Captain Forever Trilogy

About

Captain Forever Trilogy is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Farbs and was released on May 22, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

Captain Forever Trilogy is a spaceship building game where you construct ships on the fly by capturing parts from defeated enemies. The trilogy includes three games: Captain Forever, Captain Successor with additional modules and ships, and Captain Impostor, which allows for instant cloning of ships. The updated version features a new renderer, new audio, and enhanced visuals for a smoother and more immersive experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 150 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The Captain Forever Trilogy offers a unique and addictive gameplay experience, allowing players to build and customize their ships from parts scavenged from defeated enemies.
The game has a nostalgic charm, with many players expressing joy at its return to Steam and praising its engaging mechanics and replayability.
The addition of new modes like Captain Successor and Captain Impostor enhances the original experience, providing varied gameplay styles and challenges.

Many players find the game frustratingly difficult, with constant enemy encounters making it hard to enjoy the ship-building mechanics and leading to frequent losses.
Some reviews mention a lack of content and replay value, suggesting that once players complete the games, there isn't much incentive to return.
Critics have pointed out issues with the game's controls and mechanics, such as forced mouse acceleration and a steep difficulty curve that can feel unfair.

gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The gameplay across the trilogy is characterized by its unique mechanics and a blend of challenging, action-packed elements with metroid-vania-style progression. Players appreciate the tight and responsive controls, as well as the innovative building mechanics that add depth and variety to the core gameplay loop. While some entries feel like expansions rather than advancements, the overall experience remains engaging and dynamic, with a strong emphasis on strategy and adaptability during combat.
- “Challenging and fun with mechanics that were ahead of its time.”
- “The gameplay is tight, responsive, and non-stop.”
- “The exciting, yet tacit thrust style gameplay that grabbed me all these years ago still hasn't lost its charm and I gotta admit: I'm hooked, again.”
- “Imho, this game would be a lot better with some kind of slow down time mechanic that gives you some breathing room.”
- “The gameplay loop of this game is not interesting.”
- “However, the third game is less of an advancement of the series and more of a twist on the mechanics.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
43%
21%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist, vector-style aesthetic that evokes nostalgia for classic titles, effectively complementing its gameplay and atmosphere. Users appreciate the stylized visuals and synthesized audio, which enhance the game's immersive experience, while noting that the remastered versions offer improved performance and updated graphics without losing the charm of the original. Overall, the graphics are seen as a fitting and consistent element that supports the game's unique narrative and mechanics.
- “It feels like a remastered version of Farb’s original vision for the games with updated sound, music, and clean, optimized visuals.”
- “The difficulty and obtuseness definitely makes it feel like a game from that era, which is fitting considering the vector-style graphics and strange story elements given through the various 'read mes' before starting each game.”
- “The graphics and audio are simple, but stylized, and the atmosphere they help build really helps sell the hostility that the universe you're fighting in has for you.”
- “For such minimalist graphics, the atmosphere really draws you in - I especially love the commentary from other ships in the corner of your eye.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
Overall, players find the game to have significant replayability, with many enjoying the ability to test new designs and challenge themselves. While some note a decline in replay value after completing certain objectives, the innovative concepts and engaging gameplay keep players returning for more. Many reviewers highlight the game's unique appeal and lasting enjoyment over time.
- “This is a fantastic game with a great deal of replay value.”
- “Much of the value of this game comes from replayability, continuously testing new designs or challenging yourself.”
- “I have never ever experienced a game so simple yet with so much replay value.”
- “But once you beat the clones, it doesn't really have that much replay value.”
- “I have never experienced a game so simple yet with so little replay value.”
- “Much of the value of this game comes from replayability, continuously testing new designs or challenging yourself, or what have you.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with users praising the dope soundtrack and its ability to complement gameplay, making it enjoyable to listen to alongside other audio. The updated sound design is seen as a remastered enhancement of the original vision, featuring engaging synth music and unique audio cues, such as the sound of lasers firing. Overall, the music adds a fun and strategic layer to the gaming experience.
