Echoes of Aincrad Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad is a solid addition to the Sword Art Online franchise. While its restrictive world design prevents it from reaching its full potential, the new story, memorable characters, and faithful recreation of Aincrad make it an enjoyable experience for longtime SAO fans. If you've always wanted another adventure in Aincrad, this is still worth playing—just don't expect the open-world experience many fans have dreamed of. – NikolaOtasevic
Returning to Aincrad After All These Years
Few anime series have left as strong an impression on me as Sword Art Online. As someone who has spent more than 300 hours in Cyberpunk 2077, I often say that Night City is my favorite virtual city, but when it comes to anime worlds I'd love to live in, Aincrad has always been at the top of the list. I've watched every season of the anime, including Progressive, read a large portion of the manga, and played almost every SAO game released over the years.Because of that, Echoes of Aincrad was probably the SAO game I had the highest expectations for.
The idea of finally getting a customizable protagonist and a completely new story, rather than another retelling of Kirito and Asuna's journey, sounded like exactly the direction the series needed. I genuinely believed this could become the Sword Art Online game fans had been waiting for.
Unfortunately, after spending dozens of hours with the game, I came away with mixed feelings. Echoes of Aincrad is a good game, and it's obvious that it was made with genuine love for the source material, but several questionable design decisions keep it from reaching its full potential.
A New Story That Finds Its Own Identity
Unlike most previous Sword Art Online games, which mainly retold the anime's story with a few twists, Echoes of Aincrad takes a different approach by introducing a brand-new narrative. Familiar faces like Kirito, Asuna, and the rest of the cast are still present, but they are no longer the main focus. Instead, the spotlight is on your customizable protagonist and a fresh storyline unfolding within Aincrad.
That turned out to be one of the game's strongest aspects.
What I appreciated the most was how it explores the psychological side of being trapped inside a virtual world. While the anime often emphasizes adventure and heroism, the game spends more time showing the fear, uncertainty, and emotional pressure of knowing that dying in the game means dying in real life. Several side quests and conversations do an excellent job portraying how different people cope with the realization that they may never escape Aincrad.
That said, the story takes a while to get going. Although it delivers some memorable moments, it never quite reaches the emotional highs of the anime's first season.
The Most Beautiful Version of Aincrad… That Won't Let You Explore It
Visually, this is probably the most impressive recreation of Aincrad we've seen in a Sword Art Online game. The cities, landscapes, and dungeons are beautifully designed, and it's obvious that the developers have great respect for the original world.
Ironically, that's also where the game's biggest problem lies.
For years, I've dreamed of getting a Sword Art Online game that would finally let players freely explore Aincrad. I wanted to walk through the Town of Beginnings without a specific objective, discover hidden NPCs, explore every corner of each floor, or simply stand on the edge of the city and admire the floating world around me.
Unfortunately, Echoes of Aincrad doesn't allow that.
Almost every area is locked behind main or side quests. You can't simply leave town and begin exploring—you first have to accept the appropriate quest before gaining access to a new location.
That may sound like a small issue, but it completely breaks the illusion of living inside Aincrad. More than once I spotted an interesting building or distant landmark that I wanted to investigate, only to be stopped by invisible walls or a message telling me I couldn't access the area yet.
As a longtime Sword Art Online fan, this was easily my biggest disappointment.
Echoes of Aincrad Combat Is Fun, but It Doesn't Evolve Enough
Combat works well overall. You'll combine light and heavy attacks, use various Sword Arts, and fight alongside AI companions who actively support you during battles.
The weapon system is probably my favorite part of the gameplay. Different weapon classes genuinely feel unique, and the upgrade mechanics offer enough flexibility to let you find a playstyle that suits you.
Boss battles can also be enjoyable, especially when you need to carefully time your Sword Arts and coordinate attacks with your party.
However, after several hours, combat started to feel repetitive. While the AI companions are useful, they have one major flaw—they simply never stop talking. Their constant commentary during exploration and combat eventually becomes more annoying than helpful.
A Custom Protagonist Is a Step in the Right Direction
One of the features I was looking forward to the most was finally being able to play as someone other than Kirito.
Thankfully, Echoes of Aincrad finally delivers on that front. Creating your own character makes you feel like you're truly part of Aincrad instead of simply replaying someone else's story.
That said, I would have liked to see even deeper character customization and a protagonist who has a greater impact on how the story unfolds. Still, it's a promising direction that I hope future Sword Art Online games continue to build upon.
A Game Full of Untapped Potential
The biggest issue with Echoes of Aincrad isn't that it's a bad game.
Quite the opposite.
The problem is that throughout my entire playthrough, I couldn't shake the feeling that it could have been so much more.
Everything feels like the foundation of an excellent Sword Art Online game that's simply too afraid to give players complete freedom. The world looks fantastic, the story introduces some interesting ideas, and the combat is enjoyable, but the restrictive exploration and overly linear progression prevent Aincrad from ever truly coming to life.
Final Verdict Echoes of Aincrad
As a longtime Sword Art Online fan, it's difficult for me not to recommend Echoes of Aincrad. I genuinely enjoyed the new story, reconnecting with familiar characters, and returning to one of my favorite anime worlds.
At the same time, I can't ignore the fact that the game missed the opportunity to finally give fans what they've been dreaming about since the very first episode of the anime—the freedom to truly explore the floating castle of Aincrad.
Echoes of Aincrad isn't a bad game. Far from it. It's a solid Sword Art Online adventure that clearly demonstrates how much potential this franchise still has in the gaming world. Unfortunately, it also leaves you with the feeling that it could have been something far greater.
If you're a dedicated Sword Art Online fan, you'll probably enjoy your time with it despite its shortcomings, and it's absolutely worth playing. However, if you're expecting a true open-world Aincrad experience with complete freedom of exploration, you may want to wait for a sale or future updates.
Review code provided by the distributor, Iris Mega.
