ActionAdventureRPG
SWORD ART ONLINE Alicization Lycoris
The first 3 hours are a test
Gets good by 3h almost every game dips in hours 2–3
Fully opens up by 10h rated like by long-time players
Started playing 78% of owners
Steam reviews 61% positive of 6,835
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours most reviews are negative (68%); after 10h it's 1 in 3 (31%).
- Fully opens up by hour 10.
- The opening is criticised more than in 95% of games we track.
- Most players drop off before “Seize the System” (Complete chapter 1): only 56% of starters get there.
- 78% of owners got the first achievement.
When it gets good
Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.
before it gets good opening up fully opened up
Based on all 6,901 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 299 reviews: 19.3h for positive, 11.5h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.
Where players quit
Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (78.1% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- Seize the System Complete chapter 1 Most players quit here 56% −44
- Underworld, Under Attack Complete chapter 2 32% −24
- Homecoming Complete chapter 3 24% −8
- Medina and Kirito Complete chapter 4 20% −4
- Thick as Thieves Complete chapter 5 18% −2
- The Main Visualizer Complete chapter 6 17% −1
story milestone ending biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (67)
story milestone ending side
- Sword Skills Defeat an enemy with a Secret Art 100%
- Seize the System Complete chapter 1 56%
- Sword Skill Guru Defeat 100 enemies with a Secret Art 41%
- Underworld, Under Attack Complete chapter 2 32%
- Unicorn Rapier Obtain 4 affinity with Asuna 26%
- Enhance Armament Defeat an enemy with a Perfect Weapon Control Art 26%
- Osmanthus Blade Obtain 4 affinity with Alice 25%
- Homecoming Complete chapter 3 24%
- Blue Rose Sword Obtain 4 affinity with Eugeo 21%
- Medina and Kirito Complete chapter 4 20%
- Bolide Bow Obtain 4 affinity with Sinon 20%
- Pro Hero Raise Kirito's level to 50 20%
- Thick as Thieves Complete chapter 5 18%
- The Main Visualizer Complete chapter 6 17%
- Wind Spirit Sword Obtain 4 affinity with Leafa 16%
- Mirage Blade Obtain 4 affinity with Medina 16%
- Elderowl Dagger Obtain 4 affinity with Silica 15%
- Incinerator Truncheon Obtain 4 affinity with Lisbeth 15%
- Release Recollection Defeat an enemy with a Memory Release 15%
- I Bite My Thumb at Your "Limits" Obtain a piece of legendary equipment 14%
- Sortiliena's Favorite Blade Obtain 4 affinity with Sortiliena 13%
- Ronie's Favorite Blade Obtain 4 affinity with Ronie 13%
- Eat the Rich Obtain 1,000,000 shia 12%
- Twin-Wing Blades Obtain 4 affinity with Renly 12%
- Not Designed for This Max out enhancement for one piece of equipment 12%
- Black Lily Sword Obtain 4 affinity with Sheyta 11%
- Ripping Evil Out at the Roots Defeat 10 Clamp Clusters 11%
- Tiese's Favorite Blade Obtain 4 affinity with Tiese 11%
- Weaponmaster Attain a total of 5,000 weapon proficiency 10%
- Poisoned Steel Stiletto Obtain 4 affinity with Linel 10%
- Time-Splitting Sword Obtain 4 affinity with Bercouli 9.9%
- Not-So-Secret Arts Unlock all Sword Skills in all 9 weapon categories 7.3%
- Heaven-Piercing Blade Obtain 4 affinity with Fanatio 7.3%
- Frostscale Whip Obtain 4 affinity with Eldrie 7.3%
- As Old as Time Itself Defeat 10 mythic-class enemies 7.3%
- Sister-in-Training Obtain 4 affinity with Selka 7.2%
- Ruberyl Poisoned Steel Dagger Obtain 4 affinity with Fizel 7.2%
- Weed Whacker Defeat 100 Clamps 7.0%
- Skill Seeker Obtain 400 skills 6.4%
- Search and Destroy Land a total of 500 hits on enemies with the charge gauge at max 6.3%
- The Journey Begins Complete Beginnings 6.3%
- Walking Encyclopedia Clear the game with over 100 hours of playtime 6.1%
- A Rage Stronger Than Love Complete Ironwood Blossom 5.9%
- Conquest & Clatter Complete Glowworm 5.6%
- Conflagration Bow Obtain 4 affinity with Deusolbert 5.5%
- To the Place of My Dreams Complete Hiddenmind 5.5%
- Living With the Past Complete Serein 5.2%
- Forget-Me-Not Complete The Unforgettable 5.1%
- My Love Knows No Bounds Obtain 4 affinity with all heroines 4.9%
- Enhance Armament Guru Defeat 30 enemies with a Perfect Weapon Control Art 4.9%
- Beginnings of Unrest Complete Sprouting 4.4%
- Hundred Days War Complete Pruning 4.2%
- Lord of Acceptance Complete Germination 4.0%
- Lady of Chronicles Complete Axillary Bud 3.8%
- Lord of Conformity Complete Flower Bud 3.7%
- Lord of Agency Complete Bearing Fruit 3.7%
- Guardians of the Human Realm Watch the ending in Dazzling 3.7%
- Recordkeeper Unlock 90% of the gallery 3.6%
- Release Recollection Guru Defeat 30 enemies with a Memory Release 2.7%
- Neither a Test Player nor an NPC Reach affinity rank 2 with 100 people 2.2%
- The Destroyer of the Divine Destroy every divine beast in new Blooming of Forget-me-not areas 1.9%
- Earn all achievements Unlocked all achievements. 1.8%
- The Mightiest Commander Watch the ending in Sprouting 1.8%
- All-Out War Watch the ending in Scattering 1.7%
- Consummate Explorer Watch the ending in Blooming 1.7%
- Triumphant Bonds Watch the ending in Withering 1.5%
- Blossoming Feverfew Watch every ending of Blooming of Matricaria 1.3%
Steam page Updated: 2026-10-19.