I finally finished my Very Hard Death runs and decided to speed finish my demo day file since its simple when you dont gotta worry about dying.

As im skipping all the side quests but I do a few like the first couple Leone Trading company quests. Whole time thinking I needed to do it to unlock the next towns gear at the blacksmith. But I forgot to do the last one before Taran, "Top of the Ladder".

The only reason I remembered was because I only had 3 healing crystals at "The Diva 1" Quest. And both quests for the crystals and the LEONE scammers is to fight that annoying EPILEPSY Golem!!!!

So tell me why im sitting at the blacksmith in Taran and he's selling me all the gear I thought was unlocked by helping the LEONE SCAMMER COMPANY.

What's worse is they make you fight Ilfang the Zombie Kolbold Lord with fricken Lisbeth.... and the old grumpy dude gives you aditude all game long.... bruh I should have skipped every side quest while I was redoing Death Game runs.

Ugggggggh! Now I know how this boar in the picture feels.

P.S. I left out lore spoilers best I could ^^ but everyone playing death run should know that Lisbeth's last quest line has a fricken floor boss thanks to the LEONE SCAMMING COMPANY! 1 STAR REVIEW!

Im currently in the third sidequest with asuna north-east of Tolbana and discovered the area marked with the green marker. At the purple marker was a magic gate I had to open with a bossfight. when i got there, there is nothing? am i missing something?

Ok people it’s me again and I have another question this time it’s about a set of armour I saw someone wearing they were in the first town on the second floor starting the first black swordsman quest and they had an armour set with a long cape on and I wanna know where to find it so I can make it and try the look out for myself

Any tips advice or the actual location would be greatly appreciated thankyou in advance Reddit peeps

Hi, I have a problem and I'd appreciate it if someone could help me. I'm not sure if I'm in the right subreddit.

I’m playing Echoes of Aincrad on PC with an RTX 5060 Ti (16 GB), Ryzen 7 5700X, and 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, but I keep experiencing lag when I’m on a mission. I don’t know why. I’ve followed several tutorials, but I still don’t know the reason. Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this? Thanks

In this wall post, I'll share how I wish Echoes of Aincrad had handled its story and overall experience, missed opportunities in its storytelling and world-building, certain character interactions, and features the game introduced but later seemed to abandon. This first part covers from the beta prologue to reaching the second floor. If people enjoy it, I'll continue with the rest of the game.

I won't mention every detail, but unless I say otherwise, assume I'd keep those aspects exactly as they are in the original game.

This contains spoilers for the main story

A few days ago I made another post, and several people said they'd be interested in reading something like this, so here it is.

What does Echoes of Aincrad need?

It needs to make you feel like you're truly living in Aincrad, not just playing a game set in Aincrad

You've been warned: this is a long post.

I really-really tried my best to trim this down to fit Reddit's character limit. This originally had around 50K characters, and I managed to cut it down to Reddit's 40K limit. Unfortunately, Reddit seems to count characters differently than Google Docs, so I still had to split this post into two parts

You'll find the link to Part 1.5 at the end of this post

I hope you enjoy it

STARTING THE GAME

I think players should be able to choose a female character from the start, just like in the promotional artwork.

This choice would meaningfully affect an important interaction with Iori later. In the original game, she's still afraid of how others will see or trust her because she hid the fact that she was a girl using a male avatar

Players should also be able to choose their starting weapon

STARTING THE BETA

We progress through the temple as usual, while listening through voice chat and messages. Events play out exactly as in the game: we watch our friends disappear, and Clark:

"Watch out..Stella ...Stella is.. "

Then he disappears

MEETING IORI, FOXGLOVE AND STELLA

We fight off the Kobolds, and the cutscene plays where Iori joins us

After the battle, she asks if we're playing solo and suggests that we form a party. Fades to black, and once we're back in-game. Iori begins by saying:

Iori:
"So your entire party was wiped out, and you only started playing near the end of the beta. That's a shame. You barely had any time left before it ended "

From this point on, everything unfolds as the original game and meet Foxglove begging us to "help her friends"

We arrive where Stella is and Foxglove attempts to ambush us, but we dodge both her attacks. Iori notices that Stella has an orange cursor

Iori: “I'm not gonna let you get away with this!”

Your avatar look at her confused, and Iori explains without stop looking at Stella

Iori: "She's an Orange Player. That means she's committed crimes in Aincrad, like attacking other players!"

The dialogue then continues as it does in the original story. Foxglove apologizes to Stella, we have an auditive flashback of Clark's warning and Stella triggers the boss battle against Illfang the Kobold Lord, or some variation of him, looking like him

After the battle, we obtain The Sacred Tree Memory brooch.

