I was playing demo and it maintains only 80 FPS is this maybe because of the demo ?

here are my specs: (AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT (16 GB)

Intel(R) UHD Graphics 770 (128 MB)

12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700 (2.10 GHz)

So Echoes of Aincrad will initially launch with 2 floors . The developers stated that recreating all 100 floors is not feasible for a single release, as a fully detailed 100-floor experience could take up to 10 years to develop but if the game does good more floors would be added through DLC, ik they dont show ever floor in the anime BUT wouldnt it be easier for them to use an engine that randomly generates a floor (similar to NO MANS SKY Generation) even tho ill almost every floor would be similar ill be down to do all 100 floors no matter on how long ill take me ill love this game to be my next 1000hrs game !

Thoughts on this ?

It would be cool if the silent player in the game would be explained by FNC (full-dive non-conformaty), this makes the player using a full dive system have some kind of problem like a lost of a sense.

Our player could just not speak because of FNC, and the characters discovering, recognizing and interacting with this would made the dialogue more genuine and dynamic, instead of they just completely ignoring the main character doesn't speak or our dialogue options being "nod" and "shake your head".

Saying this just from demo, so it maybe will be a lore reason. Just thought about it and I think it makes sense and wanted to share.

Liked the demo, hope the full game will be good.

Maybe I can create one?

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share a gaming dilemma I’m having and get your honest thoughts, especially from fellow anime fans or those who usually play on a tight budget.

To give you some context: I’ve always been a budget gamer. I never had the cash for a high-end PC or to drop $70 on the latest triple-A releases. My gaming history mostly consists of older titles, cheap indies, free-to-play games, and demos. My two absolute favorite games are Minecraft and Skyrim, so my standards for cutting-edge graphics or modern mechanics were definitely shaped by that.

Since I’m a massive Sword Art Online fan, when I heard about Bandai’s new game, Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad—which focuses heavily on the vibe of the early floors from season one—I went crazy. I downloaded the recent demo and, honestly... I thought the game was amazing. I loved the style, the gameplay, and the overall feel. It looked awesome to me.

I got so hyped that I did something I have never done in my entire life: I dropped $70 (R$ 300 here in Brazil) on the pre-order. For me, $70 is a fortune. I’d think twice about paying that much even for my favorite games today. But nostalgia spoke louder, and I hit buy.

The Reality Check (The Community Feedback)

Since the game launches in a few weeks, I started digging deeper into what the community was saying about the demo. And man... my world kind of came crashing down. I saw a wave of criticism pointing out some pretty major flaws that I completely missed during my initial, innocent playthrough:

• Empty and Linear World: Lots of people complaining that the map feels like a massive, empty field where you just run, and that it’s restricted to isolated mission zones rather than being a true offline open world.
• Lack of Real Exploration: Once you find a safe point, it reveals the entire map layout. You don’t even have to explore to find chests; the game just hands the locations to you.
• Clunky Equipment System: If you drop an awesome piece of gear during a mission, you can't equip it on the spot. You have to finish the mission, head back to the city, and only then can you change your gear.
• The Permadeath (Death Game) Paywall: This one really hurt. The mode where you lose your character if you die—which is literally the whole point of SAO—is apparently locked behind a paywall (Deluxe/Ultimate editions or passes). Instead of being a cool, free unlockable after beating the campaign, it's locked behind a price tag.
• Lip-Sync Issues: The lip-syncing for the Japanese voice acting is noticeably misaligned with the character models.

Did I lose my critical thinking, or am I just the target audience?

After reading all this and looking back at the game, I realized... Damn, those flaws actually are there. How did I not notice them before?

It got me thinking. Has being used to older, simpler games lowered my standards to the point where I'll accept anything? Or did the sheer hype and love for the anime completely blind me during my first gameplay?

Looking at it objectively, these are pretty glaring issues for a $70 title. But the truth is, when I first played that demo, I had an absolute blast.

What do you guys think? Am I just the perfect target audience Bandai is looking for? The kind of fan who just wants the nostalgia of reliving Aincrad, playing as their favorite characters, and ends up ignoring technical flaws? Has anyone else experienced this kind of shock after playing the demo or reading the reviews?

Why are there no other players on the field?

I know it's a single-player game, but it does simulate a VR MMORPG. Even Hollow Fragment had players on the field.

Back in the Days I played the .hack// games and I thing they did a pretty good job.

You could chat with other NPCs ( players ), trade items, sometimes save others from PKers, and sometimes defend yourself against random PKers. This Game was on PS2.

EoA ignores so much of the Aincrad system—it really makes me sad. You can't even switch equipment in the field, and what's even worse is that not all of the familiar Aincrad weapon types are available.

Hey everyone, I’ve been thinking about the main complaints this game has been receiving: huge empty maps, unrewarding exploration (since chests are already marked on the map), and extremely easy Soulslike mechanics where you one-shot normal mobs and melt bosses in two minutes max with almost zero risk of dying. For a full-priced AAA game, the reception—especially in Japan—has been pretty lukewarm, feeling like a 7/10 title carried mostly by the anime IP to appeal to a broader Western audience.

But what if the devs are playing a massive, genius meta-game with us and we just haven't realized it yet?

If you think about the lore of the anime, during the Beta test, the game was exactly like that: way easier, safer, and straightforward. The real twist (and the nightmare) only happened when the official game launched, the rules changed overnight, the difficulty spiked drastically, and death became real.

