Stranger of Sword City

Stranger of the Village of the Sword, The Stranger in Alda

Release Date: June 5, 2014

RPG, FPP, fantasy, turn-based, dungeon crawler, jRPG, singleplayer

7.2

OpenCritic

67%

Steam

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Stranger of Sword City is a dark fantasy, first-person jRPG dungeon crawler developed by Experience. The game is also known as Stranger in Alda and Stranger of the Village of the Sword. We play as the titular stranger, whose plane crashes after an encounter with a mysterious portal. Being the only survivor of the crash, we end up in the legendary sword city Escario. Our only goal is to find our way back home.

Plot
Mechanics
Game Modes
Technical Aspects

Stranger of Sword City (also known as Stranger In Alda and Stranger of the Village of the Sword for PC, PSV and etc. is a dark fantasy, first-person jRPG dungeon crawler. It was developed by Experience, creators of Demon Gaze, a 2013 PlayStation Vita game with a similar vibe.

The game was first released only in Japan for PC and Xbox 360 in 2014 as Stranger of Sword City: White Palace. A year later it was released for PlayStation Vita as Stranger City: Black Palace. Thanks to NIS Amercia, it was translated and released in the United States in 2016. A digital version for Xbox One was released the same year. In this version, players can choose between two alternative graphics styles.

Plot

In Stranger of Sword City for PC, PSV and etc. we play as the titular stranger, whose plane crashed after an encounter with a mysterious portal. Being the only survivor of the crash, we end up in the legendary sword city Escario, and our main goal is to find the way back home. The problem is that the citizens of Escario think we are the Chosen One who will save them from the dark forces. To fulfill our task, we will have to fight difficult battles and forge unlikely alliances.

Mechanics

In terms of mechanics, Stranger of Sword City for PC, PSV and etc. is a typical jRPG with a turn-based combat system. During our adventures we will explore dungeons filled with deadly traps like poison, icicles, or lava tanks. Beside the usual monsters, we will have to face powerfull bosses. The latter ones can be brought back to life, so the only way to definitely kill them is to destroy a mysterious crystal.

Like in many other jRPGs, there are different classes and races available, but our protagonist has to be a human. He might be, however, accompanied by elves, dwarves, halflings, and Neys, a race of catpeople. In between our dungeon crawling adventures, we can rest in the guild’s headquarters, a home of many “not of this world” outsiders, and level up our hero’s abilities.

Game Modes

Stranger of Sword City offers only a single player campaign, but thanks to the implemented Rank Chart, players can compete and compare their accomplishments.

Technical Aspects

Stranger of Sword City for PC, PSV and etc. has visuals typical for a jRPG game, but unlike the other games developed by Experience, the slightly comedic stylistics were replaced with a much darker and grimmer climate. PlayStation Vita version of the game also supports touch screen controls, a feature not included in the PC and Xbox releases.

Last updated on March 1, 2017

Videos and Screens

[1:54] Stranger of Sword City story trailer

[4:39] Stranger of Sword City trailer #2

7.2

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 51% of Critics. There are 35 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

Hardcore Gamer: 4 / 5 by Jason Bohn

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

Full Review

ZTGD: 7.5 / 10 by Jae Lee

Stranger in Sword City is a brutal and uncompromising experience that’s well worth overcoming. It features some interesting gameplay ideas along with a terrific art style and an OST to match. If not for its few notable flaws, it could have easily been the best dungeon crawler on the Vita.

Full Review

GameSpot: 5 / 10 by Justin Clark

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

Full Review

67%