Over at the US Playstation blog, NIS America gave us all a first look at the localization efforts for the PS Vita version of Stranger of Sword City, a dungeon crawler that originally came out exclusively for the Xbox 360 only in Japan in 2014. The Vita version came out at the beginning of 2015 in Japan and now we here in the west will all be ‘strangers’ come March, 2016. In the game, the main character is involved in a plane crash and ends up in the fantasy xcity of Escario. Soon you’re deemed the ‘chosen one’ and have to assemble your warriors to help defend the land from all manner of diabolical threats while at the same time searching for a way back home. The game looks to be crazy intense with character building and customization options, from assigning equipment, classes and stats to designating their ages and races, all of which factor into the final build of each individual companion. All in all, it’s looking rather robust even for a Japanese dungeon crawler. In addition to the standard exploration and combat, there is also something called the ‘Ambush’ system that offers challenges against greater enemies for better gains and a leaderboard so you can show the world how well your defense of Escario is going.
Take a gander at these screenshots, which show off some really great traditional fantasy artwork for both the comanions and monsters, as well as easy to follow stat laden character profiles. Looking at this gorgeous game in all its detail is a great indicator of just how time consuming it may end up being, given all the RPG minutiae it seems to utilize. Let’s hope it’s equally as engrossing.
Stranger of Sword City is slated for launch in North America on March 22, 2016 and in Europe on March 25, 2016 for the Sony PS Vita. It is developed by Experience Inc. and will be published in the west by NIS America.
