It’s always hard to tell if new games set in Sword Art Online’s virtual reality universe are actually, y’know, VR games or just games set inside VR. This upcoming release looks like it’s the former, though it’s hardly the one we were hoping for.
From the looks of it, Sword Art Online: Lovely Honey Days (yes, that’s really the name) is a dating simulation for smartphones that features series heroine, Asuna. Playing as protagonist Kirito, you interact with Asuna in seven different environments including picnics, ruins and the beach. If didn’t already know the direction this was probably going, the video below shows Asuna in a bikini, stepping over players with a towel on in a spa, and tied up during a mission. Yep.
https://youtu.be/-6u59dVN2VU
You’ll respond to her via on-screen prompts and even be able to talk to her outside of VR via a simulated messaging service. The app is set to arrive in Japan on iOS and Android across seven episodes throughout 2018, the first of which will be free. No word on a localized release right now.
It’s safe to say this isn’t really what we were hoping for from a Sword Art Online VR game. The anime series depicts an expansive metaverse for players to adventure into, which provides the perfect context for a VR game. But all hope is not lost; the upcoming Sword Art Online: Replication sounds like it will be a much more faithful take on the series for headsets.
