Echoes of Aincrad Review: A Slow, Familiar Retelling of Sword Art Online
The review suggests Echoes of Aincrad struggles to justify its premise, with a slow start and generic side content that fail to capitalize on the series' storytelling potential.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
Bandai Namco's Echoes of Aincrad is an action-RPG retelling Sword Art Online from new characters' perspectives. The review notes the campaign takes over five hours to reach character customization and nearly half the game before the plot takes shape. Side-quests are standard MMO filler, and the silent protagonist limits storytelling.
The review opens with a confession: the author, once a self-described Sword Art Online hater, came to Echoes of Aincrad hoping to give the series another chance. The game, designed for newcomers, lets players experience the inciting events of Aincrad alongside the anime's main characters, but the narrative takes its time.
Over five hours pass before the prologue ends and character customization begins, and the main quest only takes shape near the halfway point of the lengthy campaign. Side-quests stick to familiar MMO patterns, sending players to kill bosses or fetch items, rather than exploring the unseen corners of Aincrad. Supporting characters, especially Iori, are likeable, but stiff animations and flat cutscenes undercut them, and the silent protagonist communicates only through nods and shrugs.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network Game Review