Echoes of Pinebridge (2026)

In Summary, Echoes of Aincrad is what feels like a truly generational fumble by Bandai Namco and Game Studio Inc. They created a game world that simultaneously looks amazing but feels devoid of life. A world that encompasses so many great aspects of Sword Art Online itself but feels as if it’s actively choking you to death because of game mechanics that honestly feel like they belong in the dustbin of history.

Echoes of Aincrad wouldn't be my first recommendation for RPG or action game fans, but it certainly wouldn't be my last one, either. It's simply solid, and sometimes that's enough.

Echoes of Aincrad feels designed to deliberately waste your time. It’s by no means a bad game, there’s a lot of interesting elements to enjoy including the story, the world, and the combat. However, it does itself a disservice by padding the game out excessively with repetitive missions and forced exploration. With strange restrictions on exploration and questionable design choices, it doesn’t respect the player, and suffers for it.

Echoes of Aincrad feels like the long-awaited promise the Sword Art Online franchise has owed its fans for years - and it comes frustratingly close to fulfilling it, which somehow makes it even more disappointing than if it had never tried at all.

Echoes of Aincrad offers a fresh look at Sword Art Online, moving away from Kirito to tell our own story inside Aincrad. Its direct combat, companions and setting work well, although the story feels a little short and the maps can become confusing.