Wandering Sword

TLDR: Great Game, Love It, 10/10 - buy it if you want a fun story with interesting combat system and an old school RPG feel. I bought this game charmed by the 2D-pixel graphics and interesting combat system hinted at in the promo videos, along with an unfolding narrative that promised an intriguing story. Nearly 700 hours later, I can say that I'm thoroughly satisfied with my purchase. When I started, the English translation was a little... rough, and it was hard to grasp some cultural idioms that were used throughout the course of the game, but as time progressed and I went through multiple playthroughs, I could see the developers were continually improving not only their combat system and game mechanics but the dialogue as well. Granted, it's still a little rough and a bit hard to follow for a new player (I got a friend to play the game, and I had to explain a few of the plot points for him to connect things together), but I continue to see updates that make me hopeful things will continue to progress to a more polished game. The game doesn't hold your hand when it comes to side quests, and if you progress too far in the main storyline, you can miss out on a lot of side content. I learned before every rank upgrade (you'll understand what I mean as you play through the story) it would benefit you to visit all areas you can and talk to every NPC. I wouldn't mind an easier way to check on or be notified about certain quests, but I understand the developer's decision to do it this way. In the game, you have a choice of several weapon types: Swords, Sabers, Fist, Polearms, and Hidden Weapons. At release, Swords were by far the best choice you could choose, and as time progressed, there has been a lot of effort to balance these choices, but I personally still think Swords are superior until you unlock some 'Legacy' options on subsequent playthroughs. I'd love continued balance and added abilities to the other weapon choices. Fists feel like it's at a good place; maybe a few more skills or buffs to make it perfect, but Sabers, Polearms, and Hidden Weapons all take too long to come online for builds, in my opinion. Outside of that, I'd love to learn more about the traveling companions you can pick up along the way. Again, the developers added a lot to these interactions through the free updates, and I hope the new DLC coming out continues the trend. My boy Wuei Huo needs more representation. Now, I've said a lot and put forth things I'd love to see added, but are there cons to the game? Of course, it's the same as any other game, but beyond those rough points I already mentioned, I fully admit I'm too biased to nitpick anymore. So I'll end with this: Wandering Sword has heart. You can tell that a lot of passion has been put behind it, and I think that if you like this type of RPG, it's worth your time to play.

The game, overall, is great. I dont really tend to leave reviews often so Ill do my best to highlight the aspects of the games that caught my eye, both for good and not so good reasons. MAIN STORY Pros: + Mostly Linear: I’m a big RPG fan, so I usually enjoy branching paths. But with how common that’s become—and how many developers seem to think players need control over every aspect of the story—it was refreshing to see the developers here focus on telling the story they wanted to tell. There’s less player meddling, and I appreciated that. + The Southern Chronicles Expansion: Absolutely amazing. The writing is strong, the story beats land well, and the main character shows more agency than in any other part of the game. In my opinion, this is the best-written section of the entire game. I really hope the developers use it as a baseline for future DLC and projects. Mixed: +/- The Ash and Dust Expansion: This one’s a bit of a mixed bag. While the new story content and antagonists introduced here are great, it feels like the expansion steals some spotlight from the main storyline. The original antagonists end up with just one or two quests, almost like an afterthought. Cons: – Underdeveloped Main Character: His goals and ambitions are often murky or outright forgotten. Without diving into spoilers, he starts the main quest with a very clear objective, but once he joins his sect, that goal is almost completely dropped—only resurfacing in the final stages of the story, and even then, it’s resolved very quickly. He also remains mostly static throughout, with very little character growth or change. – Awkward Romance Option: The main romance feels oddly handled—both extremely forced and simultaneously like the developers didn’t fully commit to it. – Opaque Story Triggers: Progression in the main story is often tied to vague or hidden conditions that most players wouldn’t discover without a guide. These range from completing unrelated side quests to having a specific companion in your party, or needing a certain affinity level with another character. Sometimes these hidden requirements add to replay value—but when they lock away key story context behind optional dialogue from a companion who can easily die before you even realize they exist, it becomes frustrating. – Abrupt Ending: The main story ends rather suddenly. The transition to the ending slides feels rushed. Having a robust epilogue before the ending slides would have been a great addition. COMPANIONS Pros: + Varied Cast: You’ll find companions covering just about every specialty, letting you build party compositions that suit your main character and playstyle. + Individual Content: When companions do get their own content, it’s usually quite good (though not all are created equal). Mixed: +/- Reactive Dialogue: Companions often react to ongoing events, which is great. Their involvement can range from giving useful clues to outright saving another character—if they’re present. However, this richness is mostly limited to the Southern Chronicles, Ash and Dust, and parts of the later main story. Earlier segments feature very little of this. EXPLORATION & SIDE QUESTS Pros: + Excellent Integration: Exploration and side quests are deeply intertwined. Every destination feels distinct, thanks to its visual identity and the unique quests you can discover there. + Quest Variety: Side quests range from small errands to large, multi-stage adventures. The longer ones are some of the best content in the game, both narratively and gameplay-wise. Cons: – Abstract Fail Conditions: Some side quests suffer from the same issue as the main story: failing to meet vague, hidden requirements (or completing events in the wrong order) can cause quests to end prematurely or resolve in unsatisfying ways. COMBAT Pros: + Build Variety: The game offers impressive flexibility. Different cultivation methods can be mixed and matched, and you can use different weapon types to tailor your build exactly to your preferences. +It just works: If you’re a fan of turn-based combat, there’s a lot here to enjoy. Its fun. Cons: – Weapon Imbalance: Some weapon types fall off hard in the late game and become much less viable than others. Thats pretty much all I have to say. The game was a very fun experience and am waiting excitedly for the next dlc and any future project made by this studio :).

