More than a month after its highly anticipated global release, Echoes of Aincrad has seen its fair share of casual players conquering the lower floors and moving on to other titles. However, for the dedicated achievement hunters and die-hard Sword Art Online fans striving for that coveted Platinum trophy on PS5 or the 100% completion badge on Steam, the endgame reality is setting in. Recent reports and reviews from the hardcore community paint a picture of a grueling, repetitive journey that tests players' patience far more than their combat skills. While the game successfully introduced a custom protagonist and a high-stakes setting, the road to absolute completion is currently being described as one of the most exhausting experiences in recent ARPG memory. Here is a breakdown of what awaits players brave enough to aim for full completion in Bandai Namco's latest VRMMORPG simulation.
The 60-Hour Journey and the Stagnant Gameplay Loop
According to multiple reports from the game's dedicated trophy-hunting community across platforms, achieving 100% completion in Echoes of Aincrad takes approximately 60 hours. While a 60-hour runtime is fairly standard for a sprawling ARPG, the distribution of that time is what has players sounding the alarm. Completionists are noting that the main narrative and meaningful side content can be wrapped up in a fraction of that time, leaving upwards of 40 hours dedicated purely to mind-numbing grinding.
The most glaring criticism stemming from these 60-hour playtimes is the lack of evolutionary gameplay mechanics. As one veteran player noted after securing the Platinum trophy, "Hour 5 and hour 60 are practically the same." In many action role-playing games, the endgame introduces complex mechanics, multi-phase boss encounters that require intricate builds, or entirely new ways to traverse the environment. In Echoes of Aincrad, however, the core loop established in the opening hours—clearing mobs, managing aggro, and harvesting basic resources—remains largely unchanged all the way to the final floors.
The tactical stamina combat, which feels fresh and demanding initially, can become rote when you are performing the exact same sequences on the hundredth hour as you did on the tenth. For players who enjoy a zen-like, repetitive grind, this might not be a dealbreaker. But for those expecting a constantly escalating challenge, the back half of the Platinum journey feels more like a chore than a triumphant conquest. The absence of raid-style events or dynamic world bosses in the post-game means that the strategies you learn against the first few major floor bosses are simply recycled with tighter parry windows and larger health pools, providing little incentive to truly master the deepest aspects of the system.
The Infamous "392 Chests" Requirement
If there is one specific objective that has united the community in collective frustration, it is the seemingly arbitrary requirement to open exactly 392 treasure chests across Aincrad. While exploring and looting is a staple of the genre, the sheer volume required for this achievement transforms a fun side activity into a punishing checklist.
Players are expressing severe exhaustion over this specific task, with many dedicating days of playtime purely to running optimal routes through low-level dungeons just to pop open respawning containers. The frustration is compounded by the fact that the loot economy heavily favors crafting and boss drops later in the game. By the time a player is hunting for their 300th chest, the actual contents—often basic potions, low-tier crafting materials like coarse fur, or meager amounts of Col—are completely useless to a high-level character. This turns the achievement into a purely mechanical grind with no in-game reward to soften the blow.
To make matters worse, there is no robust tracking system to tell players exactly which hidden chests they have missed, forcing them to run laps around early-game zones like the Starting City outskirts or the first few labyrinth networks. For newcomers looking to eventually 100% the game, community veterans strongly advise looting every single chest you see from the moment you begin the campaign. Skipping chests early on only compounds the misery during the post-game cleanup phase. For more early-game optimization, refer to our Beginner's Guide.
The "Empty World" Critique: Where is Everyone?
Perhaps the most interesting critique to emerge from the 100% completionist crowd isn't about the grind itself, but rather the atmosphere in which the grind takes place. Echoes of Aincrad is built on the premise of being trapped in a massive VRMMORPG alongside ten thousand other players. Yet, players spending dozens of hours in the overworld and labyrinth dungeons are noticing a severe lack of life.
