Push Square has reviewed Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online on PS5, an action RPG that retells the franchise's original "Death Game" storyline through a custom protagonist rather than established series hero Kirito. The review frames the game as an ambitious, better-budgeted reset for the series that nonetheless squanders its potential, praising its atmosphere and sense of dread while criticising it for failing to build on solid foundations. It concludes that the "bones of a good — perhaps even great" title are present but never properly realised.

Structured essentially as an accessible Souls-like, the game features respawning enemies, fog-gate bosses and dodge-roll combat, but the reviewer found the fighting weightless, with poor hitstop and inconsistent damage feedback, and singled out unfair multi-enemy encounters as especially frustrating. A three-hour beta-test prologue, slow pacing, dull quests and empty, repetitive environments with paltry loot are cited as weaknesses, alongside missing quality-of-life features such as an inability to pause even during lengthy dialogue. On the positive side, competent AI companions, impactful Sword Skills and an addictive loot-and-levelling progression system are highlighted as the game's saving graces.