Project Relic looks like an indie Dark Souls with more explosions

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A multiplayer Souls-like with faster combat and glowing swords? Color me intrigued

Project Relic, a new multiplayer indie game with big Dark Souls vibes, has been revealed as an upcoming PlayStation, Xbox, and PC title.

Despite a small team of just 9 developers at Project Cloud Games, Project Relic (working title) could pass for a AAA game in its reveal trailer. The South Korean studio attributes the ambitious look of Project Relic to its "passion and insight," which it's drawing from to make something "beyond the normal."

Project Relic is billed as a "multiplayer action game," but the above trailer only shows off solo play. That makes me think the multiplayer component could be similar to the Dark Souls series, where players can invade other players' games to engage in PvP or summon other players for co-op.

Project Cloud Games never actually mentions Dark Souls or From Software in its description of Project Relic, but the game wears its inspirations on its sleeves. The third-person perspective and character models; the dynamic, precise swordplay; the giant bosses; and even the simple white font and the black background used in the trailer; all scream Souls-like. Not that that's a bad thing, but it does give you an idea of what to expect.

One thing you'll notice in the above trailer is that everything seems to explode in Project Relic, making those big boss battles that much more intense. It's not entirely clear what's causing the explosions, but it looks like it could be an attack, either from the player character or the boss. The pattern of the explosions looks orchestrated, like a carefully placed series of landmines going off in quick succession.

Project Relic's gameplay also looks a good deal faster and more fluid than Dark Souls, but still reliant on dodging, blocking, and parrying. Likewise, even the countless goons you face seem to pose a real threat on their own, so you'll likely need to plan your moves carefully and accept that you're probably going to die a lot.

Project Relic is currently slated to release on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in early 2023.

Glutton for punishment? Check out our list of the best games like Dark Souls to play until Project Relic launches.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.