Getting Started

Character Creation

Echoes of Aincrad gives the player a created hero rather than placing them in the shoes of Kirito. The opening lets the player design their own avatar, who will be treated as one of the ten thousand players trapped in Aincrad at the moment the death game is announced.

Pick a Weapon

The game has six weapon types, and the one chosen in the early hours will define the rhythm of combat for much of the campaign. See the Weapon Types article for the full list, including one-handed weapons that can pair with a shield and two-handed weapons that give up defence for reach.

Learn the Timing

Combat is built around reading enemy attacks rather than out-statting them. The basic defensive options are block and dodge, but a well-timed block triggers Parry Slash, and a well-timed dodge triggers Dodge Slash. Both are team-up attacks with the player's NPC companion and deal heavy damage.

Sword Skills

Each weapon has a roughly ten-skill pool, but only two sword skills can be equipped at once. Picking skills that cover different ranges and openings is more important than stacking the highest-damage move.

Mind the Stamina

Every attack, dodge, and block drains the player's stamina bar. Chaining actions without leaving room for stamina recovery will leave the hero gassed mid-combo, which is the main reason the developers describe the game as methodical rather than twitchy.

Decide on Death Game Mode

The game has three save slots, but only slots 2 and 3 can enable Death Game Mode. On a first playthrough, leaving Death Game Mode off is usually the intended experience. It exists as an optional challenge for a second run.