Battle very, very sad bosses in The Relic: First Guardian, a Witcher-like RPG rooted in Korean folklore
You know, I don't think we've had enough Witcher-likes in the decade since CD Projekt Red's smash-hit action RPG. The Relic: First Guardian looks set to offer a similar style of roving, supernatural sleuthing, this time in a dark-fantasy world inspired by Korean folklore.
A new trailer, premiered at the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted, shows our spellsword unravelling the fate of a fallen soldier while battling demonic enemies in war-ravaged villages, before coming face-to-face with one of the game's haunting bosses.
It's a deliciously moody trailer with sepia-steeped flashbacks, no end of wind and rain, and narration from not one, but two grief-stricken family members. We also get some snappy combat sequences, with our hero winding up huge dash-and-slash strikes that stagger the hulking monsters and reverberate through the environment.
I'm taking a slight guess at what's happened, but I think our hero has tracked the fallen soldier back to the village where his family waited, only to discover that their grief has twisted the missing father into the howling wind-demon at the end. The figure swirls up out of the water, hiding an enormous blade behind its back before sending a ferocious roar our way. And this is just one of over 70 promised boss fights to encounter throughout the semi-open world, each with its own backstory you'll discover through the boss journals they drop.
We saw eight minutes of gameplay back in September after the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, and it's clear Korean developer Project Cloud Games has taken the 'why not both' approach to combat design, choosing depth and flashiness in equal abundance. And unlike the vast majority of RPGs, The Relic is ditching level-based character progression in favour of a gear-first approach—so your effectiveness and playstyle hinge on your chosen weapon types, runes, and crafting choices rather than how many experience points you've racked up.
We won't be waiting too long to start the investigation, as The Relic: First Guardian will be arriving in early 2026. You can add it your wishlist on Steam to stay up to date.
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