Echoes of Aincrad Gets Major Pre-Launch Update

Echoes of Aincrad is closing in on release, and there's a fresh batch of updates worth knowing about before you jump in. The official opening cinematic just dropped, and for a JRPG like this, that first impression matters a lot; thankfully, it delivers.

You'll notice the music does a lot of heavy lifting here, weaving through shots of the main cast while hinting at where the story is headed. Alongside that, a second story trailer has arrived, and it leans hard into narrative. That's honestly the part you should be paying closest attention to.

There's been a ton of chatter online about floor counts and how much content Echoes of Aincrad will pack in.

None of that matters much if the story falls flat. Anyone who’s seen the Sword Art Online anime will know how disappointing it is; there was so much scope for a great story to be told in Aincrad, but it always came back to the same old rescue operation.

You deserve something more nuanced than that. You want something with real depth to it. Based on what these trailers are showing, there's a real chance Echoes of Aincrad could pull that off, regardless of how many floors end up in the final product.

The trailer also gives you a look at combat abilities and in-engine cutscenes, and the presentation holds up well. Nobody needs this game to reinvent visual storytelling; it just needs an art style that fits the source material while still looking sharp, and that balance seems to be there.

You can also try the game right now, since a public demo is live. Playing it will probably shift your expectations a bit. This isn't shaping up to be some massive AAA JRPG, and you shouldn't walk in expecting that. If you're already a fan of Sword Art Online, there's likely enough here to make it worth your time.

But at a $70 price tag, that math gets trickier if you're only casually interested.

Originally, this felt like the kind of title that could pull in people who just vaguely like the concept of Sword Art Online without being deeply invested, but after spending time with the demo, there's a noticeable roughness and a distinctly double-A feel that might push those on-the-fence buyers toward waiting for a sale instead.

Grabbing it at a discount down the line could end up being the smarter move for a lot of people. Still, the demo itself has a solid chunk of content, so it's worth checking out for yourself before deciding. If you do play the demo and end up buying the full release, there's a way to carry your progress over.

The developers put out a full explainer on this, essentially framed around the idea that Aincrad will remember you. To transfer your data, you'll first need to make sure the full version of the game is updated to its latest patch, connect to the internet, install the update, and read through the notes that come with it before doing anything else.

Once you launch the complete version and get through the required agreements, the game will detect your demo save and give you the option to select Carry Over. Do that, and your character and progress will roll straight into the full release. Even if you boot up the complete version before installing that update, you're not locked out; you can still transfer everything later once you've patched.

The first time you launch the full game, you'll get a prompt asking whether you want to bring over your trial data.

Choose not to carry it over, though, and that prompt won't show up again automatically. If that happens and you change your mind, you can fix it by deleting every save slot from the save selection screen and starting a new file from scratch to trigger the transfer option again.

Just don't delete your actual demo installation or its save data from your device, since you'll need both to still be present for any of this to work. One limitation worth flagging: save data pulled over from the demo can't be flipped into Death Game Mode.

That mode comes bundled in automatically if you pick up the Deluxe or Ultimate editions. So if you played the demo and want that mode from the jump, you're out of luck on continuity; you'll need to start over completely fresh rather than importing your progress.

Once Death Game Mode is unlocked on your account, though, you'll be able to select it for any new save file you create afterward, whether that's your second file or beyond. And if you do transfer your demo data, know that every save slot tied to it comes along together as a package.

It's also worth keeping in mind that a few specifics in the demo won't perfectly match the final release.

Transfers only work within the same platform, so you can't jump from console to PC or vice versa and expect your progress to follow. At full price, the base version of Echoes of Aincrad sits at that $70 mark, putting it in fairly rare company.

It's set to be only the second anime-licensed game ever to launch at that price point and the very first Sword Art Online title to do so. Every edition, regardless of tier, comes with a pre-order bonus consisting of a weapon pack: six different weapon types, a shield, and six matching weapon blueprints.

Stepping up to the Deluxe Edition costs $20 more than the base game. For that, you're getting the core Echoes of Aincrad experience, plus the Expansion DLC ,additional story content that's expected to release later this year ,along with a Starter Pack and early access to Death Game Mode.

Normally, that mode only unlocks after you finish the campaign, so this shaves off a lot of waiting. The Ultimate Edition sits at the top for $110. It includes everything from the Deluxe tier, the Expansion DLC, Starter Pack, and early Death Game Mode access, and then adds the Echoes of Aincrad: Unanswered//butterfly bonus content app, plus an Armor Pack featuring the Flutter Boots and Flutter Robes.

Between the three, the Deluxe Edition looks like the strongest value overall.

There's also an associated anime special tied to the release if you want to track that down separately. For anyone who wants the extras like a digital soundtrack and digital art book, though, the Ultimate Edition is where those live.

Mark your calendar for July 9th if you're playing on PC, since Bandai Namco traditionally rolls out its titles at 6 p.m. Eastern the evening before the official console date, so PC players effectively get in a few hours early. Everyone picking it up on consoles will be able to jump in starting July 10th.

Echoes of Aincrad is still something to look forward to despite the above drawbacks. The game, after all, holds much potential for becoming one of those worthwhile experiences. Of course, players just have to temper their expectations after trying out the demo version; this title certainly is not going to be a perfect masterpiece.