The Relic: First Guardian Review — A Complete Guide to Combat, Progression, and Builds
A practical guide to The Relic: First Guardian covering its aggression-first combat, relic-based progression, weapon skill trees, and how to recover from common mistakes.
Overview
The Relic: First Guardian is an action RPG from developer Project Cloud Games that launches on July 31, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 versions are planned for later in summer 2026. The game retails for $49.99 on PlayStation; a Steam price has not yet been confirmed. Pre-orders on PS5 include the Knight of the Unextinguished Flame bonus pack, which adds a unique relic, exclusive armor and weapons, and a new dungeon.
This guide explains how the game’s core systems work — aggression-first combat, relic-based progression, and weapon skill trees — so you can build effective characters and recover when things go wrong. It is based on preview coverage and the developer’s published feature descriptions. Critic and user reviews were not available at the time of writing.
Requirements Before You Start
- Platform: PlayStation 5 or a PC meeting the Steam requirements (not yet published at time of writing).
- Pre-order bonus (optional): The Knight of the Unextinguished Flame pack is available on PS5 pre-orders.
- Time commitment: The game is a semi-open world action RPG, but a reliable full playtime estimate is not available before release.
- No character levels: Your character’s power comes entirely from equipped relics and upgraded weapons. There are no attributes to allocate.
Step-by-Step Guide to Combat, Progression, and Builds
Step 1: Master the Aggression-First Combat System
The single most important difference from other Souls-like games is how stamina works. In The Relic: First Guardian, stamina is reserved exclusively for defensive actions — dodging and blocking. You can attack freely without consuming stamina. This means you can chain attacks, mix in magic, and stay aggressive without pausing to let stamina regenerate.
- Attacks: No stamina cost. Use light and heavy attacks as often as you like.
- Magic attacks: These replace the heavy attack button. They deplete a magic meter that recharges on a cooldown. You cannot spam magic, but it is always available at the start of every fight.
- Defense: Dodging and blocking consume stamina. If you run out of stamina, you cannot dodge or block until it recharges.
- Recovery tip: If you are hit while out of stamina, do not panic. Back off and let stamina refill before re-engaging. The game punishes greedy defense more than greedy offense.
Step 2: Understand Relic-Based Progression
There are no character levels or attribute points. Instead, you grow stronger by finding and equipping relics. Relics are fragments imbued with the emotions and wishes of people who lived before. You obtain them by exploring, defeating enemies, and beating bosses.
- Equip relics: You can equip a handful of relics at a time. They grant passive bonuses such as increased survivability, reduced magic cooldowns, altered attack tempo, or enhanced weapon damage.
- Swap freely: Relics can be swapped in and out at any time, so you can adjust your build for different enemies or bosses without being locked in.
- Over 70 relics exist: The variety supports long-term build crafting. Experiment with different combinations to find what works for your play style.
- Recovery tip: If a boss is wrecking you, try swapping to relics that boost survivability or reduce magic cooldowns. Do not stick with a damage-focused setup if you are dying too fast.
Step 3: Choose a Weapon and Invest in Its Skill Tree
There are five weapon categories: sword and shield, battle staff, dagger, two-handed weapon, and longsword. Each weapon is a unique, one-of-a-kind item with its own story. You will not find duplicates with better stats. To keep a weapon viable, you must upgrade it.
- Weapon skill trees: Each weapon category has its own skill tree. You spend ancient relic energy (found during exploration) to unlock nodes. Nodes provide character buffs and new abilities.
- Upgrading via blacksmith: Pay the blacksmith with coins and materials found in the world or earned as rewards. Upgrades keep your weapon’s damage scaling with the game’s difficulty.
- Recovery tip: If you feel underpowered, check if you have neglected weapon upgrades. A fully upgraded weapon in your preferred category often makes more difference than finding a new relic.
Step 4: Approach Bosses as Puzzles
Each of the over 70 bosses functions as a standalone folk tale with a tragic backstory. Defeating them is the only way to resolve that story. Bosses demand specific strategies, and what works on one boss may fail on the next.
- Identify attack patterns: Some bosses have unblockable attacks. Against those, rely on dodging. Others require repeated parries to break their guard.
- Adjust relics and weapons: Because relics are freely swappable, you can tailor your loadout for each boss. If a boss uses heavy magic, equip relics that reduce magic damage or increase your magic cooldown reduction so you can counter.
- Recovery tip: If you die repeatedly to a boss, stop attacking and spend a few attempts just watching its moves. Learn which attacks are unblockable, which can be parried, and when the boss is vulnerable.
Common Mistakes and How to Recover
| Mistake | Why It Happens | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Running out of stamina during a boss fight | Over-reliance on dodging and blocking without letting stamina recharge | Use aggression-first combat: attack freely, but only dodge or block when necessary. Let stamina refill during safe moments. |
| Ignoring relic swapping | Sticking with a single relic set for all situations | Swap relics before each boss or area. Use survivability relics if you are dying, cooldown relics if you want more magic, or damage relics if you are comfortable. |
| Neglecting weapon upgrades | Assuming the weapon’s base damage will carry you | Visit the blacksmith regularly. Upgrade your favorite weapon as soon as you have enough coins and materials. |
| Trying the same strategy on every boss | Assuming all bosses have similar weaknesses | Study each boss’s moves. Some demand dodging, others parrying. Adjust your approach accordingly. |
| Not using magic | Thinking magic is a secondary option | Magic is always available at the start of a fight. Use it to open engagements or to punish boss openings while your stamina is full. |
Advanced Tips
- Build a generalist relic set for exploration: Equip relics that boost survivability and magic cooldown reduction. This lets you handle unexpected encounters without needing to swap constantly.
- Build a boss-specific relic set: Before a boss fight, switch to relics that counter that boss’s main threat. For example, if a boss relies on unblockable attacks, equip relics that improve dodge distance or reduce stamina cost for dodging.
- Use magic as a opener: Since magic does not consume stamina and is always available, start fights with a magic attack while the enemy is still idle. This gives you a damage advantage without risking your defensive stamina.
- Master parry timing on guard-break bosses: Some bosses require repeated parries to break their guard. Practice parry timing on regular enemies first. The window is similar to early Dark Souls games.
- Watch for camera issues: Previewers have noted that camera work can be awkward, especially in tight spaces. If you lose sight of the boss, roll away to create distance and reorient.
Related Guides
- The Relic: First Guardian Metacritic Page — Critic and user review scores as they become available.