Hands-On Preview: Echoes of Aincrad Is Shaping Up to Be a Standout JRPG

Echoes of Aincrad is a JRPG set in the world of Sword Art Online. However, unlike many other games in the series, Echoes of Aincrad is entirely a single-player experience, removing all the multiplayer features of the previous titles.

I was lucky enough to go hands-on with Echoes of Aincrad during a digital preview event, where I got to play about three hours of the upcoming action JRPG. During this preview, I fought a handful of bosses, engaged with its progression systems, got a taste of the story, and got an overall feel of how the gameplay loop works.

While I may be a bit worried about some aspects of the game, most of my experience was super positive. So far, I am thoroughly enjoying what Bandai Namco has created here, and by the time the preview ended, I was itching to play some more.

Skill-Based Combat At Its Core

The combat in Echoes of Aincrad is all about skills, or abilities, and using them at the right moment. These skills come in two forms: character and companion skills. The former is done by your main character, while the latter is a specialized skill executed by your supporting ally.

These two systems function a bit differently. Character skills are activated by pressing L2 followed by a Standard or Heavy attack and operate on a cooldown system. Companion skills, on the other hand, are tied to a meter that fills only by dealing damage to enemies. Once the meter is filled, they are triggered by pressing L2 and one of the four face buttons.

I found the way these are implemented to be very smart, since it encourages constant engagement with both systems. Players are pushed to constantly use normal attacks to build up companion skills while also choosing carefully when to use character skills due to cooldowns. Since this is the case, combat becomes a steady flow of switching between standard attacks, character skills, and companion abilities.

My favorite part about the companion skills is that each ally you recruit specializes in a different field. For example, one may be great at dealing additional damage, while another may add a shield to your health bar, allowing you to take more damage in combat. One companion even revealed the weaknesses of an elite enemy, giving you a better chance at taking it down.

The fact that there were a handful of companions available in the short three-hour preview makes me confident that there will be a ton more in the full release. Add on the fact that there are tons of main character skills to equip makes me think that combat will remain fresh throughout a playthrough, as players are given the opportunity to test out different builds and combinations.

Additionally, the combat in Echoes of Aincrad features a guard, dodge, and parry system which are crucial against the game’s more challenging enemies. The dodge works really well here, helping you get out of the way of a devastating blow, while parrying at the right time opens up the opportunity for a cinematic attack. Pulling off one of these three systems to avoid taking damage always felt super satisfying.

I would say the most important aspect of Echoes of Aincrad, outside of how combat actually works, is that the game is quite challenging overall. Every enemy you encounter is strong enough to kill you if you don’t play smart. This is especially true when it comes to elite enemies and the game’s main bosses, each demanding the player’s full attention. I was worried that the game would be a cakewalk, but rest assured that’s simply not the case. However, the game does offer difficulty options if you are looking for an easy experience.

Cater to Your Playstyle

While most of my time during the Echoes of Aincrad preview was in the midst of battle, I also got the opportunity to test out the game’s progression systems. The game features a standard stats system, where players can invest Growth Points into stats depending on their preferred playstyle. These stats can increase strength, dexterity, stamina, health, etc.

Growth Points are earned by leveling up your character, which is done by defeating enemies and earning XP. However, when you earn Growth Points, you can’t just open up a stat menu and invest points into it. Instead, you have to return to town and access your chest found in your room. The chest also allows you to change your equipment, your partner’s equipment, and manage items in your pouch, such as potions, buffs, etc.

The reason players must return to town to do these things is due to the way Echoes of Aincrad decides to handle its quests. Before leaving town, you are asked to select a quest from a menu screen, and whichever quest you choose, you are sent out into that specific location to get it done. In this case, the town's chest is your way of “preparing” for that specific quest, such as selecting the appropriate weapon, loading up on useful supplies, and investing Growth Points.

This quest system and the act of preparing reminded me of Monster Hunter in a way, where in that game you select a monster to hunt and load up on the appropriate supplies. Simply put, Echoes of Aincrad follows a similar structure, but instead of a monster to hunt, it’s a boss to fight or a dungeon to complete, and I absolutely loved it for that.

The good news is that returning to town doesn’t always place you right at the start of the quest, since players unlock fast-travel points as they progress through an area. This allows you to return to town, make adjustments and/or invest Growth Points, then fast-travel to the furthest point that is near your quest’s objective. This being an option completely removes any tedious nature and makes returning to town less of a chore.

Town is not only a place where you can access your chest, but it’s also a place where you can engage with other systems that help your character to become stronger. It’s essentially a large hub, and throughout your journey, you will encounter multiple towns that act as a hub for that specific area. I got the opportunity to visit three of these “hub” towns in the preview.

There are many reasons to explore these towns. For example, you can find a Blacksmith in town that allows you to either upgrade your weapon and armor, or craft new ones if you have the appropriate materials. Additionally, you can meet characters in town that will offer side quests with valuable rewards. These are just two things I encountered in my short preview, but due to the sheer size of these locations, I’m sure there will be more to do in town in the full release.

Exploration Has Me Worried

My biggest concern about Echoes of Aincrad is its exploration. While each area is absolutely massive, the preview I experienced didn’t showcase any major payoff to going off the beaten path. There were only two key reasons I felt the need to explore a bit, and that was to find chests and defeat mini-bosses that unlock sealed locations.

Once you find a fast-travel point, interacting with it will reveal all chests in the surrounding area and a red logo that represents sealed locations. These sealed locations can only be unlocked by defeating a miniboss nearby, and once you do, you can go through the seal to discover a secret. In my personal experience, this “secret” behind the seal was usually a treasure chest with a strong weapon or item inside.

However, I did encounter one seal that led to a dungeon, but due to the limitations of the preview, I couldn’t go inside. So, this leaves me wondering if these sealed locations go deeper than just providing yet another chest, since there are already a ton scattered throughout the map. Because while chests behind the seals generally provide stronger stuff, I would like these seals to lead to something more substantial, such as a secret boss, hidden skills, characters with quests, etc.

Outside opening chests and unlocking red seals, I didn’t really find anything else to engage with on my way to the main objective, except for fighting tons of enemies. The reason this has me worried is that the game’s areas are incredibly large, and not having much to do outside of those mentioned could lead to a repetitive experience in terms of exploration.

Still, my overall experience with Echoes of Aincrad has been extremely positive, and I can’t wait for the full release. The combat system is flashy and addictive, the progression systems are solid and add meaningful growth to your character, and I love the need to prepare for each quest before you set out. Also, while I can’t say anything about the plot of the story, it’s very interesting so far, and I’m excited to discover how it pans out.