Stranger of Sword City

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 302 reviews
  • story
  • grinding
  • gameplay
Stranger of Sword City Game Cover
Stranger of Sword City comes as fresh dungeon RPG with a captivating story and challenging labyrinths that will get you hooked from the start. Although not perfect, it offers a highly recommended experience.
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"Stranger of Sword City" is a first-person dungeon crawler RPG set in a mysterious realm known as Escario, where the player must assume the role of a "Stranger" with the power to kill beings from another dimension. The game features challenging battles, various character classes, and a unique "Lifepoint" system that makes combat more strategic. Players must navigate treacherous dungeons, defeat powerful monsters, and make choices that affect the story's outcome.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 302 reviews
story39 positive mentions
grinding125 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful artwork and character designs, enhancing the overall aesthetic experience.
  • The combat system is engaging, with a mix of strategy and character customization that allows for diverse builds and tactics.
  • The story, while not groundbreaking, offers intriguing elements and multiple endings based on player choices.
  • The game can be excessively grindy, requiring significant time investment to level up characters and acquire gear.
  • There are issues with crashing and performance, particularly on Windows 10, which can disrupt gameplay.
  • The mechanics and systems are not well explained, leading to confusion and frustration for players unfamiliar with the genre.
  • story146 mentions

    The game's story is generally considered average, serving primarily as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a focal point, with many players noting its simplicity and reliance on familiar tropes. While some appreciate the intriguing elements and character depth, others criticize the writing quality and translation issues, leading to a narrative that feels thin and at times convoluted. Overall, the story is seen as serviceable, with moments of interest, but often overshadowed by the grind-heavy gameplay mechanics.

    • “The story is light but interesting, the combat similar, and the pacing good.”
    • “Difficult dungeon crawler with a lot of flexibility when it comes to character/party building, I was pleasantly surprised to find the story actually really interesting, really dark and mysterious that kept me wondering what's going to happen next at all times.”
    • “The story has a nice level of depth and dominions that allow for a lot of exploration and various plot twists.”
    • “You can get hours into the game and the totality of the story you experience is, creepy old man, hot chick recruits you to be a hero in Garbageland because they are weak and you are strong, and... something about getting something from special types of critters.”
    • “The story is okay and essentially exists to facilitate you murdering special monsters galore to find a new area and begin anew.”
    • “This game is awfully balanced and requires endless grinding to progress in the story.”
  • grinding125 mentions

    The reviews highlight that the game is heavily grind-focused, requiring players to invest significant time in leveling up characters and farming for gear, often leading to a tedious experience. While some players appreciate the challenge and depth of the class and skill systems, many find the grinding excessive and frustrating, particularly due to the uneven difficulty and the potential for character loss. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy traditional, grind-heavy RPGs, but may deter players seeking a more streamlined experience.

    • “I realized after a while I was just grinding for stupid loot boxes that never gave me what I needed to gear up the nth frontliner that replaced a previous one that was sent to the hospital for the next 5 hours of play.”
    • “This game is awfully balanced and requires endless grinding to progress in the story.”
    • “50+ hours of grinding just to finish the game with no emotional payoff for success isn’t worth the time investment.”
  • gameplay114 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its classic dungeon crawler mechanics and unique features like ambushes and class changes, while others criticize it for being overly grindy and lacking balance. Many reviews highlight the challenge of navigating dungeons and the strategic depth required, but also point out frustrating mechanics such as permadeath and tedious combat that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, it appeals to fans of old-school RPGs but may not satisfy those looking for a more modern or streamlined gameplay experience.

    • “The basic gameplay is you create a team of 6 adventurers who set out to explore a mostly open-ended series of dungeons teeming with all sorts of secrets and nasties, alongside some unique and interesting gameplay mechanics such as your characters setting up ambushes for the enemies.”
    • “Gameplay is unique and fun, but it's too grindy and wastes too much time, which ultimately makes you skip all fights for the sake of quick grinding.”
    • “If you like old school dungeon crawler type gameplay, I'd say Stranger of Sword City feels instantly familiar, while still being innovative and very much its own game.”
    • “The lack of new mechanics from midgame makes it easier to get bored in the game.”
    • “The game is simply not balanced and broken all up and down its entire idea of gameplay.”
    • “Mechanically it was not fun, and extremely tedious; basically, a simple AI could play this game because there was no real strategy, only grinding.”
  • graphics101 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and beautiful artwork, particularly the character designs and sprite work. However, the 3D graphics and overworld visuals are often criticized for being subpar and inconsistent, leading to a jarring experience when combined with the varied art styles. Overall, while the art style is appreciated for its charm and customization options, the technical execution of the graphics leaves much to be desired.

    • “The art style is amazing and I really appreciate the effort put into it.”
    • “On the positive side, I love the art style - the character and enemy designs are simply gorgeous, and the backgrounds are often very pretty as well.”
    • “Game looks beautiful, the artwork is breathtaking.”
    • “The 3D graphics are pretty bad, but the environments get the point across and are really just a backdrop for the absolutely gorgeous sprite work.”
    • “It seems to me the only good thing about this game is the voice acting, and the music was alright; everything else was bad, to nonexistent, and by nonexistent I mean the graphics/art.”
    • “Graphics aren't up with what a game released nowadays should be, but the artworks are gorgeous.”
  • music64 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as beautiful and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players express frustration over the inability to adjust the volume, which can overshadow voice acting and sound effects. While some find the music engaging and memorable, others consider it mediocre or repetitive, suggesting it may not stand out in their personal playlists.

