Recent reviews by Echo

I finished the main game at around 53 hours and genuinely enjoyed my time with it. Echoes of Aincrad is definitely flawed, quite repetitive, and very clearly has a lot of unrealized potential, but as a huge SAO fan, it absolutely scratched the itch I had for a game focused on exploring Aincrad.

The floors are much larger than I expected, although they’re segmented into separate areas rather than forming a true open world. The environments capture the setting well, the different weapon types are fun to experiment with, and the core loop of exploring, fighting, gathering materials, and clearing floors remained satisfying enough to keep me playing despite being VERY repetitive.

Many of the boss fights were also surprisingly challenging, especially considering how easy most regular enemies are. At the same time, many of the game’s systems feel kinda underdeveloped.

The silent protagonist also makes a lot of the story scenes pretty awkward and might honestly take the crown for the worst silent protagonist I’ve seen in a game.

A lot of the experience could be described as a fairly mindless grind. For me, that was often part of the appeal because I really needed something a little more “brain off” after a multi-year stretch of long, dialogue-heavy JRPGs.

I do find it pretty difficult to recommend this as a standalone RPG to someone without an existing attachment to SAO. That said, there is a TON of lore here stretching far beyond the anime. Fans of the light novels and SAO Progressive in particular will find plenty of quality lore, references, and Easter eggs.

I also really enjoyed the cameos from characters across the main series, progressive, and the light novels, even if there wasn’t a whole lot to most of them. It was nice having so many familiar faces around, especially with the same voice actors we’ve grown to know and love. The new original characters were also quite enjoyable imo.

I still have some post-game content left, and I’ll return to it whenever I’m in that mindless-grind kind of mood. I’m not in a huge rush to get to it, but the fact I still want to come back after 53 hours says something.

Overall, I think this game could have been WAY better, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. I would recommend it to SAO fans who enjoy mindless grinding, exploration, and good lore. However, I'd suggest most people wait for a good sale. I do think this is a really good foundation for the direction the SAO gameverse should go in, but there is a LOT to improve on, and would love to see them continue to expand and build on what they have here.

I don’t think many people without an existing attachment to the series, whether through the books, anime, or movies, will get nearly as much out of it.

Daybreak was fantastic! Really enjoyed Van, and I loved how his story tied into the bigger Trails lore. Loved the new Calvard crew, and they fit right in with what I'd expect from the rest of the series. This one’s definitely worth your time if you've enjoyed the other trails games.

Really enjoyed my time with Tokyo Xanadu eX+. It blends Falcom’s signature character-driven storytelling with pretty unique action combat, a fun and memorable cast, and that “playing through an anime” episodic feel. While I don’t think it quite reaches the same highs as some of Falcom’s other titles or some other JRPGs, it’s still a very well-crafted and above-average game. Definitely felt worth my time, and I’m really glad I played it. It also got me even more excited to check out Kyoto Xanadu when that releases.

Not at all what I expected, but absolutely amazing every step of the way. Reverie ties together so much of what makes Trails special. I love these characters. I love the world of Zemuria and how carefully it’s been built up over these first 10 games. This series is truly something special and unique, and it’s become one of my favorite gaming experiences ever.

Trails of Cold Steel IV isn’t perfect and definitely has its flaws, but its best moments and long-earned payoffs more than make up for them. While parts of the journey can feel messy or overstuffed, the emotional highs hit incredibly hard. By the time the game ended, I was genuinely overwhelmed (and I only cried a little, I swear… definitely not for 20 minutes or more).

Flaws and all, it’s a powerful and heartfelt conclusion to the Cold Steel saga. I love this entire crew and everything they’ve been through together, and it’s genuinely bittersweet to be done. I’m grateful for the time spent building toward these payoffs, even if it hurts a little to be moving on.

Absolutely loved this game. The characters were great, the world is fantastic, and so many things that this whole series has led up to so far starting to pay off. I was already thinking this from when I first started the series, but the more of these games I play, the more I realize just how special it really is. This has quickly become one of my favorite series, and this game is up there with the best of the ones I've played so far.

Trails to Azure is the kind of game that reminds you why long-form storytelling in games can be so special.

What starts as a grounded, character-driven story about a small group protecting their city slowly and deliberately builds into something much bigger, without ever losing sight of the people at its heart. The cast feels human, the world feels alive, and every quiet moment exists to make the eventual payoffs hit harder. Seeing familiar faces, perspectives, and events connect across the series makes everything feel earned in a way few games even attempt.

It’s emotional, thoughtful, and incredibly rewarding if you take your time with it. By the end, it’s hard not to feel both satisfied and a little sad that the journey is over.

This one was really special. An unforgettable chapter in an already incredible series.

Another fantastic game in the series. The cast is great, the city has a ton of personality, and the story kept me hooked the whole way through. I love this Crossbell crew so much, and KeA is an absolute cuteness overload. Can't wait to get into Azure next.

I went in expecting a good narrative adventure from a team with ex-Telltale devs, but this ended up being one of the best games in the choice-driven genre I’ve played in years.

The writing is fantastic. It mixes hilarious moments with genuinely emotional ones, and the cast is full of ridiculous and memorable characters. It nails that interactive story vibe without ever feeling stale.

I finished my first playthrough and immediately considered starting again just to see how different choices play out. If you enjoy Telltale-style adventures or narrative games in general, this one is absolutely worth your time.

Very different from what I expected, but very very enjoyable.

To sum things up, lore lore lore lore lore lore lore lore lore lore lore lore lore lore lore lore lore, and oh wait, more lore.

Game was great.