Corsairs Legacy Review

About Corsairs Legacy

Corsairs Legacy is a pirate simulation game that lets you play as Rufus Monroe, a voyaging pirate in search of his next big adventure. Created by Mauris Games OU, the Ukrainian company tried to bring life to the age of piracy by creating a thematic atmosphere around naval battles, exploration, and swash-buckling sword fights. This will be a review of Corsairs Legacy and what I think about it after playing through the story.

Why did I play Corsairs Legacy?

Some of you out there may be a bit too young but I can still remember playing my first pirate-themed game. Corsairs Legacy aside, I’ve played a lot of pirate games and there are a few that hit the right spot. For example, Sid Meier’s Pirates! was a great pirate game. It has simple mechanics and an even simpler story. For a naive teenager wanting some pirate action, this was the best I’ve got. Maybe because a year before the game’s release the world was introduced to a little movie called Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Everyone had a pirate fever, including me, and at that time Sid Meier’s Pirates was a good cure for that ailment.

But then, Ubisoft went out and gave us Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. The first Assassin’s Creed game that I truly played because of its game-play and not the narrative. It was innovative with a genuinely exhilarating action sequence that left me to roam the seven seas in search of my next target. At some point, I even forgot to continue with the story line.

Playing Corsairs Legacy was a given. I love pirate games and I love role-playing. As I put many hours into trying to give this game a fair review, I have to say, there is a lot here that I need to unpack.

Highs and Lows

The world of piracy and the high seas is a captivating premise for any game. The developers of Corsairs Legacy tried to make a pirate life simulator but were just out of luck when it came to its execution. Just a quick note, and probably not a spoiler, the end of the game hints at another chapter of the adventure, so I don’t know what the devs are going for with this one. The game feels unpolished with a few glitches so knowing that the ending is not the ending made me think twice about their intention.

Graphics, Music, and Gameplay

The graphics feels dated and mediocre at best. Though I think it was their choice of aesthetic, it distracts me from the more detailed UI when it comes to naval battle.

The audio in this game is fine though the selection is repetitive. The constant cawing of seagulls becomes irritating after a few minutes.

The fighting mechanics is a bit frustrating. The hitbox doesn’t seem to work when landing blows to your opponent or when the reaction of the hit is a bit delayed.

One thing that bugged me in Corsairs Legacy was that my character doesn’t run. He can speed up time, but a simple key to simulate running is out of the question. I don’t understand the logic of this. Was it because the ship battle was taking too long? This reminds me of ship battles.

Other Issues

The Ship battles in Corsairs Legacy are dull and repetitive. If you have enough firepower, any enemy can be destroyed from a distance. If you get bored, just run up to the ship and engage the enemy yourself.

Enemy health level is irrelevant because you can steer your way close enough to board the ship and end the naval part of the battle. The story itself is serviceable but I can’t give praise to any of it. Going through the game feels more like a chore instead of an adventure. Like a fetch quest with additional steps.

The praise I can give to this game is that they are trying something to fill the void in the market. That’s about it.

Corsairs Legacy: Final Impressions

I cannot recommend this game even at a discounted price. Maybe after a few more patches to fix the sword fighting mechanics, or steering the ship, etc. I was hoping to get a bit more excited just by playing it. Sad to say that this game is not worth your time and money. Wait for it to get updated and polished and maybe I’ll also go back to the seas again.