Sword of the Vagrant

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Sword of the Vagrant is a 2017 indie hack-and-slash side-scrolling RPG. It was developed by O.T.K Games, a Beijing-based studio, and published by SakuraGame for Windows and Rainy Frog LLC for consoles. The game was originally titled The Vagrant and runs on Unreal Engine 4. Players control a female sellsword named Vivian, who travels to the island of Mythrilla in search of her missing father. There, she is cursed and forced to serve an evil witch. The visuals draw strong inspiration from Vanillaware titles like Muramasa and Dragon’s Crown.

The game was released on Windows on June 9, 2017, with console versions following on December 1, 2022 (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S). It is a single-player title.

Reception was mixed. Critics praised the game’s colorful, hand-drawn art and overall polish, but many felt the gameplay was fairly simple and not very deep, though the PC price was considered a bargain.

Notes from reviewers:
- Hiroaki Mabuchi (IGN Japan) praised the artwork and localization but said too much text can make it hard to read characters’ emotions, and called some gameplay elements monotonous.
- Gameplay magazine noted some bosses were frustratingly hard and that balance could be improved, but recommended the game at its low price.
- Scott McCrae (Nintendo Life) described the Switch version as solid but unremarkable, praised the art and story, criticized the exposition, and pointed out the lack of autosave; he found the final bosslong and tedious.