In previous Sword Art Online video game adaptations—such as Hollow Fragment, Lost Song, or Hollow Realization—the developers populated the field areas with roaming AI "players." You would frequently run into other NPC parties fighting monsters, resting at camps, or wandering the pathways, which helped sell the illusion of a living, breathing MMO ecosystem. In Echoes of Aincrad, this feature is noticeably absent. Outside of designated safe zones and specific narrative hubs, the vast expanses of the floating castle feel eerily barren.
When you are 40 hours deep into an achievement grind, exploring the world with only your AI companion (read more about optimizing your companion in our Partner System Guide), the isolation becomes palpable. The community argues that for a game centered around a Death Game scenario where players must band together to survive, the environments outside the main towns feel uniquely solitary. While some argue this adds to the oppressive, dangerous atmosphere of the floating castle, many veteran fans feel it is a step backward in world-building compared to older, less technically advanced titles in the franchise. The lack of dynamic player avatars fighting off boars in the fields or resting near safe zones breaks the immersion of being trapped in a digital society. Fans are hoping that future updates might introduce minor NPC behaviors in the field to make the climb feel like a collective effort rather than a solo operation.
The Silver Lining: Combat and Customization Hold Up
Despite the heavy criticism regarding the repetitive endgame loop and the lack of ambient life, the community remains highly positive about the game's core mechanics. Even those who are burnt out from the 60-hour Platinum grind are quick to praise the fluidity and satisfaction of the combat system.
The animations, the weight of the strikes, and the responsiveness of the dodges and parries hold up remarkably well, even when performing them for the thousandth time. The foundation that Bandai Namco built for tactical, stamina-based combat remains fundamentally sound. Furthermore, the game's six weapon categories and the expansive transmogrification system continue to be a massive draw. Achievement hunters have noted that experimenting with different weapon skins and visually upgrading their custom protagonist is one of the few joys that alleviate the tedium of the endgame grind.
The visual flair of the weapons, complete with unique particle effects and intricate designs, showcases a level of polish that fans have long requested. Players have resorted to swapping their main weapons entirely just to keep the repetitive mob farming visually interesting. If you are looking to switch up your playstyle during the grind and keep the action feeling fresh, check out our comprehensive Weapons Guide.
Weighing the Effort: Is the 100% Completion Worth Your Time?
Given the community feedback, many players are asking a simple question: is the Platinum trophy or 100% completion in Echoes of Aincrad actually worth the effort? The answer seems to depend entirely on your tolerance for repetitive tasks and your attachment to the Sword Art Online universe.
For the hardcore completionists who treat digital trophies as a badge of honor, the 60-hour runtime is certainly achievable over a few weekends. The lack of highly missable story trophies means that the journey is straightforward, albeit boring in its final stages. There are no convoluted, multi-stage puzzles holding you back, nor are there brutal difficulty spikes that require frame-perfect speedrunning skills. The challenge is strictly a test of endurance and inventory management.
On the other hand, for players who value their gaming time and prefer experiences that respect that time with constantly evolving challenges, the consensus is to stop once the main narrative concludes. Pushing through 40 hours of aimless chest farming and running through empty fields without dynamic NPC interactions has left a sour taste in the mouths of several fans. Many players report that grinding out the final few achievements actively worsened their overall opinion of the game, overshadowing the genuinely excellent moments from the earlier floors.
Final Thoughts
Getting the Platinum trophy or 100% completion in Echoes of Aincrad is a serious badge of honor, but it is undoubtedly a test of endurance rather than skill. The 60-hour journey is front-loaded with an engaging narrative and robust combat, but heavily backloaded with a tedious 40-hour grind, highlighted by the frustrating 392 chests requirement and a surprisingly lonely overworld. For players who love the combat and just want an excuse to keep swinging their sword, the grind might be tolerable. But for those who value varied endgame content, it might be best to roll credits and leave Aincrad behind before the fatigue sets in.