Video Game / The Vagrant

The Vagrant is an Action RPG video game created by O.T.K Games. The game was originally published by Sakura Game, and originally released in Early Access on Steam in June 9, 2017, with the final version coming out July 13, 2018. A console release arrived in December 2022, via new publisher Rainy Frog, and under the name "Sword of the Vagrant".

In this game, you will assume the role of Vivian the Vagrant, a traveling swordswoman who is searching for her father in the fantasy land of Mythrilla. But she just had a rough start: being the only survivor of the ship she was on board after a huge storm, she discovers monsters wrecking havoc and attacking people, a witch and her young apprentice, a demon who is searching for a more powerful vessel, and an academy of magic that want to use that power for unknown reasons. All of them are going after Vivian's father and his research, that is connected to some magical artifact. Vivian is now involved in this conflict as she tries to find the truth about her father, all while confronting all the adversaries above.

Inspired by the works of Vanillaware (Scenery Porn, Stripperiffic character designs and cooking system included), you control Vivian in side-scrolling fashion with an arsenal of combos and skills at her disposal. Vivian's stats can be improved by finding weapons and equipment, and you can upgrade it with the Mana you get by defeating enemies, these weapons/ equipment can be upgraded further by finding runes, giving special buffs to your weapon/equipment. Also, Vivian can use the mana she has gathered to improve her own abilities, like doing more damage, a Double Jump, and new fighting techniques.

No relation to the first book of the series of the same name, the 1992 horror comedy film produced by Mel Brooks, or an entirely different RPG for the PlayStation.

In 2021, the developers announced and ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for a Distant Sequel: Detained: Too Good for School. The game is being published by Thermite Games, with a release of "Coming Soon". A PC demo is currently available via Steam.

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The Vagrant provides examples of:

