game being flat-out un-fun to play, the lack of single-player content and no online functionality really sealed the deal. While it would tempting to copy and paste that review for Capsule Force, that’s a bit unprofessional, and would be unfair to Klobit, who really did almost strike gold here.
Capsule Force is a couch co-op focused game infused with the aesthetic of old-school anime OVAs like Gunbuster and Bubblegum Crisis. Its gameplay is a blend of twitch platforming and run-and-gun shooting, and the name of the game is getting thrown in an arena and blowing other people to bits.
That core gameplay actually works quite well—provided you have a gamepad, because the keyboard controls are pretty horrible. Running and shooting feels great, there are loads of little nuances to pick up on (strategic shield usage, blast-jumping, etc.), and the game will practically run on a toaster. Throw in a dirt-cheap price-point, and you’ve got a pretty good incentive to pick this up to play with friends.
So why shouldn’t you? Because everything else around that solid core is sparse, to say the least. No amount of charming graphics and great music can hide the fact that there are only a handful of maps and no fundamental differences between the characters. There’s also the clincher that there’s no online functionality whatsoever, so if you were hoping to go head-to-head with some Steam buddies, you’re out of luck.
It also doesn’t help that the single player content can be cleared in around an hour or so. Each stage consists of what basically amounts to nothing more than mini-games, and within only four sets of stages. One mode (a “break the target” challenge in the vein of Super Smash Bros.) even appears twice. The rest are basically twitch-platforming challenges, and I don’t think I need to tell you how many twitch platformers are on Steam, and how much more substantial most of them are when compared to Capsule Force.
It’s really unfortunate to heap criticism on Capsule Force like this, too, because where Klobit is going really does feel like a fresh, cool direction. I’m a complete sucker for the type of anime the whole game is an homage to. With the right group of people, the couch multiplayer aspect can really be fun. There’s really a cool-looking set of characters and a world I’d really love to know more about, if only there was more of a narrative to go along with it.
Unfortunately, Capsule Force really does just feel like an old SNES-era anime tie-in game without an actual anime to tie into. Compounded by a lack of significant single-player content, the fact that some of the multiplayer content is actually locked behind the single-player content, and there being a lot of other, better co-operative games on the market, Klobit’s efforts really seem to be in vain here. While I do like where they’re going, I hope that their next outing can be steered in a more substantial, essential direction.
