Relicta Image
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 17 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
Rate this:
  • 10
  • 9
  • 8
  • 7
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • Summary: Relicta is a first-person puzzle game whose main mechanics combine magnetism and gravity. The player is equipped with a pair of special gloves that allow them to change the magnetic and gravitational properties of experimental cubes scattered around each level. These cubes can be moved byRelicta is a first-person puzzle game whose main mechanics combine magnetism and gravity. The player is equipped with a pair of special gloves that allow them to change the magnetic and gravitational properties of experimental cubes scattered around each level. These cubes can be moved by the player, either carrying them bodily or using magnetism or gravity. They can also be placed on teleporting machines to warp them to another teleporter and help solve puzzles. Mechanics really come alive when combined in ingenious ways. For instance, magnetism can be used to repel or attract cubes, but repelling a cube that has previously “anti-gravitated” gives you a frictionless device that will retain inertia until it collides against something solid, like a wall (or your skull). It can even be used as a means of transport for the player to reach new places. Cubes can also be used to power up some devices, in order to operate doors and force fields. As the player progresses towards more complex puzzles, they will encounter other devices - magnetic plates, elevators, buttons or even drones capable of nullifying magnetic and gravitational fields as well as stealing cubes. Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 10
  2. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Oct 21, 2020
    88
    Mighty Polygon unabashedly stands on the shoulders of giants with Relicta. The wheel is not reinvented but rather pleasantly spun around and flipped on its head. While further investment into the artistic aspects of this game may have helped clarify some of the issues with sameness and emptiness, the gameplay and narrative overpower these concerns. Puzzles pose just enough of a challenge to keep the player fascinated while the narrative, strong character, and world give the player incentive to progress. Throw in collectibles to round out the details, and you've got quite the adventure for the curious. With a $20 price tag, Relicta may have its shortcomings, but it's challenging, narratively compelling, and — dare I say it? — magnetic. If you enjoy the likes of Portal, get this game.
  2. Aug 5, 2020
    80
    With puzzles that will have you scratching your head for hours and a narrative that encourages you to do so, it’s a smart game that has just a few niggles that do very little to sour the experience.
  3. Aug 14, 2020
    78
    Relicta is a smart, well-designed puzzler. It provides a tough challenge that really forces you to carefully think about each move. It's not always perfect, but is a solid entry into one of my favorite genres.
  4. Aug 5, 2020
    70
    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.
  5. 70
    Relicta is a beautiful physics based puzzler with sweary Indian ladies. It’s fine but prone to arbitrary puzzle solutions halting your progress altogether.
  6. 70
    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.
  7. Oct 27, 2020
    50
    Relicta has too much gone wrong for it almost immediately into the game. What was great about Portal was that the game relished its simplicity and as a result, was able to be something surprisingly more, even game of the year worthy. Relicta doesn’t feel like that. With a plodding plot you have to trudge through, puzzles that are fun yet flawed, and characters whose motivations seem few and far between beyond finding ways to slip in a swear word, the game seems to be trying too hard to be deeper than what it needed to be. Though the puzzle aspect is incredibly challenging, beyond that, there really wasn’t much to enjoy about this game.

See all 10 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Nov 4, 2021
    9
    Relicta delivers a pure puzzle game experience. The puzzles can get very tricky, especially in the later stages of the game, where the size ofRelicta delivers a pure puzzle game experience. The puzzles can get very tricky, especially in the later stages of the game, where the size of each puzzle increases.

    The only negatives were the terrible writing and voice acting, but to me they're not that important in this genre.
    Expand
  2. Dec 26, 2020
    8
    It's a rear genre today - puzzle in a 3D world, with a good plot. Puzzles are very good and challenging. Even with simple box-moving physicsIt's a rear genre today - puzzle in a 3D world, with a good plot. Puzzles are very good and challenging. Even with simple box-moving physics from start till the end, locations challenge you with new aspects. The one downside, like it often happens, the plot is divided from the gameplay. The most irritating bug - sometimes boxes are stuck in textures, and you have to start the whole level again. But overall, I enjoyed this adventure very much. Expand
  3. Jan 25, 2023
    8
    A solid first person puzzler with interesting and satisfying mechanics. The narrative isn't the greatest, but it's definitely secondary to theA solid first person puzzler with interesting and satisfying mechanics. The narrative isn't the greatest, but it's definitely secondary to the gameplay. The puzzles can sometimes feel a little tedious at times, as it doesn't introduce many new mechanics compared to something like The Talos Principle, but it is still fun nonetheless. Definitely recommend, especially since it is currently included with a PS Plus subscription. Expand