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If this is your first time adventuring into Echoes of Aincrad, you'll either adore every bit of the grind along the two floors or just dread parts of it because some things just don't hit that well in the gameplay department. Well, no matter what I have to say about it, one thing's for sure: Sword Art Online fans are going to adore it either way for its well-executed inclusion into the source material.
But hey, even if you're a fan who's tempted by this game and is jumping in for the first time, then be sure to keep reading because this list contains all the valuable tips and tricks you need for Echoes of Aincrad to make the journey a bit less taxing, at least lesser than the game intends to be with some of its tedious design/mechanics.
You Can Replay Dungeon Quests
Just in Case You Want Extra Materials
We're starting things off with this one, but you may not exactly need to do it since the game already showers you with loot at every interval, but just remember that you can, in fact, replay quests in Echoes of Aincrad. And not just any quest; you can do that with dungeon-focused ones where the pathway is randomized almost every time you tackle it.
More importantly, these dungeon quests will harbor a lot of enemies at every step of the way, along with hidden treasure chests that'll contain valuable resources and trash fodder weapons that you can use as fuel for your main weapons. At the end of these quests, you'll be able to earn so much that you won't even have to replay anything else, at least until the second floor or maybe in the endgame.
Use Trash Weapons as Upgrade Fuel
They're Just Going to Take Up Space
You're going to be earning a ton, and I mean a ton of weapons as random drops from various sources, whether it be those elite enemies roaming the world or even named boss fights during quests and dungeons. So it goes without saying that you should preferably use most of these to level up and enhance your favorite main weapon back at the Smithy in the towns. The higher the weapon's level, the more upgrade fuel you'll need to add to progress it to the next level.
And since we're on weapons, be sure to be mindful of the Ex-Mods on each weapon, even if it's a green rarity one. That's because you can transform these mods into your main or favorite weapon, so sometimes even a common quality weapon will have a perk/effect that'll benefit your build, so keep an eye out as you're dismantling them this way.
Best Early-Game Attribute Investment
Get a Footing First and Then Build Away
Echoes of Aincrad gives you full freedom for how you want to build your character for the journey ahead, but keep in mind that optimally investing your Growth Points at the start can help you quite a bit, especially when you consider the Bonus Modifiers that each attribute gives, such as extra HP from upgrading Vitality or even specific weapon type bonuses with either Strength or Dexterity.
However, it goes without saying that investing at least five sets of points in your VIT and END is the best possible start you can get as a new player, no matter the build you're ultimately working towards with a weapon type. Not only will you get their first Bonus Modifier perks, but any excess points you can dump into your STR or DEX so that you can scale your weapon's damage via ACV (Ability Correction Values).
I'd also like to mention that in the permadeath mode, you might find it valuable to increase your Intelligence to a value of 30, mainly because the Bonus Modifier at that threshold increases your pouch capacity by 1. INT doesn't seem like such a worthy attribute at first, but when you realize that it also directly affects "status afflicting" weapons like burns, freeze and poison, only then you'll realize it is an absolutely invaluable attribute, much like the rest.
Understand the AI Partner Modes
They Can Be a Lifesaver in Death Game Mode
Although the game gives you a brief difference between both modes in the prologue, it is important to understand that your AI Partners are equally valuable as your own OC protagonist. Characters like Iori, Agil, and later Kirito and Asuna all play critical roles in boss fights and mob encounters, each with their own set of skills and unique SP abilities.
Free mode (indicated by the red icon) makes your companion focus on enemies you're not locked onto, so you want this mode cycled and activated when you're exploring the world and just trying to loot chests in the vicinity. This will ensure your partner attacks any enemy they encounter without waiting for your prompt. They can also freely use their Sword Skills in this mode to wipe out enemies.
And then with Switch Mode, have this for boss fights that ISN'T spawning extra ads or trash mobs. Switch Mode will make it so that your partner takes the aggro off of you for a brief moment, allowing you to heal or get your bearings. But then again, if the boss is constantly spawning mobs, I encourage shifting between both modes so that your AI party member takes care of any loose enemies, which can prove especially fatal in the game's Death Game Mode.
Prioritize Unlocking Safe Checkpoints
It's a Chore, I Know
Rather than a semblance of an open world as one might've expected from a next-gen SAO game, Echoes of Aincrad operates on the basis of zone-based overworld exploration, meaning each type of main or side quest throws you into a brand-new region, and the map will be completely obscured with fog of war. And given that this makes the initial exploration and beginning of said quests extremely tiring, the next tip I have for you is to immediately beeline to unlock every Safety Area Warp Terminal in each region.
These allow you to fast-travel between each one you've activated, making exploration much less taxing, especially when you've suspended a quest to come back to it later. Inactivated Safe Areas will emit a light beacon in the sky, allowing you to precisely pinpoint their position when you're near them, so be sure to prioritize activating these each time you begin in a new location.
Try to Have Every Type of Sword Skill
To Cover Every Weakness
Each time you use a weapon enough, you'll be able to level up its proficiency and unlock various kinds of Sword Skills associated with that weapon type. There are three types of weapon skills: Sword Strikes, Severing Attacks, and Crushing Attacks.
- Sword Strikes: Sword Strike Skills are pretty self-explanatory, but in the sense that you deal balanced damage along with being able to quickly pull up your guard after executing them or dodge.
- Severing Attacks: Used for breaking parts off of targets like your weapon's charged heavy attacks. However, keep in mind that they can leave you vulnerable to enemy attacks afterward.
- Crushing Attacks: As their name implies, you can use these Weapon Skills to crush any shield or guard of the enemy as well as build enough knockdown damage stacks to temporarily stun them for a brief period.
In total, you can equip up to three kinds of Sword SKills at a given time, so I strongly recommend one of each just so you can have a rotation of sorts to chain together with your filled-up SP gauge. Severing Attack-type Sword Skills, in particular, can even help grant I-frames, which can be useful to easily evade some AOE attacks in boss fights. It also doesn't hurt to have a crowd-control-type Skill, which you'll mainly find in the Sword Strike Weapon Skills.
Tackle Side Quests Whenever Possible
They're Not to be Ignored
This one's pretty obvious to anyone who's played an RPG, but given the game's overall quality (no offense), one may assume it's easy to ignore the side quests in this game—trust me, I know it.
But to give you full clarity, and as much as anyone would want to stray away from them, some of the side quests in Echoes of Aincrad are actually worth it, since the rewards can include unlocking an entire feature like Transmog or even rewarding you with more health vials. Heck, some even give out gear blueprints, which can prove to be one of the best things to get in this game as a reward drop.
Furthermore, while most of these side quests can be found in towns, the majority will require you to find various Side Quest Trinkets out in the world in order to trigger them, so keep an eye out on the map if it points to a clue or flavor text collectible.
The Most Valuable Consumable Items
Seriously, Use Them, They're Handy
Look, I get that people will want to just hack and slash away in this game, but remember that the items you get, besides the random materials and resources, contribute a lot to the grand scheme of things. For one, it is strongly advised to always keep a stock of Flame and Bomb Stones and bring three of each along whenever you go out on a new quest. You can easily craft them, and you'll thank me for telling you this, because these items are especially useful for dungeons where some treasure chests are tucked behind closed terrain or hedges.
The other is the Luminous Talismans and Blink Talismans; the former allows you to light a torch, which can be useful for caves since they're pretty dark without the map being cleared, and the latter are used to dash across some larger gaps found in certain parts of the map. You'll know it when you come across them, since they'll have a faint yellow glow emanating from each side.