    • “The atmosphere and music are literally the best I've ever experienced.”
    • “The music is phenomenal, and if I had a way to get the soundtrack, I would in a heartbeat.”
    • “As soon as I launched the game, the music instantly captured me.”
    • “I would recommend, if you could change the volume of the background music, that's on max volume all the time and makes it hard to hear any voice.”
    • “The music does not tend to stand out and does not really engage one to the story.”
    • “For me, the test on a soundtrack is 'would I buy this separately?' and the answer is a stern 'no.' No single track stands out, and I find myself listening to other music while grinding.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, characterized by a compelling blend of great story, rich lore, and impressive art styles, particularly the realistic/gothic aesthetic. The music, featuring vocal and orchestrated elements, enhances the immersive experience, contributing to an overall sense of depth and personality. Reviewers consistently highlight the game's strong atmosphere as a standout feature, making it a memorable single-player JRPG dungeon crawler.

    • “Great art, a good amount of depth and variation available, great atmosphere.”
    • “Music is vocal and orchestrated, gives great atmosphere.”
    • “The art is fantastic, the atmosphere is compelling, and the characters are (mostly) pretty interesting.”
    • “First is the type of art style by Yoko Tsukamoto; this is a more realistic/gothic art style, and despite some of the scenes looking rushed and incomplete, it's just oozing with soul, personality, and atmosphere.”
  • character development8 mentions

    The game features stunning character designs and a wide variety of character portraits that allow for personal customization, enhancing the visual appeal. However, while the character art is praised, some players feel that the overall character development lacks depth and can be overshadowed by tedious gameplay mechanics, leading to a frustrating experience rather than a rewarding one.

    • “The character portraits and enemies are absolutely beautifully drawn, and the game lets you pick any character portrait you want without any bearing on your class, so feel free to look through the huge assortment of art styles and character designs and pick your favorites.”
    • “I like RPGs to be a challenge--but not to punish the player--and I like having rich character art and meaningful character development.”
    • “+great character design and development”
    • “Etrian Odyssey Lite with better character design.”
    • “2 types of character designs to switch.”
    • “Cons: ugly dungeon backgrounds contrast to the monsters and character designs.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    The game offers limited replayability for casual players, as all classes are available from the start and the average playtime is around 50 to 60 hours. However, it does provide some replay value for those seeking challenges, with multiple endings, varying dungeon difficulties in New Game+, and different map orders to explore. Overall, while it may not appeal to everyone, dedicated players can find enjoyment in experimenting with different powers and strategies.

    • “Many of the maps can be completed in different orders, providing some replayability along with the item drops.”
    • “There are also multiple endings, which adds replayability value, and the dungeons become more challenging in New Game +.”
    • “While this type of game is generally not well received in the west, it is both enjoyable and replayable.”
    • “With an average length of 50 to 60 hours, the game appears to offer little in the way of replayability as all classes are available from the start.”
    • “Replay value is there, but only for people that want to challenge the game to its maximum.”
    • “There are also multiple endings, so it has some replayability value, and the dungeons get harder if you go New Game +.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players express frustration over the lack of emotional payoff after investing significant time into the game, with some feeling that the class and skill system provided a sense of accomplishment despite the grind. Overall, the emotional engagement appears to be inconsistent, leaving some players feeling that their efforts were ultimately unfulfilling.

    • “The class and skill system made me feel like my time spent grinding made a huge difference.”
    • “Even if I just leave the game running without touching anything, the emotional weight of the story lingers.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game's stability has been criticized for containing numerous bugs that significantly hinder gameplay, with some users finding it unplayable. Many express frustration over the game's sale despite its ongoing issues, suggesting that it may only be worth playing once these problems are resolved.

    • “The fact that this game is on sale when it's still buggy to the point where it's unplayable annoys me.”
    • “Maybe under different circumstances when the game isn't so buggy, the game may be worthwhile, but at this point, it is not.”
    • “Odd buggy quests here and there.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of chaotic hilarity and potential frustration, particularly due to the class change system that can turn amusing scenarios into challenging ones. While the combat is basic, it offers entertaining moments, especially with unique mechanics like permadeath and class changes that contribute to the overall comedic experience.

    • “This type of pure chaos can be extremely funny or extremely insufferable.”
    • “The combat, while basic, is entertaining (seriously, a samurai using carnage front gets hilarious) and the mechanics involving permadeath and class changing are unique.”
    • “And there's a class change system which could be funny but becomes a nightmare due to the leveling speed (changing class halves a character's level).”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game is highly praised for its optimization, being regarded as one of the most optimized RPGs available, with users reporting minimal to no significant performance issues.

    • “In my opinion, this is one of the most optimized RPGs ever.”
    • “There are no performance issues of any reasonable merit.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Users express frustration with the monetization practices, highlighting issues with Steam's refund policy, particularly in relation to games that may become unplayable shortly after purchase, which they feel is exacerbated by the platform's promotion of such titles.

    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, as it pushes players to spend more money to enjoy basic features of the game.”
    • “It's frustrating that the game is designed in a way that encourages constant spending, making it hard to progress without shelling out extra cash.”
    • “The in-game purchases are overpriced and often feel necessary to keep up with other players, which ruins the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

71% average critic score

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Play time

7hMedian play time
16hAverage play time
3-35hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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