Sooo... it's XCOM without the customization?

[Dave Johnson]

Looking like XCOM 2 with gender-locked on-rails linear "muh student loans" characters, accurate?

[Retsuo]

Seems like it's closer to Xcom Chimera Squad than Xcom classic. What with the pre-made characters and lack of permadeath.

[Dave Johnson]

Originally posted by Retsuo:

Seems like it's closer to Xcom Chimera Squad than Xcom classic. What with the pre-made characters and lack of permadeath.

Seems like an accurate comparison.

[Sniper_Hare]

Student loans?

I hope you can at least customize a PC character.

[Swords]

Y'know turn based games existed *before* the XCOM reboot.

[moonfeast]

seriously.. the characters look like ♥♥♥♥

[Dave Johnson]

Originally posted by Swords:

Y'know turn based games existed *before* the XCOM reboot.

Yup, but for me it's the peak of the genre.
Nothing that came before or since manages to achieve those heights for me.

[Mors Avis]

I find it interesting/amusing how every "middling" review of the game refers to Capes as a derivation of X-Com ... which is exactly what every other middling, surface-level review says, making such reviews nothing but derivations of the same myopic thought-process. Imagine calling something "derivative" in a review that is, itself, hopelessly derivative.

In truth, I'd say this game is closer to a combination of Midnight Suns and Freedom Force. Apart from the turn-based game play, the only other real similarities to X-Com are the dystopian, underdog "feel" of your team and the cut-scenes that move the background story along. There is no cover system; there's no customization of weaponry or armor; and you can't create your own "soldiers". The dialogue and character types are vastly different.

Instead, the game leans into pre-set characters and comic book themes, with XP and skill/power customization a la Freedom Force and turn-based game play (w/interactive environments and combos) a la Midnight Suns. You even have the "simulator disk" functionality of older Ultimate Alliance games, if you want to get really technical about it.

Most of the reviews that immediately reach for the X-Com comparison are not worth reading in my opinion, because they're written by people who clearly have no history with this type of game.

It's a shame that character creation functionality doesn't exist in Capes. But it's understandable. Balance is already a difficult thing to get right in games like these. With "super powers" that can dramatically change the course of a battle, it's easy to see why this was omitted. Just imagine the min/maxing and potential balance issues.

Also, when you have the specters of Marvel and DC hanging over your head with potential "cease and desist" injunctions (for being able to create characters from the Marvel/DC universes), you can see why this particular "can of worms" was avoided.

There's a reason City of Heroes, Freedom Force, etc. are older games that were never really reproduced until now; they each had their own dealings with Marvel's legal team. In fact, I'm surprised Spitfire uses the term "superpower" at all, which, last I checked, is a term that is jointly owned by Marvel/DC.

[Dave Johnson]

Originally posted by moonfeast:

seriously.. the characters look like ♥♥♥♥

Agreed... I hate to be completely doomer-pilled regarding anything featuring characters with dyed hair / punk aesthetic, but unfortunately a lot of developers/publishers have completely soured my associations with that.
Too many "Life is Strange" / "Saints Row Reboot" vibes for this guy. We'll see.

[Dave Johnson]

Originally posted by Archon:

Most of the reviews that immediately reach for the X-Com comparison are not worth reading in my opinion, because they're written by people who clearly have no history with this type of game.

I think comparisons between games within their own genre are absolutely valid.
Just like any review of CRPGs for the next decade will likely bring up comparisons to Baldur's Gate 3, just like any review of a first-person RPG will likely reference a Bethesda game, most reviews of grid-based strategy games will bring up XCOM 2 for comparisons.

I don't see how there's any lapse in logic here.

[CrumbleCat]

The hip and cool thing isn't student loans anymore, it's referring to streamers and streaming. Gotta connect with those gamers.

[Antiga]

Originally posted by Dave Johnson:

Originally posted by Swords:

Y'know turn based games existed *before* the XCOM reboot.

Yup, but for me it's the peak of the genre.
Nothing that came before or since manages to achieve those heights for me.

Phoenix Point. Addressed most flaws X-com had and added in something I didn't think I could ever do without again. The manual aiming.
Sadly, I still wouldn't call it better than X-com but it was the most enjoyable experience I've had with a true X-com clone.

This however, is no clone. It seems to lack most of what makes X-com and ilk interesting.

[Iron Mal]

Originally posted by Sniper_Hare:

Student loans?

I hope you can at least customize a PC character.

You cannot. Devs have said this in the forums a bunch of times by now. It sucks.

[Dave Johnson]

Originally posted by Antiga:

Originally posted by Dave Johnson:

Yup, but for me it's the peak of the genre.
Nothing that came before or since manages to achieve those heights for me.

Phoenix Point. Addressed most flaws X-com had and added in something I didn't think I could ever do without again. The manual aiming.
Sadly, I still wouldn't call it better than X-com but it was the most enjoyable experience I've had with a true X-com clone.

This however, is no clone. It seems to lack most of what makes X-com and ilk interesting.

PHOENIX POINT!
I totally forgot that game existed, it was something that I was so hyped for- and unfortunately it seemed to release on to the scene like a wet-fart.

[Dave Johnson]

Originally posted by Iron Mal:

Originally posted by Sniper_Hare:

Student loans?

I hope you can at least customize a PC character.

You cannot. Devs have said this in the forums a bunch of times by now. It sucks.

Unfortunate. Not interested in another "Play through my linear story about my quirky OCs" game, but I wish the developer success. :3

[zhligw]

Originally posted by Dave Johnson:

Originally posted by Swords:

Y'know turn based games existed *before* the XCOM reboot.

Yup, but for me it's the peak of the genre.
Nothing that came before or since manages to achieve those heights for me.

you haven't played many turned based games obviously. The xcom comparison comes from a lot of young kids just starting to get into games.