Echoes of Aincrad

I must confess I was somewhat surprised by the quality of Echoes of Aincrad. Although it still lacks the production value and scope the franchise deserves, it is the title that best recreates the atmosphere of the anime's first season—even without Kirito in the lead role. The chance to experience Sword Art Online from the perspective of an “ordinary” player is precisely what makes it so special, even if that choice comes at a cost.

Echoes of Aincrad is arguably one of the most ambitious video games in the Sword Art Online franchise. Its alternate storyline, solid combat system, and polished audiovisual presentation combine to deliver an entertaining experience.

Echoes of Aincrad needed more time to live up to its own concept.

Echoes of Aincrad sadly fails as both a standalone RPG adventure or as a fan-pleasing experience for the Sword Art Online community. Its flaws hold it back a lot, and newcomers or seasoned fans alike would be better served playing any of the other games in the franchise instead of this one.

It’s just that we’re in the middle of a flood of high-quality JRPGs, from indie through to the big blockbusters, and Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad does limit itself in a way that doesn’t do it any favours. The creative and narrative vision is bold and respectable, but offering a poor aping of what many would consider to be the finest game ever made in service of that creative vision was an ill-advised move.

While the game starts off well as an original story set in the Sword Art Online universe and boasts a very enjoyable combat system, poor gameplay choices and a tedious "semi-open world" will make it difficult to satisfy players outside of the series' fans.

Echoes of Aincrad is a solid albeit middling new entry that adds some enjoyable elements to the franchise. However, many of its gameplay mechanics make the game more frustrating and tedious, ultimately hindering the overall experience.

Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad introduces a few welcome ideas that help refresh the franchise's video game formula. Its Soulslike-inspired combat and maze-like level design make for an engaging experience at first, but the game quickly falls into repetitive patterns. Both its gameplay loop and narrative struggle to evolve over time, preventing its strongest ideas from reaching their full potential.

Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad aimed to present a darker side of the franchise compared to previous titles featuring Kirito and his allies. In a sense, it succeeds in this regard, boasting a grimmer art style, more detailed environments, and character models that are more polished and realistic—avoiding the overly glossy look of earlier games. Moreover, for a die-hard SAO fan, the experience is exhilarating: stepping into the game world, starting the epic journey from scratch, and engaging in combat that is more skill-based—and thus less automated—than in the past. However, this promising concept runs up against glaring technical and conceptual limitations, including level and game design that feel lazier than expected. Consequently, the forty hours required to complete the adventure are marked by a gameplay loop that feels highly repetitive and not always fully polished. Ultimately, we believe Echoes of Aincrad is a title suited only for die-hard SAO fans.

Echoes of Aincrad works when it lets the swords do the talking: the combat system is varied, managing your companion adds a tactical layer the franchise has long been missing, and the crafting, derivative as it is, gives a concrete purpose to every run through dungeons and cities. The problem is everything else. A world that should pulse like a real MMORPG is instead full of mute background characters, a story that takes its time without ever really earning it, and a design choice, locking the Death Game Mode behind a premium purchase.

The game starts off promising, but the remaining 95 percent of Echoes of Aincrad consists of repetition and waiting for a game that never actually begins. Even my love for Sword Art Online ultimately wasn't enough to push through it. Echoes of Aincrad isn't a game that's a complete failure. It's far more frustrating than that. It keeps showing you how great it could have been, only to disappoint you time and time again.

Echoes of Aincrad fails to leave a lasting impression, but for the hours you put into this Sword Art Online adventure, it satisfies the need for more games like this one. However, it’s bogged down by areas that are a chore to explore, and there’s not enough content to justify making the world’s hubs big, since there’s not enough to do in each one. With that in mind, there’s a whole list of things wrong, but also, the bones of this game move the needle forward, even if it isn’t by much.

Echoes of Aincrad is a charming game that has intuitive combat and rewarding character growth. Although its repetitiveness brings down the experience from time to time, I still couldn't help but want to keep playing so I could see where my chums would end up next.

Echoes of Aincrad draws in fans of the source material with an intriguing narrative, epic battles, and a wide variety of builds, though it lacks character development. However, limited exploration, uninteresting activities, and repetitive enemies make the duels tedious, rendering the project unappealing to new players.

