At launch…
Many players hated it.
Long tutorials, technical issues and a painfully slow opening led to a wave of negative reactions during the game’s first hours. Some streamers even quit before finishing the introduction.
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But those who kept playing discovered something unexpected.
According to several launch streams, the real game doesn’t begin until after the opening hours.
Once players unlock more abilities, weapons and partner combinations, combat becomes significantly deeper, with character builds and dungeon exploration offering much more freedom than the tutorial suggests.
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One feature, in particular, has won over fans:
Hardcore Mode.
With permanent consequences and much higher stakes, many creators say this mode finally captures the feeling of the original Sword Art Online anime, where every fight truly matters because defeat carries real risks.
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That doesn’t mean the criticism has disappeared.
Players continue to point to performance issues, repetitive early quests and an introduction that does a poor job of showcasing the game’s strongest mechanics.
For many reviewers, the biggest mistake is that its weakest content comes first.
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Released on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, Echoes of Aincrad lets players create their own character inside Aincrad, team up with iconic heroes like Asuna and Agil, and progress through real-time battles using the game’s Switch partner system.
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The verdict? Echoes of Aincrad may have one of the roughest starts of the year—but according to many streamers, players who push past those first few hours discover a far better RPG waiting underneath.
