The Vagrant

Came in for the b00bs, stayed for the cool combat and story. More a beat em' up than a metroidvania, but still pretty fun to complete in about 10 hours of gameplay.

It is more like a 2D action JRPG and not really a metroidvania, as you don't get gadgets or skills to explore. It is quite linear, but fun, and not because the heroine is very talented in the chest area, but it helps some.

For $4, this game absolutely BANGS out loud. I got it on sale for 84 cents and feel as though I cheated these devs. THERE'S OUTCOMES TO LOSING BOSS FIGHTS!!?? The story isn't bad at all and the builds for your protag later on in the game get wild. I like the art a lot. Reminds me of Vanillaware games. Solid piece of work, here.

Beat'em up side scroller inspired by Vanillaware games, so highly stripperiffic character designs are a given. Beautiful hand painted graphics with a matching soundtrack and a straightforward story which grant the entire experience a fairy tale vibe.

The final boss is a huge difficulty spike, though. It can easily one shot you. What's worse, it's placed directly after two other bosses, without any checkpoint between them. The best solution is to spend 30 minutes to an hour grinding for the best armor in the game. If you do so, you might as well complete all optional encounters, including a dungeon which rewards you the best weapon in Vagrant, as the armor is overpowered. At the very least there's an NG+ mode, and some achievements are much easier in said mode, so it's not time entirely wasted.

I enjoy The Vagrant as it's an obvious passion project from a tiny team of developers. I'm glad it garnered a small following over the years. It deserves it.

Big Booby Blondie Waifu in a small tight bikini killing monsters is all you got to know about this game.

The Vagrant is a 2D action RPG that draws inspiration from classic titles like Odin Sphere and Muramasa: The Demon Blade. It follows Vivian, a traveling sellsword searching for her lost family and answers about her past. The game’s visual design stands out immediately, featuring hand-painted environments and fluid, anime-style character animation that gives every battle and landscape a sense of motion and energy.
Combat is the heart of the experience. It’s fast, combo-driven, and responsive, blending light and heavy attacks, dodges, and skill abilities. As you progress, you unlock a deep upgrade system that allows you to customize weapons, abilities, and stats to suit different playstyles. Boss fights are frequent and demanding, requiring good timing and situational awareness rather than button mashing.
Exploration rewards curiosity. Hidden areas, optional challenges, and gear drops encourage backtracking and experimentation. The level design balances linear storytelling with small open segments that make revisiting earlier zones worthwhile. Loot and crafting systems are simple but satisfying, providing a consistent sense of growth and progression.
The story is modest but serviceable, mixing mystery and personal tragedy. The writing isn’t exceptional, but it fits the tone of a lone warrior’s journey through a cursed land. Voice acting is minimal, yet the soundtrack does a strong job of setting the mood—melancholic in villages, tense in combat, and atmospheric in ruins.
Technically, The Vagrant runs smoothly and loads quickly, though there are occasional hitbox quirks and animation bugs. Still, its strengths outweigh its minor flaws. The game offers a rich action-RPG experience on a small scale, ideal for players who appreciate skill-based combat and artistic presentation without excessive complexity.
Overall, The Vagrant is a hidden gem—beautifully drawn, mechanically sharp, and surprisingly engaging for its low price. It captures the spirit of classic action RPGs while maintaining its own identity through strong combat and visual charm.

Its simple fun and enjoyable it felt more if hack and slash then a metroidvania but still very fun in my opinion