Wandering Sword

While Wandering Sword may appear to be an imitation at first glance, this entertaining Wuxia-style adventure is one of the most unique RPGs I've ever played, despite stumbles in localization and polish.

Wandering Sword is an excellent debut game and has all the hallmarks of a classic RPG. Do not overlook this superb indie gem!

Wandering Sword is a journey into an ancient China to be explored from top to bottom, meeting wonderful characters and engaging in pitched battles in which tactics, party members and character build are crucial. Progression is quite fast-paced and debunks the cliché that would have Eastern games to be based on grinding. The main campaign is fairly linear, but there are enough side quests that provide variety to the adventure, meticulously narrated with plenty of text. The HD-2D graphics are particularly well-chosen in this genre of games and are another selling point.

If you're a fan of indie games, JRPGs, or a combination of either, Wandering Sword is certainly worth the investment. But just keep in mind the cowboy's sad, sad song: every rose has its thorn – or in this case, thorns.

Among all the AAA blockbusters of Q2 and Q3, Wandering Sword was released, sandwiched between Armored Core 6 and Baldur’s Gate 3. However, it is slowly garnering attention from hardcore RPG fans. With a well-thought-out narrative, it might even hold a newcomer’s attention, but the plot takes some time to get into gear. That and the nigh easy combat might put many off if they are looking for a challenge. Despite these issues, Wandering Sword is a must-play entry in every RPG lover’s book.

Wandering Sword brings a wuxia title to the PC, delivering a decent, yet slightly clunky strategy RPG to the PC.

In a time when absolutely massive blockbuster RPGs are sucking up all the oxygen in the room, Wandering Sword stands out as an amazing independent RPG that crushes every goal it sets out to achieve. Small issues aside, its easy to become besotted with its all-encompassing world; a huge recurring cast of fantastic characters blossom amongst a beautifully woven tale of loss, growth, strength, history and consequence. Wrap that up in moreish combat and wonderfully interlocking RPG systems, and it feels like a modern classic.

Wandering Sword draws attention due to its beautiful audiovisual elements and its challenging combat. Its 2D HD graphics and soundtrack are spectacular, creating a unique setting for this adventure inspired by Chinese culture. The different styles of martial arts create a varied, dynamic combat that hardly falls into the same, although the grid structure doesn't help much. For the most enthusiastic, changing the turn-based system to real time is a feature that will certainly please. If you have good knowledge of English, we recommend a fun and captivating RPG.

While the RPG mechanics may feel like a crawl compared to similar RPGs, the world it presents players is rich and beautiful in every way. The characters Yin meets on this journey are all distinct from one another and a joy to interact with, regardless of if they're a ride or die companion or a random blacksmith that's incapable of understanding why his crush finds him a bit weird. While Wandering Sword is a wonderful game that may not resonate with everyone, it's a very easy recommendation to hardcore turn-based RPG fans that are looking for the next big adventure to dive in to.

Wandering Sword promises sweeping wuxia action in a classic JRPG-style tactical RPG. Instead, it delivers a five-fingered death punch of bad localization, obtuse systems, and terrible save management.