Hate that I even have to do this, but apparently a lot of people don’t even know their own franchise. Eydis isn’t only from the mobile games; she also appears in the light novel, where she was canonized as an actual canon character.
Ever since this stupid ass game released, this subreddit has been flooded with nonstop toxicity, and I’ve got to ask… what are we doing?
We’re all here because we’re fans of Sword Art Online. For years we’ve defended this franchise from people who never gave it a fair chance. SAO brought a lot of us together, and now we’re turning around and attacking each other over a video game?
Look, you don’t have to like Echoes of Aincrad. If you played it and it’s not for you, that’s completely fair. Criticism is healthy. But there’s a huge difference between giving criticism and making it your mission to ruin the experience for everyone else.
I’ve noticed that a lot of the negativity isn’t even coming from people who have actually played the full game. Some are basing their entire opinion on the demo, even though the demo differs quite a bit from the full release. Judging the entire game off an early demo isn’t exactly fair.
Then there are a couple of users in particular who seem to pop up under nearly every positive post just to argue, insult people, or tell everyone they’re wrong for enjoying the game. At some point, that stops being criticism and just becomes stirring the pot.
There’s even one person (2manytokes) who, from everything I’ve seen, doesn’t even seem to be a fan of SAO in the first place—whether that’s the games, the anime, or the series as a whole. If you’re only here to spread negativity because the game has “SAO” in the title, what exactly are you contributing to the community?
The majority of people I’ve seen actually playing the game are just enjoying themselves. Some think it’s a 6/10, some a 7/10, some love it, and others have plenty of valid complaints. That’s normal. Not every game has to be a masterpiece.
What isn’t normal is treating people like they’re idiots because they enjoyed something you didn’t.
Constructive feedback helps the developers improve the game. Harassing other fans does absolutely nothing.
At the end of the day, we’re not children. We’re grown-ass adults. Are we really going to let a video game tear this community apart?
You don’t have to love the game.
Hell you don’t even have to like it.
But stop attacking people for having a different opinion than you. If you’ve got complaints, voice them respectfully. If someone enjoys the game, let them enjoy it.
We’re all SAO fans here. Act like it.
Here’s a longer version that includes your rating and hopes for the game’s future.
I’ve made it to the second floor of Echoes of Aincrad, and I honestly think the hate this game is getting is way overblown.
Is the price too high? Yeah, I think that’s a completely fair criticism. I don’t think anyone can really argue against that. But calling this a bad game? I just don’t see it.
The biggest complaint I agree with is that there can be a lot of running from point A to point B. Outside of that, though, a lot of the criticism feels exaggerated or based on misinformation.
The story has been great so far, the combat is fun and fluid, and it actually feels like you’re progressing through Aincrad instead of just being dropped into another generic action RPG. More importantly, it captures the atmosphere of Sword Art Online surprisingly well. The floor progression, quests, NPC interactions, and focus on surviving and clearing Aincrad feel much closer to the original anime and light novels than most previous SAO games, many of which either rewrote Aincrad entirely or moved on to different arcs.
I’ve also seen people criticize the amount of grinding, but that’s one complaint I don’t really understand. Grinding wasn’t just part of Sword Art Online—it was a core part of surviving Aincrad. Kirito, Asuna, and everyone else spent countless hours leveling, farming materials, taking on quests, and preparing for floor bosses. If anything, Echoes of Aincrad embracing that loop makes it feel more authentic to the source material rather than less.
I’ve also seen people say the game is repetitive, but that’s kind of the nature of an MMO-inspired RPG. Even in the original series, the gameplay loop was questing, gathering resources, leveling, improving gear, and taking on stronger enemies. Expecting something completely different from an Aincrad game feels like expecting it not to be Sword Art Online.
Personally, I’d give the game a 7/10 right now. It’s definitely not perfect. The price hurts it, the pacing can drag in places, and there are quality-of-life improvements I’d love to see. But it’s also genuinely fun, and I’m enjoying it far more than I expected after reading all the negativity online.
I actually hope this game sells well. Not because I think it’s flawless, but because I’d love to see the developers continue supporting it. If it succeeds, they can improve the pacing, add more quality-of-life features, expand the content, and address the legitimate criticisms people have. I’d much rather see this become the foundation for an even better Aincrad experience than watch it fail because people dismissed it before giving it a chance.
At the end of the day, I think the conversation around this game has become far more negative than it deserves. There are valid criticisms, absolutely. But there are also a lot of complaints that either ignore what Sword Art Online actually is or criticize mechanics that are faithful to the source material.
If you’re an SAO fan who’s always wanted a game that actually lets you experience climbing Aincrad floor by floor, I think this is worth checking out—especially if it goes on sale. I’m interested to see how my opinion changes as I get further into the game, but after reaching Floor 2, I’m having a genuinely good time.
I've been away from the game for a while and I'm just now coming back and was wondering if they're still voiced?