Stranger of Sword City

Stranger of Sword City does much to stand out from the herd, but it might not be for the better.

Even with the slow grind, I have no reservations saying Stranger of Sword City is a damn fine dungeon crawler. It's challenging, it's beautiful to look at, and it kept me on my toes throughout the adventure as I walked the fine line between playing it smart and playing it dangerously. If this game can make a believer out of me, imagine what die-hard dungeon crawler fans will think of it.

Despite its slow start, Stranger in Sword City matures into a compelling dungeon crawling RPG that's defined by its gritty atmosphere. Even though it doesn't bring anything especially new to the genre in terms of gameplay, it's a cohesive and well-crafted handheld experience, topped off with a setting that practically begs to be explored.

Stranger of Sword City is an extremely solid dungeon crawling RPG. Fans of the genre will likely lap this straight up due to a lack of options on Xbox One. However, whether it deserves a place up with the genre leaders such as Etrian Odyssey is open for debate. Newcomers will still find plenty to appeal to them even if at times the game does sometimes come across as a little inaccessible in spite of its attempts to make things easier. You'll need to make a serious time investment if you want to get to grips with all it has to offer.

A solid dungeon crawler with fantastic art and music, but a few poorly implemented ideas prevent it from being a truly great experience. The PC port is simple but performs well enough for the genre, and the addition portrait uploads is a fun bonus.

Stranger of Sword City is a competent dungeon crawler with teeth.

Stranger of Sword City takes the thirty year old first-person dungeon crawling formula and tweaks it enough to make it feel fresh.

Sometimes a game breaks you.

The few good bits of Stranger of Sword City, like its immersive atmosphere and beautiful 2D art, amongst others, get drowned in a sea of problems.

Stranger of Sword City is definitely not the best dungeon crawler, but it still is one to recommend. Its style is quite unique compared to others of its genre and its high difficulty level can satisfy experienced players. Admittedly, grinding can be a tedious and time-consuming task, but it is a necessary evil that dungeon crawlers possess. The game can be overwhelming at first, but after getting used to the gameplay, everything will feel mostly natural. However, be sure to save often as one never knows when they might lose hours of progress due to a simple mistake.