At a time when virtual reality is swiftly becoming an actual reality for more and more gamers, the VR-inspired anime world of Sword Art Online may become increasingly relevant. This may be why Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet producer Yosuke Futami was eager to cast the net as wide as possible for his newest game, telling us “Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet will be the first title that will be released on the PC, Xbox and PS4 at the same time, and the first PC title.”
Learn more about how Futami plans to broaden his audience with Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet’s hidden gimmick.
Bringing the popular series to PC seems like a natural step for a world with lore based on the idea of immersive MMOs. It comes as no surprise that there may be a large crossover between SAO fans and PC gamers. According to the EMEA product manager on the Sword Art Online Series at Bandai Namco, “As the IP is growing, we have a lot of ambition for this game, and that is why we decided for the very first time to release it on three platforms at the same time… We know that a lot of fans requested a PC version.”
Previously titled #Projekt1514, SAO: Fatal Bullet will likely feel at home on PC, as it uses Unreal Engine 4. The game is set in the world of Gun Gale Online, which fans of the anime will recall from Sword Art Online II. For those unfamiliar with the series, after leaving the fantasy setting of Sword Art Online, the protagonist enters the more modern and bullet-focused world of Gun Gale Online, which certainly seems more appropriate for a shooter.
While Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet may not itself be an MMO, PC gamers looking to leap into its MMO-inspired world will soon have the chance with a scheduled release of early 2018.