If you're a fan of Sword Art Online and like big games with highly variable challenges, Echoes of Aincrad is made for you. For my part, I feel like I've had enough, and I won't remember this game as anything other than a game that could have been a summer favorite if it had made a few very simple changes. Balance the difficulty, and fix the level design. Half the game could have been shredded, with good reason.

It could have been a top-tier JRPG, but a host of issues leave Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online as nothing more than a game that’s fine for killing time without thinking too much.

Echoes of Aincrad is noble in its concept, but far too repetitive in its execution. While the title boasts a solid and compelling RPG system capable of elevating stat management and equipment customization, a flat gameplay execution ultimately extinguishes any enthusiasm. The bold choice to rewrite the narrative by sidelining Kirito stumbles over a slow and poorly delivered pace, an unconvincing combat system hampered by a total lack of hit impact, completely unrewarding exploration, and an overall repetitiveness that borders on exhausting.

Echoes of Aincrad offers a visually spectacular tribute that stays true to the original storyline, sure to thrill Sword Art Online fans. Unfortunately, its breathtaking world design is hampered by rigid invisible walls, repetitive quests, and clunky combat mechanics. It is a solid, high-quality action RPG, yet it ultimately lacks the polish needed to transcend the limitations of the license.

Echoes of Aincrad is not a perfect game, but it has many strengths that allow Sword Art Online fans to experience Reki Kawahara’s work from a new perspective. The idea of letting us live the adventure of an ordinary SAO player is a winning one and gives us the chance to truly become the protagonists of a saga that many of us have loved and that others may come to discover, perhaps right through this game. The combat system is well designed in how it combines basic attacks, skills, and synergy with our companions, making the many battles we face engaging. Character progression is tied to crafting and, between missions, you find yourself managing weapons and materials to strengthen yourself and handle level growth in the most effective way possible, in a system that may not be innovative but is satisfying. The main flaw of Echoes of Aincrad is its inability to simulate the liveliness of an MMORPG, with too many silent NPCs and too few points of interest, which would have provided some variety to the many battles. Technically well made, Echoes of Aincrad has a story that struggles to truly take off and cannot be considered a masterpiece, but it remains a good title that takes home the crown as the best video game dedicated to Sword Art Online.

While its ideas and open world don't always come together into a cohesive experience, the enjoyable combat and memorable moments still make it a fun action RPG despite its uneven execution.

It’s a shame. In my opinion, Echoes of Aincrad provides the best foundation yet for a game set in the Sword Art Online universe. Both in terms of its concept and the fundamental implementation of game mechanics, it lays what appears to be an ideal groundwork—only to do so very little with it. That doesn't mean the title is a total failure; die-hard fans of the source material will likely still find plenty to enjoy. However, the significant gap between the core idea, the presentation, and the game design ultimately relegates Echoes of Aincrad to the ranks of the usual mediocre Sword Art Online titles. And that is a real pity.

Echoes of Aincrad stands out as an interesting yet imperfect reinterpretation of Sword Art Online’s original arc, offering a true story within the story.

Echoes of Aincrad manages the unenviable task of completely squandering the immense potential of its iconic setting. What could have been a thrilling alternate perspective on the classic death game instead devolves into a tedious and frustrating chore. The narrative is poorly paced and abruptly resolved, while exploration is actively discouraged by a disastrous map system and monotonously flat environments. Coupled with a repetitive, unfairly balanced combat system plagued by infinite enemy aggro and poorly designed boss fights, the gameplay loop quickly becomes an exercise in sheer endurance. Despite decent character models, the game is a massive misstep that will make you wish for a forced log-out long before the credits roll.

Echoes of Aincrad isn't a bad game for the franchise; in fact, it has memorable moments that really stand out from the other entries. However, the ambition and fantasy it initially promised are too far removed from the actual gameplay experience, with issues related to pacing, quality of life, and content reuse that overshadow its many strengths.

