Relicbound (PC) Review

Indie outfit, Low Pressure Studions brings us Relicbound, a story-driven adventure title that sparks that familiarly warm nostalgia of classic exploration games. From the very moment you step foot into those ancient runes, it’s clear Relicbound is a game surrounding the solving of puzzles, uncovering secrets and piecing together the story behind a mysterious relic.

Relicbound Review (XSX) | MyGamer

Relicbound has all the Hallmarks of a Classic Exploration Adventure

Playing as a lone adventurer, Relicbound sees you diving into sprawling temples and jungles filled with puzzles, traps and enemies. The core gameplay revolves around carefully navigating these ruins, solving environmental puzzles and some kickass combat mechanics. The power of Unreal Engine 5 shines through using lumen lighting to create an air of atmosphere and realistic jungle fauna.

The game successfully captures that classic exploration thrill, where every shadow could hide a new danger or a clever puzzle. It’s clear that Relicbound wants you to take your time, study your surroundings, and think strategically and not just rush in blindly.

Relicbound Review (XSX) | MyGamer

Harness the Power of the Relic

Quite late on into your adventure, you eventually discover the relic at the center of the game’s premise. Far more than a mere relic, this artifact will help you solve mind bending puzzles and give you the edge in combat situations. Mastering the relic is an integral part of survival and you will need to get creative with its time manipulating powers.

Though there’s only one relic to discover and one set of powers to wield, it can be used with a tacticians mind, making it even more fun to use. I found this focused approach to work in a way that kept things relatively simple without sacrificing the depth of the game. However, more variety on the “magical power” blanket wouldn’t have gone unappreciated.

Relicbound is Both Atmospheric and Immersive

The world of Relicbound feels alive thanks to the careful design of its environments and the way the story is gradually revealed through the medium of exploration and encounters. Furthermore, the game’s sound design is worth paying homage to. By the dev’s admission, AI was used to generate the voices. However, given that this game is a labor of love from a single developer, these things can be overlooked.

Relicbound Review (XSX) | MyGamer

A Few Creases to Iron Out

My playthrough of Relicbound was mostly smooth and enjoyable. However, I did encounter a few minor terrain glitches such as the absence of box colliders, et al. While these tiny irks didn’t ruin my experience, the did momentarily break the immersion that the developer has so clearly paid a lot of attention to.

Summary

Relibound is a compelling story-driven adventure title the perfectly encapsulates the thrill of exploration and discovery of similar beloved titles of yesteryear. Fans of the likes of Tomb Raider will appreciate its focus on puzzles, traps and narrative immersion.

The game proudly offers a solid challenge through both combat and puzzles as you traverse the hostile environment and weaves a good story as the game unfolds. It’s seldom that indie devs of today recognize the cruciality of a solid narrative for the player to sink their teeth into, but the man behind Low Pressure Studio has hit the mark here.

Relicbound Review (XSX) | MyGamer

Prepare yourself for an atmospheric journey through ancient ruins, living jungles and ancient temples where mystery awaits at every turn. If you enjoy story-rich exploration titles, this is certainly one that shouldn’t fly under your radar (I thought long and hard about a jungle/temple/cave exploration pun, but alas, I came out empty handed).

Relicbound will be available on Xbox and Steam on July 28 of this year — mark it in your calendars!

REVIEW

OUR SCORE - 10

10

SCORE

Atmospheric and confidently focused.

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