Reviewplatinum Platinum GuidePS5 · Out Now

SWORD ART ONLINE
Echoes of Aincrad

The first true open-world Sword Art Online — the whole floating castle of Aincrad, seamless and yours to explore, with the entire cast at your side.

8.0 / 10
PixelForge Score
DeveloperAquria
ReleasedJul 10, 2026
PlatformPS5 · PS4 · Xbox · PC
GenreOpen-World Action RPG

The open-world SAO fans always wanted

Echoes of Aincrad is the boldest Sword Art Online game yet: instead of a series of menus and instanced maps, it rebuilds the entire floating castle as one seamless open world you can climb floor by floor — and for the first time, playing SAO genuinely feels like living in Aincrad.

You start in the Town of Beginnings and work upward, clearing floors, unlocking maps, and forging bonds with the whole cast — Kirito, Asuna, Silica, Lisbeth, Klein and Agil all become partners who fight alongside you. Combat keeps the series' signature Sword Skills, now spread across six weapon types with deep skill trees, and layers on real MMO-style systems: crafting, gear tiers, a huge in-game database, boss raids and a mountain of side quests.

Made for the fans

It's unmistakably a mid-budget anime RPG — expect some stiff animation and repetition across the floors — but as a love letter to SAO, it delivers. The sense of scale is real, the fan service is generous, and the moment-to-moment loop of exploring, leveling and gearing up is quietly addictive. If you've ever wanted to actually be a Clearer on the front lines, this is the closest a game has come.

Launch impressions from our early playthrough — we'll revisit the score once the full picture (and post-launch patches) settle. For SAO fans and trophy hunters, though, it's an easy recommend, and a long, satisfying platinum.

The Verdict — Pros

  • A genuinely seamless, explorable Aincrad
  • The full SAO cast as partners
  • Deep Sword Skills across six weapon types
  • Meaty crafting, gear and database systems
  • A long, no-stress completionist platinum

The Verdict — Cons

  • Mid-budget presentation & stiff animation
  • Repetition creeps in across the floors
  • The platinum is a serious time investment

Echoes of Aincrad — Platinum Roadmap

1
Platinum
2
Gold
9
Silver
40
Bronze
4/10
Difficulty
45–60h
Platinum Time
1
Playthrough
None
Missable
A long but low-stress completionist platinum. It's an open world, so nothing is permanently missable — you can return to any floor, town, boss or quest at will. The bulk is collection: partner with the whole cast, obtain a variety of every weapon & armour type, learn all Sword Skills, fill the databases and reach Level 100. The only real challenges are the two golds — reaching the ending and beating the superboss, the Tezca Death Wielder.

Step-by-Step Roadmap

Step 1

Play the story & meet the cast

Climb the floors, visit the six towns (Town of Beginnings → Taran), unlock floor maps, and become partners with Kirito, Asuna, Silica, Lisbeth, Klein and Agil as you meet them. Reaching the finale pops the gold The Order of the Cherry Blossom.

Step 2

Level, skills & bosses

Grind to Level 100, learn every Sword Skill across all six weapon types (six silvers), max out a skill, defeat 100 bosses and a variety of Ark bosses, and gather all Key Stones.

Step 3

Gear, crafting & wealth

Obtain a variety of every weapon and armour type, craft equipment and consumables, upgrade a weapon to its final tier, bank 1,000,000 Col, loot world treasure chests and try the costume colour change.

Step 4

Databases & the superboss → platinum

Fill the World, Item, Equipment, Monster and Character databases, finish a variety of side quests, then defeat the Tezca Death Wielder for the gold Those Who Transcend Death. The last trophy flips Nameless Hero — the platinum.

Full Trophy List (52)

