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.
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
Step-by-Step Roadmap
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.
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.
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.
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)
| Trophy | Grade | How to Unlock | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Platinum | |||
 | Nameless Hero | Platinum | Obtain all trophies. |
| Story, Bosses & Partners | |||
 | Welcome to Sword Art Online | Bronze | Visit the Town of Beginnings for the first time. |
| Beyond the Plains | Bronze | Visit Horunka for the first time. |
| Town on the Lake | Bronze | Visit Tolbana for the first time. |
| City of the 2nd | Bronze | Visit Urbus for the first time. |
| Info Hunt | Bronze | Visit Marome for the first time. |
| Seeking Sanctuary | Bronze | Visit Taran for the first time. |
 | The Order of the Cherry Blossom | Gold | Reach the ending. |
 | Aincrad's Beacon | Silver | Complete a variety of side quests. |
| The Black Swordsman | Bronze | Become partners with Kirito. |
| Together with Lightning | Bronze | Become partners with Asuna. |
| Partner in Business | Bronze | Become partners with Agil. |
| Never Alone | Bronze | Become partners with Silica. |
| Mace to Meet You! | Bronze | Become partners with Lisbeth. |
| Ever Dependable | Bronze | Become partners with Klein. |
| Prismatic Powerhouse | Silver | Obtain all Key Stones. |
| Boss Killer | Bronze | Defeat 100 bosses. |
| Seal Breaker | Bronze | Defeat a variety of Ark bosses. |
| Those Who Transcend Death | Gold | Defeat the Tezca Death Wielder. |
| 1st Floor Trailblazer | Bronze | Unlock a variety of maps on the 1st Floor. |
| 2nd Floor Pioneer | Bronze | Unlock a variety of maps on the 2nd Floor. |
| Gear, Crafting & Wealth | |||
| Incorrigible Wealth | Bronze | Acquire 1000000 or more Col. |
| A Broad Collection | Bronze | Obtain a variety of Swords. |
| Rapier Repertoire | Bronze | Obtain a variety of Rapiers. |
| Stash of Daggers | Bronze | Obtain a variety of Daggers. |
| A Mace to the Finish | Bronze | Obtain a variety of Maces. |
| Claymore Collector | Bronze | Obtain a variety of Two-Handed Swords. |
| Axe And You Shall Receive | Bronze | Obtain a variety of Two-Handed Axes. |
| Top-Heavy | Bronze | Obtain a variety of Tops. |
| Glove Actually | Bronze | Obtain a variety of Gloves. |
| Too Big For Your Breeches | Bronze | Obtain a variety of Bottoms. |
| Suitable for All Aegis | Bronze | Obtain a variety of Shields. |
| True Colors | Bronze | Use the Costume Color Change feature for the first time. |
| The Smithy's Favorite Customer | Bronze | Use a Crafting Manual to create a piece of equipment. |
| Artisan's Pride | Bronze | Upgrade any weapon to its final tier. |
| The Item Seller's Favorite Customer | Bronze | Use a Crafting Manual to create a consumable. |
| Treasure Hunter | Bronze | Obtain items from numerous world treasure chests. |
| Sword Skills & Combat | |||
| Proficient Player | Bronze | Reach Player Lv. 100. |
| A Strong Lifeline | Bronze | Reach the maximum limit of Healing Crystals. |
| Edge Lord | Silver | Learn all Sword Skills for the Sword. |
| Grand Duelist | Silver | Learn all Sword Skills for the Rapier. |
| Swift Blade | Silver | Learn all Sword Skills for the Dagger. |
| Blunt Truth | Silver | Learn all Sword Skills for the Mace. |
| Famed Flamberge | Silver | Learn all Sword Skills for the Two-Handed Sword. |
| Lead Headsman | Silver | Learn all Sword Skills for the Two-handed Axe. |
| Battle Master | Bronze | Raise any Sword Skill to its maximum level. |
| Database & Collection | |||
| Association Archivist | Bronze | Collect 10 World Database entries. |
| Aincrad Professor | Silver | Collect a variety of World Database entries. |
| Pack Rat | Bronze | Collect a variety of Item Database entries. |
| Walking Armory | Bronze | Collect a variety of Equipment Database entries. |
| Monstrous Knowledge | Bronze | Collect a variety of Monster Database entries. |
| Walking Directory | Bronze | Collect a variety of Character Database entries. |
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.
Story, Bosses & Partners
The town visits, floor maps, the ending, Key Stones, boss trophies and partnering with all six characters.
Gear, Crafting & Wealth
A variety of every weapon & armour type, crafting, upgrades, 1,000,000 Col and world treasure.
Sword Skills & Combat
Learn every Sword Skill across the six weapon types, max a skill, hit Level 100 and cap your Healing Crystals.
Database & Collection
Filling the World, Item, Equipment, Monster and Character databases as you explore.