This game is probably one of the deepest, coolest RPGs I've ever played in decades. Plot is cool, characters are cool, side quests are almost all of them bangers, translation has zero big issues... and I would have missed it all if I had just thought it was half-baked Chinese slop. No, this game is far, far better than many renowned franchises, and it even offers quite a lot of replayability. You literally can't experience all of the game's content in just one run (in fact, you need three, if I remember it correctly). Please, do yourself a favour and try the game. EDIT 1: 70 hours in and I feel like there's still another solid 10-20 hours left in this run. Remind me again why we pay 60€ or more for "AAA games" when this one is the best thing since bread loaves for less than half their price?

This game is exceptionally good. As someone who grew up in China and read all the wuxia books from the 80's and 90's, a lot of the quests helped bring back the font memories of those old stories. The ending seemed a little corny but it does not hurt the overall experience. I would highly recommend this one especially to folks who love wuxia.

you don't how much I've been trying to find any game like this!! I fell in love to this game when it first released as a demo, rn I'm currently trying to enjoy the game slowly, admiring every detail you devs made. It would be nice to have more tournaments in each settlements but overall it's an amazing game!! thank you for creating such wonderful game!!!

Excellent gameplay, great characters, superb plot with several interesting twists, and just overall a great experience.

I think the only down side is that there isn't readily available comprehensive English guides lying around, so having a perfect run can be a little difficult. If you are able to understand Chinese, then there are a lot of readily available guides found on the internet, albeit on the Chinese forums and bilibili. That aside, I think the game is packed with lots of Easter eggs and character development. Its side missions' plots are also fantastic. Combat could use a little more work but it's easy to cheese if you figured things out. I do have gripes over the achievements of requiring 20 endings and all manuals which can be quite ridiculous because it requires you to replay the game or sections several times which often involve minute changes to reach a different ending. Overall, I think it's a great game -- affordable, replayable and you can very clearly see the amount of effort the devs have put in the game.

AS much as i like turn-based and wuxia, Wandering Sword and Hero Adventure is a no for me. - Graphic: beautiful pixel visual is the strong aspect of the game. - Story: only have 8 hours into the game but the story is ok so far. - World & exploration: not an adventure but a constantly repeat quest delivery. A large world with different factions and quests. Random event happen here and there but all in all it's giving off a feeling of mandatory and pushy kind of exploration. You dont go to and explore because you see an point of interest that make you want to, instead you go from point A to point B because the quest want you to go there, and in the way there? There's more quest that tell you to go to point C. - Gameplay: this is the main reason why i drop the game. This here is the core of all games, which make a game a GAME, and it's bad. Combat is just you spamming the strongest skill you have at the back of enemies for maximum damage, then wait for cooldown and spam it again. There's no strategy, no synergy whatsoever, just attribute grind. You constantly have do do mundane task that just repeat one after another. NPC is just vending machine standing still waiting for you to talk to them then collect loot and quest. - Progression: no skill tree (only median tree that give you better attribute), no new power, no new mechanic, just new abilities that have better stats that do the same stub.

Great game, much replayability. It is more Wuxia than Xianxia, and goes hard on the various tropes - but in a good way.

