Reliefs The Time of the Lemures

If you’re willing to look past certain issues, you will discover a hidden gem every indie fan should experience. The story doesn't give you a lot. You play as a Roman soldier dispatched to a long-forgotten location. It's unhelpful that you have to read the content on Steam's page to comprehend what's going on and what your motives are. Long story short, you were sent to there to perform some kind of ritual that will help you against the Barbarian invasion. The goal of the game is to create an atmosphere and explore an unknown world. You have all the time in the world because no one is chasing you or trying to kill you. Despite the absence of death, you can still jump off a cliff or fall from huge heights. Fortunately, you'll recover right at the nearest safe area. Saving happens automatically, but it does an excellent job of keeping your progress safe. The graphics are exceptional for an indie game. It creates a universe that calls to be visited. Despite the fact that you're essentially exploring ruins, the experience isn't dull or monotonous. You will see temples with statues, structures, beautiful vistas and massive figures carved into the walls. There are no voices in the game, although they aren't necessary. Atmospheric sounds also contribute much to the attractiveness. Winds sweeping down the canyon, birds tweeting, and an epic piece of music when you find something magnificent. However, you will only appreciate it if your hardware can handle everything set to the best quality. Anything less would detract from the experience and make the game look unappealing. This, of course, comes at the expense of optimization. Don't get me wrong, it's still quite good, but there's a distinct lack of fluid movement and what feels like a lag every time you move the mouse. Given the game's dimension, some clipping issues are understandable. There's a closed door you can walk through, for example, and one spot where you can go straight through architecture. One of the biggest frustrations is almost useless horse that often gets stuck in rocks or obstacles. Since you need to return to the main menu to fix this, it’s much easier to just run to your destination. Despite the general impression of a walking simulator, the game has much more in common with platforming games. You can not only run and jump, but also execute more complex movements like wall-jumping and climbing. This is extremely effectively done because your character will usually grip onto edges and climbable vines on his own. A grappling bow is your primary tool for overcoming numerous traversal challenges. It lets you shoot an arrow with a rope at any wooden object. The cursor changes to indicate when this is possible. Furthermore, you can place more ropes at once. You can use the rope to climb higher and swing on it to reach something further away. However, there were times when I just leaped into a rope and it didn't work. I eventually discovered that I kept failing because I was running. You also have a torch to help you see in the dark. It will never run out and requires no fuel. It appears to be magical because you can throw it and then have it materialize in your hand with the push of a button. Another amusing thing happens when you drop it and look at your shadow; when you move between the bow and free hands, you'll notice that your character's model changes. You progress through the game by following a linear path. Your main objective is to find glowing mysterious orbs that open the doors to next location. Although there are loading screens when entering a new place, they are quick and do not ruin the fun. It should be noted, however, that there are very rare invisible walls preventing you from deviating from the main path. Because parts of the game take place outside, you can go wherever you like. However, there is little purpose in doing so because all that can be found are rocks, nature and high cliffs. The only exception are hidden statues of gods that can be hard to find. This only matters if you’re into achievements. Since you can return to these levels, achievements can’t be missed. I appreciate that you may choose how you want to play it. The default settings assist you in playing the game by painting the path blue and yellow. If you believe that this is interfering with your immersion, you can turn it and other features off at any moment. While traversal challenges are fine, there is no assistance available during logic puzzles. For a positive example, there are interesting stages where ride a horse between aqueducts to restore water flow and move bridges. And the puzzle in the huge caverns where you have to bounce light off mirrors to bring it to the center is one of the best I've seen. But on the negative: I had a problem with the bells, the first real puzzle, in which you must ring them in the correct order. I learned that I had already tried the correct pattern after searching for the answer online. However, because the bell clapper did not move all the way, the game marked it as wrong order. Fortunately, this is the only problematic puzzle. In the end, the game is an amazing accomplishment. It takes hours to beat and there are no game-breaking bugs or major glitches. I simply couldn’t stop playing it because I wanted to know what I was going to discover next. One of the best surprises I’ve had in months.

Tutorial is ok now! after tutorial, not much to do... You can go a bit further... then?? There are much to build / fix, but this game look Extremely Promising!! Full Game: Beautiful!!

Not really optimized. No matter what graphics setting you change it to, your GPU is most likely going to be at 100%. Noises are a little excessive as well. Ambiance was really calming though. Wouldn't get it just yet but keep an eye out for updates, the game has potential.

