The sci-fi fantasy series might not have the same global stranglehold on the industry as it used to, but the world of Sword Art Online still has plenty of storytelling potential to satisfy fans of the series, both new and old. While there are still plenty of fans that prefer the classic era of the franchise, SAO seems to only get better over time and with each successive outing.
Although there has been plenty of excitement over SAO finally returning to the era that started it all in a brand-new storyline after its long hiatus, the series' latest outing has been met with a generally mixed reception from SAO fans already.
We're still eagerly waiting to hear more about the next SAO movie being announced this month, but in the meantime, fans of the series are getting a brand-new Triple-A game with Echoes of Aincrad. This new take on the franchise follows a relatively linear RPG narrative set in the original death game.
The initial announcement was met with a wave of excitement, and some fans have been completely won over by the demo. Reddit user Kirin1000 describes it as a "sleeper hit JRPG for 2026"...
