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The Relic: First Guardian
Developer Project Cloud Games
A dark action RPG rooted in Korean mythology, with brutal, fast combat. From the Steam store page
117 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 29, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
53
Mixed
44 positive · 39 negative
95% range 42–63%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 44 | 39 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 2 | 0 | 28 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 4 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
47 of 92 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
51% recommend · 41 yes, 40 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 81 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mixed (112 of 241 positive).
Many players find the game fun despite its flaws, praising the combat and bosses. [1][2][3] Several reviewers criticize the lack of graphics options, high price, and use of AI. [4][5][6] Some players recommend waiting for a sale or patches before buying. [7][2][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
DO NOT BUY THIS GAME IN ITS CURRENT STATE. I've only played for 10 minutes and there is already so much wrong with the game that people need to know about before paying the steep price of $49.99. The biggest issue with the game is that it looks nothing like the trailers. While the game never showcased graphics as one of its strong suits, they looked passable in the trailers. In game not only is there ZERO graphics …
- [5]
BEWARE - DO NOT BUY!!! You cannot even set you native resolution cos the game automatically scales it down to a fraction! Resolution scaling is not working and DLSS option also. Overwriting in ini files does nothing also for some reason, I have a 5090 and would like to use DLAA or at least 67% DLSS. DLSS presets do not work either. It is incredible you even had the audacity to release this broken mess at triple A …
- [2]
I'm a bit conflicted on this. This game has SOOOO many issues with it. Buggy quests, AWFUL AI voice acting, and it looks like a PS2 game. That being said, the combat is ok, parrying is surprisingly crisp for a very janky gameplay control, and alot of the bosses are actually pretty good and carrying the game for me. It seems that the devs are aware of how messy the game is right now and pumping out patches. I'm …
- [3]
i really like this game despite bad reviews . ign gave this a 4/10 and this is not a 4/10 game. it has cool booses , cool weapons . but they really need to fix a low/mid/hig/ultra settings for this game in my opnion. im 10 + bosses in and having lots of fun . favorite bosses so far is selvarn the glided, prodigal bound. and the unreturned. but the whole game is niched around the parry system which can be a turnoff …
- [1]
TREAD LIGHTLY Here I am. @ not even 1/2 an hour game time. Game was made by 'game-mad' they love games Korean studio. It looks like ELDEN RING and DARK SOULS 3 on main menu screen. YOU KNOW the Logo with heavenly choirs in the background. Personally, I don't get the current review bombing going on. I am a big fan of above 2 mentioned games. YES. I acknowledge. I see some sort of 'clunk', For example, THE in-game …
Summarised from 34 of the 112 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
51% of the 81 Steam reviewers we collected recommend The Relic: First Guardian. The complaint that keeps coming up: graphics are blurry and lack options. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 117 · most liked firstDO NOT BUY THIS GAME IN ITS CURRENT STATE. I've only played for 10 minutes and there is already so much wrong with the game that people need to know about before paying the steep price of $49.99. The biggest issue with the game is that it looks nothing like the trailers. While the game never showcased graphics as one of its strong suits, they looked passable in the trailers. In game not only is there ZERO graphics settings, but the game looks absolutely hideous. It looks like there a smear of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i dont even know what to say, i've been pretty hype for this game.... and its just a big snoozefest. combat sucks, leveling up sucks, the menu sucks... no mouse cursor for KBM players. no graphic settings. i played until i beat the first boss... the first boss had a whopping 3 attacks. enemies dont respawn after you hit a bonfire. nothing feels responsive.... the only good thing i have to say aboutt this game, is the trailers looked cool. oh and devs... WHAT ARE YOU THINKING CHARGING 50 bucks…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was reading chaos mutation effects in the Relic game and I couldn't get the image out of my head
neutral · AI labelView post →Honestly perhaps one of least developed games I have ever played. Enemies straight up don't respawn. You can easily disrupt all dialogue and interactions by missing point of interest. The combat is literally nothing. Clearly AI was used for at least dialogue. Poorly optimized. With this and much more don't. Just don't.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mobile AI slop from the first few minutes of the game, refund. Amazing what devs think they can get away with nowdays.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This ♥♥♥♥ is unplayable, looks and plays like a bad mobile port. No graphical options AT ALL except turning DLSS on and off (can even adjust preset of DLSS). Scammed