At the time of writing this review, I have poured 320 hours into Wandering Sword, and I am loving it. It was released in 2023 and got tons of update since then. I have started to play in 2024, after the main free expansion of this game, so I cannot say about the release state of the game, but I can affirm that it has steadily improved over time. A huge thanks to the developpers for enhancing the game this much. It is clearly a labour of love and that needs to be acknowledged ! Also, given a few unexplored substories still in the game, I wouldn't be surprised to see a new one drop in the future. The game is full of qualities : [list] [*] The visual art is gorgeous! I'm a sucker for 2D-HD games and Wandering Sword is a superb example of it; [*] The story is fun! Though it is a male-focused story, featuring a main character that is eventually so overpowered and strong enough to carry all the worries in the world and such (you get the trope), the overall impression is very pleasant! The wuxia setting is great, the progress the MC makes (story-wise) feels gradual (the story actually spans throughout several years, though I agree the flow of time could have been pictured better), there are many surprises and twists during the main quests, and there is an impressive feeling of accomplishment when the story is over; [*] The cast! Most of the companions you meet are well-developped -some more than other, I'll get to it later- and interesting. They are important to the story and keeping them around you is crucial to get the best outcome, as some of them have abilities Yuwen Yi, the protagonist, doesn't possess (shoutout to the goats Leng Wuqing and Li Yuanxing). As a consequence, and I find this especially enjoyable, your partners feel extremely competent. Even though the MC is super super strong, your companions are too in their own way, and the game does a tremendous job as picturing this. So it doesn't feel like there is a Gary Stu protagonist who carries the whole cast, but a whole wave of extremely competent characters who form a group, with the main character at the head. I still feel like there could be more interactions between the characters without Yi being involved. Many improvement have been made in this regard since I've started playing the game, but there is still a bit of work to do. In addition, though as a guy I may not be the most legitimate judge, I feel like the women companions are quite interesting characters for the most part. I think most of them pass the Bechdel test (the arguably missing criteria is the interactions between women, as they often talk with the MC but as specified earlier, there is a general lack of interactions excluding Yi - those still exist though). Also, there is romance. They're not crucial to the game by any means, but they exist. There are currently 3 romances options among the 12-13 girls that compose the cast (+ end scenes that suggest romance for a few others), one of them being part of the paid DLC (which is tons of fun too!). I quite like two of them, but the "main" one, that the story pushes hard, is very lackluster to me, and the main girl is one of the least interesting chacaters in my opinion (the "nice girl that has had a hard life due to family reason who met the hero when they were little and who tries to become stronger to be with him" trope. SIGH.) So I usually actively avoid her personally. The other two are fine by me, though ! [*] I probably forget other qualities; [/list] As for my issues, because there are, with the game : [list] [*] As a beginner, I felt like the game did not do a very good job at explaing how things work both in the lore and in the gameplay. You may too experience such "overwhelmment" (no idea if this is a word). It's nothing too major, but the first few hours can get a bit rough. Maybe it is fixed now, I cannot really say since I have long past the point of not knowing what to do early game. [*] My only main gripe with the game is that it feels very easy past the point when you have farmed enough (which is not very far into the game). Even on extreme difficulty (I've read somewhere that there is a Nightmare difficulty but I haven't tried it yet), a well-built main character will maul everyone that faces him, which is a bit disconcerting. The only spikes of difficulty are when Yi (the MC) is not in the fight. Then again, a pretty easy game can be a pro for some people as they want to focus on the story. The consequence of this is that the game doesn't feel very strategic even though everything in the gameplay suggest that it could be. That's a bit of a shame. In addition, there is a Legacy system when you do New Game + that allows you to take skills after a sect or a major individual featured in the game. Most are nice but a few of them completely trivialise the game, even in Extreme difficulty ([spoiler]I'm looking at you, Jade Dragon Legacy[/spoiler]) which is again frustrating to me over the course of a playthrough. [*] Though I love the cast overall, I'm very frustrated with a few of them, especially 3 (+1 but for this one the blandness is by design), who are basically useless for the plot and unexplored characters. You do their recruiting quests and then they have like 5 lines of dialogue tops until the end of the game. I feel like it's a shame that such characters exist, and it needs fixing. [/list] Though those flaws are definitely here, I'll admit I am biased. I love this game and the amount of work by The Swordman Studio to keep improving the game is so commendable that I cannot reasonnably state peremptory flaws: I'm confident the devs will fix the vast majority of them over time. If you are into RPG and curious about wuxia settings, go for it. This game is a gem.