- “Dope soundtrack.”
- “It feels like a remastered version of Farb’s original vision for the games with updated sound, music, and clean, optimized visuals.”
- “Main menu music on repeat.”
- “I don't remember there being music ages ago, but it's decent synth music found in this release.”
- “The musical ding of hundreds of lasers firing.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The story aspect of the game is described as confusing and obtuse, with many players struggling to understand its narrative elements, which are often presented through "read mes." While some appreciate the mysterious and eccentric storytelling embedded in the gameplay, others feel that the lack of a clear quest line or coherent plot detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the remastered trilogy offers improvements in graphics and sound but still leaves players wanting a more defined narrative.
- “It pleases me greatly to be able to say that joy has persevered and can be found right here, in the Captain Forever trilogy, along with a great deal of improvements and a mysterious story embedded into the very makeup of the game itself.”
- “This is a jazzed-up 3-in-1 remaster of Captain Forever, Successor, and Impostor (demo: captainforever.com) with funkier graphics and sound, more eccentric dialogue, a more fleshed-out story, and fancy new parts.”
- “The difficulty and obtuseness definitely makes it feel like a game from that era (all three games feel that way actually), which is fitting considering the vector-style graphics and strange story elements given through the various 'read mes' before starting each game.”
- “I wish I could go over the story, but I'm honestly not sure what the story even is.”
- “What story is present seems about as obtuse as the rest of the package.”
- “No story, no quest line, just an asteroids clone with some added parts/abilities.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The game's atmosphere is effectively crafted through its stylized graphics and audio, which enhance the sense of hostility in the universe. Players appreciate the minimalist design that, despite its simplicity, creates an engaging and immersive experience, complemented by unique gameplay modes and subtle commentary from other ships. Overall, the atmosphere is a key element that keeps players returning to the game.
- “The graphics and audio are simple, but stylized, and the atmosphere they help build really enhances the hostility of the universe you're fighting in.”
- “If you're after an innovative, elegant, intelligent bit of game design with all the right priorities, not to mention style and atmosphere, this game offers a simple, clean-cut package that draws you back to it years later.”
- “The graphics and audio are simple, but stylized, and the atmosphere they help build really helps sell the hostility that the universe you're fighting in has for you.”
- “For such minimalist graphics, the atmosphere really draws you in - I especially love the commentary from other ships in the corner of your eye.”
- “If you're after an innovative, elegant, intelligent bit of game design with all the right priorities, not to mention style and atmosphere... in a simple, clean-cut package that sucks you back to it years later...”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, featuring stable performance and enhanced visuals that reflect a remastered version of the original. Players appreciate the unique concepts and challenging gameplay, noting that the improvements justify the low price. Overall, the graphical and performance upgrades significantly enhance the experience compared to the original browser version.
- “The concepts are unique, the gameplay can be challenging, and the performance and stability are spot on.”
- “It feels like a remastered version of Farb’s original vision for the game with updated sound, music, and clean, optimized visuals.”
- “I definitely think its low price warrants the purchase, as each mode in itself is a greatly new way to play Captain Forever, and it's a pretty major graphical and performance improvement over the original browser version.”
- “It feels like a remastered version of Farb's original vision for the game with updated sound, music, and clean, optimized visuals.”
- “I definitely think its low price warrants the purchase, as each mode in itself is a greatly new way to play Captain Forever, and it's a pretty major graphical improvement and performance improvement over the original browser version.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is effectively integrated, balancing desolation with lighthearted moments, such as the whimsical tunes created by firing lasers. This blend enhances the overall tone and experience, appealing to players who appreciate a mix of emotions.
- “Not having played the original browser version much, I can't really tell how much things have improved, but it all fits very well in its tones ranging from desolate to humorous, and your lasers forming a little tune as they fire.”