Echoes of Aincrad Reviews
Echoes of Aincrad captures the thrill of survival within the floating castle through a highly dynamic real-time action combat system with Soulslike nuances, deep avatar customization, and a comprehensive alchemy and blacksmithing system—making it an unmissable RPG adventure for fans of the genre, despite suffering from some repetitiveness in its enemy roster.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Echoes of Aincrad is a title that, at first glance, offers a world full of potential for Sword Art Online fans and even newcomers. But the deeper you go, the more you encounter only repetition and weakness.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Echoes of Aincrad may seem like a dream game for hardcore Sword Art Online fans, but divorced from the anime’s branding, it’s just a passable action-RPG.
With Echoes of Aincrad, Bandai Namco tries to once again dive into the world of Sword Art Online, now from a perspective of different players.
Echoes of Aincrad is easily the most enjoyable Sword Art Online game I've played, largely because it finally understands what fans wanted from this series in the first place: letting you experience Aincrad as a custom avatar rather than someone constantly standing in Kirito's shadow.
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.
Perhaps it's because the universe it presents is so interesting and the desire for a new .hack is strong; perhaps it's because I was hoping to find something good at some point; or perhaps it's because the combat and the gameplay loop are so entertaining. But the fact is that despite its many and obvious problems, I've continued playing Echoes of Aincrad.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Echoes of Aincrad had the makings of being the Sword Art Online game that people have been waiting for. While it made strides in the right direction, the game shed the “anime game” feel but now wears a “generic RPG” badge.
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.
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.
Echoes of Aincrad delivers a visually spectacular and lore-accurate tribute that will undoubtedly thrill Sword Art Online fans. Regrettably, its breathtaking world design is held back by rigid invisible walls, repetitive mission loops, and clunky combat mechanics. It stands as a decent, high-production Action RPG that ultimately lacks the polish to transcend its licensed boundaries.
Review in Italian | Read full review
In the 40 hours required to complete the adventure, the gameplay loop feels very redundant and not always adequately refined. As far as we're concerned, Echoes of Aincrad is only suitable for die-hard SAO fans.
Review in Italian | Read full review
"A beautiful but unsubstantial Sword Art Online spin-off that even hardcore fans of the anime should think carefully before buying."
Review in German | Read full review
Echoes of Aincrad's premise is a vaguely interesting one. You're a player in a Sword Art Online VRMMORPG experience, which requires the wearing of...
Echoes of Aincrad from Game Studio Inc. is a wonderful open-world setup that brings gorgeous graphics, good backend character building, easy-to-get-into controls, and a very solid story. What it lacks is enemy variety and action-adventure elements that keep the gameplay engaging long-term.
Echoes of Aincrad gives you customisation tools to forge your own Sword Art Online story, but its repetitive design and lingering pace all but remove your sense of agency.
Echoes of nothing at all.
Echoes of Aincrad opens with your player being among the lucky (or perhaps unlucky) few who have been given access to the Beta of SAO.
If you’re new to Sword Art Online, this may be a tougher sell. But if you’re already a fan of the series, Echoes of Aincrad is still worth playing, even with its shortcomings.
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.