Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Echoes of Aincrad has the Sword Art Online premise I’ve wanted from a game for years, but its demo also exposes some serious PC control and polish problems.
I went into the Echoes of Aincrad demo almost completely blind. Instead of playing as Kirito, you enter the world as your own character and experience Aincrad alongside the familiar timeline. Across nearly three hours, I test the opening story, combat, Sword Skills, partner mechanics, character progression, crafting, exploration, loot, and boss encounters.
The strongest endorsement I can give the game is that, despite its problems, I wanted to keep playing. The moment-to-moment combat is satisfying, the world and characters caught my interest, and there appears to be a genuinely enjoyable RPG beneath the rough edges.
Unfortunately, those rough edges are difficult to ignore. Mouse movement lacks precision, the camera feels like it is emulating a controller stick, menus can be sluggish, interactions are inconsistent, and several systems clearly feel designed around a controller first. I also encountered character pop-in, cutscene lag, animation locks, localization inconsistencies, and a demo that apparently has no normal quit button.
My verdict is cautiously positive. Echoes of Aincrad has a solid core and real potential, but I may give the full release a few patches before completely committing to it.
This is an extended first-impressions playthrough showing the good, the bad, and the slower parts of the opening hours.
Are you planning to play Echoes of Aincrad at launch, or are you waiting to see how the technical issues are handled?
#EchoesOfAincrad #SwordArtOnline #JRPG #shadowsthoughts
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🕹️ store.steampowered.com/app/2244210/Echoes_of_Aincrad
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Echoes of Aincrad has the Sword Art Online premise I’ve wanted from a game for years, but its demo also exposes some serious PC control and polish problems.
I went into the Echoes of Aincrad demo almost completely blind. Instead of playing as Kirito, you enter the world as your own character and experience Aincrad alongside the familiar timeline. Across nearly three hours, I test the opening story, combat, Sword Skills, partner mechanics, character progression, crafting, exploration, loot, and boss encounters.
The strongest endorsement I can give the game is that, despite its problems, I wanted to keep playing. The moment-to-moment combat is satisfying, the world and characters caught my interest, and there appears to be a genuinely enjoyable RPG beneath the rough edges.
Unfortunately, those rough edges are difficult to ignore. Mouse movement lacks precision, the camera feels like it is emulating a controller stick, menus can be sluggish, interactions are inconsistent, and several systems clearly feel designed around a controller first. I also encountered character pop-in, cutscene lag, animation locks, localization inconsistencies, and a demo that apparently has no normal quit button.
My verdict is cautiously positive. Echoes of Aincrad has a solid core and real potential, but I may give the full release a few patches before completely committing to it.
This is an extended first-impressions playthrough showing the good, the bad, and the slower parts of the opening hours.
Are you planning to play Echoes of Aincrad at launch, or are you waiting to see how the technical issues are handled?
#EchoesOfAincrad #SwordArtOnline #JRPG #shadowsthoughts
👍 Don't forget to Like, Sub and Share! Thank you.
🕹️ store.steampowered.com/app/2244210/Echoes_of_Aincrad
If there's a game you'd like me to check out, feel free to contact me below.
MasterGamingVR@Gmail.com
discord.gg/rmc8YFX
twitch.tv/shadowsthoughts
twitter.com/mastergamingvr
youtube.com/c/MasterGamingVR/join
patreon.com/MasterGamingVR
Sign up for a free Audible Subscription and get 2 free books!
📚 amzn.to/2E2yGyz
Index bundle
🥽 amzn.to/4cGdf4o
Check out these e-books to support the channel
amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3SIZ7ZU8URWEZ/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2
