Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online ‘Story’ trailer, 42 minutes of gameplay

Bandai Namco, the publisher, and Game Studio, the developer, have unveiled a new story trailer for their action role-playing game, Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online.

Dengeki Online also showed off 42 minutes of gameplay footage and a 10-minute preview of the animated promotional film, Sword Art Online: Unanswered//butterfly, which will be included with the game’s Ultimate Edition.

Here is an overview of the game, via Bandai Namco:

About

Okay, so imagine this incredible world called Aincrad – it’s gorgeous, but seriously dangerous. You basically become your own hero, picking out your equipment and learning to fight. The coolest part is teaming up with another player – figuring out how to fight together, getting stronger, and unlocking awesome new skills. It’s all about growing your power and seeing what you can achieve!

Risk Your Reality

Welcome to Aincrad, a stunning but perilous floating castle where survival depends on your skills. Explore this vibrant and mysterious world and forge your own destiny. Design your character, equip them with powerful gear, and hone your combat abilities using quick reflexes and unique skills. Team up with a partner, grow stronger with each win, and unlock incredible powers as you progress.

Will you rise and claim your destiny or fall to foes stronger than you imagined?

Okay, so this isn’t just some casual game – it’s a real fight to stay alive! You grab your weapon, build your character’s story, and jump into an adventure where everything you know is on the line. Seriously, it’s intense!

Key Features

Forge Your Hero – Live this JRPG adventure as yourself by designing and customizing your own avatar to create a hero that reflects your vision. This is your identity, your legend, and your chance to leave a mark on a world where survival is everything.
Define Your Progression – Shape your adventure and determine your fate by adapting your equipment, weapons, statistics, partner and special skills to reflect your favor for speed, intelligence, or endurance. Gather more strength as you level up. Growth is essential for your survival. Deepen the synergy with your partner, adapt their tactics and build to create a team dynamic that turns every battle into a triumph.
Explore a Thriving World – Wander across diverse cities and journey through stunning environments, from serene plains to perilous dungeons filled with secrets. Complete quests, hunt rare treasures, and challenge formidable foes in real-time action combat. The map expands as your story unfolds, revealing new areas and dangers at every turn.

The game Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (through Steam) on July 9th in Japan, and July 10th everywhere else.

Watch the footage below.