Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment was originally only set to see the light of day in Japan, with no English to be seen. With the announcement of a Taiwanese release, a new exclusive feature may persuade many North Americans to import the game: English subtitles. Bandai Namco Games Taiwan announced the news recently, saying their release will include both English and traditional Chinese subtitles (despite being released in Taiwan).
This will allow those without a working knowledge of the Japanese language to enjoy the game. Though the voices aren’t English, a little extra reading is par for the course of a JRPG. And Hollow Fragment is just that.
The new game is a PlayStation Vita exclusive and extends the story of a previous title called Infinity Moment, with a new chapter and plenty of extra content to keep fans of the series interested. As well, the game takes place in a different storyline than the one in the anime.
Also of note is the ability to bring a partner along in battle. If you advance your relationship with your partner enough, you can even hold their hand.
Sword Art Online blew up the anime universe a few years back by answering the question: what would happen if I was in an MMORPG and actually died when my life went to 0?
Though the Japanese version of the game comes out April 24th, the Taiwanese version is only a month behind it on May 29th. This time the wait might be worth it.
