Relic Hunters Legend: A Fun and Vibrant Looter Shooter
Overview
Relic Hunters Legend, developed by Rogue Snail and published by Gearbox Publishing, is a colorful top-down looter shooter that just launched in early access on Steam. I had the opportunity to dive into this lively game and will share my thoughts in this early access preview.
Presentation and Characters
The game features a lively cast of characters, including a jetpack-wearing Donkey Man named Ace, whom you meet as you progress through the initial story missions, which also serve as a tutorial. You start off as Seven, a balanced character who joins the Relic Hunters after a space-time incident disrupts his life at school.
The Relic Hunters and Their Mission
The game’s tone and presentation remind me of classic Cartoon Network shows where a group of kids band together to face a common threat. Here, the goal is to collect powerful relics tied to time, memory, and space. The main antagonist, Duck Ducan, has tampered with people’s memories and altered the past to suit his vision. Your mission is to stop Duck and his minions.
Target Audience and Interactions
Relic Hunters Legend seems aimed at a younger audience, given its friendly tone and the characters’ interactions, often highlighting themes like the power of friendship. It feels like an interactive Sunday morning cartoon, making it enjoyable for both playing the game and engaging with the dialogue. And if you’re not in the mood to read through, you can skip the conversations and jump straight into the action.
Combat and Abilities
As a top-down looter shooter, Relic Hunters Legend has gameplay reminiscent of Borderlands but from a bird’s-eye view. You begin with Seven, who has a skill tree and special abilities. As you progress, you’ll unlock abilities like “Blink” to teleport during battles, making combat feel dynamic and responsive. The shooting mechanics are satisfying and intuitive, and the health system uses a cooldown instead of health kits, providing a smoother experience.
Team and Strategy
As you advance through the story, you’ll unlock more Relic Hunters from your team and can switch between them freely. Each Hunter has unique abilities that can be critical for specific missions. This adds a layer of strategy, allowing you to experiment with different character skills.
Customization and Menus
Relic Hunters Legend offers a good amount of customization for each Hunter, from defensive stats to color schemes. You even take a personality quiz to determine your sign, which affects multiplayer experiences. However, the game does throw a lot of information at you quickly. Between perks menus, challenges, quests, and the main mission map, it can feel overwhelming at first.
Final Thoughts
Despite the initial information overload, Relic Hunters Legend is easy to pick up and play. The combat is engaging, the characters are charming, and there’s plenty of customization to keep you busy. I’m excited to continue unlocking new weapons and abilities as I spend more hours in this enjoyable, cartoony world.