Someone might crack the code on this mash-up, but River City Saga isn't the one to show how it's done. If you enjoy any brawler you can put your hands on and have a fondness for this style of storytelling, it may be worth a look. Otherwise, this time investment is too much in an ocean of better games.
River City Saga: Journey to the West2026
River City Saga: Journey to the West
2026 Arc System Works70Good
Playtime
ShortIt typically takes about 5 hours to finish the game.
Playable on
- Steam DeckVerified
- Steam MachineVerified
Available on
- $19.99
- $19.99
- $19.99
Game modes
Details
- Launch
- June 3, 2026
- Developer
- UnitePlus
- Publisher
- Arc System Works
Overview
River City Saga: Journey to the West is a roguelike action brawler that reimagines the classic Chinese novel with River City characters, casting Kunio as Sun Wukong and other familiar faces as legendary figures. In the turbulent Tang Dynasty, you embark on a pilgrimage to retrieve Buddhist scriptures, fighting through waves of demons and bosses with intuitive, satisfying combat. Every run features different layouts, enemies, and skills, encouraging repeated playthroughs as you grow stronger with each attempt.
Screenshots
Reception
Press66
Players90
WorthwhileExcellent- OpenCritic66from 4 reviews
Although I wish it had a co-op mode and more variation in its campaign, I ended up having a lot of fun with River City Saga: Journey to the West and I'm definitely looking forward to new and improved roguelike Kunio-kun games. This is a solid start! 🐒
River City Saga: Journey to the West is a fun little expedition into something different for the franchise, but it never really hit the heights I was hoping for. If you need a decently priced roguelite adventure to tide you over until the next big thing, you could certainly do worse than picking this up. Franchise fans will get a bit more mileage out...
Arc System Works played it a little safe with the usual roguelite difficulty curve in River City Saga: Journey to the West to avoid alienating its core Kunio-kun fanbase. Normally, that sounds like a recipe for trouble. This time, however, sitting somewhere in the middle actually works. Combining 80 Secret Skills to shape your favourite Kunio-kun character...
All in all, River City Saga: Journey to the West is a flawed but fun experience. I wish the translation was better, but the combat is far more interesting than the narrative anyway.