Echoes of Aincrad is a flawed but fun (re)visit to the flying castle of Aincrad. The choice to make the main character of the game a random player in the world of Sword Art Online might be one of the best decisions in recent anime games. The action RPG combat is standard, with a large focus on the weapon you wield, offering the option to pull off some flashy attacks. However, the world and dungeon design have some odd choices built in, like the inability to venture outside a quest area in the open world or the lack of enemies for large chunks of dungeon and world map. But the moment you let go of the believability of this world, the fun starts to come in the monotony, making the experience oddly relaxing. After all, you’re playing a game within a game.

A beautiful but insubstantial Sword Art Online spin-off that even hardcore fans of the anime should think twice about buying.

I wish Echoes of Aincrad were what it was advertised as. It tries to stand out as what fans expect from a game based on the Sword Art Online franchise, but it fails to capture what makes the franchise special. Instead of focusing on its unique setting and world-building, Bandai Namco instead focused on trends and what they think people want in an Action-RPG.

It's a shame, because the building blocks are actually there. The combat system isn't fantastic, but it's entertaining enough. The weapon system has some good ideas, the simulated MMO atmosphere is actually quite charming, and the whole "death" premise is still strong, even for a new player like me who doesn't have much prior familiarity with Sword Art Online. But Echoes of Aincrad just drags on for too long. It's not a game where I found myself thinking I couldn't wait to see what happened next, rather it became more of a battle between my patience and my stubbornness, where I eventually finished it simply because I'd already got that far.

Sword Art Online games have mostly been decent, although never truly exceptional. Echoes of Aincrad is a half-step in the right direction with a novel story starring an original cast of characters without heavily relying on Kirito to help it stand out. However, the open zones and world design are big stumbles due to its restricted exploration, along with the lack of variety in both the environments and enemies. The fiery combat and the smithy’s hot iron coals don’t bring enough heat to thaw out the story’s glacial pacing, either. Echoes of Aincrad may seem like a hardcore Sword Art Online fan’s dream game, but divorced from the anime’s branding, it’s just a passable action-RPG.

It doesn't excel in any particular area, or offer anything that's genuinely new, but Echoes of Aincrad is an enjoyable single-player action RPG experience once it really gets going.

The best thing I can say about Echoes of Aincrad is I no longer feel nostalgic for the PS3 generation. Whatever goodwill I had going in is completely drained. I came in thinking that era deserved another chance. I left reminded exactly why we moved on.

Echoes of Aincrad understands the tone and appeal of Sword Art Online — and that counts for a lot — but it's let down by undercooked gameplay systems and disappointingly dull quest design. Those looking for a grindy action RPG might enjoy how progression is handled, and hardcore fans of the source material will probably push through for the sake of a mostly entertaining story, but you'll still need to stomach so many issues.

I had hoped Echoes of Aincrad would be more than just another licensed anime game, but it never really rises above that label despite its fun concept, enjoyable story moments, and solid action gameplay. The repetitive filler content and a few questionable design choices make it hard to keep playing for long stretches, which is a real shame. Beneath those flaws lies an engaging combat system and great visuals, making it a decent game if you're willing to overlook its shortcomings.

Echoes of Aincrad is a much more entertaining and better-executed installment in the SAO franchise thanks to its gameplay improvements and new graphical treatment. Although it still has some aspects to polish, it offers a challenging and highly customizable experience that fans will love. Ultimately, it is a step forward that followers will appreciate.

At its core, Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online is definitely a good action RPG. However, due to its repetitive game design and its reluctance to fully capitalize on the opportunities presented by this fresh perspective on the story of the hit anime, it never quite lives up to its full potential.

Echoes of Aincrad has the potential to be a stand-out Sword Art Online game, but it struggles to bear the weight of strangely archaic mechanics and monotonous missions. The story and visuals may be enough to get series fans into the game, but anyone else will likely be hard-pressed to get much out of the game.

Echoes of Aincrad is the most refreshing Sword Art Online game in years, delivering an original story, immersive MMORPG progression, and meaningful character interactions that finally move beyond simply following Kirito. While repetitive dungeons, shallow crafting, and underdeveloped systems hold it back from reaching its full potential, its strong foundation makes it an encouraging first step for the series, but whether players will take those first steps remains to be seen.