As a long-time follower of the Sword Art Online series, from the Aincrad arc to Gun Gale Online and Alfheim Online, I’ve always been fascinated by Reki Kawahara’s vision of VR and AR gaming. His ability to imagine these technologies is truly inspiring, and it fuels my own dreams of bringing such immersive experiences to life one day.
Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale earns a high score from me because it effectively showcases the potential impact of Augmented Reality (AR) on our daily lives. The movie subtly incorporates elements like calorie counters within the AR environment, hinting at the technology’s broader applications.
What truly sets Ordinal Scale apart is its innovative concept of translating Virtual Reality games into the real world through AR. Unlike VR, where players are stationary while their avatars traverse virtual landscapes, AR in Ordinal Scale allows players to physically move within their real-world surroundings, directly influencing their in-game actions. This creates a compelling and immersive experience, blurring the lines between the virtual and real.
The narrative seamlessly ties into the established Sword Art Online universe, featuring familiar characters in a new AR gaming context. Witnessing the contrast between their VR combat styles and their AR adaptations is a highlight. The movie realistically portrays the physicality of AR gaming, where skills honed with controllers translate into real-world movements with a sword in hand.
However, my rating isn’t a perfect 10. The film’s climax, while action-packed, slightly falters in its realism regarding AR mechanics. The ending feels rushed and relies on somewhat illogical AR gameplay, which was a minor disappointment in an otherwise exceptional movie.