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →BEWARE - DO NOT BUY!!! You cannot even set you native resolution cos the game automatically scales it down to a fraction! Resolution scaling is not working and DLSS option also. Overwriting in ini files does nothing also for some reason, I have a 5090 and would like to use DLAA or at least 67% DLSS. DLSS presets do not work either. It is incredible you even had the audacity to release this broken mess at triple A price. This is a 20 Euro early access beta at best. Nothing works, what were you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →(Played for 25 mins) First of all. it loaded up and ran perfectly fine. no issues. even 3840 x 2160 res despite people falsely claiming it only had 2560 × 1440. so it runs perfectly fine.. BUT there are literally no graphic settings yet.. motion blur is TOXIC in 2026 going forward and this has it turned up to 3000%.. vile. combat is so lame.. spamming 1 button and it does random attacks. and just feels ultra sloppy and the npcs have the same attacks over and over making it a snooze fest.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The entire game feels severely undercooked and nowhere near ready for release. Releasing it in this state is unacceptable. Charging €50 for this level of quality is insulting.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if you yearn for the vibes of mecha anime and love rpgs or card-battlers, the creators of Battle Chef Brigade have the game for you 🌠 play the Battle Suit Aces demo in #LudoNarraCon starting May 1st and journey among the stars with your crew and uncover the mysteries of the Relic Suits! 🚀🤖
neutral · AI labelView post →No disclosure of Rampant Generative AI usage. You shouldnt be allowed to charge money for this. On top of that, the game is just entirely broken.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let me take a moment to gush about this lil’ bundle of joy/rage. 😂 @nymira.thois.day is legitimately the best. The definition of an amazing person in-game (FFXIV of course) and out. Thanks to gatewayfate.bsky.social for being a reason to gather the Relic Discord crew. My fave pic of the weekend. 🥹
neutral · AI labelView post →Have you met all of the characters in our demo yet? Which one is your favorite?😺 Mine is of course The Great Witch, Marga Rine! Bwahahahaha!🧙♀️🪄 Looking for a game to play this Sunday? Try out the Relic Abyss demo now!✨ Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/3694300/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Alright, I have played a bit less than an hour of this game, wanted to initially play more but holy hell guys... Just as a heads up, I have playtested many different games, all stages of development and worked with multiple devs on improving their game. This one, full stop, one of the worst playtests I have had. At the same time, this is also the furthest along in development I have playtested a game, which is odd. To start, lets get the big thing out of the way, what the hell is the logic of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm sorry, but I can't recommend this game in its current state. There are quite a few optimization issues and far too few graphics settings available, although overall it's still playable. There are plenty of possible builds, and the combat feels decent overall, even if it quickly ends up falling into the same repetitive cycle. However, there is one major issue that is simply too much for me: the save system. If you want to make a game with a single automatic save system, similar to the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →stop being greedy, change the price from $50 to $30.......and you've got yourself a decent game, yea it looks like its from the ps3 era but at that $30 price range i can get over that. for a game that's made by 12 people...its cool, combat isn't going to be of Elden Rings status but i cannot justify spending $50 on this... i cannot recommend it at this moment. i did refund it and i will be waiting for a hefty sale.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →-The sound, got ear raped soonest you enter the title screen and no variety options for speaker or headphone user, only slider -Lacks of graphic options, maximum resolution is 2560x1440 -Janky combat, 2 tapping mobs and the elites move set is too generic -1st boss kinda okay, maybe 2nd and 3rd boss would be better as we progress and not so predictable
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’m writing this review after refunding the game following 45 minutes of playtime. The graphics aren't as sharp as the trailer, and there are no advanced graphics settings. Objects and obstacles look like they were simply duplicated, without any logical placement. The in-game dialogue is lifeless—unacceptable for a game in 2026. In short: do not buy.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game borders on a scam, and in my opinion, it's an absolute joke to charge full price for it. The character's running animation is so off that it makes you seasick. The combat system is reminiscent of PS1 titles. The game feels like the great-grandfather of Lords of the Fallen and is at least half a decade behind the times in terms of gameplay, combat, camera work, and graphics. If this had been released as a "student project" three years ago for $20, the flaws might have been acceptable.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this needed like another 3 years of development, at least it showed it quickly?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Relic: First Guardian Project Cloud Games. No disclosure, AI for inventory icons, translations and/or script in early and concept stages. Claims some may or may not have made it into the final game. -y kotaku.com/director-of-...
