The Relic: First Guardian arrives with plenty of ambition, presenting itself as a dark action RPG that borrows from the Soulslike formula while trying to carve out its own identity. Set in the ruined world of Arsilthus after the destruction of the titular Relic, we step into the role of the First Guardian and set out to recover the scattered fragments before corruption completely consumes the land. It’s an intriguing setup, and the world itself certainly looks like it has an extensive history behind it, but the storytelling rarely capitalises on that potential. Instead of drawing us into its mythology through memorable characters or compelling narrative moments, much of the lore is fragmented across notes, voice recordings and item descriptions, leaving the main plot feeling surprisingly detached for much of the adventure.
Where The Relic tries hardest to distinguish itself is in its progression system. Rather than relying on traditional character levels, almost every aspect of growth revolves around equipment and Relics that provide passive bonuses, while each weapon class features its own dedicated skill tree. That creates some interesting build possibilities, especially when experimenting with different weapon types and rune combinations. Likewise, removing stamina consumption from regular attacks gives combat a noticeably different rhythm, encouraging more aggressive play while keeping stamina reserved for defensive manoeuvres. It is an inventive twist on familiar mechanics, although it doesn’t always result in the fluid combat the game seems to be aiming for.
The biggest obstacle is that the controls and combat simply don’t feel consistent enough to support the demanding encounters ahead. Attack animations often feel overly committed, dodges cover unpredictable distances and defensive mechanics don’t always provide the reliable feedback needed in a game built around timing and precision. Combined with occasionally awkward hit detection and a camera that struggles whenever battles move into tighter environments, many defeats feel more frustrating than satisfying. Boss fights do occasionally shine thanks to their variety and visual designs, but they’re too often undermined by cramped arenas, environmental hazards and technical issues that distract from what should have been the game’s highlights.
Exploration fares somewhat better, thanks to a sizeable interconnected world filled with optional paths, collectibles and dozens upon dozens of bosses. The decision to remove enemy respawns after resting at checkpoints is an unusual one that some players will appreciate, since it removes much of the repetition associated with backtracking. On the other hand, it also reduces the incentive to engage with regular enemies, since progression no longer revolves around experience points and there is little reason to revisit previously cleared areas. Combined with environments that frequently feel sparse despite their scale, exploration gradually loses some of its initial sense of discovery.
On PlayStation 5, the technical presentation unfortunately becomes difficult to ignore. While the bleak landscapes and corrupted creatures occasionally produce striking vistas, the visual quality fluctuates considerably. Texture pop-in, inconsistent framerates, long loading times and camera problems regularly interrupt the experience, while animation quality varies from impressive to surprisingly stiff. The soundtrack does a respectable job of reinforcing the game’s somber atmosphere, but the voice acting proves far less consistent, making it difficult to become emotionally invested in the world’s inhabitants when their stories deserve more impact.
What ultimately makes The Relic: First Guardian frustrating is that its strongest ideas are easy to appreciate. The equipment-focused progression, distinct weapon classes and willingness to rethink several established Soulslike conventions show that Project Cloud Games wasn’t content with simply copying the genre’s biggest names. Unfortunately, those ideas are held back by combat that lacks the precision players expect, uneven technical performance and storytelling that never fully realises the promise of its setting.
The result is an action RPG that’s clearly built with passion and ambition, but one that struggles to execute its best concepts consistently enough to stand alongside the stronger games that inspired it. Soulslike veterans may still find some enjoyment in experimenting with its progression systems and taking on its sizeable roster of bosses, but most players will likely come away wishing the underlying ideas had received another round of refinement before release. The good news: the publisher and developer have already committed to adding more polish post-launch, and a day 0 patch to help with some of the issues we describe here has already been released.
Score: 6.4/10