Review of Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online

I'm between a 7 and an 8 on this series overall. Honestly, I think it would be a much more solid 8 if not for one factor: it's part of a franchise. While this is an enjoyable and fun standalone story, it assumes that the viewer has already watched all of SAO and is familiar with its universe. This is BY FAR the best thing that's been done within the framework of that universe, but I would say it's not really worth going back and watching both seasons of SAO just to have the context for it. I certainly wouldn't have done it if I hadn'talready.

That said, this was fun and well-made. If you've already seen SAO for context, I would highly recommend it (which is something I was fairly sure I would never say about an SAO spinoff). Don't expect anything too cerebral, but it's a good time.