Echoes of Aincrad Video Review

Echoes of Aincrad reviewed by George Yang on PlayStation 5, also available on Xbox Series X/S and PC.Sword Art Online games have mostly been decent, although never truly exceptional. Echoes of Aincrad is a half-step in the right direction with a novel story starring an original cast of characters without heavily relying on Kirito to help it stand out. However, the open zones and world design are big stumbles due to its restricted exploration, along with the lack of variety in both the environments and enemies. The fiery combat and the smithy’s hot iron coals don’t bring enough heat to thaw out the story’s glacial pacing, either. Echoes of Aincrad may seem like a hardcore Sword Art Online fan’s dream game, but divorced from the anime’s branding, it’s just a passable action-RPG.