"Revisiting Wealth: Stealthy Operations in a Video Game That Seeks to Retrieve African Artifacts Stored in European Collections, Claimed to House Nearly All of Sub-Saharan Africa's Cultural Abundance"
Set Your Sights on Relooted
Today, Sithe Ncube, producer at South African game studio Nyamakop, shining a light on a startling fact during the Day of the Devs stream. "A whopping 90% of sub-Saharan African cultural heritage lies in the hands of Western collections," Ncube articulated. "That means millions of profoundly meaningful cultural artifacts, steeped in history, spirituality, and personal significance, are currently residing far from their native lands."
In Relooted, Nyamakop's forthcoming puzzle platformer, you'll be spearheading high-tech heists to recover 70 such real-life artifacts and return them to their rightful homes.
The action unfolds in a futuristic landscape where a groundbreaking international treaty has been instated. This mandates that all African artifacts on display in Western museums must be repatriated to their original countries[1]. Unfortunately, the "public" in this regulation offers museums a loophole. By transferring artifacts to private collections, they've managed to keep hold of these national treasures, albeit in spirit only[4].
You'll lead a covert squad of repatriating vigilante thieves based out of a hidden lair in South Africa. From here, you'll select which artifacts to recover from the Western collections across the globe, aiming to put them back where they belong[4].
Tactics in Relooted encompass three stages[4]:
- Reconnaissance: You'll case the facility guarding your target artifact, meticulously charting out cameras and security measures to be bypassed.
- The Heist: You'll sneak about the premises undetected, thoughtfully devising an escape route as you shrewdly rearrange objects.
- The Getaway: Finally, you'll secure the artifact, trip the alarm, and execute your masterfully orchestrated retreat before security forces arrive, hot on your heels.
The footage showcased at Day of the Devs demonstrates the game's slick mechanics. The player constructs a platforming speedrun on the fly, nimbly maneuvering surroundings to pull off an exquisite sequence of running, vaulting, rolling, grappling, wall-jumping, and, of course, pulling off those iconic cool slides under closing security doors[2].
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Enthusiastic about the opportunity to test my skills, I can't wait to tackle those heists.
Get Relooted on Steam in anticipation.
By Lincoln Carpenter
Lincoln, an 11-year industry veteran, has had an obsession with digital worlds and games since discovering World of Warcraft. Applying this passion to esteemed sites like Waypoint, Polygon, and Fanbyte, Lincoln joined PC Gamer in 2024 as a News Writer, bringing with him in-depth knowledge of Caves of Qud bird diplomacy, failed Crusader Kings dynasties, and dino-hammer whacking sessions in Monster Hunter[3].
- In the futuristic landscape set in Relooted, the main goal is to lead a covert squad in recovering African artifacts stored in Western museums and returning them to their original environments, as part of an international treaty.
- While navigating through Western collections, players must use tactics such as reconnaissance, stealth, and escape planning to successfully execute high-tech heists and repatriate the important cultural artifacts.
- With the launch of Relooted on Steam, gamers will have the chance to immerse themselves in a fast-paced, jet-setting lifestyle, using gadgets and technology for international artifact retrieval.
- Excited about the opportunity to participate in the game's global art recovery missions, players are encouraged to keep up with the latest news, reviews, and deals on Relooted through PC Gamer.
