I lost interest for Ares towards the end of it. More & more side characters were present & I would have liked that the focus was kept on the initial trio all the time. And the fights were IMO not as good toward the end. The last volumes were supposed to be epic but it was more messy than epic for me.
Plus, I learned to appreciate more SAO over time & I don't really know why. The overall impression I got from it is aging well in my mind

(but I'm still not a fan of big flashbacks ... I don't like to wait for the next events in the current timeline because of a flashback)