Bloomwalker vs Relic: The First Guardian

• Platforms: PC (Steam/MS Store), Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch & Switch 2
• Core Philosophy: Healing and cleansing nature rather than destructive combat
• Engine & Art Style: Unreal Engine 5 with Studio Ghibli-inspired cel-shading
• Franchise Connection: Officially set in LEVEL-5's Ni no Kuni universe
• Key Innovation: Sentient Moving House and interior customizable Pocket Dimension

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Dark Fantasy (Inspired by Korean Folklore)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
• Release Window: Early 2026
• Unique Feature: A unique, level-less progression system where character strength is determined by finding runes and gear, combined with a fast-paced, stamina-breaking combat system inspired by Sekiro.

• Worker Higgledies: Autonomous helpers that harvest crops, haul logs, operate workshop machinery, and boost cleansing spells.
  Nature Spirits (Ni no Kuni)
• Bramble the Hedgehog Familiar: Forages for rare cooking ingredients and berries while you explore wilderness trails.
  Erinaceinae

• Luminous Seed Pods: Found locked inside crystallized corruption nodules and rewarded by grateful cleansed guardians.
• Artisan Blueprint Scrolls: Discovered within ancient ruin chests and gifted by familiars as friendship milestones.

• Fragments: Found by exploring the vast environments. These are essential for unlocking new skills, armor, and weapons.
• Runes: Found through exploration and by defeating enemies. Runes are the primary method of enhancing and customizing the player's abilities.

• Cozy Adventure
• Crafting & Building
• Ni no Kuni Universe
• Whimsical Fantasy
• Nature Restoration
• Cel-Shaded Art Style

• Dark Fantasy
• Soulslike
• Korean Folklore
• Action RPG
• Mythology
• Post-Apocalyptic

• Blossom Purifier Staff: Cleansing Catalyst
  A wooden focus carved from sacred elder branches that projects a concentrated stream of floral essence to dissolve toxic corruption.
• Dewdrop Spigot Wand: Hydration Focus
  Channels pure subterranean water to revitalize parched soil, wash away caustic slime, and revive slumbering nature spirits.
• Harmony Chime Bell: Sonic Resonator
  Emits gentle melodic resonance that calms enervated blighted guardians and reveals hidden resonance nodes.

• Weapon Options (5 Types): Varies (Swords, Axes, etc.)
  Players can choose from 5 different weapon types that radically change the combat style, from heavy, armor-crushing swings to high-mobility jumping attacks. Each weapon has unique, alterable skills.
• Shield: Defensive
  One of the weapon options includes a shield, allowing for a more defensive playstyle centered on blocking and bashing to disrupt opponents.

• Wanderer's Herbalist Coat: +25% Foraging Yield, +15% Movement Speed in deep foliage, and resistance to environmental pollen allergens.
• Sanctuary Caretaker Vestments: +30% Cleansing Beam Range, reduces essence consumption by 20%, and emits a soft illumination aura in dark caves.

• Artisan Sun Hat: Wide-brimmed straw hat adorned with customizable wild blossoms plucked from cleansed sanctuaries.
• Ghibli-Style Travelling Cloak: Cosmetic travel cloak featuring dyeable linen fabric and embroidered Higgledy silhouettes.

Progression revolves around restoration, relationship building, and crafting proficiencies rather than lethal combat levels. Players develop skills across: Purification Arts (channeling flower essences to disperse blight), Botanical Mastery (cross-breeding seeds to produce rare restorative blooms), Carpentry & Engineering (upgrading the Moving House's locomotive capabilities and mobile anchorages), and Familiar Synergy (deepening friendship bonds with artisan familiars to unlock advanced recipe trees and automated workshop facilities).

Progression is a significant departure from traditional RPGs, as there are no character levels. Instead, players strengthen their character by finding and upgrading runes, items, and crafting new gear. Each of the 5 weapon types has unique skills that can be altered to fit a player's playstyle. Progression is intrinsically tied to exploration and completing dungeons.

Luminoa features expansive open wilderness zones divided into distinct ecological sanctuaries: 1) The Emerald Glade: An overgrown temperate forest filled with hollowed elder trees and polluted springs. 2) Sunstone Canyons: Arid terraced cliffs where dust-tainted winds threaten delicate desert blossoms. 3) Moonlit Shallows: Bioluminescent wetlands where water purification mechanics play a critical role in unveiling sunken ruins. 4) The Pocket Dimension: An expansive personal realm accessible via your moving house door, customizable with fields, houses, workshops, and communal plazas.