• Action Girl: Vivian, the protagonist, obviously. She spends the entire game as a tough-as-nails warrior fighting and killing monsters.
• The Ace: Holborn is stated to be the most talented witch of the Academy in generations, but she pales before Magnus, who founded the Academy, and was the inventor of both normal magic AND runecraft.
• Adam Smith Hates Your Guts: Some vendors will mark up their wares according to Insane Troll Logic, and it's recommended you buy your medium health potions somewhere without a 400% markup. Legit vendors will generally give you a reasonable deal, but the best swords / armor in the shop can cost 100 times that of their second best, because the materials to make them are in deathtrap valleys. Vivian is going around those places, so you can get a massive discount by finding the materials and having a travelling forgemaster forge the sword /armor for a pittance.
• A God Am I: Both Holborn and Magnus start exhibiting this attitude and act all Drunk on the Dark Side after gaining power to consume souls, though given that both were raging megalomaniacs before that point that may just be the result of no longer feeling the need to pretend that they are sane.
• Alliterative Name: Vivian Vamillion the Vagrant. Her sister Valerie and father Vincent also count. It seems to be a family thing.
• Amazonian Beauty: Vivian shares this trait with the Amazon, even the bouncing when she runs. However, she's slightly more covered and less muscular.
• Big Bad: Magnus, the founder of the Academy. His curse is what drives members of the Vamillion bloodline insane as he attempts to possess them from beyond the grave and he is the true force behind Soulreaper.
• Big Bad Wannabe: Holborn may be a legitimate threat, but she is ultimately playing second fiddle to Magnus. Even when she absorbs his soul and gains godlike power, it's clear to all that Magnus is still the one who's really in control, and when she's defeated, the ancient wizard disposes of her with little fanfare.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Holborn at first comes off as a Reasonable Authority Figure, saves Vivian from the Soulreaper at a cost to herself, and tells her how she can fix the enchantment around the village. Shortly after Vivian does this and Holborn's curse is fixed, however, she suddenly hits Vivian with a powerful killing curse of her own and threatens to activate it if Vivian doesn't do what she says or tries to escape.
• Bonus Dungeon: The segment of the final dungeon unlocked by the Joker Key, which leads up to the Dungeon of the Decayed that contains the Boss Rush detailed below. The reward for beating this is the best weapons in the game and explanation of the plot's background without which some parts may be almost incomprehensible.
• Boss Rush: The Dungeon of the Decayed pits you in a series of Rift battles. You don't get to save in between fights, but you do get a blank room to collect rewards and recuperate in between.
• Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: The thief Markham killed the god Kunasmith, only to end up cursed by the dying god for his trouble with his life being sapped away. In the end, to save his beloved from mages from the Academy, he takes a potion that turns him into a monster and ultimately causes the god's spirit to take him over. Vivian has to put him out of his misery to stop the vengeful monster from attacking the rest of the land.
• Broken Bird: Lucia becomes this by the end of the game. After losing her lover, she spends the rest of the game sitting alone in her house, cradling a flower pot, "talking" to her lost love. You can visit her as you progress the plot, and it becomes clear her mental state is seriously deteriorating. By the end, if you "poke" her enough, she'll think Vivian is a jealous stalker and curse her with pure hatred, despite being a good friend not too long ago.
• The Cameo: Mina Han from Battle Chef Brigade appears as a food vendor.
• Chainmail Bikini: Played straight, averted, then played straight again. Played straight in that Vivian's onscreen appearance portrays her in one, no matter what kind of armor you have equipped on her. It's then averted and parodied with an armor set you can buy in the final dungeon, which is literally called a bikini, that only has a base defense of 1. The item description reads "provides exactly as much defense as you'd think". However, if you fully upgrade it, the trope gets played straight again as it ends up having a total defense of 150, making it the best armor set in the game.
• Cooldown: If you use a potion you will have to wait some time to use another, otherwise its effects will be greatly reduced. Three upgrades will reduce the cooldown between potion usages by 2%, 4%, and 6% respectively and collectively stack.
• Critical Status Buff: Two upgrades Vivian can get will respectively make her take 30% less damage when below 30% HP ("Stimulation") and deal 30% more damage when below 10% HP (the aptly named "Last Stand").
• Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: Vincent tried to find a way to get rid of Magnus' curse from his bloodline at his workshop, since that was the only way to keep his family safe. Unfortunately for him, Valerie has been chosen as one of Magnus' vessels. Before he was turned into another vessel, Vincent left a message in his diary to find another way to stop Magnus without using Runecraft.