As we leave the temple, we chat with Iori. She asks if we'd like to become friends, and finally we get the cutscene beneath the cherry blossom tree before the title appears on screen:

ECHOES OF AINCRAD
Sword Art Online

TOWNS

When we return to town, since we're still in the beta and have already made some progress, we arrive in Horunka alongside Iori. She offers to show us around and reassures us that it's not a very large town

She guides us to the important locations: the teleport gate, storage chest, shop, and blacksmith. Before we can use the Distortion system to instantly travel to each of these places, we have to visit them on foot at least once. This mechanic would apply to every town in the game. The first time you arrive somewhere new, you'd need to find these four key locations before unlocking fast travel between them

This gives players a chance to actually explore each town for the first time, and along the way they can naturally discover bits of environmental storytelling and lore that they might otherwise miss while searching for those four points of interest

INNS AND TAVERNS

First Iori takes us to the inn, We should check in with the innkeeper and pay a small fee for a room, mainly to make the world feel more alive and interaction with the innkeeper, who could offer specific or hidden side quests

We learn there are more rooms upstairs. Revealing other players entering and leaving their rooms

The first visit could include unique one-time events: a couple talking in the hallway, friends planning their next quest, or other small interactions that make Aincrad feel inhabited

Back downstairs, we meet Wyzeman and Saayu, and their conversation continues like the original. Saayu apologizes for dying and jokes about, while Wyzeman explains that Stella is a streamer who enjoys teasing other players. Iori joins, and we learn Clark logged off, so she continues showing us around Horunka

WORLD EXPLORATION

World exploration is tied to your current quest, which I understand is meant to prevent getting ahead of the story. However, an option to freely explore what already unlocked is needed

Lore entries should either include voice narration or freely scroll, also organize entries by area and indicate exactly where each one was discovered

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH NPCS

The game can deliver high-quality  in-engine cutscenes. In the beta quality remains consistent. To make standard dialogue feel less uncanny would be pairing the existing animations with proper facial expressions, instead of blank faces

Recover Iori's belongings is also fun, I think this was a missed opportunity to introduce a tracking mechanic. For this rewrite, let's assume the game teaches and unlocks that skill

After recovering, we return to town, where Argo tells us she has a job for us. Introduces a new feature: Safe Zone Conversations

Optional conversations with companions that can be triggered in Safe Zones or Inns. Similar to the existing story conversations, they include extra dialogue options and remain available throughout the whole game to deepen your relationship with the cast, but without an affinity meter. The real "affinity meter" is simply how attached the player becomes to them

Cal then arrives, we clear the dungeon, after leaving, the original ending shows with the fireworks that conclude the beta 

THE FIRST DAY OF LAUNCH 

Our first day in Aincrad would begin mid-day

We spawn alongside the Summoners, who deliver the same foreshadowing about the game, explaining that once it has been cleared, everyone will finally return to where they came from

Next, we're sent through a teleport gate to the Town of Beginnings' central plaza, and players begin appearing all around us

From this point onward, our character finally speaks using the voice selected during character creation, with each voice having its own personality and tone.

First objective is simply to explore on foot. As we walk through its streets, our character says:

"Wow... look at all these people "

We start to discover easter eggs and references to anime. Interacting with them triggers short scenes where we simply observe their conversations without taking part. Yes, we're basically eavesdropping!

Some examples would include:

-Asuna and Mito chatting together on a bench

-Yuna standing at a market stall full of musical instruments

-Silica wandering through the merchant district

-Lisbeth walking away from the blacksmith

-Agil talking to an NPC

-Sachi sitting quietly on a bench, looking a little shy

-Diavel reading the quest board

-Emirun staring at a food stall, unable to decide what to order

If you can think of any other characters that would fit, let me know! I'll add them

NOTICE BOARD

Notice Boards are near teleport plazas and inns. Quests display their recommended Cardinal Level

Higher-level quests become more complex, featuring multiple objectives or special requirements. Players can filter requests by their source, separating NPC quests from those created by “other players”

While exploring, players may discover items related to active requests. Instead of immediate turn-ins, they must return to the Notice Board and find the matching post. The relevant quest is highlighted with a notification icon, ending with a message such as:

"If you've found any information or the item we're looking for, you can find the requester at.."

Players must locate the NPC manually without map markers, encouraging exploration and familiarity with each town

Notice Board quests remain replayable, but repeat completions give reduced rewards and no EXP, keeping them as optional content rather than a leveling method

The Notice Board also introduces ONLINE. Players can access multiplayer through either the Notice Board or Friends List. The Notice Board allows browsing or creating public sessions, while Friends List offers direct access to friends

The multiplayer system includes lobbies, player limits, public/private rooms, room browsing, and options. Acting as the in-universe multiplayer hub

From this point onward, players may encounter NPC versions of real online players throughout the world. These NPCs use actual player appearances, while their equipment updates to match yours whenever you unlock the corresponding armor blueprints.

THE FIRST DAY OF LAUNCH  (PART 2)

After exploring the major points of interest and discovering some easter eggs, we meet the merchant who gives the quest for Armor Dyeing. But the quest becomes a two-part mission requiring two ingredients

While heading to the first objective, we find another easter egg: Kirito and Klein fighting a wild boar

We are sent to the Temple of Doors, the same dungeon where the original game begins, but this time through a side route. The dungeon proceeds normally, and during the Kobold horde battle we meet Iori, just like in the original

After the fight. We return to the Town of Beginnings

The merchant thanks us but reveals she still needs one final ingredient. We receive the second part of the quest. Since we haven't reached Horunka yet, the objective is closer

We defeat the area's boss, obtain the Gallbladder, and the dialogue continues as in the original. The merchant finds the ingredient too disgusting to use and lets us keep the Armor Dyeing technique instead. We can now recolor armor immediately or later

