Second Legacy

Disclaimer: this is a prototype and not a finished game by any means.

Second Legacy is a homemade vertical scrolling manic shooter, that I've been striving to infuse with my genuine love for those games. It is currently playable on Windows and OSX platforms, but ports to other operating systems may eventually happen.

Second Legacy's game design takes a lot of inspiration from masterpieces by developers such as Compile, CAVE or Treasure, but also from game franchises in completely different genres, by developers such as Platinum Games or From Software.

It currently features a score-attack-oriented gameplay and a single demo stage, with limited and over-reused graphics (a lot of sprite-based animations have yet to be created, and background elements are minimal ). Gameplay-wise, essentials are there, but there is pretty much no level design, no variety in enemy behaviors, and bullet patterns are basic at best. Music and sound are in pretty good state already, but do not qualify as final either.

Story

According to stories, the old world was whole. There were continents, bathed in oceans, and clouds in the sky. And there, humanity thrived, taking everything for granted.

Then the gods came. The Fire Curtain fell onto the world. Before long, oceans vaporized into clouds, and continents scattered into drifting pieces of land. The sky became the one ocean.

With the world changed forever, the gods disappeared. Humanity, reduced to a fraction of what it was, was forced to adapt to this new environment to survive. But knowledge, like the world itself, got fragmented and faded into oblivion over time.

Soon, populations were fighting over resources, that had since grown scarce. A mysterious military nation suddenly rose above all others with unmatched firepower. They took settlement after settlement, city after city, only leaving rubble and ashes in their trail.

While the invader forces were on their way to Ixin, a small archipelago hidden within the clouds, a few pilots there were ordered to take off, on experimental aircrafts: Ark Fighters.

Controls

The game can be played on keyboard but most gamepads should be supported and it is the recommended way to play the game, as one can benefit from analog controls for more precise manoeuvers.

If a gamepad is detected when starting the program, a configuration wizard is started and prompts you to map all the required controls on it. Otherwise you can use an XBox360 or DualShock preset, or remap the controls one by one from the options menu. Below are the default keyboard controls:

• Arrow keys: fly the ark forward, backward, left or right / select options in menus
• Space: auto-fire / validate menu options
• B: shield bomb
• Left Alt: focus energy to main gun (can be combined with auto-firing)
• C: focus power to propulsion for fast manoeuvers
• V: EX mode trigger
• N: action trigger
• Enter: pause / validate menu options
• Escape: pause or resume game / cancel menu options

For more detailed information about how gameplay mechanics work, please read the included Readme.md file or its online version.

Known Issues to date (2023-05-29)

The following is a non-exhaustive list of bugs I'm aware of or open design questions. Feel free to contact me if you encounter something amiss that does not fit any of these descriptions.

• Some clicking can be heard on some SFX
• Various ark placement issues in multiplayer

Trivia

• Second Legacy is the spiritual sequel to a game that does not exist, except in the mind of those who listen to its soundtrack, called Prime Legacy.