If I were pressed to name issues I have with this game, I would only be able to list "It's sometimes a bit tedious walking around to places" but that's really just on me for not using mounts

I used to pirate this game, but now I'm here to pay for my sins (or to buy it legitimately). I've been looking for a game like Hero's Adventure, and this one is absolutely perfect. It's another great game. The replayability isn't as high as Hero's Adventure, but there's still a good amount to keep you going. Unfortunately, you can't choose which sect you want to join, but I understand it makes it easier for the developers to write the story. And QoL in this game is crazy you can auto till the end of the game(unless you're on higher difficulty) real-time mode for clear mobs faster Finally, the DLCs are definitely worth buying, and they're cheap too!

A very pleasant and enjoyable game, in short I recommend you play it.

This game is AWESOME The progression of your main character is such a fun route to keeping going down on. Theres never a boring reason to do mundane tasks Apparently this is a genre of game, Wuxia, and as somebody who has 900 games in my library, things can get kinda stale. Here Im pretty invested in whats going on in this whole world :)

Amazing Wuxia game. Great story so far, good combat, great characters.

Very fun game with lots to do, story is strong (except for some companions for some reason), the only thing I hate is that it uses too much resources for my computer and I ran a pretty decent setup

Wondering Sword is a must play for any RPG enthusiast. Its engaging gameplay and enthralling story make it a standout title in the genre.

Solid mechanics, amazing core narrative, compelling characters, interesting and meaningful sidequests... this is an amazing game!

Very good wuxia story and a very good tactic rpg game

This is an underrated hidden gem. If you love 2DHD SNES JRPG era style games, this is a Tactics game with a martial arts twist.

Octopatch traveler + Wuxia theme + active and turn-based option + multiple FREE dlc updates YEARS after games release + amazing replayability.

I'm 41. Have a 15 year old son. Work as a nurse. Took a day off - sick. Put 2 gaming sessions into the game. Racked up 59.1 hours. By the end of it, I was practically inside the game. It wasn't the character getting new meditation cultivations or skill scrolls, it was me. I worked hard to raise my rank in ancient China. I study the Dao. I am the Dao. There is no Dao. If you don't play this game, you haven't lived. My son genuinely started getting concerned for my health.

Wandering Sword is a refreshing blend of traditional Chinese wuxia storytelling and tactical RPG mechanics, wrapped in a stunning pixel-art package. Drawing clear inspiration from classics like Octopath Traveler and Final Fantasy Tactics, the game manages to carve out its own identity through its unique setting, flexible combat system, and immersive narrative. Set in a beautifully realized world of martial arts sects, betrayals, and honor-bound warriors, Wandering Sword tells the tale of a young swordsman caught in a deadly conspiracy. What stands out immediately is the game’s deep respect for wuxia tradition—dialogue, character motivations, and world-building all feel authentic, with enough fantasy flair to keep things exciting without straying too far into cliché. The combat is where the game truly shines. You can switch between turn-based and real-time-with-pause modes, allowing you to tailor the experience to your playstyle. Positioning, martial arts techniques, and internal cultivation systems add meaningful depth to every battle. It feels strategic without being overwhelming, and there’s real satisfaction in mastering a flow of strikes or developing your character’s inner power. Progression is open-ended, letting you join different sects, study various techniques, and build relationships through a reputation system. This freedom allows for replayability and gives the player a genuine sense of role-playing—you're not just following a story, you're shaping your own martial legacy. Visually, the game is a love letter to retro RPGs with a modern polish. The pixel art is gorgeous, and the scenery—from misty bamboo forests to ancient temples—feels alive. The soundtrack further enhances the immersive vibe, blending traditional Chinese instruments with cinematic cues. Wandering Sword isn't without flaws—some UI elements can be clunky, and the translation, while serviceable, sometimes loses the poetic nuance of its source material. But those are minor blemishes on what is otherwise a rich, rewarding adventure. A must-play for fans of strategy RPGs and martial arts epics. If you’ve ever wanted to walk the path of the wandering swordsman, this game lets you live that fantasy in full. Rating: 9/10

完全无法切换到中文版，Steam切换不行，游戏里切换也不行。试了好多次，没法玩。

Beautiful Game, the devs definitely cooked on Eastern Seas. HA collab was so long that it felt like I should have paid instead of it being free with how good it was. 9/10 (my manual compendium isn't complete because idk where certain dlc manuals are).

i love this game so much i am going to become a shaolin monk to learn cultivation methods to strike my meridian acupoints so that i can become a renowned righteous xiake like my goat yuwen yi only complaints are that it's easy to miss content and also that yi can't go around laying crazy pipe on his roster

