Wandering Sword is one of the best wuxia RPGs I have played. After 94 hours, completing the major storylines, recruiting the companions, mastering the different disciplines, and clearing the Extreme-difficulty battles, I still found its world difficult to leave behind.
The strongest part of the game is its sense of progression. You begin as an inexperienced martial artist and gradually develop into a true master through cultivation, meridian development, new techniques, equipment crafting, and encounters with powerful sects. The progression feels earned rather than automatic.
The combat system is flexible and satisfying. Being able to choose between turn-based and real-time combat is useful, while the variety of swords, sabers, spears, hidden weapons, internal arts, and movement techniques allows for considerable experimentation. The harder optional battles also require proper positioning, character development, and team composition rather than simple level grinding.
The HD-2D visual style is excellent. The environments, weather effects, towns, mountains, and martial-arts animations create a convincing jianghu atmosphere. The soundtrack complements the quieter character moments and the larger confrontations particularly well.
The companion system is another major strength. Many recruitable characters have their own histories, motivations, quests, and relationships with the wider martial-arts world. Several of the best moments are found in optional content, although this also means that important quests and companions can be missed without careful exploration.
There are some weaknesses. The English translation can be awkward, inventory and quest management are occasionally cumbersome, and certain objectives are insufficiently explained. Backtracking becomes repetitive, some crafting systems require unnecessary grinding, and the balance varies significantly depending on which techniques or companions you obtain. The main narrative also takes time to gain momentum.
Despite these issues, Wandering Sword is an ambitious and memorable martial-arts RPG with a large amount of meaningful content. It rewards patience, exploration, and experimentation, and it successfully captures the feeling of travelling through a living wuxia world.
Final verdict: 9/10. Highly recommended for fans of wuxia, classic JRPGs, tactical combat, and HD-2D games.
