Wandering Sword Torrent

Wandering Sword Torrent is an action strategy game developed by The Swordman Studio and published by Spiral Up Games. Wandering Blade initially attracted attention by replicating the HD-2D visual style Square Enix has employed in their nostalgic throwback games, such as Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy. The visual technology remains closely aligned with the framework established by these titles, but Swordman Studio capitalized on the PC exclusivity to significantly enhance the visual quality and refine certain effects, making this iteration the most high-quality rendition of the HD-2D style. Equally noteworthy is the art direction, heavily influenced by wuxia or Chinese martial arts fantasy.

From expansive, mountain-nestled temples to bustling urban streets brimming with vitality, the world exudes an incredibly vibrant atmosphere. Each point on the world map possesses its own distinct flavor or characteristic, and by the conclusion of my playthrough, I possessed a solid understanding of each location, even without consulting the map view due to the memorable nature of each place. NPCs who constantly traverse between locations add life to the world, making typical RPG overworlds seem desolate in comparison.

The level of engagement in the realm of Wandering Blade is astounding. While many NPCs may share reused character portraits, they possess unique names and inventories. A significant number are entwined in side quests, and even if they aren’t, there is typically some form of interaction available with them. Aside from conversing with NPCs or undertaking quests, you can bestow gifts upon martial artist NPCs to enhance your affinity with them. With a sufficiently high affinity with another martial artist, you can seek advice from them to learn their techniques or engage in a duel for rewards. All these options are viable with characters who, in most other games, would be generic NPCs with only a single line of dialogue.

Character advancement in Wandering Blade takes a distinctive approach, forsaking character levels in favor of honing individual martial arts skills and unlocking nodes in various Qi pathways to boost stats. Martial Points, earned through combat, allow you to level up martial arts skills, encompassing direct attacks, buffs, and healing skills, divided into six categories.

Cultivation skills hold particular significance, as leveling them up also yields Meridian Points, the resource employed to unlock nodes along each Qi pathway and enhance base stats. This system affords players considerable agency in shaping each character’s development, notably Yuwen Yi, who can master any of the five martial arts instead of being limited to a single one.

The combat system in Wandering Sword Torrent follows a more conventional path, demonstrating that there isn’t always a need to overhaul established mechanics. Battles unfold in tactical turn-based combat on a grid layout, with turns regulated by an ATB system akin to traditional Final Fantasy games.

Movement and positioning are crucial, with side or back attacks dealing increased damage, and nearly every skill boasting a significant area of effect. Battles become a strategic dance, maneuvering characters into position and orchestrating combos while monitoring opponents’ ATB bars, buffs, and skill sets. The most demanding encounters involve large-scale battles against ten or more enemies simultaneously or the one-on-one duels that regularly transpire in the main story and occasionally in side quests.”