The Relic: First Guardian – Unearthed Secrets
Behind the Scenes & Developer Insight
We are pulling back the curtain further than ever before to bring you an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the creative machinery driving The Relic: First Guardian – launching on PlayStation 5 and PC July 31st. This is a first-ever unleashing of unmapped game content, raw developer philosophy, and an unfiltered look at the dark, classical artistry forging our world.
Tragic Lore & the Creation of Vanessa
Our world is a grim, beautiful tapestry, with incredible depth. In The Relic: First Guardian, there are up to 80 bosses to encounter – and every single one of them carries a profoundly tragic story that you will uncover as you venture deeper into the world.
Today, we are giving you an exclusive sneak peek into one of those major encounters. Meet Vanessa.
“Vanessa’s distorted design is a direct manifestation of unerasable regret – a painful, eternal scream echoing from the abyss.” – Project Cloud Games
A Global Narrative Twist on a Dark Archetype
Traditional Korean folklore is a foundational pillar for The Relic: First Guardian. You will find heavy inspiration and cultural mythology woven deeply across the entire game, shaping its creatures, world-building, and hidden secrets. Vanessa’s narrative is deeply rooted in traditional Korean folklore – specifically the tale of Kongjwi and Patjwi—which we have reinterpreted through a modern, dark fantasy lens. For our Western players, this story shares strong structural and thematic parallels with Cinderella.
Within this dark reimagining, Vanessa embodies the archetype of the wicked stepmother, constantly pressuring and emotionally isolating the protagonist. By utilising a universal framework familiar to both Eastern and Western audiences, our goal is to instantly immerse you into the heavy, fractured character relationships from the very moment you start the game.
Visualizing Eternal Despair through Munch’s The Scream
Vanessa’s visual identity and character design move far beyond the tropes of a simple villain. To capture the raw terror and mental collapse of a human being facing total ruination, we drew profound inspiration from Edvard Munch’s masterpiece, The Scream.
Late in the story, Vanessa desperately falls to her knees, begging Kongjwi (Cinderella) for forgiveness in a last-ditch effort to stop her demise and find salvation. However, she faces a tragic twist: she is ultimately denied and abandoned. Her unsettling, distorted visual design is a direct manifestation of that exact moment – capturing her agonising despair, unerasable regret, and a painful, eternal scream echoing from the abyss.
The Journey Begins This July
The wait to enter the abyss is almost over. The Relic: First Guardian officially launches digitally on July 31st 2026 for PC and PlayStation 5. For collectors who want to hold the dark artistry in their hands, a physical edition will also be emerging later this year. Head over to Steam and PlayStation Store to Wishlist now. Also coming to Xbox later this year.
Stay tuned for another blog post diving into the world of The Relic.