How mind-blowing would it be if the developers are intentionally using this current state to lower our expectations? Imagine if, at the official launch (or when the next floors/DLCs drop), they pull a massive bait-and-switch and introduce a way more complex, punishing, and hardcore game, perfectly replicating the shock the characters experienced in the anime.

I know the chances are slim and it’s probably just a rushed anime game with a high price tag, but you have to admit: if the company actually pulled off this transition from an "easy Beta" to an "unforgiving official game," it would be the greatest marketing stunt and the biggest plot twist in gaming history. What do you guys think?

I have both and I wanted to know what would be a better use of my limited funds. Also, is mod support something common for sao games? might be a reason to get it on pc.

Hi, would giving a steal sword to Iori benefit him? Would ex-mod benefit him? I guess giving more experience or Col ones would not matter to his performance?

So while playing around with builds I tried something that im not sure if anyone tried. I tried an item build. Max int to get the most damage from items and some damage on weapons with C int. Well kinda disappointing a bomb stone only did roughly 330's damage on the frost boar. While normal attacks with a two handed weapon did about 250-270. So honestly nothing too crazy. Was kinda hoping for more damage so they would be useful outside of just finding pathways and treasure... but oh well.

I know that the title is confusing.

"Okay, you enjoyed the demo/'beta', but you're also disappointed? And why did you put money down on the Ultimate Edition if you're disappointed!?”

I'll answer the Ultimate Edition question first: I'm investing my money on the chance that the game will be developed into it's desired form if the devs see not only financial incentives, but also critical incentives.

This is me telling Game Studio Inc. "I like what I see so far, BUT it's not anywhere close to its final form, nor does it follow SAO's canon mechanics.

If you fix those issues, I will continue to fund this game in perpetuity."

I'm giving the devs until the announced DLC content releases in its entirety to add in(or announce it's being worked on):

- Passive HP regeneration.

- Manage equipment anywhere.

- Free roam.

- GET RID OF LEVEL SCALING!

I KNOW it's counter productive to supply money first, but... THE SKELETON IS THERE...!

If they make the tweaks to the game that people want, it will actually live up to our wishes...

And I just want to hope and believe in a AAA project, y'know?

So they say they will let us transfer our progress from the demo but im guessing if we want to make a custom charecter, that feature probably wont work. Anyone have better insight on this feature?

‘Each Floor of Aincrad is huge, filled with curious objects and unique quests for you to discover! You can come across a peculiar Ancient Elven tablet, and a priest may find it very interesting. Complete their requests and they may reward you with specialties.’

Like feel like they wouldnt say something like this if it wasnt free roam? People seem to think the game isnt free roam based on the demo but i think it because it was the demo/ beta test part of the story as to why we didnt get to see free roam in the demo, also the map for floor one is massive there surly wouldnt be a purpose to this if they didnt have free roam

What is your guys thoughts 😊

So I’ve collected every chest but one and it seems like the iron boots don’t exist along with a 4th weapon blueprint for rapier and one hand sword. Am I missing something or are the devs just playing with us? Also that one chest I’m missing is locked behind a fire stone or fire mine I’m not lazy I’m just unlucky.

I have tried finding a wiki or a video or anything. But nothing. You look up anything about weapons you just get people talking about the weapons types and how to use them. Why isn't there anyone doing 100% collection lists

Actualmente sólo existe la beta, he subido a nivel 15 y subido todas las habilidades de arma a nivel 3.

El modo muerte será difícil y no porque te vaya a matar un jabalí (no lo sé), pero sí pueden paralizarte, envenenarte o emboscarte (y más cosas que desconocemos). Ya hemos peleado contra el lobo que paraliza y sabemos que si estás despistado puede darte un susto.

Creo que la mejor arma para jugarlo puede ser el estoque.

https://preview.redd.it/3pffgbn01h9h1.png?width=1216&format=png&auto=webp&s=b805e69efc7cb41bfa7f56420999a8483759fa9f

Motivos:

- Golpes ágiles. Permite esquivar con facilidad, una arma más potente es más lenta. No queremos hacer el máximo daño, queremos recibir el mínimo daño.

- Permite escudo. Un bonus defensivo es esencial.

- Actualmente sólo nos han permitido ver tres habilidades de cada tipo de arma y después de probarlas todas el estoque parece ser la más segura. De las 3 habilidades descubiertas de estoque:

Golpe lineal: Puedes mantener la distancia para pegarlo, además el combo es de 1 sólo golpe. Si un combo es de varios golpes podrías ser herido en el transcurso del combo. Es un ataque rápido y que no te exige estar demasiado cerca.

Baile en la pira: Es un ataque muy seguro, se acerca, pega y se aleja. Simple, sencillo y rápido. Pudiéndote mantener a distancia recargando tu energía y usarlo cuando sea necesario.

Arremetida lateral: Aunque potente debes saber el momento adecuado para usarlo y puedes fallar si desconoces las animaciones del monstruos enemigo. Esta habilidad no me parece útil para el modo muerte a no ser que conozcas perfectamente los patrones del enemigo.

Las habildades de espada las siento muy buenas porque son de atrás hacia delante, pudes avalanzarte sobre un enemigo. También permite usar escudo.

Las de dagas las siento algunas muy buenas y otras no tanto. Además no puedes usar escudo. Me genera dudas.

(Tengo en cuenta que más adelante veremos más habilidades, quizá haya habilidades que den bonus de defensa o generación, sólo especulo con los datos actuales)

¿Qué opináis vosotros? ¿Qué tendrías en cuenta para el modo muerte? ¿Consejos?