Capes Review (NSW)

Capes is a tactical superhero caper combining elements of XCOM, Freedom Force, The Boys, Watchmen, and other comic-book inspirations. It aims at serving a particular genre that I believe deserves more attention from developers – turn-based tactical action. It does so through the perspective of superheroes (or “capes” as referred to in the game). Does Capes accomplish this balancing act?

The title impresses through its solid tactical combat not weighed down by XCOM-like Random Number Generator (RNG) effects, compelling characters backed up by mission-based characterisation, challenging action that will make you think, and a stable performance on the Switch. On the other hand, it often feels that Capes has potential that it does not fully realize. The story becomes predictable despite initial attempts at subverting genre tropes, the gameplay often lacks oomph, the soundtrack is repetitive, and the presentation leaves much to be desired.

Capes cannot measure up to the superior XCOM 2 and Midnight Suns in scope, story, and mechanics. Nonetheless, this caper will scratch that superhero itch.

Assemble!

The story of Capes starts off by subverting superhero tropes. Capes have lost and are hunted down by the evil Company within the unlawful King City. Justice is dead and your ragtag group of superheroes are tasked with reviving it. From the confines of an underground bunker, you will assemble a team of capes ready to fight against the Company and the survival of King City.

Capes features a compelling premise which unfortunately falls into clichés as you progress through the story – we have supervillains, an evil corporation, a tormented and mysterious mentor figure, a few plot twists that become predictable, etc. In this sense, the story is serviceable, although don’t expect it to linger in your mind and pose compelling questions after the credits roll.

However, the highlight are the characters, their interactions, and backstory. Capes does a great job at teaching you more about these characters, their struggles of being godlike figures, insecurities, and interactions between them. The game features Dossiers and Patrol sections where players learn more about each superhero in the team. Here, you get the opportunity to delve into the backstory of your team and witness interactions between your heroes. This adds a much needed layer of complexity to the story especially since the main narrative lacks punch.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Capes has compelling tactical gameplay which diverges from the XCOM formula. Capes does not feature an RNG mechanic for turn-based action. Instead, players move their capes around a battlefield, use their special abilities, and watch as hits always land. In this sense, Capes feels more like playing chess rather than being impeded by a random hit and miss mechanic. This is where Capes impresses. The game pushes you to be tactical about your approach to each stage, especially since the difficulty ramps up after Act 1.

The game makes you think about how to best utilize and form your superhero squad. Each hero has different offensive and defensive skills, which can be further unlocked and developed through skill points and skill trees by completing missions and optional objectives. Some capes like Mindfire are attack based, while others like Facet prioritize defensive and tank capabilities. Each superhero also has a chargeable ultimate move to wreck mayhem on the battlefield. Team Up attacks are the highlight of the combat system. Heroes can link their attacks and benefit from buffs like teleportation, increased damage, damage protection, and more. For example, the backstabbing trickster Rebound benefits from Facet’s buff for additional damage, while Facet enjoys Rebound’s teleportation skills. This adds variety and balance to the gameplay, allowing you to select your team based on your preferred skill combinations.

While the tactical nature of the game is appreciated, I still felt Capes lacked a certain oomph to its action and gameplay. As the leader of a team of superheroes fighting against humans and other mortals, I wanted to feel powerful. I wanted to see sparks and limbs fly. I wanted to feel destruction and mayhem. Yet, the action often felt subdued and sterile over time. Capes also does not have environmental tactics (did anyone say exploding barrels?) or environment damage, which I felt could’ve added that much needed touch of action and variety.

I’m Gonna Put Some Dirt In Your Eye!

Capes features a very safe presentation and artistic direction, although this proves to be detrimental. Despite being developed in the Unreal Engine 4, Capes suffers from outdated graphics and a very strange case of characters looking like plastic models when viewed in cutscenes and up close. During gameplay, Capes looks fine and unremarkable, lacking in a distinct visual identity despite embracing comic book art styles and elements like speech bubbles. I often felt that I was playing a mobile game rather than a release across all main platforms. I believe this is a missed opportunity to be more visually daring and distinct. The original score, while engaging during fights, is repetitive.

Nonetheless, the Switch version runs well. Capes is stable during handheld and docked modes without frequent or noticeable drops in performance. I also did not encounter any game breaking bugs or localization mishaps. However, I did find the writing font to be small and often challenging to read in handheld mode. Overall, Capes features an acceptable presentation that is unlikely to offend.

We’re In The Endgame Now

Capes has several good ideas that it grapples with, although its potential is not fully realized. The title impresses through its solid tactical combat, compelling characters backed up by mission-based characterization, challenging action that will make you think, and a stable performance on the Switch. However, the story becomes predictable despite initial attempts at subverting genre tropes, the gameplay often lacks oomph, the soundtrack is repetitive, and the presentation leaves much to be desired.

Those hoping that Capes can measure up to XCOM 2 and Midnight Suns may be disappointed. Nonetheless, Capes has enough going for it that I believe is worth trying, especially if you are a comic book and tactical game fan.

Capes is available on the Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.