$3.99The Vagrant A sword, a story, four ways to fight
Chase a lost father's trail as a sellsword, cutting through monsters and bosses in fast side-scrolling combat with multiple endings.
Is The Vagrant worth it?
The Vagrant is worth it if…
- you want a story-driven 2D action RPG you can finish in around ten hours
- you like fast hack and slash combat with combos, skills and gear to tinker with
- you love hand-painted art and a strong soundtrack
- you enjoy classic side-scrolling beat 'em ups more than sprawling metroidvanias
- you want a game that plays casually on easy but offers a real challenge on higher difficulties
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Combat that rewards rhythm, not button mashing
The heart of The Vagrant is its fighting. You chain light and heavy attacks into combos, charge up strikes, and spend skills with elemental enchantments to tear through the endless barrage of enemies. The flow feels good: two buttons and a dodge carry you a long way, yet the skill tree and equipment let you build Vivian into something more deliberate. Bosses ask for timing and awareness rather than reflexes alone, and there are more than ten of them, each with its own patterns. On lower difficulties it becomes a relaxed room-by-room brawl; on the hardest setting, the same fights turn hardcore. Losing a boss fight even has story consequences, which is a rare touch.
A hand-painted world with a dark tale under it
Mythrilia is drawn by hand: traditionally animated characters, painterly backdrops, six large level sets that run from a quiet coastal village through mysterious forests, haunted castles and wrecked battlegrounds. The look is vivid and colorful, but the story underneath is dark fantasy: Vivian follows her lost father's research to reunite with her family and uncovers a darkest secret about her bloodline. Gabe Castro's score carries the mood, melancholy in the quiet places and tense in the fights. Multiple endings make the journey worth a second pass, and a Monsterpedia fills in as you defeat the 70-plus beasts in your way.
What should you know before playing?
Can you play it solo?
Yes, it is a singleplayer game from start to finish. You guide Vivian alone through the whole campaign, and the four difficulty settings let you shape that solo run yourself, from a casual trip through Mythrilia to a hardcore test of your combat skills.
Is it really a metroidvania?
Not in the strict sense. The path is mostly a straight line, with side rooms that hide secrets, optional arenas and loot rather than gated exploration. There is fast travel to revisit areas, and backtracking pays off, but if you want key-and-door world design, this is closer to a story-driven side-scrolling hack and slash.
How long does it take to finish?
A first run takes roughly nine to twelve hours, longer if you chase every secret, craft the best gear or go for both endings. Be ready for some grinding in the late game if you want the strongest equipment before the final stretch.
How hard are the bosses?
Most fights are demanding but fair, and the game is rarely a wall on normal difficulty. The exception is the final stretch, a run of bosses with no checkpoint between them that can one-shot you, so it rewards grinding for top-tier armor first. Higher difficulties turn every boss into a serious test.
Is the content adult?
Yes. The game carries nudity and sexual content tags, and the character designs are openly risqué, with exaggerated figures on most of the women. If that bothers you, it is worth knowing before you buy; if it does not, it is simply part of the game's anime style.
