The Relic First Guardian review: Combat & Build Tips

The Relic First Guardian review presents a dark fantasy action game with a promising combat foundation but inconsistent delivery. Its strongest moments come from weapon timing, skill customization, and several memorable side stories. Its weakest moments involve technical problems, awkward localization, repetitive environments, and systems that do not explain themselves clearly.

The overall experience can feel like an unfinished version of a more ambitious action RPG. Exploration creates occasional curiosity, while combat provides enough variety to keep some encounters interesting. However, the surrounding design frequently reduces the impact of those strengths.

Combat is the most cohesive part of the experience, although it still has several barriers. The game features five available weapons, and each one has a distinct feel. Basic attacks use a single combo string, but follow-up swings require timing rather than unrestricted button mashing.

Defensive actions consume stamina, while ordinary attacks encourage a more aggressive rhythm. Enemies can become vulnerable after losing stamina through attacks or successful parries. The problem is that enemies do not display visible stamina bars, so judging the exact moment of a stagger is difficult.

Bosses are generally more interesting than ordinary enemies. The game includes more than 75 bosses, with many presented as optional encounters. Several have distinct attack patterns that create a puzzle-like challenge. Optional bosses and side stories are also important sources of meaningful loot.

At the same time, boss fights expose the game’s technical problems. Some encounters combine unreliable lock-on, environmental hazards, status effects, and attacks that are difficult to interrupt. A few fights may also break in unusual ways, such as an opponent failing to appear after a defeat and reload.

The Relic First Guardian does not use conventional stat progression or traditional leveling in the way many action RPGs do. Instead, customization comes from weapon skill trees, equipment passives, equipment drawbacks, and relics that modify attributes or provide special effects.

Each weapon has a two-sided skill tree that pushes it toward different playstyles. The battle staff illustrates this split particularly well: one route emphasizes close-range spinning attacks, while the other supports stronger ranged options. This design gives weapons more personality than their basic combo strings suggest.

Relics are especially useful when they offer more than simple health or stamina increases. Some can introduce unusual effects, including temporary protection after receiving otherwise fatal damage. These special interactions can shape a build around survival, aggression, or skill usage.

The main limitation is access to skill points. Relic points come from selected boss rewards, certain quests, and specific blue shrines. They cannot simply be farmed through ordinary enemy defeats, so unlocking an entire branch may take a long time. Because of this, early investments should support the way you actually play rather than every skill that looks interesting.

The world is divided into three main regions, each using geography and color treatment to establish a different mood. Rolling hills, forests, caves, settlements, and ruined fortresses create a broad dark fantasy landscape. However, many locations look similar, and heavy color filters can make routes and environmental details harder to read.

Exploration works best when it leads to a side story, dungeon, or unusual landmark. Records left behind by soldiers often act as breadcrumbs toward points of interest. These stories may involve deductions based on objects in the environment or notes left by characters facing loss.

Some of the folklore-inspired stories are among the game’s most compelling content. A journey involving a wife waiting for her husband and a daughter passing time with pinwheels is an example of the quieter, more atmospheric storytelling the game can achieve. Not every story needs a large battle to make an impression, and the more subdued conclusions can be stronger than forced boss encounters.

Loot is one of the weaker reasons to explore. Many scattered pickups provide only 30 to 50 gold, while chests often contain roughly 600 gold. This can make map clearing feel unrewarding once gold has accumulated beyond practical spending needs.

The most valuable exploration targets are therefore side stories, bosses, and dungeons rather than every visible pickup. Follow records and unusual landmarks, but do not feel obligated to inspect every marker if the reward loop stops being useful.

A productive approach is to focus on combat learning, selective exploration, and flexible builds. Trying to clear every marker or defeat every ordinary enemy can create unnecessary friction, especially when common foes provide modest rewards and may be more annoying than rewarding later in the game.

Use the following priorities when planning a session:

The game is most suitable for players who enjoy finding promising systems inside an imperfect package. Combat experimentation, optional bosses, and occasional narrative surprises can provide satisfying moments. Players who prioritize technical polish, clear localization, or consistently rewarding exploration may find the rough edges more difficult to overlook.