[h1] 谈谈一周目通关的感受 [/h1] 自从大学毕业已来，几乎再没有通关过一款RPG游戏了，终于在5月上车了逸剑，断断续续用了一个月的时间，利用工作之余和周末的闲暇时间完成了一周目通关。困难模式，集起一身红色功法，毫无意外的靠自动模式碾压了叔叔，看着一幕一幕的结局ppt，尚有意犹未尽之感。脑子里一闪而过的第一个想法，难道这就是传说中的xx治好了我的电子ED？还是简单做一些点评： [b] 关于入坑[/b]：作为一个90后，从小时候的仙剑奇侠传入坑，一直对国产武侠游戏有一种特殊的情结。不过始终没有入坑逸剑，主要是之前实在不太玩的下去一些日式RPG，因此一看是像素风游戏，就一直没有提起兴趣。不过后来还是抵不够各种论坛上的推荐和好评，真正体验后发觉远超预期； [b] 关于机制[/b]：整体的机制很像侠客风云前传，武学的搭配、生活技能的辅助，可以自由加入的队友。一周目玩的困难模式，除了前期部分关卡有一定挑战性外，后期主角功法装备大成之后，基本一路自动即可平推。少数队友战没有打赢但也没有影响剧情。虽然后期难度稍微有些失调，但并不影响体验和功法搭配的乐趣，功法的说明稍显复杂，除了内功以外，其他多数情况都是按颜色搭配；生活技能稍微冲级麻烦了些，不过后续专属装备和特殊装备也基本足够撑住主要队友； [b]关于剧情和节奏[/b]：前期是一个烂俗天杀的开局，不过后面剧情渐入佳境。主角从一个武当小白开始，从锄强扶弱打山贼，到逐步踏入江湖结识各门派青年一代中坚力量，了解到各门派内部的纠葛，再通过一系列的主线支线了解到玄火、天龙教的武林阴谋，再到南疆与兵祸之争，厂卫和背后的朝廷介入，欲教由暗转明，20年前的往事浮出水平，宁渊的国本之争，剧情丝丝入扣，故事和人物塑造有点有面，几个大型支线任务很好的补充了这片虚构的江湖中各方势力的爱恨情仇，也很好的支撑起了这个故事。后期虽然从少林剑诀开始逐渐变成一路自动平推，也忽略了很多支线，但反而让人更加沉浸体验了剧情，一系列的博弈与进退，主角”恰到好处“的出现在各个时间和地点，快节奏的展开让剧情的高潮展现的更加淋漓尽致。虽然这是个不折不扣的王道故事，虽然过程中也有很多的神转折和神起源，但可以说整体上瑕不掩瑜，还是一个不折不扣的好故事； 虽然已经结局了，但难免还是有一些意难平，无法冲破命运桎梏的皓首族，看透了世间百态但无法忘情的白唯一，被仇恨与亲情裹挟而挣扎的大师兄，阴沟翻船的武当清风，还有最后的叔侄相向，在“扮演”宇文逸的过程中，时常为难以两全的选择而苦恼，也为宇文逸坚定的选择而感觉到佩服和羡慕。 期待新的DLC，待入手了DLC后再启动二周目（已经建立了新档），这一次必须把牢白救回来！

Similar to Hero's Adventure: Road to Passion, while fundamentally having an entirely different approach to pace, tone, and art direction. In many ways true companion works. Can't wait to learn enough Chinese to play it in it's intended language!

烟尘回响时候买的，二周目120小时赶完美结局还没打完就买了dlc，值得。

Huge story line and content.

I feel like my dream has come true—I get to be the protagonist in a great Wuxia series

Overall recommend. Being put into a story quest that has an alternative route if you just so happen to have the exact 3 companions with you when you start the quest is insane to me and I loved it so much. I have a few gripes like using your achievement points to get a tier 1 weapon it literally only has raw damage with no options on it but outside of that this game is just fantastic. See that 46 hours I have? I haven't even beaten the game yet. From the sounds of it I'm not even CLOSE to having beaten it.

very good, its even better if you use nudity mod for all the girls , hehe

very enjoyable old school tactical RPG game

Is quite fun so far. I say give it a try.

Just awesome. Better than Octopath Traveler

Very good game. Will buy the new DLC.

solid story and pacing

Awesome Wuxia type game!

Good game in a while

Very good RPG game

nice chill game

仗剑江湖 快意恩仇！

Fun game.

good game

nice

good

Just completed my second run of the game. Truly phenomenal experience, this game would be a bargain at $100. Will probably do a third run next week.

Love

ngon