If you just picked up Arc System Works’ latest roguelike beat 'em up, you are likely asking one immediate question: how to switch characters River City Saga Journey to the West? The short answer is that you cannot swap characters dynamically in the middle of a stage. Because this installment is structured as a solo-play roguelike, your character selection is locked in for the duration of your current run. To change your brawler from Sun Wukong to Zhu Bajie or Sha Wujing, you must return to the central hub area between runs and access the character selection altar.
Redditors and forum users have been confused by this design choice, especially coming from other games in the Kunio-kun franchise that feature drop-in co-op or mid-brawl tag mechanics. But Journey to the West fundamentally alters the series formula. By forcing you to commit to a single combat style for the entirety of a run to Tianzhu, the game demands mastery over individual character builds rather than relying on on-the-fly tag-team combos. Here is the definitive breakdown of how the roster system works, how to unlock the rest of the crew, and why Arc System Works designed the game this way.
The Core Mechanic: How to Switch Characters in River City Saga: Journey to the West
In standard beat 'em ups, character swapping is often treated as a tactical maneuver to extend combos or escape damage. River City Saga: Journey to the West abandons this arcade staple in favor of a strict roguelike structure.
When you boot up the game, you operate out of a central hub area. This hub serves as your base of operations where you spend permanent currency, interact with NPCs, and most importantly, choose your avatar for the next expedition. Once you leave the hub and begin a run, your choice is final. If you selected the "speed-focused" Sun Wukong, you will play as Wukong until you either defeat the final boss or your health drops to zero, sending you back to the hub.
This rigid structure exists because of the game's build-crafting mechanics. During a run, gods will randomly appear to offer you a choice of over "80 different Secret Skills." These skills dramatically alter your stats and move properties. If the game allowed you to swap to a different character mid-run, the carefully curated synergy of those Secret Skills would instantly break. A build optimized for Wukong's rapid-fire strikes would be entirely useless on a slow, grappling-heavy character. Therefore, character switching is strictly a pre-run strategic decision.
Unlocking the Roster: Before You Can Switch Characters River City Saga Journey to the West
Before you even worry about swapping your brawler, you need to actually unlock them. You do not start the game with the full mythological crew. Arc System Works designed the progression to mirror the original Chinese literary classic, Journey to the West, where the monk Tang Sanzang gathers his disciples one by one.
Analysis Report Poster detailing the roster of River City Saga Journey to the West
When you begin a fresh save file, you only have access to Sun Wukong (played by the series' iconic protagonist, Kunio). Wukong is the quintessential all-rounder, though the game categorizes him as "speed-focused." His rapid rushdown attacks and mobility make him the ideal character for learning the game's dodge mechanics and enemy attack patterns.
As you clear early stages and progress through the narrative milestones on the road to "Tianzhu," you will trigger story events that unlock the rest of the playable cast:
- Zhu Bajie: Unlocked after clearing the first major story threshold. Bajie is "power-focused." He sacrifices the mobility of Wukong for massive area-of-effect damage and brutal grappling moves. He excels in rooms crowded with low-tier demons where his sweeping attacks can clear space instantly.
- Sha Wujing: Unlocked further down the road. Wujing is "long-range-focused." Utilizing extended hitboxes and zoning tools, Wujing is built for players who prefer to keep bosses at a safe distance, chipping away at their health while avoiding close-quarters mix-ups.
Until you hit these specific story beats, the character selection altar in the hub will only display Wukong. You must push through the initial difficulty curve with Kunio's monkey alter-ego before the game opens up its roster.
Why You Cannot Swap Mid-Run (Unlike Past River City Games)
Veteran fans of the River City (Kunio-kun) franchise often hit a wall with Journey to the West because it defies decades of established muscle memory.
In River City Girls Zero and River City Girls 2, players could swap between Kyoko, Misako, Kunio, and Riki on the fly to chain devastating assist combos. In River City Melee Mach!!, the Battle Royal mode literally revolved around swapping characters the moment one was defeated, dropping a Surprise Box into the arena to keep the chaos flowing. Even River City Ransom: Underground allowed seamless drop-in, drop-out multiplayer that fundamentally changed the team composition mid-brawl.
Infographic showing the solo-play roguelike loop and when to switch characters
River City Saga: Journey to the West is a "solo-play roguelike." There is no co-op, and there is no mid-brawl tagging. By isolating the player with a single character per run, the developer UnitePlus forces you to engage deeply with the roguelike progression loop.
