Vagante has review scores all over the place. Some reviews are as high as the 80s while some have it far below expectations. While it would be ideal to see all games get 100s, it is also great to see games get a diverse set of opinions. It shows that every person is different and that is okay.
Nuke Nine’s first release, Vagante is made with a very niche, hardcore gamer in mind. It can be likened to Souls-like games as well as Spelunky. Since there is time before Elden Ring comes out, Vagante might quench the thirst. It’s at least worth finding out what it does and doesn’t excel at. Give this indie game a shot.
6 Best: The Graphics
Vagante looks great. Many indie games go for the retro, pixelated look but Vagante pulls off something new. It is hard to describe but whatever the developer did was brilliant. The enemy and class designs, including alternate avatars, are nicely detailed for how small everything appears.
The animations, from character movements to enemy movements, should be specifically praised. This might be the best thing about Vagante or at least the thing that might attract players from a trailer. The only downside to the art is that the game has low lighting. It can be hard to take the beauty in because of this.
5 Worst: Reward System
The roguelike genre has been making great strides in the indie community as of late. Recent hits like Skul: The Hero Slayer have included assist options, allowing players to turn on a feature in the options to reduce damage by 50%. Vagante doesn’t have any assist features and is an example of one of the more brutal roguelikes that will not hold the player’s hand in any regard.
There is almost no progression in the game. Players level up classes during a run which reset after death. All the money acquired, along with equipment, is also lost. There is a player profile that levels up after death, granting players small permanent mods to classes or passive skills. The rollout of these rewards can be slow and sometimes meaningless. This can hurt the momentum of any roguelike.
4 Best: Multiplayer
Multiplayer can help even the playing field. Up to four players can tackle a dungeon online or through local co-op. The local mode requires multiple Switch systems though. In death, players become a skeleton warrior.
They can’t equip gear but they can still attack and do a decent amount of damage. Dead players can be revived at campsites. This ability alone makes playing Vagante with at least one friend easier. It might be a good idea to get a team together first before even starting this game.
3 Worst: Can’t Sell Items
Item drops can be plentiful during runs or Vagante can be withholding. Some runs are better than others, which is true for many roguelikes. In the runs where items are seemingly raining down from the heavens, it can clog inventory. What is a player to do?
There is no way to sell these unwanted items to the merchant in Vagante. What merchant doesn’t want to buy goods off of a player? That is what they are supposed to do in games with RPG elements. There are still ways to get something of value for unwanted items, but it would have been great to get cash instead.
2 Best: Magic And Weapon Variety
The magic and weapon variety in Vagante is out of this world. They can turn a bad run into something spectacular. This is all based on luck, something that holds true for most roguelike games. For example, some boots can shoot fire when players jump around.
Weapons can be infused with magic too like finding a hammer with electric powers. Roar like the god of thunder and start pounding away at baddies. In Vagante, Magic can be used by any class. It isn’t tied to a Mage, although that class is naturally more effective at using magic than the Knight or Rogue. Some wild spells include one that summons monsters and another that teleports players across wide gaps. There is a lot to see in Vagante.
1 Worst: Fires Don’t Heal All
Dark Souls and all Souls-like games can challenge players. However, there is always a sanctuary players can take comfort in. The Dark Souls series has campfires that allow players to fully heal and level up. They can also replenish healing items as well as respawn enemies. There are fires in Vagante as well but they may not put players at ease.
These campsites are found in-between levels. Resting at one will not fully heal players. There are methods to make the fire stronger but doing so will take hours upon days. It would have been nice if this retreat from chaos was as soothing as Dark Souls’ fires, but they simply aren’t. There is also a book here wherein players can suspend and save their game. That is at least nice to have if players need to extend their time.
Vagantewas released on January 27, 2022 on PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. It launched previously in 2018 for PC.