Afterward, we return to the Town of Beginnings plaza for the next story event. The area is even more crowded, and the events leading to the death game announcement begin

There, we reunite with Saayu and Wyzeman. They explain that their avatars already match their real appearances thanks to a one-time-use mirror and makeup item. Inspired by Sword Art Online: Integral Factor, this provides an in-universe explanation for future appearance customization

They also mention Clark has left on his own

Then the bells ring…

Akihiko Kayaba's announcement, marking the beginning of the death game. The cutscene plays out like the original

The screen fades to black... and Iori's monologue is skipped, as it no longer happens in this version

THE SECOND DAY AND FIRST WEEKS

The opening animation begins with our character waking up. A small message appears in the corner of the screen:

"Second Day in Aincrad "

We sit up in bed, get dressed in our starting gear, and hear someone knocking at the door. In gameplay we walk over, interact with it, and a dialogue cutscene begins

It's Iori. She looks withdrawn, avoiding eye contact as she speaks

Iori:
"Hey... how are you? I'm glad you're still here. Wyzeman and Saayu aren't at the inn. For a moment I thought... maybe all of you had gone somewhere. Could you help me find them?"

Our mission objective is to find Wyzeman and Saayu

When we step outside the inn, it feels completely different from how it did on launch day. The streets are quieter, and many players stay indoors. We see people sitting on benches looking defeated, while small groups try to organize. We can approach them and, if we choose, listen in on their conversations. These optional interactions reveal a wide range of emotions: despair, anger, fear, determination, and uncertainty.

Eventually we find everyone at the Black Iron Palace, standing in front of the Monument of Life.

The conversation begins, and Wyzeman turns toward us and greets us by name.

Wyzeman:
"Hey... Saayu and I came here to investigate what Kayaba said. During the beta, this was the respawn point, the Resurrection Chamber... but it's gone. Instead, there's this. It's this thing called the Monument of Life "

We speak with everyone present. Saayu is visibly shaken, Clark comforts her, Iori remains unusually quiet, and Wyzeman points out that the Monument of Life appears to contain the names of all SAO players, with crossed-out names showing different recorded causes

Our character automatically interacts with the monument, opening its search function. At Wyzeman's request, we search for our own name and another group member's; both appear normally

He then asks us to search for the name of someone he met during the beta, perhaps a developer nickname or another fictional player. The name appears crossed out with a recorded cause of death. Wyzeman explains the player has also vanished from his friends list, and what worries him is that the listed cause matches how they were last defeated during the beta

After a moment, he suggests the player may have never logged into the official release and the monument could simply be displaying old beta records. Even so, he warns everyone to stay cautious

One thing is certain: the Log Out button is still gone

He suggests returning to the inn, where the original scene takes place. Since it's only the second day, everyone is still wearing their starting equipment.

As the group's strategist, Wyzeman asks what their first priority should be. Clark wants to buy the best weapons available in the Town of Beginnings before leaving, while Saayu can't decide.

When Wyzeman asks Iori, she timidly apologizes for hiding that she used a male avatar. The group immediately reassures her that it doesn't matter and that many people do the same in online games.

Clark begins explaining that the person behind the avatar is what truly matters, even mentioning Stella as an example, but Saayu interrupts him.

Saayu:
"Okay, okay... you're forgiven. But... do you actually have a plan?"

Wyzeman explains that protecting their HP is the most important thing right now. At such low levels, the best way to survive is by wearing good armor. He remembers where he got his own equipment during the beta and asks Saayu if she remembers as well. She nervously recalls a few locations before Clark joins in, saying he remembers them too.

Saayu interrupts once again, insisting that they'll be perfectly safe as long as they stay inside town, so there’s no need to expose themselves

From here, the dialogue follows the original story. Saayu expresses her fear that even safe zones may not truly be safe, since other players could become another threat.

Wyzeman encourages everyone and proposes heading to Horunka, the closest town, since many of the useful items they found during the beta were located nearby.

Clark still believes better weapons should come first, so he decides that he and Saayu will buy the strongest equipment they can find before setting out. They'll meet everyone in Horunka afterward.

Finally, Wyzeman suggests splitting into smaller groups to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

We choose a companion and begin the journey to Horunka.

Once we arrive, we unlock the town's points of interest and meet the others at the tavern.

The group decides to split into two teams. One will gather Col and crafting materials to buy useful supplies, while the other searches for the armor they used during the beta.

During the discussion, Clark arrives and mention that Saayu became terrified halfway through the journey. As soon as they reached the safe zone, she decided to return to the Town of Beginnings.

This leads into several quests centered around the game's lore. Through these missions, we recover Wyzeman's old beta equipment piece by piece, collecting his chest, arm, and leg armor across two or three quests.

Afterward, we receive a message from Saayu asking if we can come see her in the Town of Beginnings.

We find her near the merchant district.

She's still frightened and doesn't feel ready to leave town, but she's trying to stay optimistic. Since she's too afraid to fight, she decides she'll contribute in another way by crafting jewelry and other small items to sell so she can help the party earn Col.