The game features a semi-open world structure that encourages free exploration of the collapsed world of Arsiltus. The environment is dynamic, with random enemy encounters and interactive terrain that can be used strategically in combat, such as breakable cliffs and flammable surfaces.

• The Moving House: Mobile Base / Walking Cottage
  A lovable sentient walking dwelling that carries the player across vast distances, evolving in appearance and functionality as the journey progresses.
• Wind-Glider Umbrella: Aerial Glider
  A sturdy parasol crafted from waterproof leaf membranes used to glide gracefully down from steep sanctuary bluffs.

• Glimmer Finch: Avian Spirit
  Wild songbird that guides the player toward hidden seed caches and blighted anomalies.
• Mossback Boar: Sus scrofa silva
  Friendly forest creature that loves root vegetables and assists in unearthing buried minerals.

• The Traveler: Restoration Protagonist
  A compassionate wanderer gifted with the rare ability to soothe corrupted nature and commune with spirits.
• Barnaby: Master Carpenter
  A warm-hearted beaver familiar skilled in woodworking who oversees architectural upgrades.
• Lumina the High Guardian: Spirit Matriarch
  The sacred nature deity of Luminoa struggling against the encroaching pollution.

• The Last Guardian: Playable Protagonist
  The hero of the story, tasked with a mission to find the pieces of a broken great relic to save the continent of Arsiltus.
• The Brutals: Bosses
  70 formidable and massive bosses that the player must defeat. Each Brutal has a personal tale of sorrow that the player inherits.

• Awakening of the Elder Glade Guardian: Guardian Cleansing Quest
  Track the blighted Great Stag to the heart of the ancient forest, dissolve its corruption armor, and restore its gentle spirit.
• Establishing the Pocket Hearth: Settlement & Crafting Tutorial
  Gather timber and polished stones to construct the foundational workshop alongside Barnaby inside your Pocket Dimension.
• The Great Spring Purge: Environmental Restoration
  Clear caustic sludge blockages contaminating the mountain aqueducts to restore pure water flow to the valley below.

• Main Story Quests
  A cinematic campaign that follows the Last Guardian's quest to find the pieces of the broken great relic and close the void that has consumed the continent of Arsiltus.
• Dungeons
  Optional and mandatory dungeons that must be completed to expand the world and acquire essential items and upgrades for character growth.
• Brutal Hunts
  Targeting and defeating the 70 formidable 'Brutal' bosses scattered throughout the world to progress the story and gain powerful special items.

Offers 4-player cooperative play where friends can visit each other's Pocket Dimensions, assist in multi-facility crafting tasks, exchange rare plant hybrids, and join forces in open-world sanctuary cleansing expeditions to tackle massive corrupted world bosses together.

Netmarble plans two primary editions: The Standard Edition ($39.99 / ₹3,299) includes the full game with day-one access on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. The Deluxe Artisan Edition ($59.99 / ₹4,899) includes the base game, an exclusive 'Gilded Timber' skin for the Moving House, a digital Studio Ghibli-inspired artbook, an orchestrated soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi and Netmarble Neo audio teams, and 3 exclusive cosmetic Higgledy hats.

Netmarble's post-launch plans include seasonal thematic festivals, new biome sanctuaries such as the Frostveil Peaks and Skyward Isles, additional Familiar craftspeople, and community-requested Pocket Dimension architectural themes inspired by classic Ni no Kuni kingdoms like Ding Dong Dell and Al Mamoon.

• Q: Is Bloomwalker part of the Ni no Kuni universe?
  A: Yes. Officially announced by Netmarble and LEVEL-5 at Tokyo Game Show 2026, Bloomwalker is set directly within the Ni no Kuni universe, featuring familiar elements such as Higgledies and classic creature familiars.
• Q: What platforms will Bloomwalker launch on?
  A: Bloomwalker will launch on PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, with day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass.
• Q: Does the game feature combat?
  A: Rather than lethal combat, gameplay focuses on purification and healing. Players use specialized botanical and elemental tools to dissolve corrupting pollution and soothe enraged guardian beasts back to peaceful harmony.
• Q: What is the Moving House and Pocket Dimension?
  A: Your Moving House travels across the world as your mobile home and base. Walking through its front door transports you into a personal, fully customizable Pocket Dimension where you can build homes, workshop facilities, and communal towns for your familiars and Higgledies.
• Q: Does Bloomwalker support multiplayer?
  A: Yes. The game features up to 4-player online cooperative multiplayer, allowing friends to explore together, help cleanse world biomes, and visit each other's custom Pocket Dimensions.

