The last game I played from GGS Studio was The Cursed Knight back in 2022, an awesome title that was also distributed through broke Studio. The Cursed Legacy is again a Mega Drive release that continues the high quality production values laid down by Broke Studio, as well as classic retro gameplay from GGS, and again continues their quirk of mixing up genres, in this instance those genres being run n’ gun, metroidvania, and riffs on classic mini-games.In the ruined universe of The Cursed Legacy, you play a mercenary ne’er do well named Leif, who initially breaks into a facility to steal RB309, a combat mech – but finds the trajectory of his mission changing somewhat throughout the narrative. Split into three sections, The Cursed Legacy initially starts with a run n’ gun stage before branching off to the more exploratory, zoomed-out metroidvania map, which is in turn interspersed with mini-games that are familiar takes on classics such as Snake, and Minesweeper, etc. These sections are played as if on an in-game screen with Leif’s hands visible on the joystick, and it did tickle me how he irritably slams his fist down should you quit out, a nice touch that we can all relate to! Your journey will also be scuppered by quite a few boss battles, who mostly just require patience and pattern-learning to defeat, they aren’t too bullet-spongey either, which makes them a little more interesting as they always feel like variations and don’t outstay their welcome.The audio is also top notch here, with suitably crunchy explosions and ambient music suiting the atmosphere of the game, adding texture to Leif’s initially solipsistic quest.
In terms of the packaging, Broke Studio have woven their usual magic here, as the clamshell box is solid quality and doesn’t feel tough to open or cheap and loose as the case can sometimes be with lesser homebrew hardware. Leif features on the cover, amid a shower of sparks – an image that is also emblazoned on the cover of the included full colour manual. The cartridge itself is of a high quality, and Broke Studio branded – definitely a worthy addition to your Mega Drive collections.
SUMMARY
The Cursed Legacy is a solid follow-up to the studio’s previous release The Cursed Knight, and GGS’ style of tasty pixel visuals, evocative music, generous level design and melding of genres continues to make them a studio to keep your eye on when it comes to new Mega Drive releases.
This is a title that feels right at home on the Mega Drive, and again breathes life into the metroidvania genre on a system that isn’t exactly bursting with examples of it, which is always welcomed. Awesome stuff!
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