Echoes of Aincrad PS5 demo free on PlayStation Store

Bandai Namco’s PlayStation 5 role-playing game Echoes of Aincrad is available to download as a free demo on the PlayStation Store. No PlayStation Plus subscription is required. The demo is presented as a ‘Beta Test’ chapter and allows players to transfer demo save data to the full release.

The full game is scheduled to launch on July 9 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Preorders are live on the PlayStation Store. The standard digital edition is priced at $69.99. The Deluxe Edition costs $89.99 and includes the base game, expansion downloadable content, a Starter Pack of early-game items and an early unlock for ‘Death Game Mode.’ The Ultimate Edition costs $109.99 and adds a separate Echoes of Aincrad ‘Unanswered//butterfly’ app with concept and background art, a roughly 120-minute feature-length promotional animation and a digital soundtrack. The Ultimate Edition also includes an Armor Pack with appearances that vary by avatar body type.

Echoes of Aincrad is the tenth console title in the Sword Art Online series. The game follows an original protagonist named Lori as she explores the floating castle of Aincrad. Gameplay emphasizes character creation, gear and equipment selection, and skill-based combat. Players can pair with a partner character to build combat synergy, level up and unlock new abilities as they progress.

A highlighted feature is ‘Death Game Mode,’ in which death results in data deletion. Access to that mode can be earned by clearing the main story or obtained earlier through higher-tier editions. The demo is intended to let players sample the game’s systems and setting before the July 9 launch, and progress made in the Beta Test demo will carry over for players who buy the full game.