neutral · AI labelView post →the audacity of charging $50 for a game that looks like its from the pswii60 slop era, has NO graphics setting at all. i thought i was going mad looking for literally anything. max res of 1440p (It cant handle that regardless) and plays like a student project. this is as close to a scam you can get while still technically delivering a "product", How can devs and publishers think its ok with putting out this low effort slop and thinking its worth charging a AAA price for. also. super cool…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →it's genuinely awful
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I genuinely appreciate that the devs are supporting the game with frequent updates, but they never seem to address the issues players have been talking about since launch. Right now, it simply doesn't reflect the quality of the experience. The quests feel lifeless, the NPCs have almost no animations or personality, and the world struggles to feel alive. On top of that, there's an overwhelming amount of text. Every boss and every area comes with countless notes explaining their backstory,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am asking for a refund at this moment. Im not totally opposed to AI. Seen some really good AI produced in video stories lately. But the script was horrible. I just could not get immersed into something that sounds like someone just reading off the paper.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Requesting refund….too rough around the edges & the resolution/resolution settings is both dumb & awful. Needs patching & atleast a 50% sale price before I would give this game a chance again.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Even after 14 patches, I see some of the major complaints still present, during my brief playtime. Notably the horrible graphics no matter what (limited) settings one chooses. It's like watching a 480p video. I thought reviews were overstating the AI voices, but if anything they were understating. I'm not anti-AI like a lot of people, but it's evidence here and is distracting. Combat is not as good as I had hoped either. I'm only seeing one attack as opposed to a light and heavy. With that one…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TREAD LIGHTLY Here I am. @ not even 1/2 an hour game time. Game was made by 'game-mad' they love games Korean studio. It looks like ELDEN RING and DARK SOULS 3 on main menu screen. YOU KNOW the Logo with heavenly choirs in the background. Personally, I don't get the current review bombing going on. I am a big fan of above 2 mentioned games. YES. I acknowledge. I see some sort of 'clunk', For example, THE in-game menu, it's unusual, even-once again, like above mentioned 2 games. (same with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →decent indie game but not for the price they're asking. Only 1 or 2 graphics options in the settings menu which bothered me. Think it was vsync on/off, frame limit and resolution size and 1 or 2 choices of upscaling. I didn't see any other graphic options. The graphic / art style is a turn off for me and requested a refund. Game ran pretty smooth with average voice narration Some people will like it i think because of the souls like genre.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →run away from this game and dont look back
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ok, so the game isn't bad and the fighting mechanics are actually pretty good. It has a lot of negative reviews and haven't even look, but you can see why. First, I would wait for a sale or some updates. The main reason this game is going to get hammered is its highly priced. If you compare this to say Black Flag and Black flag was only 10 more bucks and the game is very underwhelming for its price tag. There are tons of issues and I already see them. An enemy just walked through a wall,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is trash unreal 5 slop. I have a 9060 xt the game defaults to ultra performance upscaling. To have at least 720 p you need to run the gam 4 k But then the game runs at 40 fps No joke the game have zero settings. Avoid it like fire . I asked back my money i dont even care if the game is good. 50€ for this mybe if the game would be 15€ i would consider and be more tolerable. But they ask AAA price for an Ai asset game that runs like trash. Recently i saw that the game got discounted…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game was let down after 20 mins of playing it , I disconnected immediately, the combat was not fluid , the graphics looks good on trailers as all games but in game it was very choppy I do not recommend this game at all . Enless they fix the whole game I will never pay $50 for this again . If they fix all the issues and lower the price maybe I’ll try it again .
