The Relic: First Guardian

The true dark fantasy of The Relic: First Guardian is all of the potential it squanders; an energetic action game marred by its own shambolic state and broken in too many inexcusable ways.

The Relic: First Guardian is a purgatory of tedium and glitches dressed up to look like a heavy-hitter action RPG.

The Relic: First Guardian is best described as an action RPG that blossoms despite its clear limitations. It is far from a perfectly well-rounded game, with awkward animations, imprecise controls, and underwhelming character models standing out as obvious flaws. Even so, its stylish combat, built around carefully timed attacks and defenses, delivers a thrilling sense of catharsis that keeps you coming back.

The Relic: First Guardian is a game with good ideas, but it ultimately fails to execute them. Performance issues, recurring bugs, and the lack of essential navigation features make the experience feel unfinished, leaving the impression that it needed more time in development.

The Korean studio doesn't quite hit its stride. Despite this, and provided the technical aspects are quickly fixed, The Relic: First Guardian is a dark ARPG that rewards initiative without ever becoming too frustrating or punishing; it's not a mere imitation of FromSoftware's work.

Relic: The First Guardian is not so messy as to be unplayable. In fact, the game’s combat can be excellent at times, and the use of Korean folklore twisted into a dark narrative is an interesting idea.

There are things about The Relic: First Guardian that I absolutely loved. The game's exploration also leaves something for you to find, and the game's combat is satisfying and rewarding. It's just a shame I had to suffer through major bugs that kept me from progressing or finishing quests.

The Relic: First Guardian's unpolished edges almost undermine the experience, but atmospheric exploration through a haunting world will pull you through.

Between rough gameplay feel and mechanics, The Relic: First Guardian doesn't present itself with a bang, but with a wimper.

Relic: The First Guardian has the foundations of a solid action RPG, with an impressive roster of over 70 unique bosses and a respectable variety of Relic-based abilities that keep major encounters engaging. Unfortunately, those strengths are constantly undermined by shallow combat mechanics, clunky animations, inconsistent voice acting, poor audio design, technical issues, and surprisingly amateur translation errors. Rather than a true Soulslike, this is a straightforward action game weighed down by an overwhelming number of avoidable flaws. With more polish, it could have been a pleasant surprise. Instead, it ends up as a frustrating experience that rarely allows its best ideas to shine.