5 Star

The Old Corrupts the New.

A-1 Pictures (Fairy Tail, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Occultic;Nine, Persona 3 The Movie: #3 Falling Down) along with Sword Art Online director Tomohiko Itô (Erased, Occult Academy) bring us the next instalment in the world of VRMMORPG and its progression into the new big thing ARMMORPG. With A-1 Pictures animation style this is a winner as Kirito and Asuna carry on their adventures.

Ordinal Scale opens with a previously, in that it informs the viewer that in 2022 Full Dive VRMMORPG became a thing. Sword Art Online was the biggest VR game on the continent and its creator was a sick man who designed that no-one could log out of the game and that if you died in game you died in the real world. The game took 4000 lives before it was finally conquered. The survivors are placed in a special school where they are re-educated to fit back into reality.

Now it is 2026 and there is a new kid on the block, ARMMORPG (Augmented Reality) where the player is concious whilst playing a game or are organising their lives, the Augma changes the perception of the players surroundings, turning skyscrapers into towering rocks or a plaza into fighting arena.

The usual friends from SAO still meet up and the girls, Asuna, Lisbeth and Silica are all well into using the Augma. They encourage Kirito to use it as well as there are fringe benefits to playing the new ARMMORPG: Ordinal Scale such as free cake and as all members of the survivors school were given one and tickets to see AI idol singer Yuna, it would be foolish not to use it. But he is still a VR man at heart.

It is only when Asuna tells him that old level bosses from Aincrad (SAO) are turning up in OS and they give big ranking points, which everybody needs, that Kirito dons his Augma and they head towards the rendezvous point.

There they find a lot of new players and old ones as Klien turns up with the Furinkazon.

“Ordinal Scale, Activate!”

The clock strikes 9pm and everybody wearing an Augma sees the change in the city. The ex SAO players instantly recognise Kagachi the Samurai Lord from level 10 of Aincrad. Having fought him before the ex SAO player know his moves while others just attack without a plan. Overseeing all this is Yuna ready to dish out points to the hardest warrior. Another fighter on the field of battle is the #2 ranked player and he has impressive skill unlike Kirito who hasn’t the muscle power to use his weapon efficiently yet. As Asuna is about to deal the final blow she passes #2 who whispers ‘switch’ in her ear, a game mechanic from SAO that she recognizes.

Asuna gets the points for the kill and everybody is impressed, but there may be more to this and Kirito wants to know what it is. Somebody is using the Augma for their own devises, watch and see how the riddle is sorted out.

Another great addition to the story of Kirito and Asuna et al.

Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale is available as a Collectors Combi [Blu-ray].