Do you ever play a game and see the potential, but desperately wish it would do more with the source material? There’s a lot of potential in Echoes of Aincrad, but it’s weighed down by some repetitive missions, boring environments and recycled quests.
Echoes of Aincrad loosely tells the story of the Sword Art Online anime, though you’re playing as your own unique hero instead of Kirito from the original story.
Online, but not online
It’s strange to be playing a single-player RPG about a massively multiplayer online game. I kept thinking there should be other players running around the semi-open zones. But instead, it’s just you and your AI companion running from checkpoint to checkpoint, fighting the same giant boars over and over.
Combat is the standout of Echoes of Aincrad. There are a bunch of different weapon types, from swords, axes, hammers and rapiers. The more you play with an individual weapon type, the more abilities you unlock. Some of these are flashy movement abilities, or explosive environmental attacks. This combat loop is good, and it rewards experimenting with your abilities.
Echoes of Aincrad is exhaustingly repetitive. From the moment you step outside of the first town, you run to a checkpoint and fight enemies on the way. Then you do the same to the next checkpoint… and the one after that. When I realised this was every quest, repeated again and again, it started to feel like a slog.
The thirst for adventure
You have a few AI companions to choose from, which was enjoyable. They have little story beats while you’re out exploring the world. In that way, it reminded me of the best-boys-summer-roadtrip that was Final Fantasy XV. Unfortunately, you’re almost always only allowed to take one companion with you on missions, so the party feeling never really gets off the ground.
I love a good JRPG; the melodramatic twists and turns always keep me coming back. Unfortunately, the story for Echoes of Aincrad is quite predictable. Like much of the game, I really wished it would take a bigger leap to try and tell something more compelling.
Echoes of Aincrad is a good-looking game; some of the vistas and environments when you’re out in the world look beautiful. Similarly, the enemies and combat design are very well done. You can easily read the combat and react to enemy attacks and abilities. There is a great little slow-mo finisher that activates when you take out the last enemy in a group, which is very satisfying.
Things I love about Echoes of Aincrad:
- Weapon types feel distinct
- Boss battles
- Companions are interesting and rewarding
Things I don’t love about Echoes of Aincrad:
- Overly repetitive locations
- Excessive running around and backtracking
- Predictable storyline
- Overall bland feeling
Should I buy Echoes of Aincrad?
Echoes of Aincrad felt like a bit of junk food. The combat is enjoyable, the enemies are cool and the fights satisfying in the moment. However, after a session you realise it wasn’t truly nourishing and probably won’t be something I return to.
If you’re a fan of Sword Art Online, I reckon you might enjoy the combat and the world. If not, I don’t think this will convert you.
Echoes of Aincrad is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Access to Echoes of Aincrad was supplied to Quest Daily by the publisher.
