Bandai Namco has revealed a new RPG game that takes place in the world of the Sword Art Online franchise.
On Thursday (March 5), the company announced the release of Echoes of Aincrad, sharing a trailer previewing the Sword Art Online-related game. The dramatic tease depicts a player-created protagonist who, from the sound of a voice talking throughout the trailer, has to destroy the "core of life." Their journey through a wide array of cities, dungeons, and wild environments is also shown.
Check out the trailer for Echoes of Aincrad below:
"What seemed to be a dream adventure has now become a fight for survival," the game’s official synopsis reads. "Among thousands of trapped souls, your journey is yours alone; will you rise, endure, and forge bonds that define your destiny? Or will you perish while facing enemies stronger, faster, and more ruthless than you imagined?"
According to the Bandai Namco website, Aincrad will enable players to design their avatars and "craft their path." This means that you’ll be able to customize your appearance, the gear you wear, and the style of combat you play through weapons and skills. There will also be an AI partner for you to "adapt your tactics" and create a team dynamic.
In the world of Sword Art Online, Aincrad is the first world in the series where the first VRMMORPG by character Kayaba Akihiko takes place.
As for more details about the game, those are pretty scarce — although, a Bandai Namco developer has revealed that a specific mode will delete your save data when you die, similar to how players die in real life when they die in the game in Sword Art Online.
Speaking to Denfaminicogamer, Aincrad’s head of production, Yasuhiro Yahata, spoke about the "Death Game Mode" in an interview and explained how implementing it was an attempt to leverage the "uniqueness" of Sword Art Online.
"I thought it would be nice to have a separate mode where gameplay would be like: If you fell asleep, you could get beaten by an enemy, and all of your save data would disappear," he said.
Echoes of Aincrad arrives on July 10.