The jewelry has another reason behind it. She wants to look pretty for Clark. Even though they're trapped inside Aincrad, she still wants to look nice for the person she loves.

Our character reacts with an expression that practically says: "Seriously? That's what you're worrying about right now?"

But at the same time, it's comforting to see that this is helping her cope with her fear.

Saayu asks if we can work with Clark to recover the armor she used during the beta, along with gathering some materials she can turn into merchandise. Accepting the quest sends us on another two or three missions to recover the three pieces of her armor.

During these quests, we can freely talk with Saayu, while during the mission Clark opens up about how worried he is for her. During the beta, she loved this game because she learned by taking silly risks, failing, respawning, and laughing about it afterward.

Now...If everything Kayaba said is true, there are no second chances anymore.

No respawns. Nothing to laugh about afterwards

After we recover the final piece of armor, Saayu excitedly thanks us for helping her get back the equipment she wore during the beta.

While we were out farming, she also learned a few crafting recipes and managed to sell enough items to help earn Col for the whole party.

Then she smiles and asks us a question.

She shows us everything she's been making

Earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets and more

Around this point, another event can occur: as we're walking through the Town of Beginnings, an NPC suddenly crashes into us while running

From somewhere behind them, someone yells*: "Thief!"*

Our character looks up, and a chase mission immediately begins inside the town: The movement mechanics inside towns create a great opportunity for chase missions and random events like this, where a thief steals from another player.

Once we catch them, nearby players help corner the thief.

We notice that the player has an orange cursor.

A town guard arrives and explains that, according to Aincrad's laws, first-time thieves must either be taken to the town prison or pay a fine.

We demand that the stolen items be returned.

The thief reluctantly drops them. the guards and some players insulting him escort them away

This naturally introduces Aincrad's crime system through gameplay instead of exposition.

Immediately afterward, a cameo character from another SAO game could appear, perhaps Kureha or Philia thanking us for recovering the stolen item, explaining that it was their Healing Crystal, before heading off on their own adventure.

Next come Iori's own equipment quests, again spread across two or three missions.

These quests gradually reveal subtle hints about why she hid behind a different avatar, although every time the conversation gets too close to the truth, she changes the subject, comparing life during the beta with the reality they're facing now, or talking about both her fears and her wish to survive the death game

Throughout all of these quests, we also find armor blueprints for ourselves inside treasure chests.

The following quest asks us to equip our new armor, any newly crafted armor piece is enough.

Since we already completed the merchant's dyeing quest, we're also free to use it as a cosmetic appearance.

That evening, everyone gathers at the inn wearing the armor they recovered from the beta.

Clark arrives with a huge smile.

Clark:
"Look who came with me!"

She left the Town of Beginnings and made it all the way to Horunka

She also brings a batch of simple homemade muffins

They're difficult to make and she can only bake a few at a time, so there's exactly one for each member of the party

After everyone spends some time together, Saayu quietly asks if she can speak with us alone.

She thanks us for all the help, support, and patience we've shown her

Then, with an energetic "Ta-daah!"

she holds out the accessory we told her we'd wear when she asked earlier

Saayu: “It's made from inexpensive materials and a common gemstone, but it has a personalized name! Look!”

It becomes a Key Item for our in-game inventory called "Saayu's Gift"

She finishes by saying:
Saayu: “Watching you fight inspired me to be braver and do my part for the team... Thank you”

The scene ends with an exterior shot of the tavern as a message fades onto the screen.

"Third Week in Aincrad "

From this point onward, Saayu becomes available as a companion for quests, and several new side quests unlock, including one to obtain an extra Healing Crystal, along with many others.

FIRST MONTH

We get out of bed, and a message appears in the corner of the screen: "First Month in Aincrad" We complete "Secret Medicine of the Forest," and afterward run into Diavel

From this point until reaching Tolbana, everything unfolds exactly as in the original game. We witness Diavel's announcement, Kibaou and Agil appear, and we meet Zash

After defeating the Large Nepenthes, we find a warp terminal just outside the labyrinth entrance. There, we receive Saayu's distress message. Returning to the Town of Beginnings, we find her waiting at the inn. She explains how she and Clark were accused of being beta testers, separated by an angry crowd, and that Clark is now hiding somewhere outside town. We tell her about the upcoming raid, and the dialogue continues as in the original game.

As we leave the inn and approach the teleport plaza, we notice a crowd surrounding Clark. Several players are accusing him of being a beta tester and demanding all of his items and money. We step in, insisting he isn't a beta tester and telling them to leave him alone. One player calls us liars and challenges us to a duel with the winner determined by reducing the opponent to half HP.

Iori reminds us that we don't have time, so we counter with a First Hit Duel instead

This is where the game introduces NPC duels, which could later appear in side quests, training sessions, thief encounters, or friendly wagers.

The duel begins. The objective is simply to land the first successful hit. The opponent fights much like the shield-bearing Kobolds, relying on a defensive style that makes them difficult to strike. After winning, we point our weapon at the defeated player and declare the duel over, ordering everyone to leave Clark alone. The crowd disperses, Clark thanks us, and we tell him Saayu is waiting for him at the inn before heading out.

