Reliefs The Time of the Lemures
- October 14, 2023
- Sylvain Abrial
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Reliefs: The Time of the Lemures" is a first-person exploration, puzzle, and adventure game set in a semi-open world inspired by the Calanques region in France. Traverse enchanting environments on foot or horseback, climb ruins of ancient Roman temples, and solve puzzles to understand the purpose of your journey. The game features vertical and dynamic gameplay, detailed and monumental Roman ruins, and a unique and heavy sound environment.
Reviews
- The game features a beautifully immersive world steeped in Roman mythology, with impressive environments and dynamic lighting that enhance the exploration experience.
- Traversal mechanics are simple yet effective, allowing for enjoyable parkour-guided platforming that keeps players engaged and challenged.
- Despite its minimal story, the game offers a deeply personal and introspective experience, making it a rewarding journey for those who appreciate exploration and atmospheric gameplay.
- The game suffers from a lack of clear storytelling and character development, leaving players wanting more narrative depth.
- There are technical issues, including bugs and a 'scenery helpers' feature that can detract from the immersive experience, although some of these can be disabled.
- Many players feel the game was released too early, with significant bugs and a lack of basic instructions, leading to frustration and disappointment.
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and often unclear, lacking in character development and explicit narrative direction, which some players found disappointing. However, the integration of ancient Roman mythology and the immersive world design provide a unique backdrop that enhances the overall experience, making exploration feel enlightening despite the sparse storytelling. While a more defined narrative could have improved the game, many players still found it engaging due to its captivating environment and mechanics.
“Although minimal on story, characters, and dialogue, I was still deeply drawn into the world and found it simultaneously exciting and meditative to navigate.”
“It doesn’t do anything never seen before, but its strength lies in perfectly mixing the ingredients it works with: the gorgeous semi-open world, the simple but effective traversal mechanics, the parkour-guided platforming sitting at the heart of its progression, the ancient Roman mythology behind its minimalist storytelling (telling a Roman story based on something other than their military might or technological advancements is a breath of fresh air in the world of video games!), the grandiosity of the world design (they had to compensate with something, of course, and that they totally did, Roman ruins never looked that imposing before!), the highly introspective exploration (you may not be knowledgeable of the Lemuria festival, I wasn’t before I played the game, but it was such an enlightening experience learning about it and seeing it masterfully transposed into game design).”
“A better told story would have been nice, although not required; I think the game is worth playing already with what's in there.”
“Another thing I could have wished for is for a clearer end-goal and a more explicitly told story.”
“The game apparently has a story, but it was never clear to me what that was—nor what my character's ultimate goal was.”
“There's very little story going in and throughout.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a strong focus on exploration and traversal, set within a beautifully designed semi-open world inspired by ancient Roman mythology. While it doesn't introduce groundbreaking mechanics, it effectively combines familiar elements like parkour-guided platforming and minimalist storytelling to create a memorable experience. Players can expect a refreshing absence of combat and overly complex puzzles, with a dynamic flow that keeps the gameplay engaging.
“But it has a very pure focus on the gameplay and a clarity in the vibe, which makes it a pretty memorable experience despite those issues.”
“It doesn’t do anything never seen before, but its strength lies in perfectly mixing the ingredients it works with: the gorgeous semi-open world, the simple but effective traversal mechanics, the parkour-guided platforming sitting at the heart of its progression, the ancient Roman mythology behind its minimalist storytelling, the grandiosity of the world design, and the highly introspective exploration.”
“Don't expect any combat or myst-style 'I spent 2 weeks solving this' puzzles; instead, the gameplay is mostly based around exploration and traversal.”
“If I ever felt a mechanic or puzzle was starting to outstay its welcome, it would soon be finished and something fresh would take its place.”
“Gameplay and vibe-wise, the game sits somewhere between Myst and Shadow of the Colossus.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's music is minimalistic, primarily featuring ambient sounds, but the soundtrack is impactful, enhancing significant moments and adding emotional weight to the experience. The rich atmosphere, complemented by dynamic lighting and particle effects, further immerses players in the Roman mythology-inspired environments.
“The music also deserves mention: the game is mostly silent except for ambient noises, but the soundtrack comes in perfectly during special moments, making them feel weighty and tremendous.”
“It's steeped in Roman mythology and imagery, architecture, and inscriptions that add depth to the environments, in addition to the dynamic lighting, lush ambient particle effects, soundtrack, and generally rich atmosphere.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is richly crafted, drawing heavily from Roman mythology and architecture, enhanced by dynamic lighting, ambient particle effects, and a fitting soundtrack. Set in a post-Roman collapse world, it offers a deep and immersive environment that complements its atmospheric puzzle exploration gameplay.
“It's steeped in Roman mythology and imagery, architecture, and inscriptions that add depth to the environments, in addition to the dynamic lighting, lush ambient particle effects, soundtrack, and generally rich atmosphere.”
“Atmospheric puzzle exploration platformer set in times after the collapse of Rome.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the slow pacing of the game, likening the experience to the tediousness of using a dial-up modem, which detracts from the emotional engagement.