• Equipment Upgrade: You can spend mana to upgrade your weapon/armor. Doing so adds to the number of rune sockets on the weapon. Some weapons may have runes that only reveal themselves and take effect once you unlock their slot.
• Fanservice Extra: A few here and there in the towns, particulary the grocer in Brocleyshire who makes Vivian look flat-chested.
• Fire, Ice, Lightning: These are the three elemental effects weapons can possess and there are specific weapons that specialize in each element.
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Valerie's ghost gave Vivian a tight slap when Vivian whined about wanting to remain with her.
• Healing Potion: You have a slot dedicated to potions for quick access and you can cycle between them.
• Hereditary Curse: Vivian's bloodline is cursed to become Magnus' vessel against their own will. The second half of the game is focused on getting rid of Magnus and the curse.
• Hopeless Boss Fight: The first fight against the Soulreaper at the beginning of the game. It is possible to beat her during New Game Plus if you're strong enough, but doing so will earn a Non-Standard Game Over. This is required to get an achievement.
• Hope Sprouts Eternal: in the true ending, where shoots sprouting from the dried-out seed is the final image seen.
• Hyperactive Metabolism: Vivian can find roasts, desserts, and fruits everywhere, restoring energy quickly, it will be your main source of recovery in the early game, as the game punishes you for using potions too fast.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Vivian in the Soulreaper Non-Standard Game Over, complete with Blood from the Mouth.
• Infinity -1 Sword: Near the final boss's room the player can find The Destroyer in a chest. It has 300 ATK — more than what the player's found before — and has a couple of powerful runes imbued in it, but it swings very slowly.
• Infinity +1 Sword: Three are awarded after finishing the bonus Boss Rush. The Eye of Darkness, obtained early in the rush, is an accessory with a potent Life Drain effect for every attack you land. The Sword of Deception, obtained in the middle of the rush, has 800 ATK when fully upgraded but swings very slowly. It also has a non-linear upgrade curve with a sharp ATK drop after the third enhancement. The Sword of Verum, obtained as your final reward, has only 400 ATK at full power but is the fastest weapon in the game. Combine the Eye of Darkness and Sword of Verum, and you're practically unstoppable as long as you can keep landing hits.
• Kick Chick: Vivian's non-sword moves include a running kick and a fast flying kick.
• Life Drain: The Eye of Darkness, an accessory only available from the Dungeon of the Decayed, restores 5% of Vivian's health for every successful attack she lands.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Villainous example — most enemies use shields and need to be taken down by doing enough heavy attacks or backstabbing them.
• Magikarp Power: Played with regarding some unique equipment.
  • The Bloody Moon, obtained by the midgame, has a very high attack speed, but a base ATK of 1. The flavor text leads you to believe that, if you fully upgrade it (a pretty big task given its high mana costs) it would experience this trope. It doesn't, scaling linearly and capping at 5 ATK.
  • The Sword of Deception, if its name wasn't a big indicator of Schmuck Bait, has a great base power which decreases every time you upgrade it. On the third upgrade, it's got 10 ATK. It eventually plays this trope straight big time when the final upgrade shoots it up to 800 ATK, but that's a non-trivial mana cost to sink into this sword.
  • The Sword of Verum, the true Infinity +1 Sword, starts at a paltry 1 ATK with high attack speed like the Bloody Moon. However, it plays this trope relatively straight, as the first two upgrades multiply its ATK tenfold, going to 10 then 100 and letting it stand on even ground with your other weaponry. The next two upgrades only double the ATK score, but this ends in 400 ATK off a very fast weapon.
  • The Bikini offers "as much defense as you'd expect" - a DEF of 1. Upgrade it and it goes to 5, then 10, then 15. The final upgrade shoots it to 150 DEF, way stronger than any other armor you've had.
• The Magocracy: The Academy. While originally an institution founded by the great wizard Magnus to spread knowledge, over time the wizards in charge grew prideful and greedy. By the time the game starts, they're a cutthroat organization that has engineered the downfall of at least one kingdom and make a habit of hunting down anyone who doesn't submit to them, such as runewardens.
• Mana Meter: Since mana points are a form of Tech Points, Vivian's skill costs drain from her Rage Meter. It can be regenerated through certain pickups or refilled with potions, and with certain upgrades it can also be regenerated from dealing critical hits, picking up food and mana crystals, and even taking damage.
• Mirror Boss: The final fight in the Dungeon of the Decayed is a fight against Vivian's Shadow, wielding a very powerful sword that you can acquire if you best her. She will use most moves available to Vivian, and moves and attacks very quickly.
• Motive Decay: You can watch Magnus' Motive Decay from a Well-Intentioned Extremist trying to share his vast knowledge with the world to a self-absorbed literal demon as you progress through the ironically-named Dungeon of the Decayed.
• Ms. Fanservice: Vivian is a busty, bikini clad warrior woman. 'Nuff said.
