Captain Kaon

About

Captain Kaon is a single player arcade platformer game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Engage Pixel and was released on April 14, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Captain Kaon is a retro twin-stick gravity shooter inspired by 1980s classics such as Thrust and Gravitar. Captain Kaon brings the vector graphics of old right 'up-to-date’ with vibrant Amiga-style pixel art and a tight twin-stick control mechanic.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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72%

Audience ScoreBased on 25 reviews

graphics3 negative mentions

Captain Kaon offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic retro games, appealing to fans of titles like Thrust and Sub-Terrania.
The game features satisfying twin-stick shooting mechanics and intuitive controls, making it engaging and accessible for players.
Players can enjoy a non-linear campaign with customizable loadouts and a variety of ships to unlock, enhancing replayability.

The game suffers from significant bugs, including crashes when attempting to start the Mars campaign and issues with achievements not triggering correctly.
Graphics and music are criticized for being outdated and repetitive, detracting from the overall experience.
Gameplay can become frustrating due to confusing mechanics and a lack of clear instructions, leading to difficulty in completing missions.

story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The story in the game is straightforward and reminiscent of classic 80s titles, focusing on mission-based objectives such as resource collection and enemy destruction, with a light narrative that lacks depth. Players experience a mix of challenging gameplay and strategic elements, particularly in managing the mother ship, which adds a layer of simulation to the action. While the missions serve as tutorials, the overall plot is minimal, and the game is designed for those who enjoy a tough challenge without extensive narrative development.
- “After completing a mission, you can exploit resources which can result in the mother ship getting attacked and having to defend it or, in some locations, heal your mother ship (the Argus) should it have been attacked. This is a nice touch as it adds a strategic element to the overarching plot of the game and also gives it an edge of simulation beyond the frantic action of the missions.”
- “This game is great for someone who likes a really tough challenge. The game doesn’t hold your hand, and when you succeed in a mission, it definitely feels worth it.”
- “A non-linear campaign, an arsenal that grows progressively larger with completed missions, customizable loadouts that let you pick and choose your primary/secondary weapons, plus a variety of ships to unlock all work to fill out the package quite nicely.”
- “Those in a sector are adequate, definitely looking like an earlier era, while the animated sequences introducing the story are just bad.”
- “Story is lite and typical of 80’s games, so no in-depth love triangle or buddy revenge.”
- “Gameplay can be frustrating, since on harder missions you get swarmed by enemies, which cluster around you making it difficult to aim accurately or even move.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
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The gameplay of Captain Kaon is a blend of simple retro mechanics and modern elements, featuring a sci-fi theme and gravity mechanics. While the controls are intuitive and the gameplay can be rewarding, players may find it frustrating during harder missions due to enemy swarming and the need for clear explanations of various mechanics. Overall, it offers a solid experience for fans of classic arcade-style games, though it may not appeal to everyone.
- “Captain Kaon is a 2D retro pixel platformer with a sci-fi theme, using a gravity mechanic.”
- “A good game that introduces modern elements to classic arcade gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is solid, fun, and rewarding.”
- “So the gameplay is fairly simple and not very interesting, as are the graphics.”
- “Gameplay can be frustrating, since on harder missions you get swarmed by enemies, which cluster around you making it difficult to aim accurately or even move.”
- “A typical space game with confusing gameplay.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
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The music in the game has been described as a repetitive loop that, while initially fitting the game's hectic style, quickly becomes tiresome due to its lack of variety and length. Players noted that the limited soundtrack detracts from the overall experience, especially during challenging missions that require repeated attempts. Despite its nostalgic 80s vibe, many reviewers expressed a desire for more diverse tracks to enhance gameplay.
- “I started the first mission and noticed the music, oh my god, the music.”
- “The game-play is very much in the theme of games such as Thrust and Gravity Force 2 but perhaps has the most in common with Sub Terrania on the Sega Mega Drive, in that it’s quite hectic with a driving, well-suited soundtrack.”
- “The music is also 80’s fantabulous.”
- “The music consists of a small sound sample, roughly 5 seconds long, that keeps looping.”
- “With regards to the music in the game, whilst it is quite suited to the style of Captain Kaon, I must admit I found myself tiring of it quite quickly.”
- “The music is very, very repetitive; the options are limited, and the performance could be better.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
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The graphics of the game evoke a nostalgic, retro aesthetic reminiscent of mid-90s PC and Amiga titles, featuring sharp and distinctive visuals that some players find charming, while others consider them cheesy. While the art style has its fans, it is noted as a weaker aspect by some reviewers, who feel it could benefit from more variety in artwork and music. Overall, the graphics are described as both appealing and divisive, reflecting a unique British art style.
- “Captain Kaon has been in development for several years and was entirely developed by one man. The art style here is very British, and the character portraits especially reminded me of the Amiga in the early to mid-nineties.”
- “The graphics are retro, geeky, and gorgeous.”
- “So the gameplay is fairly simple and not very interesting, as are the graphics.”
- “Graphics have a hi-res PC circa 96/97 feel, very sharp and distinctive which is reflected in the tightness and accuracy of the controls of the game, a key point in this particular genre as poor controls can often be the deadliest enemy.”
- “A lot of people will probably not like the artwork; it's a little cheesy.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unengaging, with a score of 3/10 indicating that it quickly becomes monotonous, primarily revolving around repetitive card farming activities.
- “3/10 - It got boring fast; the playtime is mostly just card farming.”
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I spent hours grinding for resources, but it felt like I was getting nowhere.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
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The game's optimization has received criticism for its limited options and repetitive music, alongside performance issues, as it runs at a locked 30 fps, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The music is very, very repetitive, the options are limited, the performance could be better, and the game runs at a locked 30 fps.”