MeinMMO editor Jasmin was thrilled to learn that you can create your own character in Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad. However, in the test on the PS5, it would have been better in some places to step back into Kirito’s role.
I may be alone in this opinion, but Sword Art Online is one of my favorite animes ever. I know the weaknesses of the anime, but it means a lot to me personally.
It was actually the very first series from Japan that I watched that deals with gaming. Additionally, I had a super funny movie presentation of “Sword Art Online: The Movie – Ordinal Scale” that I will not forget anytime soon. I saw the movie with my brother in the cinema, and we had quite a laugh.
Therefore, I can overlook Kirito’s harem that he builds up over several seasons. The more I was excited about the announcement of Echoes of Aincrad, because the first trailers looked amazing to me, and I couldn’t wait to dive into the world.
I was particularly looking forward to not stepping back into Kirito’s role, but finally experiencing the adventures with a custom character in an individual story. And that’s both the strength and the weakness of the game. Because at one moment, I just felt like a useless side character.
Players experience their own Death Game in Aincrad
With the full release of the game, you can finally customize your own character – excluding the mobile game and Fatal Bullet. Echoes of Aincrad sets itself apart from previous titles in the series by allowing you to experience your own Death Game. Previously, it was only possible to relive the adventures in the MMORPG from the perspective of Kirito or another character.
And this promise is kept well. You start practically from day one in Aincrad and experience the great debacle in which thousands of players died. You are therefore in the middle of the death struggle with your own character, fighting through the levels to eventually escape the game.
The struggle for survival is not only evident in the creation of your own character but also in the combat system. Attacking is heavier than in the previous title, as you need to manage your stamina and special points well to execute strong attacks.
You must carefully consider whether to face smaller enemies. Because even they can lead to death on the “Normal” difficulty level if you are not careful, especially when other enemies suddenly charge into battle.
To make things even more dangerous, one could even activate the Death Game mode, where a single death immediately leads to a game termination and a new save file must be started.
I was hesitant to activate the Death Game mode. But I already noticed in the tutorial how much I have to be careful, even on the “Normal” difficulty level, to avoid dying. During the beta phase, it almost happened to me that I died against normal standard enemies.
Thus, I fought my way from map to map and experienced my own story, which differs from Kirito’s – but unfortunately only partially, as I had to find out.
The star of the anime overshadows my own experiences
Over time, there are indeed some overlaps with the story from the anime. I realize that a raid group has planned to defeat the first boss. I am part of this group but can already see during the planning meeting that Kirito and Asuna are sitting in the audience.
Anyone who knows the anime knows that the two ultimately defeat the boss enemy, as Kirito applies his knowledge from the beta. I also experience this, but as a side character who is separated from the actual boss enemy by an invisible wall.
The boss fight looked like this: I had to defeat some standard mobs on the edge while I watched Kirito and Asuna defeat the first boss enemy in the distance. I couldn’t rush in after defeating my enemies, but could only watch from afar as the two took down the boss.
In retrospect, it didn’t feel great because I would have liked to experience such an important story moment myself. I also only caught the death of the character who dies in this maneuver from afar, which ultimately did not emotionally affect me anymore.
It makes sense that the game wants to retell the story from the anime – but it could have included more moments where I become the star of the story, in other places.
In fact, I was able to face that very boss later in some quests, and he was really a tough tactical challenge, as he also consists of several phases, just like in the anime. However, I only defeated him in a two-person team with my NPC partner, which left a bitter aftertaste.
That being said, our character experiences his own story aside from this. He has his own friends and makes his own acquaintances. However, somehow the emotional moments don’t quite reach the actual main story of Sword Art Online for me.
Great combat system, even though there are only swords
Aside from that, the boss battle was a lot of fun, as you had to use different tactics to avoid getting hit and dying. As mentioned at the beginning, even the basic standard battles are a challenge every time that requires careful attention.
Therefore, every fight is a welcome change from exploring the map. The weapon system also contributes to this. One would actually expect that only swords are used in Sword Art Online and that they all play the same.
Echoes of Aincrad, however, managed to make each type of weapon feel different. I had a lot of fun with the rapier, with which I could execute fast and acrobatic attacks. It played completely differently than the standard sword or similar weapons like the dagger or the great sword.
This means that battles remained fun even after hours, as the different skills allowed for various maneuvers, and you could position yourself accurately to quickly evade an enemy attack.
Getting lost on the map almost led to a game termination
I found the game world beautiful from the very first moment. When I saw the first trailers, I was totally excited and wanted to run around in the worlds of Aincrad. The graphics have improved compared to previous titles, and the look fits quite well with the anime.
However, I quickly had to realize that there is little to discover in the individual areas. Most of the time, you run around, encounter enemies that sometimes spawn randomly, and discover the occasional chest, which usually ends up in dead ends and often holds mediocre rewards. The only exception is the chests that can only be reached after defeating a slightly stronger enemy.
To unlock a specific area on a map, you must first reach the checkpoint. Only then will the individual paths be unlocked on an overview map, and you will see how to reach the next area.
On the third map, this almost forced me to quit. I simply could not reach a specific checkpoint to get to my quest target. I tried all the paths around the area and somehow managed to miss a specific branch that would have led me to the target for an hour.
In general, it often happens that you discover a specific goal ahead of you, but then have a huge chasm or a river in between, making you take a long detour.
The dungeons are a bit simpler, located underground, and are occasionally your quest area. Here you only move from room to room to eventually reach the boss enemy. However, it can also happen here that you get lost, as many rooms look similar, and I once even asked myself if I accidentally went back because two levels were exactly identical in layout.
On the other hand, I find the city of beginnings and all other villages particularly well done. There are NPCs here that don’t have their own daily routine and just wander randomly, but they contribute to making the city feel alive.
The cities are particularly beautifully designed, and it really feels like you are running around in a small area with other people and NPCs. I also find the inn as a player hub, where you wake up every time, well done.
Conclusion: Even hardcore fans need a strong thread of patience
After several hours in the game, I took off the rose-colored SAO fan glasses and must say that the game demands a lot of patience. Exploring the world rarely brings added value, and the paths are so winding that it takes a good sense of direction to navigate.
Additionally, the enemies are recycled quite quickly. Already on the second map, I could recognize the feet of an enemy within the first seconds of a boss intro video and what tactic to expect.
However, if you can overlook these weaknesses, you can have a lot of fun with Echoes of Aincrad. Because for the first time it really feels like your life is in danger and you are playing your own story, albeit with some quirks.
Who is Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad suitable for?
You should play Echoes of Aincrad if you…
- are a fan of SAO and have always wanted to dive into the world
- want to experience the feeling of constant threat
- are looking for fun action battles with tactical elements
You should rather stay away if you…
- easily lose your sense of direction
- need varied standard enemies
- expect an emotional story with you at the center
Is Echoes of Aincrad worth it for players who don’t know SAO? If you’ve never had anything to do with Sword Art Online, Echoes of Aincrad would be the best entry point into the gaming franchise. The game replicates the feeling of the anime well and is also fun due to the combat system. However, you should bring some frustration resistance.
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