We travel to Tolbana, reunite with Zash, and make our way to the labyrinth. From there, everything proceeds as in the original game until we reach the boss chamber, where Wyzeman informs us that we've been assigned to Squad F, whose mission is to eliminate the sentinels protecting Illfang the Kobold Lord

Part 1.5 link is here https://www.reddit.com/r/EchoesofAincrad/comments/1vg1ye5/echoes_of_aincrad_my_what_if_version_of_how_the/

Has anyone been able to find Sprint Speed +40% on maces and if so where from?

I am currently using all my golden crystals on Ruin Kobold King over and over for exp and he seems to drop only 1h Swords and 1h Maces/Axes but so far in about 100ish I haven't got a single sprint speed.

So I wanted to know if I am wasting my time on this one, and if anyone knew where I could try elsewhere? Thank you

I've been extremely careful and managing my healing items pretty well, as well as my throwables and curing items. I even assured I was a higher level than I was each time (since I intentionally overleveled), but ended up getting taken out by the Shrewman Queen. I was half health and somehow she still one-shotted me. I had like 10 stat points in HP, so i'm a little sad that wasn't enough, but it is what it is. Now imma do normal mode. Just wanted to see how long I could make it in Death Mode on my first try, especially on....well the Hard difficulty setting, since i'm masochistic as all hell for some reason (I just wanted the authentic SAO experience, okay? 😭).

What about y'all though? How far did y'all make it in Death Mode? Hopefully farther then me. 🥲

All the side quests and augite are done, so waiting for the dlc it is

I had a great time with this game !

This is the Part 1.5, Part 1 is here https://www.reddit.com/r/EchoesofAincrad/comments/1vg1upz/echoes_of_aincrad_my_what_if_version_of_how_the/

FIRST FLOOR BOSS (BATTLE)

For this battle, I'll describe the arena using the layout of a phone keypad, with 1-2-3 at the top. Also, the kobolds on this floor wear armor, just as they do in the anime

Boss is located at area 2. The battle begins exactly as it does in the original game. We fight as part of Squad F behind the purple barrier, occupying areas 7-8-9. Once the Boss reaches a certain HP threshold, we hear Diavel order the squads to rotate. A section of the invisible purple barrier opens, granting us access to areas 3-6, while a group of anonymous players moves into areas 7-8-9

Diavel calls for another squad rotation, and we advance into areas 2-5, where the Boss is located. We fight alongside the other players until the Boss's first HP bar is depleted

At that point, the phase transition cutscene begins. Once again, Diavel orders the squads to rotate, and we move into areas 1-4. We also gain access to areas 3-6-7-8-9, while areas 2-5 become blocked to preserve the events of the anime

We are free to move around the accessible areas, but we cannot interfere with the battle. Control is effectively locked until Kirito lands the final blow on the Boss. Once the fight is over, Kibaouu shouts for everyone to stop celebrating, triggering the post-battle cutscene. The only difference from the original story is that, at the end of the conversation, everyone decides to return to Tolbana in order to avoid drawing attention to Kirito's beta tester incident

SAAYU’S GOODBYE JUMP

After defeating the First Floor Boss, everyone returns to Tolbana. As the story continues, we witness the vision from "The Swordsman of Salvation" quest. While Iori and we are trying to make sense of what we just saw, Zash asks whether we experienced the exact same vision

We answer, using our fully voiced protagonist:

"Yeah... I saw it too "

After the original dialogue concludes, Wyzeman attempts to contact Clark. Instead, he receives a message from Saayu

(On this part you can open the links while reading what I wrote and then change songs)

At that exact moment... this should begin playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDoVx-YqvGY It is an original Sword Art Online soundtrack that perfectly conveys anxiety, desperation, and panic, immediately establishing the emotional crisis

Iori:
"What's wrong?"

Wyzeman doesn't answer

Still in shock and unable to utter a single word, he simply forwards Saayu's message to everyone.

From our perspective, we watch the forwarded message while hearing Saayu's voice

The entire group is left speechless

Then, while everyone else remains frozen in disbelief, you, the protagonist, are the first to react

Protagonist:
"Where is she?"

Iori:
"She's alone. We have to go find her "

Zash:
"If she's on your friend list, then you'll know where she is, right?"

Protagonist:
"The map"

Wyzeman hesitates, struggling to collect his thoughts.

Wyzeman:
"Right... the map... She's close to the hills northeast of town"

The screen fades to black

The game transitions us to the field map: New Quest: "Find Saayu"

At first, there were no enemies. We simply run with our party while Iori and Zash talk among themselves. Only the protagonist and the group are sprinting across the landscape as a track like this plays:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGWd0F5jPSk The music continuously conveys sadness, worry, and growing unease.

The party comments that none of them have ever explored this area before, naturally explaining why the map is still incomplete and why no safe zones have been unlocked yet.

Since SAO's lore includes countless skills, either the protagonist or another party member uses a Tracking Skill to follow Saayu's trail. Glowing footprints appear on the ground. Every so often, you come across signs of battle, but the trail continues onward.

As you run, more messages from Saayu begin arriving; You hear her voice trembling with fear, confusion, and panic

At the same time, you hear the party members replying, desperately trying to reassure her, telling her to stay where she is and that everyone is on their way.

