Echoes of Aincrad Review Roundup
Is Echoes of Aincrad worth it? Launch Metacritic lands at 60/100 (8 critics) and OpenCritic rates it “Weak.” We gathered the reviews from Metacritic, IGN, NoisyPixel, Maxi-Geek, GameSpew, NGOHQ, and RPGFan — scores, pros, cons, and whether Bandai Namco's SAO action JRPG delivers on the Aincrad fantasy.
Reviewers agree: strong combat and an original-cast story, held back by repetitive world design and a shallow endgame.
Critic Average
Based on six scored outlet reviews (Metacritic aggregates 60/100 from 8 critics at launch; OpenCritic rates it “Weak”). IGN's assessment is delivered via video review and is excluded from the average.
NoisyPixel
Azario Lopez · July 8, 2026
“Strong Foundations, Unfinished Floors — a solid first clear that understands why SAO still matters, even if it only reaches the lower floors of its ambition.”
The Good
- ＋Original perspective — playing as a new protagonist alongside an original cast instead of retelling Kirito's journey
- ＋Immersive MMORPG atmosphere — deliberate pacing, party-building, and progression capture the feeling of surviving inside SAO
- ＋Accessible yet rewarding combat — straightforward mechanics elevated by well-designed bosses, parries, and dodges
- ＋Excellent English voice acting — the series' first full English dub, voiced even in side quests
The Bad
- －Repetitive dungeon design — floors reuse identical layouts and objectives
- －Underwhelming crafting system — gathered materials rarely feel worthwhile
- －Lifeless towns — safe zones offer little beyond shops and quests
- －Limited exploration rewards — treasure and map completion rarely incentivize thorough play
Maxi-Geek
Aaron Ducret · July 9, 2026
“A great first impression that you quickly realize is all the game has on offer — a grind that never truly rewards you for it.”
The Good
- ＋Weapon variety and Sword Skills are genuinely pretty good across most of the six types
- ＋The prologue is actually fun to play
- ＋Tying the character creator into the anime was a nice touch
The Bad
- －Bland and repetitive world design and dungeons — only two biome types across the two floors
- －Excessive reuse of bosses with few actual variations
- －Egregious story pacing that ends on an unsatisfying, DLC-teased note
GameSpew
GameSpew · July 2026
“A fun but unambitious action RPG — it doesn't excel in any particular area or offer anything genuinely new, but Echoes of Aincrad is an enjoyable single-player action RPG once it really gets going.”
The Good
- ＋Souls-lite combat with stamina management, resting spots, and enemy resets
- ＋Companion skills reward timing — parry to open a partner exploit, fill the gauge for an unison strike
- ＋Multiple difficulty levels keep it from being a gruelling experience by default
- ＋Blacksmith services let you upgrade favourite gear and assemble a small selection of perks
The Bad
- －Takes a while to get going — lengthy prologue and repeated early ground
- －Overworld traversal can be a chore — dead ends and backtracking until a resting spot reveals the map
- －Having to return to your room in town to spend growth points feels clunky
- －Offers nothing genuinely unique versus genre peers
NGOHQ
NGOHQ · July 13, 2026
“A game of unrealized potential, but that should not be mistaken for failure — its strongest ideas are genuinely compelling, and for SAO fans it offers enough strengths to outweigh its frustrations.”
The Good
- ＋Viewing Aincrad through an ordinary survivor gives the familiar setting a refreshing perspective
- ＋Responsive combat system rewards learning the mechanics
- ＋Satisfying progression mechanics provide a foundation for a lengthy action RPG
- ＋One of the strongest Sword Art Online games released to date
The Bad
- －Exploration rarely delivers the sense of freedom Aincrad deserves
- －Quest variety becomes increasingly repetitive as the campaign progresses
- －Pacing suffers whenever mandatory progression slows the story's momentum
- －Technical issues on PC — no DLSS, basic graphics presets, occasional shader stutters
RPGFan
RPGFan · July 2026
“Echoes of nothing at all — a concept mistaken for a game where nothing changes, nothing matters, and nothing holds it together, even for Sword Art Online fans.”
