The Relic: First Guardian Reviews
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 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.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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 is a purgatory of tedium and glitches dressed up to look like a heavy-hitter action RPG.
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.
The Relic: First Guardian is ultimately a game full of promising ideas that rarely reaches its potential. Its departures from the traditional Souls-like formula initially make it stand out, even if its relentlessly bleak atmosphere won't appeal to everyone. Unfortunately, those innovations are undermined by frustrating boss encounters that highlight weaknesses in the core combat. Throw in inconsistent presentation, sparse PC options, and missing quality-of-life features like key rebinding, and the result is a game that's difficult to recommend in its current state. With enough patches and thoughtful refinements, it could eventually carve out its own place alongside the genre's best, but for now, it remains an ambitious experiment that falls short of its goals.
The Relic: First Guardian is a work of violent contrasts, a crossroads where an almost moving authorial passion collides head-on with undeniable production and technical limitations.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
Review in Korean | Read full review
The Relic: First Guardian is not only one of the worst Soulslikes I have ever played, but a prime candidate for the worst game of 2026. It's a game that crumbles under the weight of its own ambition, aiming to be the next Elden Ring and missing the target wildly. Not one aspect of this game warrants praise, and in its current state, it is an affront to the Souls genre as a whole. It's time I will never get back, but hopefully through my suffering, you won't suffer the same fate.
The Relic: First Guardian is Project Cloud Games debut title. It has some issues, like performance issues and a lack of some basic mechanics like jumping, but the world-building, the skill tree, the combat, the bosses and the feeling of wonder we all need and love from Soulslike is present. It has jank sure, but it has heart, and it’s one of my favourite experiences of the year, and something that I will continually be heading back to for the next few months.
The Relic: First Guardian lives in a constant tension between ambition and reality. Its intense world‑building, melancholic Korean‑folklore micro‑stories, and surprisingly layered combat show Project Cloud Games’ clear vision and uncommon talent. But an overload of bosses, abrupt difficulty shifts, technical problems, and some awkward design choices keep it from reaching its full potential. What remains is an imperfect yet heartfelt action game, capable of striking moments for those willing to accept its roughness and sink into its ruined world. If the team can refine this first effort—cutting excess and aiming for greater cohesion—the future could hold something truly exciting. For now, it’s a dark, troubled journey, still worth taking for anyone seeking something different in today’s action landscape.
Review in Italian | Read full review
On paper, The Relic: First Guardian has a lot going for it: the promise of Korean mythology, fast-paced and fluid combat, and the varied and numerous Brutals. Unfortunately, I don’t feel the impact or that special something that makes Korean mythology interesting, while the gameplay has many shortcomings as well.
Review in Dutch | Read full review