Earlier this week, Bandai Namco teased a new RPG set to debut on March 5. Many believed it would be a Tales announcement, but based on the footage I saw, I leaned towards a Sword Art Online-related announcement. My prediction turned out to be correct, as Echoes of Aincrad has made its debut as a full-fledged RPG with a $69.99 price tag. It’s being developed by Game Studio, which has worked on a variety of games over the years. A couple of games you may have heard of recently are Synduality: Echo of Ada and Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai.
What’s most interesting about this title is that it isn’t focusing on the Sword Art Online moniker or its main characters. While Asuna does appear in one of the promotional screenshots, Kirito is noticeably missing from the trailer. That’s because in Echoes of Aincrad, players will create their own avatar and hero, choose their own gear, and live out the Aincrad fantasy as their own character. This does look to be a much more robust game than previous Sword Art Online titles. I have to admit, though, $69.99 seems like a big price tag for this.
Set to launch on July 10 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, Echoes of Aincrad features real-time combat, and players will rely on their chosen NPC partner to synergize as they deepen their bond.