• Multiple Endings: In addition to the Nonstandard Game Overs, there are two main endings:
  • In the normal ending, Vivian defeats Holborn and Valerie sacrifices herself to seal away Magnus, but Vivian, knowing that the seal is only temporary, resolves to send Camden to safety and remain behind to face Magnus when he reawakens. The final shot is Vivian being overtaken by a dark force before suddenly finding herself at the dinner table with her family before everything went to hell. After the credits, the Owl appears before Vivian and offers her the New Game Plus option.
  • In the true ending, Vivian must first finish an optional encounter with an Evil Rag harassing a helpless girl and the bear guarding her. This yields a seed. Later on, she will need to acquire three hidden keys that allow her to face an enraged Wraith of Kumasith. Upon being defeated, the Kumasith empowers the seed from before. The ending plays out the same as the normal ending, but after the credits roll, the seed glows as it forces Vivian out of Magnus's illusion. Vivian awakens on the surface and plants the dried-out seed, hoping that it will bear new life.
• New Game Plus: Unlocked for beating the game once. All your items, stats, skills and abilities are carried over.
• No Cutscene Inventory Inertia: Vivian will always have her starting sword in cutscenes, no matter what you have equipped.
• Non-Standard Game Over: Many bosses have special cutscenes showing them ravaging the land in their own ways if they defeat you. You can actually get achievements for witnessing them!
  • Soulreaper: Beating her at the beginning of the game during New Game Plus will result in Vivian getting killed and taking her sister's place as the new Soulreaper.
  • Kumasith: Vivian fails to stop Kumasith, who then goes to attack Wheatawn and the rest of the world as vengeance for his death at the hands of the man who took his life.
  • Santiago: Vivian becomes another one of Santiago's victims, just like every other woman before her.
  • Soulreaper/Valerie: Camden succeeds in opening the gate to The Void, but at the cost of his life. Vivian loses consciouness as Holborn enters the Void. Holborn, now with god-like powers, kills Vivian. Before her soul is cast into the darkness, Vivian spots a pair of eyes behind Holborn. A voice then tells Holborn to bring doom to the world.
  • Master Shroom: Vivian is consumed by the Master Shroom. Since it consumed a Runewarden, the fungi gained intelligence and eliminated mankind, becoming the dominant species in the process.
• Peninsula of Power Leveling: The bottom right corner of the Glizzian area has a group of strong mushroom enemies grouped together just perfectly to smash with a Shining Assault, and they'll always respawn when you enter and leave. With the Abilities that let you recover Rage from food and mana, doing this will earn about 15k mana a minute.
• Save Point: There are two kinds: campfires and Stelas, and both allow you to save your progress. But you can only cook in a campfire and you can only warp between Stelas.
• She-Fu: Vivian can dodge every attack by means of a cartwheel roll, and you can upgrade this skill to dodge for a longer time and being capable of dodge in the air. However, it doesn't work on enemies with shields.
• Shout-Out:
  • The strongest Ice Sword in the game is called the Lich King's Memory.
  • One of the most valuable sellable items is called The Ring, and its flavor text makes mention it was the finest creation of a legendary blacksmith.
• Smug Snake: Holborn may be a powerful witch, but she isn't anywhere near as good as she thinks she is, nor as clever. Her tendency to overestimate her abilities costs her her life when Magnus' soul proves to be far beyond her ability to control.
• Spin Attack: Vivian has several, and they make the game a good deal easier.
• Stripperiffic: Vivian's outfit is a combination of Velvet's and Tyris'. Doubles as a Shout-Out to the former. Have we mentioned that this game is inspired by Vanillaware?
• Storm of Blades: Maxing out the Runewarden ability to Level 10 unlocks the Dimensional Swords skill, which allows Vivian to summon a host of spectral swords that will launch forward one at a time whenever she attacks.
• Tech Points: Mana points are accumulated as you slay enemies, and can be used to unlock things like stat boosts or additional skills for Vivian.
• Untrusting Community: The village you start out in is already highly suspicious of outsiders, but the fact that Vivian just happened to show up shortly before the Soulreaper attacks just makes them even more leery of her. The only exception is the local blacksmith who criticizes his neighbors for this attitude.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: Camden starts out having nothing but the utmost faith in the Academy and especially his master Holborn and thinks neither can do no wrong. His world-view quickly becomes challenged as his growing guilt over Vivian's magical enslavement plus seeing and hearing about the Academy's unscrupulous actions eat at him.
• World of Buxom: Hardly any woman seen in the game has anything less than a C-cup.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Before and after the boss fight with the Ground Shaker, Vivian rants about how much she hates bugs.
• Zerg Rush: The seventh of eight battles you fight in the Dungeon of the Decayed Boss Rush is... slimes. Lots of them, and some of which split on defeat. You can get easily overwhelmed or stun-locked if you're not careful.