The Good
- ＋Labyrinths are occasionally interesting
- ＋Clean presentation that adheres closely to the source anime
The Bad
- －Repetitive and formulaic quest design
- －Heavily recycled enemies across the campaign
- －Weak story with minimal character development
- －The Death Game premise is largely wasted, and scope is limited to just two floors
IGN
George Yang · July 8, 2026
“A half-step in the right direction — but divorced from the anime's branding, it's just a passable action-RPG.”
The Good
- ＋Novel story starring an original cast that frees itself from heavy reliance on Kirito
- ＋Frenetic, methodical combat is the saving grace of the experience
- ＋Strong customization and weapon-modification (synthesis / transfer) systems
- ＋Warped Dungeons post-game roguelite mode adds endgame grind with Key Stone buffs
The Bad
- －Bare semi-open world slows the story's pacing to an unbearable crawl
- －Lack of environmental and enemy variety — palette-swapped wolves, bears, and trolls
- －Railroaded exploration with little sense of discovery or spectacle
Metacritic
Aggregated from 8 critics · July 9, 2026
“A mixed launch — Metacritic aggregates an initial 60/100 across eight critic reviews, while OpenCritic slots the game into its 'Weak' tier.”
The Good
- ＋Combat and the death-game premise earn consistent praise across outlets
- ＋The original-cast story is a genuinely fresh angle on the Aincrad fantasy
- ＋First full English dub in the series' game history lands well
The Bad
- －Repetitive dungeon and enemy design drags the score down
- －Shallow crafting loop and limited exploration rewards noted by multiple reviewers
- －OpenCritic labels the aggregated reception 'Weak'
Our Take
Echoes of Aincrad is the most encouraging Sword Art Online game in years — and also a flawed one. Across the launch reviews, the consensus is remarkably consistent: the combat is the star, the original-cast story is a genuinely fresh angle on Aincrad, and the English dub is a series first that lands well. What holds it back is repetition — dungeons, enemies, and bosses reuse the same handful of templates across the two available floors — plus a crafting loop that rarely rewards curiosity and a story that some feel teases its true ending behind future DLC. If you are an SAO fan who has always wanted to 'live inside' Aincrad rather than watch Kirito, this is the closest the series has come to that fantasy. If you are a cautious RPG buyer, the smart play is to wait for a patch addressing the performance bugs and a sale. Either way, the foundation is real — this is a solid first clear, not a grand victory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Echoes of Aincrad good?
It's a mixed-but-promising launch. Metacritic aggregates 60/100 across 8 critics (OpenCritic slots it into its 'Weak' tier), while individual outlets landed in the 5.5–6/10 range. Reviewers consistently praised the combat, the original-cast story, and the English dub, while criticizing repetitive dungeons, shallow crafting, and limited exploration. It's widely described as the best SAO game concept in years, held back by execution.
Is Echoes of Aincrad worth buying?
For Sword Art Online fans who want to experience Aincrad from a new perspective, yes — it's the most 'live inside the death game' the series has felt. If you're on the fence, reviewers suggest waiting for a post-launch patch (performance bugs were noted) and a sale, since the core loop is repetitive.
How long is Echoes of Aincrad?
Around 35 hours for a main story clear (NoisyPixel), with 50+ hours if you pursue completionist content and side quests (Maxi-Geek). A post-game Warped Dungeons mode adds replayable roguelite grinding on top of that.
Does Echoes of Aincrad have a good story?
The original-perspective setup is widely praised as a fresh take that supplements rather than retells the anime. However, some reviewers found the pacing slow and the ending unsatisfying, feeling that the true climax is teased behind future DLC.
Is Echoes of Aincrad better than other SAO games?
Several reviewers call it the most promising SAO game in years because it finally captures the 'I'm inside Aincrad' fantasy instead of replaying Kirito's beats. It still falls short of being exceptional, with repetitive world and enemy design cited as the main weakness versus genre peers.
Are there performance or bug issues at launch?
Maxi-Geek noted a 'significant amount of performance bugs' — enemies clipping out of bounds, a Blood Wolf enemy looping its spin attack into walls, and occasional horizontal flipping. Nothing was described as game-breaking, but a day-one patch is expected to address these.
Decide With the Full Picture
Whether you're pre-ordering or waiting for a patch, our guides help you get the most out of Aincrad — plan your build, pick your partners, and learn the combat before you dive in.