Sword Art Online (Alternative Gun Gale Online): Episode 4 “Death Game” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Title card for episode 4 of SAO Alternative "Death Game"

We’re right back where we started and the action is… okay. But it is the ending of the episode which brings interest. Network Crunchyroll Director(s) Masayuki Smkoi Writer(s) Keiichi Sigsawa, Dengeki Bunko Air Date 4/28/2018 And Then There Were Two: M, Karen With M’s knack for geography, leading Karen to believe M stands for Maps…


We’re right back where we started and the action is… okay. But it is the ending of the episode which brings interest.


Network
Crunchyroll
Director(s) Masayuki Smkoi
Writer(s) Keiichi Sigsawa, Dengeki Bunko
Air Date 4/28/2018

And Then There Were Two: M, Karen

With M’s knack for geography, leading Karen to believe M stands for Maps or Mapper, it seems the odds get even between them and a team using hover crafts. However, the discovery that M, outside of GGO, isn’t just knowledgeable about guns, but seems quite capable of shooting them puts them over the edge and leads to another team being taken out.

Thus leading to a guaranteed silver medal.

Commentary

One of the major issues that may come from this GGO side story is that it lacks tension. Which, when it comes to gun fights, especially with snipers and all that, seems necessary. Yet, we don’t get that at all. There is no silence when it comes to this show. If someone isn’t talking then we are doing a flashback to someone talking.

Making it where, on top of the end goal meeting the real Pito not being enough, the journey to that goal is rather a bore as well.

Followed By The Possibility of Being One: M, Karen

M pointing his gun at Llenn (Karen).

For reasons unknown, currently, thanks to a letter given by M, he tries to kill Karen and thus end their time in Squad Jam. However, Karen’s speed makes it so M doesn’t get to end things in a headshot and now she has him babbling like a baby over not wanting to die.

Commentary

Why does this betrayal feel like a cheap surprise? As if the writers knew, this series was a bit boring so we need some last minute shocker to wake people up? But in reality, all it does is make you wonder, when Kirito and Asuna return, is this what we should expect to see?

Because, at this point, GGO feels like a mini-series which is beginning to overstay its welcome. Like it is simply about milking the franchise than adding a layer or exploring one. So one can only hope when Sword Art Online: Alicization comes out in the fall, it doesn’t resemble this GGO spin-off at all.

Low Points

  1. Lack of tension makes the gunfights just random red lines and people falling over.

On The Fence

  1. Learning M has true gun skills, and seeing them in action was kind of cool. Though with GGO being sort of PG-13 when it comes to its gun violence, it doesn’t present the full coolness of his abilities.

Follow Wherever I Look on Twitter or Like us on Facebook.


Previous Episode’s Recap

[visual-link-preview encoded=”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”]

Check Out Other TV Recaps


Listed Under Categories:


Sending
User Review
0 (0 votes)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.