Xbox REVIEW | Echoes of Aincrad

Welcome to the world of Sword Art Online, or SAO for short. For those of you who don’t know about the franchise, here is a very quick recap. People play online, fully immersive VR games. People get trapped in the game and can only leave if they beat the game or get killed trying. Games kill you for real, so if you die in the game, you die in real life. Got all that? Ok!

Echoes of Aincrad is another delve into the same universe, this time from the point of view of your very own character that runs basically along the same timeline as the anime. Now this is a game I could get into, is what you are probably thinking, right? Well, hold on for just a moment, read on and see what the Scottish guy who loves anime has to say…

To begin with, if you don’t know the universe of SAO or are just getting into it, you will probably enjoy the story a lot more than people who have been heavily invested in the lore for years. That’s not to say they won’t have a fun time playing, but they might end up skipping a lot of cutscenes, having already gotten the gist of the plot. Personally, I am one of the ones who vaguely knows the story, so I got quite invested in my little team of characters. But there are a few flaws to this game, but are they a big deal? Are they game breakers? Let’s take a look at the good and the bad of Echoes of Aincrad.

Things I liked!

• The Narrative | Like I said earlier, if you are relatively new to the lore of the SAO universe, then Echoes of Aincrad will help ease you in without spoiling too many major plot points. The story develops in a slow-burn way, which I quite enjoy, allowing you to get to know your companions and the world around you at a nice even pace.
  
  You start the game as one of the many Beta testers exploring small sections of the world and gaining skills that will help you survive for far longer, but the fear of death both-in game and in the “real world” hangs over every decision you and your party make (This actually comes into play a lot better when you unlock Death Game Mode, where, if you die you lose your whole save file) the fact it runs parallel to the main anime means you will occasionally meet characters from the anime and embark on quests involving them, but again it won’t spoil much.
  
  You will find yourself actually caring about the characters you meet, and training your favourite alongside your own self is quite rewarding… provided you can choose a favourite. As, someone sort of new to the SAO universe I actually found myself wanting to watch the original now to see what all the fuss is about, so Echoes of Aincrad has done a good job if the narrative was created to ease people into the lore.

• Soundscape | Quite frankly, the music of Echoes of Aincrad is gorgeous; it never feels as though it becomes grating or irritating like you might find in other RPG-style games, especially during battle sequences. I would actually happily just chill and listen to the soundtrack while editing or even just relax whilst reading a book. The sound is extremely impressive too, with thunks, whacks, footsteps, and echoes performing exactly as they should, making the game feel as real as a game should feel in this day and age.
  
  When it comes to the voice acting as well, you have the choice of Japanese or English, and unlike a lot of RPG games out there, the English side of things is fully voiced; every line is spoken (except for you, because, you fill that part in yourself in your own head), and nobody phoned in the performance. Kudos to all of the voice actors involved in the creation of this game; they deserve a lot more recognition.
  
  
• Weapons and Combat | Pick up your sword and your shield and head into battle. Don’t like that sword? Try a couple of other swords. Swords are not your thing? Tough, this is Sword Art Online, not shooty bang-bang fun time forever… game. Actually, you do get more choices than swords; you can use axes, maces, and knives as well, but that is your lot. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining; the game gives you quite the hefty choice in weaponry and an even heftier choice in how your weapons look and feel. You can customise your chosen weapons as well, which helps with the battles you will face as you progress through Echoes of Aincrad.
  
  Talking of battles, the fighting system is less of a button-mashing effort in higher difficulty levels and is more about learning patterns, utilising skills and sword arts, and also making sure your companion character is utilised properly. If you want a bit more effort in your battles rather than just hack and slash, then move on, and then you will find Echoes of Aincrad to be quite a satisfying game. Mind you, if you just want to hack and slash, the easier modes, allow that too, so there is something for everyone.
  
  
• Graphics | As it should be, the world of Echoes of Aincrad is gorgeous, and so it should be, with multiple frames of reference such as a rich background of games, anime, and manga to work from; anything less would be disappointing. Now, that’s not to say we are looking at hyper-realistic perfection here; no, in fact it plays on the fact the characters are trapped in a game to its advantage. Enemies disappear in a blast of oversized pixels, maps are drawn in mid-air in front of you, and from what I have been told, a lot of the landscapes are actually anime-accurate, so if you want to explore where your favourite characters have been, then have at it. I loved the cel-shaded look of the characters and enemies as well, further cementing that this could have jumped straight from the anime.
  
  
• Length and Lore | Echoes of Aincrad is a long game, so strap yourself in and expect to be playing for a good couple of days. Now, I have heard the game can be completed in just over 20 hours, but that’s if you rush through, don’t explore, and ignore all the side quests, which is something I can’t do. I love exploring the maps and finding little secrets and chests and learning the lore of the world. For me it’s something I am going to continue to play after I write this review, and I might even start fresh with a new character after that as well to see if I can find anything else.
  
  Now if like me you are a fan of the exploration side of things then you will find a lot to keep you happy in this game with a tonne of lore to read, from characters, enemies, places and even the weapons you own. But again, for those of you looking for just a fun, no-frills hack-and-Slash, you can always put the game on story mode and blast your way through it.

Mixed & disliked!

• Enemies | I don’t mean this in a oh my god they are so difficult I hate them kind of way, but more in a there is a lack of variation in enemy type kind of way. You will find yourself fighting the same creatures over and over again, which I suppose in an RPG setting is pretty normal, but once you have fought a hundred boar, types you might start getting just a little bored. In later parts of the game, you will come across more dangerous variants, with different move sets and the like, but I personally would have liked to have seen more enemy types.

• PAUSE | What do you mean I can’t pause a single-player game? I mean, seriously, though I understand that it’s meant to be a recreation of an MMORPG, the plain fact of the matter is that it isn’t. It is a single-player experience, masking as an MMORPG, and therefore we should not be penalised for needing a cup of coffee or having to answer the door or even a call of nature. I don’t even think it would break the immersion, that much because most of the time, you are too invested in the game to actually want to pause. But… well, please add that function in!!!
  
  
• Achievements | Ok, this is just a short gripe, but why are the achievements so elusive? Twenty hours in, and I only managed to get 8 out of 52, and it’s not for lack of exploring and collecting loot. I got through quite a bit of story too, so I wonder if there is maybe a glitch and one day they will suddenly pop, up or, if they are just a fingertips’ length away. In any case, if you are an achievement hunter, just be aware they aren’t the easiest to get.

• How long did I play the review before publishing? 20 Hours
• How long to beat the story? 34 Hours
• How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 8/52 OR 80/1000G
• How long to get 100%? | 78 Hours
• You’ll love this game if you like these | Code Vein, .hack//G.U. Last Recode, Granblue Fantasy: Relink

Score: 78/100

Echoes of Aincrad is an odd one for me; I do like it a lot, but I found myself getting just a little annoyed at the lack of variation in enemy types and the battles getting easier because of this. There is a lot to like about Echoes of Aincrad if you are new to the SAO universe, but fans of the anime might find themselves getting a little frustrated at themes they have seen before. I would recommend this to those of you who enjoy a good RPG and who want to invest in the lore of the SAO universe.