- August 3, 2020
- Mighty Polygon
- 10h median play time
Relicta
Beautiful, challenging and frustrating in equal measure, Relicta is a game you should pick up if you want an exercise for your brain.
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Relicta is a single player casual platformer game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Mighty Polygon and was released on August 3, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.
Relicta is a first-person physics-based puzzle game where you need to creatively combine magnetism and gravity in order to unravel the secrets of Chandra Base. Alone in the treacherous depths of the Moon, your scientific mind is the only thing that can keep your daughter alive...
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- Engaging and challenging physics-based puzzles with a unique gravity and magnetism mechanic.
- Beautiful and varied environments with solid graphics and atmospheric audio design.
- Good length of gameplay content including free DLCs, suitable for fans of first-person puzzle games.
- Inconsistent and sometimes frustrating physics leading to repeated retries and potential softlocks.
- Repetitive and tedious puzzle design with large, sprawling levels and excessive walking.
- Poor story execution with cringeworthy dialogue, excessive profanity, and writing that many found irritating or juvenile.
- story300 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
The story in this puzzle game is generally regarded as serviceable but unremarkable, with some players finding it intriguing and well-voiced, while others criticize it for weak writing, disconnect from the puzzles, excessive filler, and cringe-worthy dialogue. Although it adds atmosphere and mystery, many feel the narrative pacing is slow, the plot lacks cohesion with the gameplay, and the overall impact is diluted by repetitive puzzles and uneven character development. The story may appeal to players seeking a sci-fi backdrop but is often skippable for those focused primarily on the puzzle experience.
“The game’s story revolves around Dr. Angelica Patel, a physicist who uncovers a mystery surrounding the moon base she’s stationed on.”
“There’s a clear focus on narrative here, with well-written dialogues and an engaging storyline that gradually reveals the protagonist’s motivations, her relationship with her daughter, and the dangers lurking in the isolated environment of Chandra base.”
“The combination of a sci-fi thriller plot with personal stakes adds a layer of depth that is often missing from puzzle games, and the game’s dedication to storytelling keeps players invested between puzzles.”
“The story is atrocious, as if written by a neglected toddler.”
“Honestly, the game just couldn’t manage to make me give a shit about either the setting or the story it tried to tell and the story actively made me not really look forward to doing the later puzzles because my payoff would just be more badly voice-acted narrative steeped in this terribly overwrought and yet still ill-defined setting.”
“The story segments are way too sparse and too uninteresting to keep playing for them, but if you want to witness the possibly worst death lamentation scene I've ever seen, be my guest.”
Relicta PS4 Review
Relicta tries to strike a balance between narrative and gameplay, but that balance ends up hurting the final experience by making the game a slog to go through and puzzles becoming infuriatingly complex in the second half. The story and excellent voice acting are a nice differentiator and the level of detail in the environments is impressive, but Relicta is a game that is hard to stick with in its second half if you don't have a guide.
70%Relicta
It would take forever to discuss everything Relicta gets players to do over it’s tremendous (for a game like this’) runtime, but you must know that it will force a complete change of perspective time and time again, even when you are positive you know how everything works. Out of nowhere, thirteen hours in, you’ll need to figure out it’s possible to jump on drones and ride them over chasms, for example. On the other hand, the ‘jankier’ tasks asked of the player also deliver a lot of “are you kidding me? Is that really how it’s supposed to be done?” moments, as a cube is convulsively forced into awkward positions or, through a minor physics tick, becomes unrecoverable, thus demanding the whole area be re-done. Clearly a product of the creative team’s love of 201X-ish 3D puzzle games, it’s still a must-play for fans of the genre looking for a bit of a niche nostalgic hit or for those that missed the likes of Q.U.B.E, Magrunner: Dark Pulse, Quantum Conundrum, and so on the first time around. It’s a good time and a fantastic brain-burner, but perhaps by trimming some of the weaker areas and focusing on what makes it special, Relicta could have stood a little taller next to some of the giants in its category.
70%Relicta review — Gravity daze
Simply put, Relicta is in a class of its own. Its design is often head and shoulders above many of its contemporaries, the writing is of the highest quality, and the game looks far better than it honestly needs to. Absolutely anyone who considers themselves a fan of the genre owes it to themselves to play this game. It'll take you to the moon.
90%
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Frequently Asked Questions
Relicta is a casual platformer game with science fiction theme.
Relicta is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.
On average players spend around 9 hours playing Relicta.
Relicta was released on August 3, 2020.
Relicta was developed by Mighty Polygon.
Relicta has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked Relicta for its story but disliked it for its grinding.
Relicta is a single player game.
Similar games include The Entropy Centre, Q.U.B.E. 2, Magrunner: Dark Pulse, Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut, The Spectrum Retreat and others.