A not-so-horrible night to have a curse
One of the tricky optional goals inCuphead: The Delicious Last Courseis to “obtain great power,” and it’s tied to a mysterious Cursed Relic that puts a tough new spin on the boss-battling format. While I struggleda bunchwith this challenge, in the end, it ended up being one of the highlights of the DLC, and really, the entire base game. It makes youwork.
Before I go into too many specifics, it’s worth taking a broader approach for anyone who’s intrigued but will ultimately still want to figure things out on their own. I’ll ease you in.
The cursed challenge
With an item called theCursed Relic, you’ll only haveone HPwhen you enter a boss fight, and yourweapons are randomized, so you have to be adaptable. Your goal is to beat a certain number of bosses — either from the DLC, the base game, or both — to upgrade the item into something with less… drawbacks. It’s a trip. A frustrating, satisfying trip.
Much like howMs. Chaliceis a fun (arguably overpowered) excuse to revisit the originalCupheadcontent, the Cursed Relic is a fittingly hard shake-up for seasoned players.
It’s one thing to return to Isle I and make a fool out of the Root Pack and Goopy Le Grande, and if you’ve earned S ranks inCupheadbefore, you know that no-hit runs are within your reach. But when you can’t rely on your ideal loadout, the pressure is on — and it builds.
Despite having random weapons with the Cursed Relic, you’ll havesomecontrol — you’re able to let go of the “fire” button to cycle through the list. So long as you keep shooting, your weapon will stay the same; but if you ever let go, for any reason, including a dash, the shot type will shift to something else. With this setup, I often frantically tapped the button until I landed on the homingCrackshot, my one true savior, and then refused to let go.
How well do you know these bosses?
To lift the curse, you’ll have to take out more than just the beginner bosses — the bigger the threat, the more behind-the-scenes points you’ll earn.
As you progress, the eye icon for the Cursed Relic will change, and it’ll get some new perks, including a faster Super meter charge, more consistent Smoke Bomb dashes, and (oh thank goodness!) an easier time regenerating some HP by parrying. A safety net!
(The wiki has a breakdownof how many curse-lifting points each boss is worth, and how the Cursed Relic tiers vary, if you’re curious.Do not play on Simple mode.It won’t count.)
The payoff for the Paladin achievement
In the end, after clearing a handful of bosses, the Cursed Relic will become theDivine Relic. I had to wipe out most of the Isle I and Isle II bosses on Regular difficulty.
The Divine Relic is the same concept — randomized shot types that you may cycle through mid-fight— but it keeps your health pool at a much more comfortable 3 HP.
It’s not exactly something I’ll use by choice, but in the right hands, it can be very powerful and versatile. More than anything, I valued this journey more than the destination.
Getting started with the Cursed Relic
you’re able to access the Broken Relic early into theCupheadDLC — it only costs one coin at the shop. It’s best saved until you’re sufficiently warmed up. With this item equipped, you’ll solvea puzzle in a cemetery, conjuring a fiercesecret boss fight. If you beat it, the Broken Relic will morph into a Cursed Relic. And that’s where the true fun begins.
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Courseis just great. It not only has fantastic bosses — some of my favorites yet — but it also freshens up the original crew with new charms.
Even if this sounds like a pain in the ass, I’d encourage you to give it a shot. As dicey as things got with the Cursed Relic, it was a wonderful final challenge to endCupheadon.
I’m sure I’ll be back, but I’m so excited to see what’s next for Studio MDHR.
[Header image credit:packattack04082]