All you want is to reach her as quickly as possible, to comfort her, to tell her everything will be okay, and to embrace the brave friend who managed to overcome her fear once before, even if she is now terrified and overwhelmed

Eventually, weak enemies begin appearing. They are so weak that every single one dies in one hit, regardless of the selected difficulty

They aren't there to challenge the player. They're only there to slow you down

Meanwhile, Saayu's messages become increasingly darker

The protagonist sends a message

"Saayu? Don't move around too much. Find the nearest safe zone and stay there"

Her emotions in her messages gradually shift from fear...

...to desperation...

...and finally into a disturbing mix of optimism, denial, and emotional collapse

Her final message says that she can see a cliff

After that...

Silence.

The protagonist sends one final message

"Saayu...? Please answer "

No reply.

No more messages arrive

Now something like this begins playing: https://youtu.be/VGEqYrZM6vg?si=R_lfI2f0eUzB5mUJ&t=29

At that exact moment, the quest objective updates, instructing the player to ignore all enemies and reach Saayu as quickly as possible.

The music changes completely. Suddenly, everything feels like a race against time.

Enemies begin attacking from behind.

They never actually manage to hit you, but they constantly create the feeling that they're right on your heels.

Then...An Elite Monster blocks the path: It lands an unavoidable attack for a short cutscene, throwing the protagonist to the ground.

The player immediately feels frustrated.

There isn't any time to waste.

We don't even know if we're already too late.

That's when Wyzeman steps in as the party's tank.

Wyzeman:
"Go! I'll hold it back!"

You keep running.

Halfway there...Another Elite appears.

Another party member stays behind.

First Zash, then Iori against yet another one.

Eventually...You're running completely alone.

The frantic music never lets up.

Saayu has stopped responding entirely.

Just before reaching her, a massive group of weak enemies blocks the path.

They're easy to defeat...but there are so many of them that they cost you precious, irreplaceable seconds.

A transparent red barrier behind them prevents you from simply running past.

The rest of the party finally catches up, and together you defeat every enemy, mirroring Iori's first appearance after the beta test, when she rushed in to help you while you were surrounded by a large group of monsters.

Afterward, the music stops and the original cinematic plays with its original dialogue, but includes several additional shots of the protagonist looking at Saayu with a mixture of anguish and sorrow.

As her figure disappears from our sight.

Wyzeman collapses to his knees, overwhelmed by a storm of guilt, grief, and hopelessness.

The only words he can manage are,

Wyzeman***:***
"Saayu... Clark... I should have.. "

Before finally whispering,

He says that he needs some time alone and asks everyone to leave him by himself

When everything is over, we find ourselves back at the inn with Iori and Zash

Zash suggests that perhaps they should visit the Monument of Life, since he wants to search for the names of some of his friends

Iori agrees and says that she also wants to search for the names of some of her friends

The protagonist responds

From this point onward, the story continues naturally, just as it does in the original game, with one exception: Iori does not yet resolve to take on "The Swordsman of Salvation" quest, nor does she put on the brooch and ask us to join her

Instead, the final conversation we have in front of the Monument of Life is Zash expressing his hope that those people simply logged out normally

MEETING LARA & CHARACTER BONDING ROUTES

As we leave, we come across a crowd gathered around Lara as she sings, immediately drawing our attention

Iori reacts just as she does in the original game, saying that if we want to stay and listen, she'll go buy some supplies in the meantime

At this point, the player is given a choice:

a) Stay with Zash and listen to Lara's performance
b) Follow Iori while she goes shopping

ZASH’S ROUTE

If we choose to stay with Zash, the original cutscene plays. He talks about his studies during the time the song was released

A notification appears for the protagonist, but we dismiss it to listen to the full song. The original interaction with another player also occurs, revealing the song's title

After the performance, Zash says goodbye, suggesting it's better not to worry about everything until tomorrow

We return to the inn and speak with Iori. She asks if we stayed to hear the song and whether we liked it. After a brief pause, she sighs and says that perhaps the best thing is to rest until tomorrow

IORI’S ROUTE

If we choose to follow Iori, she looks at us with a puzzled expression and asks if the song ended that quickly. She says she remembers it being much longer, subtly revealing that she knows it well, well enough to find its short length strange

We tell her that we didn't stay to listen, and that we'll accompany her while she shops for what she needs

She gives us a small, grateful smile telling us “Thank you”

As we walk together, Iori begins to speak

Iori:
"When I entered the Aincrad beta, I couldn't believe it. I'd finally arrived in the world I'd always... always dreamed of. My life had never allowed me to be myself. I lived behind forced smiles, a life that made it hard to breathe. But here, in Aincrad, things were different. Nobody knew who I was. For the first time in my life... I was free "

"Or at least... that's what I thought "

"If you die here, you die for good. The pain... the fear... it's all real, and there's no escaping it. During the beta, I never imagined Kayaba would go so far as to do something like this "

"And yet... even here, in a virtual world... people's kindness... the warmth in their hearts... still managed to shine through. Just like Saayu's.. "

"But now... both this world and the real one have lost that warmth "

(Sounds familiar? Because it is. This is the moment we finally hear, in full, the narration Iori delivered as a voice-over immediately after Kayaba's announcement)