If you encounter a boss that is highly resistant to Wukong's speed attacks, you cannot simply press a bumper to tag in Zhu Bajie for a quick power grapple. You have to use the "80 different Secret Skills" you acquired during that specific run to overcome your character's inherent weaknesses. This design choice elevates the game from a mindless button-masher to a tactical action-RPG where your pre-run character choice dictates your entire approach to the map.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Switch Characters River City Saga Journey to the West
Once you have unlocked at least one additional character, swapping between them is straightforward, provided you are in the correct location. If you are currently in a stage, you must either finish the run or purposefully die to return to the hub. There is no "return to hub" option in the pause menu that saves your current run progress—abandoning a run forfeits it.
Here is the exact process to change your brawler:
- Return to the Hub: Ensure you are in the game's safe zone (the central temple courtyard).
- Locate the Altar: Walk over to the character selection altar, typically denoted by a glowing UI marker or a gathering of your currently unlocked party members.
- Open the Roster Menu: Interact with the altar to bring up the character select screen.
- Select Your Brawler: Scroll left or right to highlight Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, or Sha Wujing. The menu will display their base stats (Speed, Power, Range) to help you make an informed decision.
- Confirm and Launch: Lock in your choice. Your selected character will now be your active avatar as you step out of the hub and begin your next descent toward Tianzhu.
Annotated Diagram explaining the character selection altar in the central hub area
Remember, any permanent stat upgrades you have purchased in the hub apply globally, but the temporary Secret Skills you find during the run are wiped clean every time you return to this altar.
Optimizing Your Build After Choosing Your Brawler
Switching characters is only half the battle; optimizing them is where the true depth of River City Saga: Journey to the West lies. Because you are locked into your choice for the duration of the run, your decision-making regarding Secret Skills must adapt to the character you are playing.
If you select Sun Wukong, your base speed is already incredibly high. Therefore, when a god appears mid-stage offering a choice between a speed buff and a raw damage multiplier, you should almost always take the damage multiplier. Wukong hits fast but relatively light; stacking damage on top of his rapid attack speed results in exponentially higher DPS than marginally increasing an already capped speed stat.
Conversely, if you switch to Zhu Bajie, his power is unmatched, but his slow wind-up animations leave him vulnerable to interruption by faster enemies. When playing Bajie, prioritize Secret Skills that grant hyper-armor (uninterruptible attacks) or health regeneration. You are going to take hits while winding up your massive strikes, so building Bajie as an immovable tank is far more effective than trying to patch his terrible speed stat.
Comic Grid illustrating why you cannot swap characters mid-run
For Sha Wujing, the strategy shifts entirely to crowd control. Because he is long-range-focused, you want to invest in Secret Skills that apply status effects or push enemies away. Your goal with Wujing is to ensure demons never get close enough to trigger their melee strings.
By understanding these fundamental differences, the inability to switch characters mid-run transforms from a frustrating limitation into a rewarding strategic framework.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you play co-op in River City Saga: Journey to the West? No. Unlike many previous entries in the Kunio-kun franchise, this specific title is strictly a "solo-play roguelike." You cannot bring a friend along, locally or online, to control the other disciples.
Do you keep your upgrades after a run ends? Yes and no. It is a roguelite system. You will lose any of the temporary "80 different Secret Skills" you acquired during that specific run. However, you retain permanent currencies which can be spent in the central hub area to permanently upgrade your base stats across all characters.
Can I change characters during a boss fight? Absolutely not. You are locked into your chosen brawler from the moment you leave the hub until the run concludes. If a boss is countering your playstyle, you must rely on your dodging skills and the specific build you crafted during the run to survive.
How long does it take to unlock Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing? They unlock naturally as you progress through the main story. If you consistently clear the early stages and defeat the first few major bosses on the road to Tianzhu, you will have the full roster unlocked within your first few hours of gameplay.
The Final Verdict
Arc System Works took a massive risk by stripping away the multiplayer and mid-brawl tagging that defined the River City brand for decades. But by enforcing a strict hub-based character selection system, River City Saga: Journey to the West forces players to actually learn the intricacies of Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing. Stop looking for a quick-swap button in the pause menu, head back to the hub, and start theory-crafting your next perfect run to Tianzhu.