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.
Image: Nyamakop
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