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've only played this game for a little bit so its not fair to judge. I just wanted everyone to know prior to purchasing the game it seems the maximum video resolution is only 2560X1440. The game wasn't supposed to release until July 31st so maybe a patch is incoming to fix this issue. I will update the review once I've played a few more hours.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm a bit conflicted on this. This game has SOOOO many issues with it. Buggy quests, AWFUL AI voice acting, and it looks like a PS2 game. That being said, the combat is ok, parrying is surprisingly crisp for a very janky gameplay control, and alot of the bosses are actually pretty good and carrying the game for me. It seems that the devs are aware of how messy the game is right now and pumping out patches. I'm personally gonna wait for them to continue optimizing before I continue. To…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't understand why you have zero graphic settings for a game on PC I'm literally only playing this on to mortal shell 2 comes out what a joke of a game looks like a ps3 game Skyrim
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The graphics are terrible, unbearable to look at.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Alien shiba inu Vtuber @ShibameGreen will be playing the Relic Abyss demo in 30 minutes!📽️ If you wanna see a preview of the Traditional Chinese version of the game, please come by. ✨ This is her livestream link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpyU... #EAIGC #EastAsiaIndieGamesCelebration #台灣遊戲
neutral · AI labelView post →IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN ELDEN RING OR DARK SOULS TYPE GAME THEN THIS ISNT THE GAME FOR YOU. If anything this game is more for the casual gamer that likes rpgs and arpgs but suck at them like me lol , im not sure why this game is getting so much hate , this game is a lot better than what the reviews have been given but i do have some complaints that could be fixed with upcoming patches and possible weekend sale events: 1. The price - it needs to be $30 or less , its not worth $50 right now 2.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Can't create a Survivors-like game without spinning projectiles! The Relic "Crimson Chalice" is just that! I'm having fun making all of these different kinds of projectiles for our game. Animated: x.com/RelicAbyss/s... #relicabyss #indiedev #gamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →Worst game I have ever bought not optimized at all and the graphics are a bait and switch the actual in game does not look nearly as good as advertised I would wait at least a year or for a VERY good discount before buying and even then I am not sure I would recommend it I am currently waiting on my refund as we speak this a $5 game in its current state IMO
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ohhhh yeah good point. It feels like the game has a lot of exposition/worldbuilding as is, and the Relic malfunction mechanism is neat without impeding the overall pace (I can only imagine how annoying it’d be if there are more of the headache cutscenes).
positive · AI labelView post →With viscid tongue lodged firmly in reptilian cheek, ‘The Relic’ takes a bite at the mid-budget monster flick blueprint, its droll comportment, shadow-swathed setting, and game perfs the backbone of a charmingly boisterous, scientifically preposterous beast. Released on this day, January 10, 1997.
neutral · AI labelView post →If I end up taking part in the Relic Castle summer Pokémon fangame jam, I think I'd like to make a game with no story and no catching / battling Pokémon. My success rate in game jams is abysmal, so I think I should try making a game that focuses on my skills and is small, simple, and beautiful.
neutral · AI labelView post →Advanced startup 2Wai is proud to announce the Relic from the hit game Cyberpunk 2077, known for it's cautionary tale about how evil, fucked up, and inhuman the Relic is.