• Q: What is Relic: The First Guardian?
  A: It is a single-player, dark fantasy action RPG with Soulslike elements. It features a semi-open world, fast-paced combat, and a unique progression system without character levels.
• Q: How does progression work without levels?
  A: Instead of gaining XP, you strengthen your character by exploring the world to find and upgrade runes, items, and crafted gear. Defeating the game's 70 bosses is also essential for acquiring powerful upgrades.
• Q: What is the combat like?
  A: The combat is fast-paced and skill-based, often compared to Sekiro. The core mechanic is parrying enemy attacks to break their stamina gauge, which staggers them and allows for massive damage.
• Q: Is it an open-world game?
  A: It is described as a semi-open world. Players can adventure freely and explore, but the experience is still guided by an exciting main story.

Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Bloomwalker delivers a breathtaking interactive anime aesthetic reminiscent of classic Studio Ghibli films. Features hand-painted cel textures, volumetric sunlight filtering through forest canopies, and dynamic color-bloom shaders that transform grey blighted wastelands into vibrant meadows in real time.

The soundscape draws deep inspiration from the cinematic orchestral heritage of Ni no Kuni, featuring lush strings, whimsical woodwinds, and soothing environmental ambient audio—from rustling leaves and bubbling brooks to the cheerful chirping chatter of Higgledies at work.

Features a whimsical, storybook-style UI adorned with watercolor motifs and handwritten typography. A radial Nature Wheel allows instant swapping between cleansing catalysts, while the Pocket Dimension blueprint editor provides intuitive grid-free and snapping tools for arranging buildings and decorations.

Comprehensive accessibility suite includes colorblind filters tailored for nature color recognition, non-violent 'Calm Sanctuary' mode that removes timer pressures during cleansing encounters, full button remapping, screen narration, and automated Higgledy resource collection toggles.

• Built with Unreal Engine 5 utilizing stylized cel-shading, dynamic volumetric weather systems, real-time foliage deformation, and particle-based nature purification physics. Does not employ invasive kernel anti-cheat.
• Laptop Performance Note: The stylized cel-shaded art style runs smoothly across modern mobile GPUs. High foliage density and complex Pocket Dimension settlement decorations benefit from dedicated GPU memory and balanced power modes.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A GPU TGP rating of 60W to 85W easily sustains 60fps+ at 1080p and 1440p.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Moderate thermal profile; standard laptop cooling prevents thermal throttling during prolonged crafting and decoration sessions.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Efficient thread utilization ensures smooth simulation of autonomous Familiars and Higgledy worker loops.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Using discrete GPU mode ensures optimal frame consistency when traversing large, dense wilderness biomes.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: AMD FSR 3.1, NVIDIA DLSS 3.7, Intel XeSS
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Foliage Quality and Shadow Resolution have the most noticeable impact on performance in overgrown sanctuary areas.
• Game Name: Bloomwalker

• SPECULATIVE PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. As official specs are To Be Confirmed (TBC), these are hypothetical projections for a next-generation Soulslike built on Unreal Engine 5.
• Laptop Performance Note: A title like this would demand a high-performance gaming laptop for the best experience. The fast-paced, reaction-based combat requires a high and stable framerate.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features, ray tracing, and maintain high framerates during boss fights.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense combat will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the advanced enemy AI and physics-based combat.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a game reliant on precise timing.
• Game Name: Relic: The First Guardian

• G P U T G P: A GPU TGP rating of 60W to 85W easily sustains 60fps+ at 1080p and 1440p.
• Cooling Thermals: Moderate thermal profile; standard laptop cooling prevents thermal throttling during prolonged crafting and decoration sessions.
• C P U Power Limits: Efficient thread utilization ensures smooth simulation of autonomous Familiars and Higgledy worker loops.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Using discrete GPU mode ensures optimal frame consistency when traversing large, dense wilderness biomes.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features, ray tracing, and maintain high framerates during boss fights.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense combat will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the advanced enemy AI and physics-based combat.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a game reliant on precise timing.