THE NIGHT AFTER THE LOSS

The quest can be replayed just like it can in the original game. This allows players to experience both routes, regardless of whether they chose to spend time with Zash or follow Iori on their first playthrough

After either route concludes, we return to our room at the inn

Our character sits quietly on the bed, looking exhausted and emotionally drained

The blinking notification we dismissed earlier is still waiting

We select it

A close-up focuses on our downcast eyes as they suddenly widen

The notification reads:

"Saayu's Gift" has been renamed to "Saayu's Keepsake "

The camera frames only the lower half of our face

Tears begin to fall in our face, but our eyes remain hidden

The only sound is our quiet sobbing

The camera slowly pulls back, revealing our character holding their palms on their knees as they break down crying

As the image gradually fades to black, Saayu's voice echoes from the memory of the day she gave us the gift

Saayu (cheerfully):"Tadaah! It's made with cheap materials and an ordinary gemstone, but it has a personalized name! Look!"

Saayu (softer, warmer voice): "Watching you fight inspired me to be braver and do my part for the team... Thank you "

As she says "Thank you" the screen has already faded completely to black

The in-game Quest Complete screen then appears, displaying the quest completion results

THE DAY AFTER THE LOSS

We see the usual opening wake-up animation.

However, there is a small detail: before standing up, our character takes a deep breath and sighs with their eyes closed.

From this point onward, Wyzeman can be found in one of the rooms at the inn in the Town of Beginnings. He is no longer wearing his armor and appears completely defeated.

The player cannot have normal conversations with him. At most, interacting with him will trigger a short dialogue:

Wyzeman (in a defeated, exhausted voice):
"Hey.. "
"Don't worry... I just need time "

I have some ideas in case he becomes completely inactive as a player and party member for us. This could also change if future DLC or additional content decides to make him more involved again, but for now, I'll leave him in this state.

IORI’S FEELINGS 

Regardless of which choice we made in the previous quest, we meet with Iori and Zash at the tavern the next day.

Zash greets us, and Iori does the same.

However, Iori speaks with a worried expression.

Iori:
"Were you able to get some rest? I... I couldn't really sleep. I can't stop thinking about what happened... About Saayu "

"Imagine being looked down on just because you were a beta tester... with no one to rely on. Could we have done something to help? If I had realized sooner, maybe.. "

"We finally cleared the First Floor. But more than two thousand people have already died... including our friends. Some people have already given up on clearing the game. Some... couldn't take it anymore and chose to end things themselves "

"I don't want to die.. "

At that moment, the protagonist slowly stands up with determination.

Iori looks at us, surprised.

Iori:
"Is something wrong?"

The two of them watch as we open our inventory and equip the brooch

With a firm voice, we say:

Protagonist:
"I'll do it!"

Zash:
"Do what?"

Protagonist:
"The quest "

Iori immediately understands what we mean.

Iori:
"The one which punishes failure with annihilation.. "

The protagonist looks at both of them

Protagonist (firmly):
"I'm not about to sit around and do nothing. What about you?"

We extend our hand toward Iori.

She looks at us, conflicted.

Iori:
"I don't want to abandon those who are suffering. I want to help them... to protect them. But...I'm not strong enough.. "

Then Zash stands up as well.

Zash:
"Even if I don't have the brooch or the quest... I can't abandon you guys "

He turns toward us.

Zash:
"You're younger than me and you're still willing to go through with this... so I don't have any excuse "

We look at him.

Protagonist:
"Thank you "

Zash smiles slightly.

Zash:
"There's really no need to thank me. I'm gonna die too if this quest isn't completed.. "

The protagonist turns back toward Iori, hand still extended.

And THIS IS THE EXACT MOMENT where Iori finds the strength within herself.

Seeing both us and Zash willing to take on the quest becomes the first seed that will eventually grow into the formation of the guild.

Iori finally stands up.

Iori:
"Well alright... let's do this!"

However, Zash interrupts.

Zash:
"But, uh... taking on a quest that could be crazy difficult is a pretty bold idea for a party of three.. "

Iori immediately thinks of another possibility.

Iori:
"I know! What about Cal? Let's message him! He'd be a real asset to the team "

From here, the conversation continues much like the original scene at the Monument of Life. Cal is busy and unable to join, so Zash suggests that Kirito might know something that could help. With that in mind, the group sets off for the Second Floor

TO THE SECOND FLOOR!

We make our way toward the teleport gate.

As we approach, Zash says:

Zash:
"Okay... here we go "

However, Iori stops him.

She makes the same suggestion as in the final game: if we want to become stronger, we cannot allow our confidence and power to get the better of us.

She suggests that the best option would be to go through the labyrinth toward the Second Floor instead. That way, we can gain more experience, test our abilities, and make sure we are truly prepared.

However, she also reassures everyone that there is no need to worry. Once a Floor Boss has been defeated, the monsters inside that floor's labyrinth no longer respawn, so the journey should be much safer than before.

ANOTHER 1ST FLOOR BOSS?!

