Bandai Namco has announced a new game and fans have hoped for a new Tales of
. In the end, it turned out to be a spin-off of an anime, in which the main character finds himself in a game of life and death in an MMORPG.
What kind of game will it be? Bandai Namco revealed last night the JRPG Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincard. Those who know the anime can guess what the premise is. Several players of a VR game become trapped within the MMORPG and die in the real world if they also perish in the game.
IGN has already spent some time playing the game in a preview. According to them, there will be noticeable progress through leveling up and milestones. Additionally, players will have a flexible build system, allowing them to reset their stats for free. This way, they can test multiple weapons, even late in the game.
The enemies in the world are said to be extremely tough. Even normal standard enemies can take you down quickly if you’re not careful. The combat system offers light and heavy combos, parries, perfect dodges, and team attacks. Each enemy would require a different tactic.
Particularly positively, the tester highlights the beautiful graphics. Even mud looks realistic and sticks to the character’s clothing. There is much to discover, with hidden chests, mini-bosses that unlock further areas, and environmental puzzles.
You can see the test video here:
The best part is: The main character is missing!
What about the characters from the anime? Those who take a closer look at the trailer and the preview will notice that there is no trace of the characters from the anime. Unlike previous games of Sword Art Online, this time we do not take on the role of a pre-made character, but create our own.
Several NPCs will take over the role of companions in battle and can support you. For example, there is a character who specializes in healing abilities, and others enhance your damage.
Why is this good? Many players find the story of Sword Art Online silly because the main character Kirito accumulates his own harem there. Almost every female character has a crush on him, even though Kirito is actually in a happy relationship with Asuna. Nevertheless, he manages to attract women again and again, even his own cousin…
Therefore, many in the community are happy that he is missing as the main character (as read on Reddit). This also means that no prior knowledge of Sword Art Online is necessary. You play your own story and do not need to know the backgrounds of the characters from the anime. Thus, the game should be even more accessible than all previous titles.
MeinMMO editor Jasmin says: I am probably one of the few representatives who can overlook Kirito’s love affairs and enjoy the anime. The first season of Sword Art Online was so brilliant that it will forever remain one of my favorite animes. Yes, everything after that can be safely ignored…
All the more I am pleased that there finally seems to be a video game where I can dive into the world of Aincrad myself. So far, the SAO games have lost my interest after just a few hours, with the exception of Fatal Bullet – and even there, Kirito was not the main character.
If you have always wanted to dive into the world of Sword Art Online or are looking for a good video game in the series, then Echoes of Aincrad could finally be the perfect entry point.
Fans of anime games can also look forward to another title. Because a classic that existed before Sword Art Online is returning as a video game. What title that is, you can find out on MeinMMO: “The original is back”: A JRPG was already Sword Art Online, before it even existed, returns after 15 years.
