Whether you’re a long-time anime fan or you only got into the world of anime recently, you must’ve heard about an anime calledSword Art Online(SAO) before. After all, SAO was a huge hit when it was aired back in 2012. Not only that, the success of the recentSword Art Online: Progressivefilm adaptation means that this isekai franchise is still incredibly popular till this day.
That being said, even the most avid fans of the series will admit thatthe first arc, the Aincrad Arc, wasSword Art Onlineat its finest. It’s not that the other ones after it are bad, they are just not as interesting as the first one. However, there was actually a spin-off ofSword Art Onlinethat was released back in 2018. And although it might be hard for some hardcore fans to admit it, this spin-off is definitely better than the majority of the story arcs that you see in the main series. Here’s the reason why.
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Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online
The name of the spin-off isSword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online. As the name suggests, it is a spin-off ofone of the major story arcs in SAOcalled theGun Gale Online. Unlike the other VRMMOs, this one is a shooting game where the players can play against monsters or other players using various types of guns.
Other than theGun Gale Online(GGO) game itself, this spin-off has an entirely original cast of characters, and the story also differs greatly from the main series.That being said, although the writer of this spin-off is different from the original creator ofSword Art Online, the spirit of the series lives on and thrives in this new series.
Simpler But More Fun
So what makesGun Gale Onlinebetter thanthe mainSword Art Online? Well, the answer is simply because the premise is actually a lot simpler, and yet it can deliver twice the fun. In SAO, the players are stuck in a sword-based fantasy game, and if they die in the game, they will also die in real life. The action-sequence was exciting, and the real-life threat makes it thrilling as well. However, once the first arc is done, that real-life threat is no longer there, but the author still tries to inject his characters into other sticky situations. And truth be told, it sort of lost its charm after that.
On the other hand, GGO doesn’t have that complicated premise. The main character simply wants to play thrilling games and compete with other characters in order to prove who is the best shooter in the game.It does not have the real-life threat of the main series, and frankly speaking, it doesn’t need it. It’s all about having fun in a fast-paced game while trying to outgun your opponents at the same time. And since the characters know that it is a game, and nothing will happen to them in real life, they can afford to fight recklessly in a way that no SAO players have ever done before, which makes the battle scenes way more exciting to see.
Quirky Characters
Most of the characters in the mainSword Art Onlineseries have relatively similar personalities. That is especially true with the members of Kirito’s harem. Most of them are cute and agreeable girls. Not only that, everybody seems to display a rather calm and peaceful vibe,just like the main character.
That is not the case at all with the characters in GGO. Sure, they may not be battling for their life, but that is preciselywhat makes them so believable and relatable. Take the main character for example. She is a college freshman who has confidence issues due to her above-average height. So she jumps from one virtual game to the next, until she finds a game where she can live as a short and cute girl, which happens to beGun Gale Online. That is not only relatable, but it is also hilarious as well.
For the supporting characters, there’s a group of cute, short, and well-mannered high school girls who enter the game as beefy warrior women. Not only that, they also act like proper battle-hardened soldiers while in game. So as you can see, there are so many quirky yet relatable characters in GGO. Each with their own unique style and personality. What’s even better is the fact that their gaming persona often differs greatly from who they are in real life, just like most gamers.
The Thrill of Battle
The originalSword Art Onlinehas lots of exciting action sequences. The scene of Kirito endlessly slashing away a raging monster with his dual swords is so exciting to see. However, GGO offers a different, and in a way, a much more complex battle than the main SAO Series.
Whether a player sniped the enemy from a mile away or blazed through their defense by a roaring machine gun, battling with guns allowed the players to formulate so many different strategies to take out their opponents. Unlike swords that can only be used for melee fights.
Furthermore, the fact that the main tournament in GGO, the Squad Jam, isa battle royale (just likeFortniteandWarzone), means you get endless gun battles where every team uses different tactics, and every fight can turn into a chaotic situation in a matter of seconds. That is why the combat in GGO always feels so fluid and dynamic. After all, a strategy that is effective for one team may not work at all for the other team. As a result, we get an endless rush of thrill and excitement throughout the series.
The original SAO wouldn’t be able to provide the same level of engagement. After all, it also needs tofocus on the drama and romance aspect of the story. So if you are interested in SAO because of the gaming aspect of the story, then you’ll definitely have more fun watching its spin-off, theGun Gale Online.
