Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 19
  2. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. May 18, 2011
    91
    Capsized recalls memories of Turrican, Commander Keen, and Cybernator, but this is not a nostalgic retro-rehash. You won't find chunky pixels, chiptune soundtracks, or tongue-in-cheek nods to the past. Capsized is a modern original; a nearly pitch-perfect blend of combat and exploration that manages to be as beautiful as it is exhilarating.
  2. Jun 22, 2011
    90
    For ten dollars this is a no-brainer; simple as that.
  3. Jun 28, 2011
    86
    An intense and beautifully designed action-physics platformer, which also happens to be dirt cheap.
  4. May 19, 2011
    85
    Another fine example of what a small development team can accomplish with enough ambition and talent. The game is good-looking, entertaining and boasts a fluidity of play many bigger games would envy.
  5. May 4, 2011
    85
    Capsized is a love letter to the 8-bit era: the perfect mix between Cybernoid and The Sacred Armour of Antiriad.
  6. Dec 21, 2011
    80
    Capsized is a surprise. A good and unexpected indie suprise that shows great art with a captivating gameplay without forgetting a great co-op. It may be a little bit too short or too difficult for some less experienced players.
  7. 80
    Brilliant independent platformer excels with its hand-made graphics, atmospheric music score and sophisticated physics. [July 2011]
  8. Jul 10, 2011
    80
    A beautiful and rewarding action adventure. [Aug 2011, p.65]
  9. Jun 30, 2011
    80
    If the platform games are your drug, think about this purchase because Capsized, although not innovative, is the kind of game that makes Steam and the indie scene the deadliest combination for your spare time.
  10. May 25, 2011
    80
    The Metroid-esque adventure game Capsized is cleverly put together. The multifunctional weapons and the refreshing puzzles give the player enough space to develop their own playstyle. On design and technical terms it might also be one of the most impressive indie-games of the year.
  11. May 11, 2011
    80
    A great and progressive return to gaming's adventuring roots.
  12. May 6, 2011
    80
    A mere 12-level campaign rather curtails your wistful pleasure, but the presence of four 'Arcade' modes doesn't hurt, especially co-op.
  13. May 4, 2011
    80
    Terrific art and diverse movement mechanics make it a pleasure to explore the exciting world of Capsized.
  14. May 5, 2011
    78
    Classic gameplay and good visuals, Capsized is a solid and nostalgic game.
  15. Jul 4, 2011
    75
    What makes Capsized a challenge is the planet's fauna. Developer's creativity in that department is really impressive and combat is difficult but rewarding: well balanced, fast, based on instinctive responses. The score would have been higher if it weren't for half-baked additional game modes but low price and a really good campaign let you easily overlook that flaw. [July 2011, p.82]
  16. May 2, 2011
    75
    All in all, Capsized is a solid game. If you're nostalgic for the era of DOS-based 2D shooters like Duke Nukem or Commander Keen, there's a good chance you'll enjoy Capsized. With its classic gameplay and a wide variety of ways to get around, Capsized is a good first effort from Alientrap and a good sign of things to come.
  17. May 16, 2011
    70
    Though not flawless, Capsized combines a unique style with classic gameplay to produce a unique and memorable experience.
  18. 68
    The 2D platformer is not dead. Capsized proves that current-gen design philosophies and gameplay mechanics can be applied to this ancient genre, making it feel fresh once again.
  19. May 3, 2011
    60
    For its small price, Capsized is an honest bargain. Well executed visually, with very nice music, very few bugs, and a complete gameplay. But Alien Trap delivers the paper of a good student who lacks a little imagination.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 44 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 19
  2. Negative: 2 out of 19
  1. 8
    Nice little indie platformer. The graphics and music are cool and original, the guns are neat, and it's overall a nice package. It's only 5-6 hours long for the main game, but that's typical for a game of this genre and this price. Overall, I would recommend it to anyone who likes 2D platformers. Check out the demo on Steam and check the forums there if you want to know more before buying. The developer is active on the Steam forums and already working on patches etc., which is a big plus. Full Review »
  2. 9
    Beautiful game. The hand-drawn environments show a sense of care to 2D games that only a few other devs have matched (Braid). It is very rare to feel like you have been drawn in rather than just watching your character do things on the screen, but the Alientrap devs have gone above and beyond this. The short little tutorial at the beginning is straightforward and controls are easy to grasp after a little practice. Sometimes the controls can be a little tough if you aren't quite used to them yet, though they become second nature in time. The game introduces new elements very straightforwardly, allowing you to figure out what they do on their own rather than telling you, which keeps the element of discovery fresh in every level. They use this same concept for the enemies.

    The level design is great, providing secrets like in retro 2Ders to discover which will give you a buff or extra life. There is no map or compass, adding to the genuine "Lost and stranded" theme of the game.

    If this wasn't enough to convince you to grab it, go check the demo out on Steam!
    Full Review »
  3. Perhaps the game's most redeeming qualities from my view are the fantastic soundtrack and very unique style of graphics. When combined, those two qualities give a nice, atmospheric feel to the game and you do truly feel like you're on another planet. I also enjoyed the impressive arsenal of weaponry that the player can use throughout the game, as each weapon was unique and interesting. The enemies were somewhat diverse and interesting as well. Having said all that, why a score of 7? Well, despite these impressive qualities, Capsized has a few noticeable downfalls. First and foremost are the controls. Most of the time it was impossible to actually -control- the playable character the way you wanted to. Whenever you moved, it seemed like he'd always glide, slide, or float away. I know the setting is a planet with a low gravity, but still, when I want him to stop, I expect him to stop, otherwise moving around and especially aiming at the enemies becomes a nightmare. And yes, aiming was already tricky to begin with since the crosshair's sensitivity is strange and some of the time it blends in with the background, so you don't even see where you're shooting until you start seeing your bullets fly out of your gun. I tried to play with a gamepad as well, but that doesn't make it any easier. Another issue I want to tackle is concerning the gameplay. I noticed the difficulty was a bit unbalanced. The first 2-3 levels were really easy and then suddenly on the next level after that the difficulty goes way up. Most of the challenge seemed to involve you taking a step into a wide open area only to suddenly be swarmed by dozens of enemies from all sides, one of which would always grab you and drag you to another corner of the map, making sure to aggravate every other enemy on the map in the process. I admit that can be fun at times, especially if you want to mess around and see how many enemies you can kill before they grind you into pieces, but that doesn't really translate to a good gameplay. And lastly I'll also mention that for some unknown reason the game crashes when I try to load the final level. Everything worked perfectly and the game played fine in the first 11 stages, but the last stage consistently crashes to desktop whenever I try to play it. I checked for some fixes online, and I saw that there were other people who had the same issue as well, but so far no solutions whatsoever. Overall Capsized is not a bad game. It's well worth a try, because it does not fail to deliver on the fun aspect (even if it is short lived), and apart from the campaign, there are also other features, such as deathmatch against bots, and so on (although you have to unlock those features by doing well on the campaign), but despite having a good presentation and basics of gameplay, there is nothing much else to the game. If you're expecting miracles or hours of gameplay, you won't find them here. Full Review »