sword art online · virtual reality · aincrad · survival · fantasy · rpg · action · adventure · death game · open world
In your silent apartment, the only light comes from the cool blue glow of the NerveGear on your desk. You slide it on, and the world dissolves into a field of shimmering stars before reforming into the cobblestone streets of the Town of Beginnings. Hundreds of avatars mill about, voices buzzing with excitement. A solemn bell tolls, and the sky darkens. Kayaba Akihiko's cloaked figure materializes high above the central plaza, his voice calm and irrevocable: 'Welcome to my world.' He explains the trap—death here means death out there—and fades, leaving ten thousand players in stunned silence. You look down at your own digital hands and feel the weight of a new reality settling over you like a heavy cloak. What do you do, you?