With its turn-based point-and-click combat and beautifully detailed HD-2D depictions of feudal China, Wandering Sword is an adorably retro RPG. It features an interesting mix of Final Fantasy-like ATB system and Fire Emblem tactics, and its leveling system is rooted in the meridian system of Chinese medicine. However, its lengthy tutorials, grueling difficulty, and fast-paced storytelling may leave some of its players in the dust in this first release.

The story of Wandering Sword follows Yuwen Yi. He is a sweet and kind young man who is the sole survivor of his caravan of friends. They all died after an attack by the Tianlong gang. His client, a martial arts master, manages to save him. Yuwen Yi then recovers under the care of gruff Jiang Yinfeng and her spirited daughter Jiang Xiaotong. After recovering from the poison that ran through her body and encountering the various factions in China, Yuwen Yi embarks on a journey to master the martial arts and fulfill her promise to Jiang Yinfeng.

Wandering Sword plays ping-pong between explaining too much too quickly and explaining too little. Since I played the demo, I can understand if there isn’t a lot of time to spend on exposure. But since it’s a demo, I thought it would be a bit more welcoming to its new players. It throws you lots of new terms and characters, and the tutorials are so quick and frequent that it’s all too easy to forget what you’ve just learned before you have to learn something else. Fortunately, the game systems are quite simple. You can upgrade individual techniques or unlock meridians to permanently increase stats.

Tutorial

Even with my rudimentary knowledge of wuxia movies, I could definitely tell that Wandering Sword tries to emulate that kind of feeling. He definitely succeeds in this regard! Everything from the plot and story beats to the character designs are reminiscent of the genre, and it plays all the tropes with infectious, heartfelt enthusiasm. Wuxia movies and shows have never been my thing, but playing it makes me want to explore what the genre has to offer. Your unique world comes to life so dynamically with HD-2D graphics. Even wandering around the various locations is a visual treat. However, the story definitely assumes the player is familiar with common fictional cults. Characters appear on the screen accusing such and such of being part of such a sect or such a group that it was a pain in the ass trying to keep track of everyone and their relationships.

The Wandering Sword demo is packed with content, as well as promises more. There are many side quests, and Yuwen Yi can also learn a variety of martial arts styles. I will say that the difficulty level of this game is surprisingly high. But I will add the caveat that I may have made the wrong decisions as to how I chose to upgrade and equip my Yuwen Yi. Yuwen Yi has the HP and defense of a wet paper bag. It was a bit of a shock to see him gain a power in the story that lets him damage enemies AND heal, only to have random mobs kill him next turn because he can’t directly take hits. The game’s autosave doesn’t trigger often either. It is therefore necessary to get into the habit of saving a lot.

Between its beautiful graphics and environments and its intriguing plot, Wandering Sword is a fun turn-based RPG. It reminds me more of the old school Chinese games I saw in my youth. Well, as a demo, it’s still hard. Some untranslated text strings, eg. I also think an in-game glossary would be useful to keep track of everything. I refuse to believe that I’m the only person who can’t keep up. Still, Yuwen Yi is a fun track in that he reminds me of a pathetic little puppy, and seeing his journey to the end is great motivation to keep going. I’m thrilled to see him grow from a weakling to China’s most incomparable martial artist.

Wandering Sword will be released on Windows PC via Steam in 2023.

Categorized in: