Capsized

66%
Game Brain Score Based on 781 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Capsized Game Cover
An intense and beautifully designed action-physics platformer, which also happens to be dirt cheap.
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"Capsized" is a Science Fiction arcade-style game with both single-player and local multi-player options for up to 2 players in a co-op, split screen format. The game features an immersive alien world with unique hand-drawn art, a stellar soundtrack, and challenging gameplay that combines platforming, puzzle-solving, and combat. Players must navigate through a perilous environment, fight off creatures, and save crewmates to escape the mysterious planet.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 781 reviews
music190 positive mentions
stability12 negative mentions
  • Capsized features stunning hand-drawn graphics and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The gameplay includes a variety of interesting mechanics such as a grappling hook and jetpack, allowing for creative movement and combat strategies.
  • The game offers a challenging experience with diverse enemies and weapons, making it engaging for players who enjoy action platformers.
  • The controls can feel floaty and imprecise, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay, especially in combat and platforming sections.
  • There are issues with level design and enemy visibility, making it difficult to distinguish between background elements and interactive objects.
  • The game has a steep difficulty spike in later levels, which can be discouraging for players, particularly those aiming for achievements or no-death runs.
  • music281 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and atmospheric fit, particularly the soundtrack by Solar Fields, which enhances the overall experience. While some players noted that the music can become repetitive over time, many found it to be immersive and enjoyable, contributing significantly to the game's alien environment. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, with many players expressing a desire to listen to it outside of the game.

    • “The absolute star is the Solar Fields soundtrack and the atmosphere it helps to create in the game.”
    • “The music compliments the atmosphere of the game perfectly, as does the artwork.”
    • “A wonderful little side-scrolling shooter - the visuals are beautiful, and the soundtrack is brilliant (licensed album 'Movements' by Solar Fields).”
    • “Even at its lowest setting, the music blares out loud enough to drown out the rest of the game audio, and there isn't a way to turn it off.”
    • “Even at lower settings, I sometimes felt that the music drowned out the sound effects of the game and interfered with the ambiance of it all.”
    • “Be aware that the game's music does not work for me, and for some others (check the Steam forum).”
  • graphics230 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style and vibrant colors, creating immersive and atmospheric environments. However, many players noted issues with visibility, as the visuals sometimes blend foreground and background elements, making it difficult to distinguish between interactive objects and enemies. Overall, while the aesthetics are beautiful and detailed, they can lead to gameplay frustrations due to their confusing design.

    • “The graphics are amazing to look at and the music is fine but even they lead to frustration and gameplay problems.”
    • “In addition to its gorgeous hand-drawn graphics and an atmospheric musical score, the game offers hours of exploration in richly detailed environments.”
    • “The graphics in Capsized are all hand-drawn and they are spectacular.”
    • “I thought it was a charming game at first, but that quickly dissipated once I realized how difficult it was to differentiate a lot of foreground, background, and interactive assets from one another.”
    • “It's okay, but the visuals are very badly designed in terms of differentiating between the background and the sprites.”
    • “All the hallmarks of a mediocre Amiga game with insufficient quality control - pretty graphics where it's hard to tell enemies from terrain, messy controls, spawn points which will kill you or severely injure you, dying when damaged at half health.”
  • gameplay182 mentions

    The gameplay of "Capsized" is described as a mix of fun and frustration, featuring a variety of weapons and mechanics that can be engaging but also suffer from floaty controls and inconsistent physics. While many players appreciate the artistic design and atmosphere, they note that the gameplay can feel unpolished, with some mechanics leading to frustrating experiences. Overall, it offers a decent platforming experience with unique elements, but players may find themselves battling the game's mechanics as much as the enemies.

    • “The gameplay itself is really good; jetpacks, sling-hooks, and an arsenal of different weapons make the game feel like a platformer as well as a shooter.”
    • “The beautiful aesthetics and fun gameplay more than make up for there barely being a story, and aside from the broken Steam achievements, I did not encounter any glitches or bugs.”
    • “Gameplay is paced with a sense of exploration and tactical choices in combat; you can simply run in and try to shoot everything, but that is simply the choice of the player.”
    • “The gameplay is 'medium-tough' with some of the later levels approaching infuriating, and I had to turn the difficulty down for one particularly challenging level.”
    • “Many 'challenges' feel like roadblocks left by developers to add 'meat' to the gameplay, and I often find myself manipulating objects or dealing with enemies in ways that fight the game itself, e.g., weapons not behaving properly, random damage (very frustrating), and somehow imprecise falling damage.”
    • “Unfortunately, halfway through you start facing overly punishing traps that bog down gameplay and really sour the experience.”
  • story136 mentions

    The story of Capsized is generally described as simplistic and minimal, primarily conveyed through comic-style still images between levels. Players embark on a straightforward mission to rescue crew members after crash-landing on an alien planet, but many find the narrative lacking depth and engagement, often feeling repetitive and thin. While some appreciate the charming art and atmosphere, the overall consensus is that the story does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience.

    • “The story is presented in-between each chapter, using still-images in a comic-book style.”
    • “The story is basic enough; you and your crew crash land on an alien planet and you have to get resources while finding crew from your vessel that survived.”
    • “There's even a minimalistic but pretty story told between levels.”
    • “The story is very dull and is told through still frame pictures with no dialogue or text.”
    • “The story leaves much to be desired, but the art is clear and understandable.”
    • “The story is almost absent and the game is extremely short.”
  • atmosphere83 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Capsized" is widely praised for its stunning hand-drawn graphics, vibrant colors, and immersive soundtrack, which together create a captivating alien world that feels both dangerous and enchanting. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of exploration and survival, reminiscent of classic sci-fi platformers, while also noting that the atmospheric elements significantly enhance the overall gameplay experience. Despite some gameplay frustrations, the rich visual and auditory design consistently draws players in, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The atmosphere is amazing, even though it's a sidescrolling game; the graphical choice and music blend in perfect harmony that just makes you want to play Capsized!”
    • “The environment is beautiful, full of detailed organic life and creatures, and an equally awesome soundtrack echoes throughout, giving this game an A+ for atmosphere in my book.”
    • “Outstanding atmosphere; it truly feels like a dangerous, undiscovered alien world.”
    • “It can be easy to assume that they'd share more, like a focus on exploration, creepy atmosphere, and progressive unlockables, but that's not the case despite what you might have assumed from the screenshots.”
    • “That being said, it only detracts a little from the atmosphere of Capsized as a whole.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game was alright.”
  • stability12 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with players reporting random glitches that can force restarts and game-ending errors that hinder progress. While some users experienced minimal issues, many described the game as feeling unfinished and plagued by inconsistent physics and development oversights, significantly impacting the overall experience.

    • “This game came out half-assed and unfinished, with tedious, chore-like playthroughs wherein the objectives rely upon inconsistent physics and game-breaking glitches or irreversible environmental variables.”
    • “The glitches or errors or development oversights, whatever you call them, they prevent me from completing this game at all.”
    • “The unfortunate similarity is that both share game-ending glitches in what is an otherwise difficult and challenging and fun game!”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The game evokes strong emotions through its stunning graphics and immersive environments, which transport players to an alien world. The heartwarming backstory of two friends reuniting to complete their projects adds depth, while the overall atmosphere, enhanced by superb sound design and music, creates a touching experience despite some minor gameplay hiccups.

    • “The environment is wholesome and has tiny little details that add to the experience.”
    • “Amazing atmosphere and a pretty touching story thus far; gameplay has some physics hiccups, but only because it has decent physics interactions to begin with.”
    • “The story behind its creation is heartwarming (two old friends team up during their separate college years to finish off their senior projects and get back together); the visuals are simply gorgeous, the sound design is superb, the music is by Solar Fields (Mirror's Edge fame), and the gameplay is an awesome physics-augmented 2D platformer shoot-em-up.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating and tedious, particularly in the later levels and during the final boss fight, which are described as chore-like and poorly designed. The inconsistent physics and glitches further exacerbate the experience, making it feel unfair and cumbersome. While the game's shorter length is seen as a positive, it does not fully alleviate the overall sense of tedium.

    • “This game came out half-assed and unfinished, with tedious, chore-like playthroughs wherein the objectives rely upon inconsistent physics and game-breaking glitches or irreversible environmental variables.”
    • “If the controls were a little tighter, I would say to play this game, but it's really hard to get around, especially with how many enemies can move you around or cling to you, and eventually it becomes just tedious and unfair.”
    • “Starts off well enough, but the awful last few levels and the horrible, tedious final boss make it a frustrating experience.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    While the main campaign lasts about 4-5 hours and is primarily a one-time experience, the game offers significant replayability through various extra modes, including duel and survival options. The inclusion of hidden items and a score-chasing mechanic enhances the replay value, making it appealing for players seeking to revisit levels and improve their performance. Overall, the game successfully combines a short campaign with engaging additional content that encourages repeated play.

    • “The extra modes outside the campaign give the game extra replay value, including a duel mode against bots or against a friend locally, an infinite survival mode, and others.”
    • “The atmosphere and hidden items are reminiscent of Metroid, and succeed in adding to each level's replay value.”
    • “The campaign may be short, but the game is highly replayable and really promotes score chasing with some fun unlockable modes.”
    • “The game lasts for about 4-5 hours; it has some replay value but is mainly a one-time distraction.”
    • “The extra modes outside the campaign give the game extra replay value, including a duel mode against bots or a friend locally, an infinite survival mode, and others.”
    • “The atmosphere and hidden items are reminiscent of Metroid and succeed in adding to each level's replay value.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    The game is visually stunning but suffers from significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end hardware, which can hinder the overall experience. Additionally, players have noted rough gamepad controls that further detract from its optimization.

    • “Actually, that's not exactly true; when I initially picked it up, those aforementioned performance issues were too bad to play it on my crappy laptop at the time.”
    • “Beautiful game plagued with bad performance issues and very rough gamepad controls.”
    • “This game, though it did have some performance issues, was one of the most beautiful games I played the year I picked it up.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Reviewers praise the character design as exceptional, highlighting its ability to immerse players in a captivating and perilous alien environment. The visual aesthetics contribute significantly to the overall experience, enhancing the sense of adventure and exploration.

    • “Character design is fire, the environments look amazing and when I started playing it, I felt like I was truly lost in a dangerous alien world.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted to be hit-or-miss, with some players finding certain story slides amusing, but overall, the enjoyment is overshadowed by significant gameplay issues.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

63% average critic score

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