Stranger of Sword City

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.

70%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, replayability

69% User Score Based on 309 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 17 reviews

Platforms

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About

Stranger of Sword City is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Experience Inc. and was released on June 6, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+14

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69%

Audience ScoreBased on 309 reviews

story41 positive mentions

grinding125 negative mentions

Beautiful artwork and character design, with the option to import custom portraits.
Engaging and challenging gameplay that requires strategic planning and character customization.
Unique mechanics such as the ambush system and the divinity skill tree add depth to combat.

Steep difficulty curve, especially for new players, with potential for frustrating permadeath mechanics.
Grinding for levels and gear can become tedious and time-consuming.
Inconsistent translation and unclear mechanics can lead to confusion during gameplay.

story
151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
68%
5%
The story in this dungeon crawler is generally considered average, with many reviewers noting its simplicity and reliance on familiar tropes. While some players appreciate the intriguing elements and character backstories, others criticize the writing quality and the lack of depth, often feeling that the narrative serves primarily as a backdrop for grinding and combat. Overall, the game offers a mix of engaging moments and frustrating pacing, making it a mixed bag for those seeking a rich narrative experience.
- “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 is nice and holds everything together, but is not as elaborate as those in, for instance, a Final Fantasy game.”
- “Stranger of Sword City mixes the old-school gameplay of classic RPGs with modern aesthetics and story.”
- “The story is fairly rudimentary and serves more as an excuse to progress from dungeon to dungeon.”
- “But this game is almost devoid of any story.”
- “The story is not that good (shame) but gameplay is awesome.”
gameplay
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
68%
10%
The gameplay of this dungeon crawler is characterized by its deep tactical mechanics and a challenging, grind-heavy experience that requires meticulous planning and understanding of the game's systems. While it offers unique features like ambush mechanics and class changes, many players find the gameplay can become tedious and unbalanced, with some mechanics feeling outdated or poorly explained. Overall, it appeals to fans of hardcore RPGs but may frustrate those seeking a more streamlined or narrative-driven experience.
- “Now, with knowledge in the game's mechanics, I've planned my party well enough that they were able to face anything.”
- “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 classic for a dungeon crawler and gets the job done.”
- “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.”
- “Gameplay can be tedious with grinding and how slow crawlers play in general.”
grinding
125 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that grinding is a significant and often tedious aspect of the game, with many players expressing frustration over the excessive time required to level up characters and acquire necessary gear. While some appreciate the challenge and strategic elements involved in grinding, others find it monotonous and detrimental to the overall enjoyment, particularly due to the game's high difficulty spikes and permadeath mechanics. Overall, the grinding experience is polarizing, appealing to dedicated fans of the genre but potentially alienating to those seeking a more streamlined gameplay 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.”
graphics
103 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
53%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique art styles and beautiful character designs, particularly the spritework and customizable portraits. However, the 3D graphics and overworld environments are often criticized for being subpar and inconsistent, leading to a jarring visual experience. Overall, while the artwork is frequently described as gorgeous and well-executed, the technical graphics may not meet modern standards.
- “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 to what a game released nowadays should be, but the artworks are gorgeous.”
music
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
52%
6%
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 the music is often described as fitting for various situations, it can also be perceived as repetitive or unremarkable by some players.
- “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 changing the volume of the background music; it's at max volume all the time and makes it hard to hear any voice.”
- “The music is mediocre to just alright in my opinion, but can be turned off if you want to listen to something else.”
- “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.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
9%
18%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its compelling and immersive qualities, enhanced by great art and orchestrated music that contribute to a rich storytelling experience. Reviewers highlight the gothic and realistic art style as a perfect fit for the game's mood, despite some scenes appearing rushed. Overall, the atmosphere is described as deep, soulful, and engaging, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “Great art, a good amount of depth and variation available, great atmosphere.”
- “Music is vocal and orchestrated, gives great atmosphere.”
- “Despite its slow start, Stranger in Sword City matures into a compelling dungeon crawling RPG that's defined by its gritty atmosphere.”
- “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.”
- “Despite its slow start, Stranger in Sword City matures into a compelling dungeon-crawling RPG that's defined by its gritty atmosphere.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The character development in the game is praised for its stunning art and diverse character portraits, allowing players to choose their favorites without affecting gameplay. However, some reviewers feel that the overall experience is marred by excessive grinding and a lack of meaningful progression, suggesting that while the designs are visually appealing, they do not compensate for the game's shortcomings in player engagement and challenge.
- “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”
- “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.”
- “Cons: ugly dungeon backgrounds contrast to the monsters and character designs.”
- “2 types of character designs to switch.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game offers moderate replayability, primarily for players seeking to maximize their challenge, as it features multiple endings and varying dungeon difficulties in New Game+. While all classes are available from the start, allowing for different playstyles, the overall replay value may be limited for those not interested in experimenting with special powers or item drops.
- “Many of the maps can be completed in different orders, so there is some replayability in this sense along with the item drops.”
- “While this type of game is generally not well received in the west because of the aforementioned elements, it is both enjoyable and replayable.”
- “With an average length of 50 to 60 hours (based on reports found via Google), 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 +.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration over the lack of emotional payoff after extensive grinding, feeling that the time invested does not yield satisfying rewards. However, some appreciate the class and skill system, which provides a sense of progression and impact, even if the overall experience feels emotionally hollow.
- “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.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for containing numerous bugs that significantly impact 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 considering once these bugs 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.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of chaotic and entertaining moments, particularly during combat, where absurd scenarios can arise, such as a samurai using a comically destructive move. However, the class change system can lead to frustrating experiences, as it significantly impacts character progression, which may detract from the overall comedic enjoyment.
- “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).”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 promotional algorithms.
- “Steam will not refund the game despite the fact that they are actively advertising (and pushing to the top of their algorithms) a game that is likely to stop working a day or two into playing, which is conveniently more than their 2-hour limit.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, as it encourages players to spend money to progress, making it difficult to enjoy the game without shelling out extra cash.”
- “I find the in-game purchases to be overpriced and unnecessary, which detracts from the overall experience and makes it feel like a cash grab.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is highly praised for its optimization, with users noting it as one of the best-optimized RPGs available, 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.”

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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 17 critic reviews

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7h Median play time

16h Average play time

3-35h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Stranger of Sword City is a role playing game with fantasy theme.

Stranger of Sword City is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One and others.

On average players spend around 16 hours playing Stranger of Sword City.

Stranger of Sword City was released on June 6, 2016.

Stranger of Sword City was developed by Experience Inc..

Stranger of Sword City has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Stranger of Sword City is a single player game.

Similar games include Battle Chasers: Nightwar, The Last Remnant, Lords of Xulima, Saviors of Sapphire Wings/Stranger of Sword City Revisited, Blackguards and others.

Stranger of Sword City

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