The Final Preview

Sword Art Online (SAO) is an elusive franchise that has managed to consistently pump out games almost every year or two. Based on the Japanese novel series, the series focuses on a game called Sword Art Online, and the video games based on it have always fallen into the category of other adaptations, such as the Attack on Titan, Naruto, or Demon Slayer games. They are of a solid quality, but none of the games has ever been given the time or budget to break out from the crowd of other RPGs.

But Bandai Namco is clearly looking to change that with Echoes of Aincrad. Dropping Sword Art Online from the title, and no mention of it in the game’s Steam description clearly shows Bandai Namco wants you to think this is its own thing. After a few hours with the game, as someone with no tether to SAO, it is definitely shaping up to be a great entry point if you are looking for a new RPG, with in-depth combat, great visuals, and a wide-open world to explore.

Forced Into a Fight

Echoes of Aincrad doesn’t completely remove itself from the Sword Art Online framing, as the game’s story reveals that you are trapped inside SAO. An evil entity has prevented you from logging out of the game, forcing you to fight across the floors of the titular castle Aincrad to take down evil monsters and make allies along the way.

The preview didn’t offer much in the way of story as I got to play a collection of sections from different points in the game, but I never found myself getting lost in the lore and nomenclature, and it seems clear that Bandai Namco is trying to make Echoes of Aincrad as approachable narratively as possible.

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The setting of Aincrad is a simple, yet enticing one, with the task being to reach the top floor of the castle.

I didn’t get enough of a taste to provide broad thoughts on the overall story. Still, the setup is simple enough that it puts the focus on the exploration and gameplay, especially as many of the characters that you meet throughout the story can be used as companions during fighting.

The setting of Aincrad is impressive at a glance due to its monolithic and massive size. But, in reality, in gameplay sections, the zones and floors you explore feel very traditional for an RPG like this. That’s not to say the visuals don’t delight, as it is clear that a significant amount of work has been put into crafting the landscapes, environments, and enemies. In many ways, the game’s production values feel higher than several of Bandai Namco’s more recent games, such as Code Vein II and Synduality: Echo of Ada, which was surprising considering this is a fairly niche franchise.

This extends to the game’s UI, visual effects, and character models, which are all some of the best I can remember from an RPG like this in recent memory, further cementing Echoes of Aincrad as a great jumping-in point for new players, and likely, the Sword Art Online game many fans have wanted for a while.

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Visually the game has far more flair and pop than you might expect for an entry in a long-running niche franchise.

Ordinary Open World

One thing that you won’t find here, at least based on my few hours with the game, is an evolutionary or particularly exciting open world to explore. Aincrad is a rather unremarkable world, with a lot of brown castle corridors and landscapes that cover the basic regions of “grass, desert”, etc. There weren’t any landmarks or areas in my playtime with it that made me go “oh wow, I haven’t seen this before”, which I feel can be said for most RPGs of this type. I’m hopeful some of that is lurking in the game, as I did enjoy the process of exploring Aincrad for loot or chests, and the setup of having to reach the top floor of the castle is an enticing one.

There are, however, a good number of secret areas and enemies to discover, alongside areas or caves that require specific equipment, such as a rubble wall that requires a mine to destroy. Aincrad has a fairly inconsistent level of difficulty, as I found some enemies much harder, only to walk 50 meters and take down a pack of beasts with ease. But, it is also hard to gauge that in this preview, as a lot of the loadout, gear, and equipment we had was given to us.

Thankfully, the act of fighting things felt great. Combat is responsive, with flurries of visual effects and sparks as you pull off different elemental attacks and moves, making it visually engaging. It’s a robust combat system with a wealth of combos, partner attacks with your companions, and a souls-lite feel when it comes to learning boss attacks and their movement patterns.

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Combat is full of flashy elemental effects, abilities, and companion team-ups, which help it feel dynamic and exciting.

It’s not the best combat system in the world, but it’s one of the more developed ones I have seen from an RPG like this in a while, and it feels far more mainstream than previous entries in the game, with roots in action RPGs and soulslikes.

All of this contributes to Echoes of Aincrad feeling like the most mass-market and appealing SAO game yet. While this may upset some fans of the series, as someone who has no attachment to the franchise at all, a few hours with the game have made me excited to check out the full thing.

Ultimately, I can take a by-the-numbers open world if the game’s combat and the hook have me gripped, and Echoes of Aincrad definitely possesses those features. If you have been starved for a new RPG to get stuck into, don’t let Echoes of Aincrad slip by. Whether you have played a SAO game before or not, there is a solid framework here that I hope comes together across the full experience.