Sword of the Vagrant

Lore & Background

The game was developed by Beijing-based studio O.T.K Games and published by SakuraGame and Rainy Frog LLC. It was first released on Windows on June 9, 2017, and later ported to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on December 1, 2022. The story centers on a female sellsword named Vivian, who journeys to the island of Mythrilla to find her missing father, only to be cursed and forced into servitude by an evil witch.

Reader's Guide

Sword of the Vagrant is notable for its heavy graphical inspiration from Vanillaware titles such as Muramasa and Dragon's Crown, a point widely noted in reviews. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its graphics but called its gameplay simplistic, albeit worth the low price of the PC version. The most positive review came from Hiroaki Mabuchi of IGN Japan, who praised the low price for a polished game and called the artwork 'flawless,' though he criticized the gameplay as monotonous and lacking uniqueness. Gameplay magazine noted some bosses as frustratingly hard and recommended the game only due to its low price. Scott McCrae of Nintendo Life described the Switch version as 'solid, but unremarkable,' praising the hand-drawn art and story but criticizing the early game as barebones and the lack of autosave as annoying. The game's significance lies in its homage to Vanillaware's art style and its availability across multiple platforms at a low price point, though its critical reception remains mixed.

Did You Know?

• The game is titled The Vagrant for PC only.
• It was developed by Beijing-based studio O.T.K Games.
• The most positive review was given by Hiroaki Mabuchi of IGN Japan for its PC version.
• Scott McCrae of Nintendo Life noted the lack of autosave as an annoying aspect.