neutral · AI labelView post →The game dev factory has been going full throttle lately. (2/3) Your inventory listing in game now matches the Relic listing in the shop. The Relic tier is visible right away without waiting until the end of match. #screenshotsaturday #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev #JRPG #RPG
neutral · AI labelView post →Flawed, but honest and fun game from a small team that's genuinely trying — worth a thumbs up at a discounted price. I knew about the game before release, and when I saw the launch and the reactions, I turned my back on it and didn't look into it further. But the last few days, after getting my fill of MGS4 MC, I didn't know what to play next, so I ruthlessly bought it on the PS Store during a sale (and since the game runs noticeably better on PC — even though I primarily play on PS5 — I also…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i really like this game despite bad reviews . ign gave this a 4/10 and this is not a 4/10 game. it has cool booses , cool weapons . but they really need to fix a low/mid/hig/ultra settings for this game in my opnion. im 10 + bosses in and having lots of fun . favorite bosses so far is selvarn the glided, prodigal bound. and the unreturned. but the whole game is niched around the parry system which can be a turnoff for some players. for instance the drewger boss you cant kill kill him…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Awful combat. This game was developed for console and not PC.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let me offer a little bit different approach to reviewing this game, because from what i see for other people, they tend to say this is either 1/10 or 9/10, and it's hardly objective in any way. -Game has bugs obviously, but you can look at how many patches devs already released, they really care about fixing everything asap. -Spoken words are not aligned with mouth of NPC's. -Game has a graphic looking like a blurry mix of graphic from DS1, Nioh2 and world of warcraft wotlk, i hope they will…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ok...... I wanted to give this game a chance but wtf. I can get passed the graphics (even if they look like late PS3) but it just feels so clunky. I do like that the parry glows blue when you get one great visual detail but the rest of this is just no. The 2 bosses i did fight they were glitching in and out of the floor mid fight so some attacks missed but it just feels honestly the combat felt like i was playing the original lords of the fallen but worse. I hope they fix this for current price…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far this game is super fun. Combat is kinda clunky. For example when an enemy is in the middle of some stairs a few stairs above you and you attack it doesn't register. You'll be directly in front of the enemy nut just a few steps down completely capable of landing a hit and it just won't do anything. Weapon clearly hitting them but not registering the attacks. Attacks are slow but enemies can hit the shxt out of u pretty quick Now I have no problem with AI but c'mon it seems like devs…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is overall enjoyable. Feels like an early playstation2 hack n slash game. But it looks like it too... It's amosphere is catchy, you go in, everything on a village is on fire cause of some bandits. It catches your attention for a moment. If you're into that vibe. some things for the devs: You guys NEED to insert advanced graphics options. On a gtx570ti the game just looks like an emulated ps2 game with resolution stretch only and no fixes. Controls are pretty solid though... no…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Regardless of the reviews I have really enjoyed playing this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →OK, I just played almost 6 hours straight with this game. Is it rough around the edges, definitely. The thing is, it's actually a fun game once you get yourself leveled up a bit and start unlocking the relics and weapon skills to equip. I really like the notes you find all over the place that are fully voiced that add to the kind of immersion of the setting. There also seems to be tons of stuff just by exploring, like hidden caves, ruins, etc. There's always something around the next corner. I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think they fixed a lot of stuff, especially the graphics. Yes they arent 4k mega AAA graphics, but honestly... if you play the game and actually make an effort to enjoy it... It's actually rteally good, and its huge, the developers put a lottttt of work into this game. It's super unique and I'm honestly hooked now after giving it another chance
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a really good indie game with a lot of promise that just needs some polishing. For 1, status effects don't show any indication of when they'll go away, for 2, some status effects like curse accumulate so fast and are so overpowered that fighting anything that can give you that is a death sentence, between two bosses that I gave up on both, i went from like 8 deaths to like 34, because as of right now it is nearly impossible to fight anything that uses curse as a status effect. I have taken…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is phenomenal. I love it and I have no ideal why it got terrible reviews on release. However I did purchase the game after the main updates so maybe I didn't see the game in its original state. But no matter it is a great and fun game to play now. Definitely give it a chance and try all the skill sets. Some skill sets make boss/Brutal fights easier. Have fun folks.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Usually don't review games, but with all the negative reviews I kinda want to shine some light on the game... Here's what I really enjoy and like about the game: The combat, having only unlocked three weapons and a couple different ones within the same class, the combat feels pretty smooth, and each weapon appears to have its own moveset and animations. The parry timings feel tight but I actually enjoy that. The lore, I absolutely love finding all the little notes and lore drops in the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a very very unique game with a very unique atomsphere, something totaly new and it is a BLAST to play! Atmosphere is cranked up to the maximum making every story ad path you take super immersive. Combat feels weighty and flashy with the blue effects which looks very cool, every encounter with foes is deadly and requires patience and timing. What a lovely game this is, ever since I saw it in trailers I knew it was going to be something new and increadible and it fulfilled and even…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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