Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
In 2026, a new machine called the Augma is developed to compete against the NerveGear and its successor, the Amusphere. A next-gen wearable device, the Augma doesn't have a full-dive function like its predecessors. Instead, it uses Augmented Reality to get players into the game. It is safe, user-friendly and lets users play while they are conscious, making it an instant hit on the market. The most popular game on the system is “Ordinal Scale” an ARMMORPG developed exclusively for the Augma. Asuna and the gang have already been playing OS for a while, by the time Kirito decides to join them. They’re about to find out that Ordinal Scale isn’t all fun and games…
Ordinal Scale is a theatrical-quality upgrade for the SAO franchise, with Aniplex and A-1 Pictures delivering notably polished animation and fluid action choreography that genuinely elevates the visual experience above the TV series — the AR concert sequences and boss battles are cinematographic standouts. The plot, however, is a familiar SAO formula: mysterious antagonist, players in danger, Kirito must overcome a power handicap to save Asuna. It hits emotional beats for fans but offers little that feels genuinely surprising in structure or theme. The voice cast performs competently within well-established character grooves. Novelty is low — the AR conceit is a timely hook but the narrative execution is thoroughly by-the-numbers for the franchise and the isekai/VRMMO genre broadly. The ending resolves satisfyingly for fans with appropriate emotional payoff, though it relies heavily on prior investment in the characters to land.