Legacy of the Elder Star is a mouse-driven shoot 'em up for the rest of us. You are the Cosmonaut, an eternal cosmic hero who must shatter the robotic Infinite Legion and rekindle a dying star!
“Legacy of the Elder Star knocks it out of the park, retaining the retro charm of the genre without shackling itself to the past.” — GamerPros.co
Download
Legacy of the Elder Star can be downloaded for free from itch.io and Steam.
Features and gameplay
Using a one-handed, mouse-driven control scheme, you'll dodge and strike with 1:1 precision and unlimited movement speed. Evade intense bullet patterns in the blink of an eye, then dash through entire enemy squads to crush them in a single gesture. Movement is everything in Legacy of the Elder Star, and no other shoot 'em up moves like this.
“[The dash is] a great mechanic, that allows for a fresh new take on an age old genre and makes for an intense and thoroughly enjoyable shmup experience.” — Alpha Beta Gamer
Design philosophy
Legacy of the Elder Star is focused on playing smart offense, not picking your way through overwhelming bullet hell. Enemy patterns change each time you play, keeping you on your toes and avoiding rote sequence repetition; online daily challenges are even further randomized. The main story mode grants unlimited continues; death may limit your scoring potential, but it won't kick you out of the game. And extensive accessibility options like a colorblind mode, auto-fire toggle, and adjustable game speed are included for gamers with disabilities, or even just those who want a more casual experience.
“The game runs like heaven, and controls wonderfully.” — Enemy Slime
“Fans of the genre should definitely be checking this game out.” — True PC Gaming
The art style
Principal artist Erik Exeter brings over a decade of digital illustration experience to Legacy of the Elder Star. The result is a beautifully vibrant world expressed in confident brush strokes and an eye-popping, high-energy color palette fit for all the explosive action you expect from a shmup, without sacrificing readability.
“The hand-painted graphics fill this game with so much color…it’s an absolute joy to look at, as well as play.” — Gamers Haven
The soundtrack
Legacy of the Elder Star features over 30 minutes of original music by Josh Sutphin. Subtle chiptune influences meet energetic breakbeats, catchy stage melodies, and a strong central theme.
“The music is very well done, with most tracks sampling the surprisingly-catchy main theme, and is one of the highlights of the whole game.” — Christ Centered Gamer
Press coverage
- GamerPros – Legacy of the Elder Star Review
- Enemy Slime – Review: Legacy of the Elder Star
- Christ Centered Gamer – Legacy of the Elder Star Review
- TechRaptor – To The Green: Legacy of the Elder Star
- Gamers Haven – The Quickest of Looks at Legacy of the Elder Star
- True PC Gaming – Legacy of the Elder Star Demo Review
- The Salt Lake Tribune – Upping Utah's Indie Gaming Scene
- Gamers Haven – Utah Games Guild shines at Salt Lake Gaming Con
- The Salt Lake Tribune – Library seeks to excite children about computers, before the world changes without them
- Fast-Paced Reviews – Legacy of the Elder Star: Brush Them Up!
- Alpha Beta Gamer – Tumblr
- DigiSpun – Legacy of the Elder Star Arcade Shooter Looks Amazing
Download
Legacy of the Elder Star can be downloaded for free from itch.io and Steam.