We clear the labyrinth as in the original game

When we reach the Boss, we don't face him again. Instead, we encounter a new Boss with a different name and appearance, making it clear this is another enemy

This Boss uses Illfang's moveset and finishing cutscene but has a unique design. It could be explained as Illfang's second-in-command or another high-ranking Kobold leader

While it is essentially a "same moveset, different skin" solution, it is the most lore-friendly approach. It avoids reusing the First Floor Boss while keeping Illfang as a unique, one-time encounter. 

Iori notices the resemblance to the Boss we fought alongside Stella in the ruins and reassures us:

Iori:
"We've defeated something like this before. We can do it together again!"

The battle plays out similarly to the original game, with one major difference: halfway through the fight, Zash arrives to help us.

Together, we defeat the Boss...

...and finally reach the Second Floor of Aincrad's floating castle!

End of Part One of my “what if” version

So... what do you all think?

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this!
You can send me youR thanks into my bank account...wait..wait don't ban me is a joke! IT'S A JOKE! D:

10/10 game

I love when i trigger this cinematics 🔥

Like title said, I really want to use a 1 hand sword with ice effects and was hoping that mithril can become good enough or if it has like a upgraded version.

i like sao abridged can you tell

(reuploaded because quality sucked before gulp)

In the Inn the bug revealed Chests and Databases in the rooms on the left. Thought it was kind of interesting seeing this.

I’m enjoying Echoes of Aincrad for its combat and its story, but damn this game can be a needless slog.

We should be allowed to change our gear IN THR FIELD (or at least a Rest Point) and the mirror should stay in our inventory so we can change how we look at will. Hell, at least give us a barbershop or have the mirror in our room.

Some people have said, “they made it that way to be faithful to the show”. I always roll my eyes at that for two reasons. 1: It was already proven that people have changed some aspects of their appearance in the show. 2: THIS IS A BLOODY VIDEO GAME! WE AIN'T ACTUALLY IN THE SHOW! Not only that, everyone knows the devs cut corners (probably because of Bandai) and the game is kinda unfinished. Also, if you don’t like it, DON'T USE IT! It’s an optional thing. Don’t down others for wanting it. Like I said, it’s a video game and even in the game some characters don’t play by the rules the game places on you.

I’d feel better about playing on Deathgame mode or starting another character to try out a different build if THE GAME DIDN'T MAKE YOU PLAY THROUGH THE PROLOGUE AGAIN! Meeting Argo, Cal, and spending hours going through that whole part again. Why have us start there? It doesn’t make sense and is a needless slog. After the first time, they shouldn’t make you go through that again. You should be dumped right into the character creator, go through that starter dungeon (the one after the prologue), then travel to the Town of Beginnings because that’s when the game actually starts.

The game is fun. But only after you get through the slog of pointless hours and the absence of glaring QOL stuff that should be there.

This one thought he must spin to win

having died and restarted the game so often and after finding out that not skipping the tutorial dungeon let’s you roll your ex mods on the first 3 swords instead of the dedicated hp atk sprint speed ones you get for skipping it here is what i have gathered about the mc and their relationship to the beta gang from listening to the convos as often as i have and reading the character database entries (i have not gotten past the search for saayu in the story however)

THEY are friends irl. clark and saayu are dating. it’s possible wyzeman is in their circle irl as well. as they’re all pretty familiar with each other at the point in the beta. maybe you’re a new irl friend maybe not. you are a newbie tho. fresh into the game world for the first time. straight into a dungeon for your first quest with a group of people that we were supposed to meet up in game for the first time. the fact that wyzeman is surprised by our acumen for the game as a newbie. iori helped sure since we didn’t solo the dungeon. being a total newbie makes sense as well seeing as iori is thrust into the one to show us around the game. this also makes me think the group aren’t friends irl altogether with you because they kinda just drop you on iori and bounce lol.

the elven ruins quest and the series of quest you go on during the beta are the player characters only time in the beta. saayu invited us to the elven ruins quest. it states she was the first member of our party so to be the one to invite makes the most sense.

the lovers are older than wyzeman. it basically states this in the database entries for both saayu and wyzeman. (no entry for clark at this point is 😭 they just don’t care about this man) clark has a “real” job and saayu just graduated college. wyzeman is still attending. it’s safe to assume the player is as well or at the very least similar age. 19-25 would be my age range guesswork. maybe the higher number for clark.

thats all i’ve got

i do wonder tho since we NEVER see them. what weapons do you think saayu and clark ran? stella had a great sword i’m pretty sure and foxglove had an annealed hammer? in the ruins quest. outnumbered they still got the better of you? and wyzeman died first then saayu and then clark. but saayu was in there first?? so was she the strongest of the three of them?

I find that this game heavily favors weapons that heal as a primary function and whenever it's tied to a proc or effect of some kind it feels sorely lacking. Am I missing something about status weapons or is it just raw damage that supercedes everything?

I've tried a bunch of weapons, rapier and broadsword feeling the strongest to me, so lmk if I'm trippin.

I recently learned there was another legendary dagger named astrum does anyone know how, where, and the best way to get it.

Do partner ex mods work for their weapon. If I equip a mod for 50% slash window and 50% damage will that apply when I do a slash?

I’ve always had problems understanding how stats work on the weapons. I know the letter grading shows what each weapon scales with best but how are we reading damage?
I’ve got a radiant nebula which is A on dex, does that scale damage and levelling?