Mir gefällt die Spielewelt, die Bauten und Natur sehen schön aus, wobei die Natur etwas leer und statisch wirkt, deshalb finde ich es sehr schade, dass ich das Spiel überhaupt nicht empfehlen kann. Die Steuerung ist eine Katastrophe. Einmal die Belegung, bei der standardmäßig Tasten doppelt belegt sind, z. B. Schwingen und Springen. Damit ist es unmöglich, an einem Seil zu schwingen, weil man mit der Taste direkt einen Sprung vom Seil macht. Ich musste die Tastaturbelegung anpassen, ebenso am Gamepad. Ist nervig, aber da man die Belegung anpassen kann, geht es. Dummerweise kann man nur ein paar Tasten ändern. Wie man mit der Standardbelegung spielen soll, ist mir schleierhaft. Es ist klar, dass es unterschiedliche Sichtweisen gibt, in welche Richtung man Maus oder Stick bewegt, um nach links und rechts zu sehen. Den Gamepad kann man im Spiel anpassen. Die Maus verhält sich erst mal so, wie man es wohl aus den meisten Spielen gewohnt ist, will man nach rechts sehen, bewegt man die Maus nach rechts. Nur für mich nicht verständlich ist, warum das Verhalten umgekehrt ist, wenn man auf dem Pferd sitzt. Und warum man das in den Einstellungen nicht umstellen kann. Soll das Pferd nach rechts reiten, muss ich nach rechts drücken. Will ich aber nach rechts sehen, muss ich die Maus nach links bewegen. Warum? Ich komme damit gar nicht zurecht. Und da man das Pferd wohl braucht, kann man es wohl auch nicht einfach stehen lassen. Zu Fuß braucht man wohl zu lange. Damit ist das Spiel für mich praktisch unspielbar. Mir ist es einmal passiert, dass die Sichtsteuerung nicht mehr reagierte, ich konnte laufen, aber die Richtung mit der Maus nicht mehr ändern. Zeitgleich war es auch möglich, durch Wände zu gehen. Bei der Grafik traten bei mir auch Bugs auf, ich hatte immer wieder große, schwarze Rechtecke im Bild, außerdem ploppen Objekte kurz vor einem auf und weit entfernte Objekte flimmern seltsam, in den Wolken sieht man Rechtecke. Nach einem Tod und automatischen Neuladen war ich ein Stück weiter zurück als bei einem vorherigen automatischen Neuladen. Dass das Pferd an kleinen Hindernissen wie einem im Boden liegenden Baumstamm einfach hängen bleibt, ist da dann schon egal. Was auch nervig ist: Wenn mein Gamepad angeschlossen ist, kann ich nicht mit der Tastatur spielen. Das Spiel erkennt ein Einstecken und Abziehen des Gamepads und reagiert darauf, aber beides zu nutzen ist nicht möglich; man will ja nicht immer das Gamepad abziehen, wenn man Reliefs spielen möchte, und das mit der Tastatur. Die deutsche Übersetzung ist so schlecht, dass sie unbrauchbar ist (z. B. Menu: Speisekarte). Das Spiel bietet sogar an, Bugs zu melden: Da hatte ich dann einen gescheiten Bug-Tracker erwartet, aber: Es öffnete sich ein E-Mail-Fenster. Ob die Rätsel interessant sind, kann ich nicht sagen, da ich bis jetzt keine lösen musste, abgesehen von dem Rätsel der Steuerung, was mich die meiste Zeit gekostet hat. Da es bis jetzt nur einen Bugfix-Release gab, erwarte ich auch nicht, dass die Fehler behoben bzw. das Spiel verbessert wird. Schade für die zehn Jahre Entwicklungszeit.

Mit Controller nicht spielbar! Keine Zuweisung stimmt bzw. keine Reaktionen. Lösung: ALT + F4 und etwas anderes spielen.

By far the hardest puzzle game I have ever played. More so than even a game like Mist. But also so rewarding when you finally do figure it out. At first I thought it was too challenging, but after nearly finishing the game I'm glad i push forward as the world is just amazing.

An eerily beautiful and immersive platforming / walking sim / adventure. It's steeped in Roman mythology and imagery, architecture, and inscriptions that add depth to the environments, in addition to the dynamic lighting, lush ambient particle effects, soundtrack, and generally rich atmosphere. A truly impressive masterpiece. Although minimal on story, characters, and dialog, I was still deeply drawn into the world and found it simultaneously exciting and meditative to navigate. The dream-like sequences added additional depth to the richness and texture of the game. Highly recommend!!

An urbex-like exploration of a dead Roman Empire. Lots of walking about, taking in the sights and finding cool ways to traverse ruins.

Reliefs: The Time of the Lemures is a beautifully crafted first-person adventure game where you explore ancient Roman ruins, solve intricate puzzles, and traverse stunning environments. With its rich history and challenging gameplay, this impressive solo-developed project is shaping up to be a great experience.

This game's been out too long to not have the bugs fixed and game-play optimized. Nice idea though.