TrophyGradeHow to Unlock
The Platinum
Nameless HeroPlatinumObtain all trophies.
Story, Bosses & Partners
Bronze trophyWelcome to Sword Art OnlineBronzeVisit the Town of Beginnings for the first time. → Story guide
Bronze trophyBeyond the PlainsBronzeVisit Horunka for the first time. → Story guide
Bronze trophyTown on the LakeBronzeVisit Tolbana for the first time. → Story guide
Bronze trophyCity of the 2ndBronzeVisit Urbus for the first time. → Story guide
Bronze trophyInfo HuntBronzeVisit Marome for the first time. → Story guide
Bronze trophySeeking SanctuaryBronzeVisit Taran for the first time. → Story guide
Gold trophyThe Order of the Cherry BlossomGoldReach the ending. → Story guide
Silver trophyAincrad's BeaconSilverComplete a variety of side quests. → Story guide
Bronze trophyThe Black SwordsmanBronzeBecome partners with Kirito. → Story guide
Bronze trophyTogether with LightningBronzeBecome partners with Asuna. → Story guide
Bronze trophyPartner in BusinessBronzeBecome partners with Agil. → Story guide
Bronze trophyNever AloneBronzeBecome partners with Silica. → Story guide
Bronze trophyMace to Meet You!BronzeBecome partners with Lisbeth. → Story guide
Bronze trophyEver DependableBronzeBecome partners with Klein. → Story guide
Silver trophyPrismatic PowerhouseSilverObtain all Key Stones. → Story guide
Bronze trophyBoss KillerBronzeDefeat 100 bosses. → Story guide
Bronze trophySeal BreakerBronzeDefeat a variety of Ark bosses. → Story guide
Gold trophyThose Who Transcend DeathGoldDefeat the Tezca Death Wielder. → Story guide
Bronze trophy1st Floor TrailblazerBronzeUnlock a variety of maps on the 1st Floor. → Story guide
Bronze trophy2nd Floor PioneerBronzeUnlock a variety of maps on the 2nd Floor. → Story guide
Gear, Crafting & Wealth
Bronze trophyIncorrigible WealthBronzeAcquire 1000000 or more Col. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyA Broad CollectionBronzeObtain a variety of Swords. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyRapier RepertoireBronzeObtain a variety of Rapiers. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyStash of DaggersBronzeObtain a variety of Daggers. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyA Mace to the FinishBronzeObtain a variety of Maces. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyClaymore CollectorBronzeObtain a variety of Two-Handed Swords. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyAxe And You Shall ReceiveBronzeObtain a variety of Two-Handed Axes. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyTop-HeavyBronzeObtain a variety of Tops. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyGlove ActuallyBronzeObtain a variety of Gloves. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyToo Big For Your BreechesBronzeObtain a variety of Bottoms. → Gear guide
Bronze trophySuitable for All AegisBronzeObtain a variety of Shields. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyTrue ColorsBronzeUse the Costume Color Change feature for the first time. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyThe Smithy's Favorite CustomerBronzeUse a Crafting Manual to create a piece of equipment. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyArtisan's PrideBronzeUpgrade any weapon to its final tier. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyThe Item Seller's Favorite CustomerBronzeUse a Crafting Manual to create a consumable. → Gear guide
Bronze trophyTreasure HunterBronzeObtain items from numerous world treasure chests. → Gear guide
Sword Skills & Combat
Bronze trophyProficient PlayerBronzeReach Player Lv. 100. → Skills guide
Bronze trophyA Strong LifelineBronzeReach the maximum limit of Healing Crystals. → Skills guide
Silver trophyEdge LordSilverLearn all Sword Skills for the Sword. → Skills guide
Silver trophyGrand DuelistSilverLearn all Sword Skills for the Rapier. → Skills guide
Silver trophySwift BladeSilverLearn all Sword Skills for the Dagger. → Skills guide
Silver trophyBlunt TruthSilverLearn all Sword Skills for the Mace. → Skills guide
Silver trophyFamed FlambergeSilverLearn all Sword Skills for the Two-Handed Sword. → Skills guide
Silver trophyLead HeadsmanSilverLearn all Sword Skills for the Two-handed Axe. → Skills guide
Bronze trophyBattle MasterBronzeRaise any Sword Skill to its maximum level. → Skills guide
Database & Collection
Bronze trophyAssociation ArchivistBronzeCollect 10 World Database entries. → Database guide
Silver trophyAincrad ProfessorSilverCollect a variety of World Database entries. → Database guide
Bronze trophyPack RatBronzeCollect a variety of Item Database entries. → Database guide
Bronze trophyWalking ArmoryBronzeCollect a variety of Equipment Database entries. → Database guide
Bronze trophyMonstrous KnowledgeBronzeCollect a variety of Monster Database entries. → Database guide
Bronze trophyWalking DirectoryBronzeCollect a variety of Character Database entries. → Database guide

All 52 trophies (1 · 2 · 9 · 40 · 1,350 points). Grades and descriptions verified against PSNProfiles.

Detailed Trophy Guides

Every trophy broken down step-by-step — how to partner with the whole cast, obtain each gear type, learn every Sword Skill and fill the databases.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to platinum Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad?
Roughly 45–60 hours for the full platinum, depending on your pace and how much you use guides.
How hard is the Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad platinum?
PIXELFORGE rates it 4 / 10 for difficulty — see the roadmap for where the tougher trophies sit.
Are there missable trophies in Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad?
No — nothing is permanently missable, so you can clean up any trophies you skip after finishing the story.
Do you need to play online for the Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad platinum?
No — the entire platinum can be earned solo and offline.
How many trophies does Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad have?
52 trophies in total, including the platinum.