With The Relic: First Guardian launching on PS5 and PC in just days, developer Project Cloud Games has been unusually candid about where its priorities sit heading into release. The studio is small, this is its first game, and rather than spreading resources thin across every possible feature, the team made deliberate calls about what actually matters for an action RPG.
What the studio is building toward on console
The core philosophy from Project Cloud Games is straightforward: atmosphere, combat, and stable gameplay come first. Everything else is secondary. That framing shapes how the team is approaching the Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 versions, which are not launching alongside the PS5 and PC release.
"Our approach is not simply to reduce visual quality, but to preserve the core atmosphere and combat experience of the game as much as possible," the team explained. That is a meaningful distinction. A lot of ports on lower-spec hardware end up feeling like they are missing something fundamental, usually the mood. The studio seems aware of that trap and is actively working to avoid it.
Here's the thing: for a debut title built around a specific kind of dark, gritty world, atmosphere is not decoration. It is the product. Getting that right on Xbox and Switch 2 matters more than hitting some arbitrary resolution target.
The PS5 performance question that still needs answering
The more pressing issue right now is what players on PS5 can actually expect at launch. The team confirmed that the PS5 and PS5 Pro versions are in their final optimization stage, with frame rate stability and combat responsiveness listed as the top targets. Whether Quality and Performance modes will be available, and what the final resolution and frame rate numbers look like, has not been confirmed yet.
That timeline is tight. The game launches this week, and players weighing a pre-order on PS5 are doing so without knowing if they are getting a locked 60fps combat experience or something less consistent. For an action RPG where combat responsiveness is the studio's own stated priority, that is exactly the kind of detail that moves purchasing decisions.
A debut title with something to prove
The broader context here is worth keeping in mind. Project Cloud Games is releasing its first game, and the window between launch and first impressions is short. Getting performance details out before release day is not just good communication, it is the kind of thing that shapes whether players feel confident jumping in or waiting for a patch.
The Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 versions at least have a clear promise attached: a stable experience that does not compromise the core feel of the game. That is a reasonable position for a small studio managing multiple platforms across a staggered rollout.
For players already planning to jump into the PC or PS5 version this week, the strategy guides for The Relic: First Guardian are worth bookmarking ahead of launch. The combat system looks dense enough that some preparation will pay off.
The PS5 performance announcement should land before the game releases. When it does, that will tell players a lot about where the final build actually landed. Keep an eye on the guides hub for coverage as more details drop this week.
