switch chain can perform a great move called "Chain Fenish. In addition to being highly effective as an attack technique, the sense of co-operation that comes from linking attacks into a switch chain seems to mesh well with co-op quests and boss raids, where cooperation with friends is important.

You can respond to an opponent's attack by either guarding with R2 or evading with the ○ button + move. Both of these can be performed instantly if you are in standby mode, but if you input them during an attack, they are triggered immediately after that move is over. Since it is not possible to interrupt the previous action to evade or guard, it is advisable to stop the combo when the opponent shows signs of attacking, and deal with the situation with a little time to spare.

These are just the basic elements explained up to this point. Depending on the characters in the game, the actions will change in more detail. The "Sword Art Online" series features many familiar characters such as Kirito, Rifa, and Shinon, and each "role" has a different fighting style and skill set.

The six playable characters in the game are Kirito, Egil, Argo, Shinon, Obeyron, and Leafa. Kirito's role is "Fighter," and he is the type that aggressively moves forward to fight the enemy. Egil's roll, "TANK," is good at drawing enemy attacks and protecting his allies. Argo's roll, "ROGUE," is geared toward attack and can disorient the enemy with its quick movements. Sinon's RANGER roll is good for long-range attacks. Obeyron, the "MAGE," is good at attacking multiple enemies at once, while Leafa, the "SUPPORT," is responsible for strengthening and recovering allies.

During battle, the four players form a party, so the division of roles is key. While offensive roles such as FIGHTER and ROGUE are important to defeat the enemy, focusing on these roles can lead to a neglect of defense and recovery. On the other hand, if you focus solely on defense, the party's attacks will be weak and it will take longer to defeat the enemy. I felt it was important to look carefully at the roles of the characters on your side and strike a balance.

Each role has a different role, of course, but the weapons used and the way they move also change depending on the character. For example, Obeyron and Leafa can use the special action "flight," which allows them to move and attack while floating in the air. Sinon has a gun, and although it is necessary to reload bullets after shooting out, and it is also difficult to fight when enemies get close to you, you can use a scope or other means to accurately shoot through enemies from a distance. The way you fight changes depending on which role and character you choose, so even on the same mission, you can enjoy a fresh challenge every time depending on the character you choose. The full version of the game will have more characters that can be controlled, so there are high expectations for a wider range of strategies.

Cooperation with allies is key in co-op quests where up to 20 players fight together.

In Co-Op Quest, one of the modes we were able to try this time, up to 5 groups of 20 players work together to conquer the game. The stage is divided into several areas, starting with an area where parties attack targets individually, followed by an area where parties advance in cooperation, and then an area where they fight a boss that awaits them at the far end of the area.

The most important aspect of the Co-Op quests is the "awakening level system. At the start of the quest, all players begin with an awakening level of 1. The awakening level indicates the player's strength, and various stats such as HP and attack power increase according to the level. In addition, various advanced skills that are initially locked can be unlocked. The experience required to raise the awakening level is gained by defeating enemies, so during the quest, the party should fight as many enemies as possible to strengthen the party and prepare for battles with powerful enemies. Aiming for the fastest possible clear is also a good idea, but in that case, the party's awakening level may not be raised much and they may not be able to fight as much as they would like, or they may struggle against enemies along the way or at the final boss.

In Co-Op quests, as the name suggests, cooperation between players is essential above all. Some of the missions presented involve activating multiple consoles, but the important thing is that the consoles are surrounded by a large number of enemies. Since there is a time limit on the quest, battles must be moderated and consoles must be activated first, but often everyone was so engrossed in the battle that the mission could not be completed at all. Conversely, there were times when we were able to start the console early and move on, so communication and coordination with allies had a significant impact on the efficiency of the quest.

Nevertheless, if you can clear the quest smoothly, that can be dangerous. The reason for this is the awakening level system I mentioned earlier. If the console is activated immediately, it is difficult to raise the level because enemies around you disappear. If you are conscious of clearing time, you should complete the presented missions immediately, but it is also important to level up in preparation for the boss battles. The Co-Op quests this time were reasonably easy, but the higher the difficulty level, the more important it will be to strike a balance between clearing time and leveling up.

When players complete quests, they obtain equipment such as weapons and accessories. The equipment obtained is basically shared among players, so that only one player can take it, and there is no need to worry that the reward itself will be monopolized by a particular player. The only items that are not exclusive are weapon skins and decorations, which are obtained at a low rate from bosses, and are treated as individual drops.

Boss Raid: 20 players face off against powerful enemies

Along with co-op quests, another unique mode in this title is the "Boss Raid," in which 20 players in five 4-person parties battle a giant boss. Compared to the bosses in the Co-Op quests, the bosses are stronger and more aggressive, so careful preparation is required.

The bosses have very heavy blows, and if you are not well equipped, you may be killed by a single blow. The awakening level system is also applied, so while fighting the bosses, the player also has to earn experience by defeating the enemies that appear in the vicinity. However, as in the Co-Op quests, in the boss raid, you can revive an unlimited number of friends who have lost their lives, and even if you cannot revive them, you can respawn the fallen player. I was able to complete the quest on the first try.

Enemies' wide-area attacks are displayed in advance, so you can respond to them by evading and defending yourself.

The boss raid is not an end-content game, but rather a level that can be cleared by equipping the weapons and accessories collected in the Co-Op. 20 players are enough to complete the game, The responsibility of each player is not too heavy, so you can take on more and more challenges without being overconcerned.

In this closed beta test, we were able to experience co-op quests and boss raids. We were able to fully enjoy the real-time leveling up using the awakening level system, the different battle styles depending on roles and characters, and above all, the atmosphere of cooperative play enjoyed by 20 players. The game is scheduled to be released in 2024, but the detailed release date is still unknown. Let's look forward to more information in the future.

• Title Information
• Title: "SWORD ART ONLINE Fractured Daydream
• Target platforms: Switch/PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Steam
• Release date: 2024
• Genre: Multiplayer co-op action
• Players: 1 player offline / up to 20 players online
• Official website: ##

Natsumu Uchiyoshi

Freelance writer with about 10 years of experience. After graduating from a technical college, he experienced writing articles for major game magazines and creating strategy books for editorial production companies. After working for a weekly magazine for a long time and rewriting press releases, he recently started writing for Akiba Soken and other web-based magazines. He is basically an omnivore and plays everything from RPGs to action, simulations, and FPS.

©2020 Reki Kawahara/KADOKAWA/SAO-P Project

©2023 Keiichi Shigurezawa/KADOKAWA/GGO2 Project

©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.