Echoes of Aincrad Reviews
I actually enjoyed the basics and found the story and characters entertaining. But the limited exploration, the sometimes chaotic combat and the unsatisfying ending detract from the experience.
Review in German | Read full review
'Echoes of Aincrad' was a title armed with ideas that fans would welcome. Viewing the original work through the eyes of a unique original protagonist offered a freshness distinct from spin-offs. However, compared to such an interesting story and setting, it was difficult to find any appealing aspects in the gameplay. In fact, setting aside its unique appeal, the level design—which should be considered the fundamentals—was so drawn out that it felt disappointing.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad successfully shakes up the formula with an engaging, flexible action-RPG combat system and rewarding partner mechanics. Unfortunately, severe pacing issues, a lifeless custom protagonist completely overshadowed by Kirito, restrictive invisible walls, and heavily recycled enemy designs relegate this barebones spin-off to a tedious, budget-strained slog.
Despite various limitations, Echoes of Aincrad is a visually and technically solid tribute that offers SAO fans a unique way to experience the world of Aincrad from a fresh perspective.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Despite my wide array of criticisms, Echoes of Aincrad was still a pretty solid experience, but its gameplay and exploration are the weakest parts of the whole package. With a solid story and interesting characters, the recreation of the Death Game is as good as we've had it so far. Combat is fine enough, but exploration suffers due to invisible walls, and a stumbling in the dark approach to traversing it. Regardless, Echoes of Aincrad does make large strides in the right direction of being “that” Sword Art Online game we've always wanted, I just wish it felt more like the grand MMO it was needing to be.
Echoes of Aincrad is a bland, tedious attempt to cash in on the nostalgia of Sword Art Online fans, offering little more than a dozen hours of boredom.
Review in Polish | Read full review
A somewhat failed attempt to translate the Sword Art Online experience into the video game medium. Kirito and company will have to wait a little longer for the adaptation that finally does them true justice.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Echoes of Aincrad is an incredibly frustrating game because so much of it works, yet doesn’t. Its core combat mechanics, progression, and story all show flashes of what made the original series so enjoyable, yet they’re all tied together by a genuinely frustrating exploration system that repeatedly and severely undercuts their strengths.
Sword Art Online has always had a premise that seemed perfect for video games: living inside an MMORPG where every battle, level gained, and decision becomes part of a fight for survival. Echoes of Aincrad embraces that concept by placing players directly into the world of Aincrad, allowing them to create their own character and experience the early events of the series from a fresh perspective. Unlike previous adaptations, the adventure is not centered solely on Kirito. Familiar characters such as Asuna, Argo, and Kirito himself remain part of the story, but players take on the role of another survivor trapped inside the game, struggling to grow stronger and find their own path through that world. The opening hours, however, take a while to reveal the game's full potential. The prologue keeps players confined to enclosed environments for an extended period, functioning almost entirely as a lengthy tutorial while introducing the core mechanics. This approach fits the initial feeling of being trapped inside Aincrad, but it also delays the moment when the game begins to showcase its strongest qualities. Once that introductory section is finally over and players begin exploring the open areas, towns, and landscapes, it becomes much easier to understand what Echoes of Aincrad is trying to accomplish: transforming one of anime's most iconic settings into a world where players can truly forge their own adventure.
Echoes of Aincrad needed more time to live up to its own concept.
Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad proves to be one of Bandai Namco’s strongest video game adaptations, although it still struggles with some of the common issues found in modern JRPGs.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Boss fights finally made me slow down in Echoes of Aincrad. Instead of cutting through another easy enemy, I had to react to what was happening and create an opening for my partner to counter. The story moved too slowly between those fights, and blocked paths kept exploration tied to the current quest. Repeated enemies made the trip to the next boss drag. This is mainly for dedicated Sword Art Online fans who want another trip through Aincrad and can accept how often repetition gets in the way.
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.
Echoes of Aincrad is a serviceable entry point for most casual fans, complementing the main narrative without ever detracting from it.
Echoes of Aincrad delivers an enjoyable action RPG packed with meaningful progression, satisfying combat, and enough original storytelling to keep even the most die-hard Sword Art Online fans invested.
Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad represents the franchise's most ambitious chapter. With engaging combat, rewarding exploration, good customization, and a story that works for both veterans and newcomers, the RPG delivers a solid experience.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Echoes of Aincrad has real heart in its soundtrack and world design, but empty, linear zones and constant enemy recycling drag it down. Combat is genuinely fun, just not enough to save the pace.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Echoes of Aincrad has the bones of the SAO game longtime fans have wanted for years; it just needed more time in the oven to fill out everything surrounding that skeleton.
Echoes of Aincrad initially seems like an ambitious adventure, especially with its story concept and its beautiful world, in addition, of course, to its relatively entertaining combat. However, the game quickly loses its luster, and a set of design decisions turns it into a mediocre experience.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
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.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review