Returning stolen artifacts becomes a thrilling heist in Relooted

Colonialism is not merely about occupying nations. It’s a project of mass violence, part of which involves total erasure and the widespread theft of some of the most culturally significant artifacts in the world. Even today, colonizing nations proudly display stolen artifacts, acting as peacocking robbers under the guise of tourism. See, for example, the British Museum’s continual hold of the Egyptian Rosetta Stone, the so-called Benin Bronzes, and the Ethiopian Maqdala collection. Colonized nations have sought to reclaim their stolen culture.

But what happens when kind requests and diplomatic maneuvers are not only insufficient but undeserving of the ongoing crime? This is where the fantasy of the moral heist comes in — and no game has done it better than Relooted.

Developed by South African studio Nyamakop, Relooted focuses on a group of lovable, albeit unprofessional, Johannesburg-based thieves from different African countries. They have a singular goal: Reclaim from colonizer nations what was stolen from Africa. Playing as the frontwoman Nomali, a world-class parkour athlete, you help start this ragtag group inspired by her grandmother, a history professor. The game is an Africanfuturist (as opposed to Afrofuturist) 2.5D heist-’em-up platformer, sending Nomali and her team around the Global North, infiltrating museums, private collections, and banks to take back legendary but stolen artifacts.

Once acquired, the team anonymously seeks to deposit them in the the Museum of Black Civilisations in Senegal. What I found surprising was that the museum, like every artifact, is in fact entirely real.

In mission briefings in your Batcave-like base, you get a genuine short history lesson on the artifact and, through it, Africa’s colonized past. For example, did you know the modern Republic of Benin, a West African nation, and the historical and powerful Kingdom of Benin (which reached its peak in the 15th century), located in what is now Nigeria, are different? Legendary masks of this kingdom were looted by colonizers and not returned, held by, among others, the British Museum.

In the fictional world of Relooted, this is precisely where Nomali and her crew come in. If the nations that profited off theft and stolen labor won’t return the artifacts, then Nomali and co. will simply take them back. They’re benevolent thieves; the team doesn’t make a profit and only will only steal what was previously stolen. As a lawyer, I have qualms, since in most legal systems theft of even your own property is still theft — you cannot break into your robber’s home to reclaim your phone, for example. But as someone whose ancestors were colonized by the British in India before moving to a British-occupied South Africa, this was deeply fulfilling and morally wholesome.

Every mission sees you scouting the level for robot guards, exits, and additional artifacts. You discuss this with your team, each of whom provides a different skill that is itself a mechanic in the game: Your brother is a locksmith who can break into doors or safes, while another team member is a professional acrobat who can use Batman-like skills to reach impossible areas. After scouting, Nomali is then tasked with retrieval of the artifact(s).

However, you must also make sure of your exit. This is the most exciting part for me, as it requires you to plan your escape route before setting off the alarm. After Nomali snags the object, you must then follow a perfect route out without getting caught by chasing drones. You can also plan to steal a few artifacts, meaning you need to be clever about which item to steal first; it could be that the item closest to the entrance is in fact not the best first option, as it is awkwardly placed. Careful planning and running through the route, placing your teammates in the right areas, all leads to a clockwork-like heist that would make Arsène Lupin proud.

The game is a cerebral platformer, a satisfying mixture of brains and twitch responses. You feel the exhilaration of a fast chase, as well as the satisfaction of a well-considered exit plan with the coordinated efforts of your teammates, when executed properly and all artifacts are in tow.

The stages are varied, sometimes not using the names as we know them now. For instance, the US is known as “the Shiny Place,” depicted as a mixture of Las Vegas and New York, with more cyberpunk aesthetics. Another is a European mansion, home of a “collector,” depicted in dark, rain-drenched cobblestone streets and with creepy paintings haunting cold brick walls. Stages usually last between five to 10 minutes, unless you repeat them due to a faulty plan or execution.

Repetition does set in, despite a wider story eventually unfolding. There’s only so much variety when dealing with 2D stages and limited mechanics, but the game does not wear out its welcome. The graphics are quite dated; though it is attempting to look like a Pixar film or other modern animation productions, character faces are flat and dialogue animations look stiff and basic.

However, parkour animations are fluid, and the colors and world are vibrant. Nomali felt great to control, especially when you get into a “flow” of parkour movement. This is heightened by an incredible soundtrack from composers Nick Horsten and Dustin van Wyk, which is able to both soothe as ambience and pump up for the action set pieces. Using a mixture of electronic and traditional instruments, the soundscapes capture the Africanfuturistic theme as well as the ’80s James Bond espionage aesthetics for our sneaky thieves.

Relooted is very special to me as a South African. Not only is it made by South Africans, but it centres on a pan-African group, working together for a common goal of reclaiming what was stolen by colonial occupiers. Ugandan scholar Yusuf Serunkuma cites one calculation that puts the loss Africa experienced through colonization between 1960–2010 at an estimated $152 trillion. To think of where my country and continent would be today were it not for the enormous theft and exploitation makes me continually angry. Even today, African citizens still have to visit former colonizer nations to view their own history.

Relooted serves as a fine and righteous outlet for the moral rage at the unfairness and unjust occupation and horror experienced by this continent, and fulfills double roles as a history lesson and fun heist platformer. Here’s hoping more people discover just how bloody and unfair African history really was — and how wonderful, beautiful, and inspiring our continent and its people remain.

_{Relooted is available now on the Xbox and PC.}