Capacity

Judging by how many books, music albums, movies, and video games are out there, it would be fair to assume that there are just as many ideas one can write or sing about. However, although it’s not immediately obvious, most stories boil down to the same basic concepts: love, redemption, revenge, etc. The beautiful thing is that the journey to the same destinations can be enthralling every time if you choose a different path.

Capacity is a top-down adventure game with a few visual novel elements, a disorienting story and a bleak visual style. All of these things work together to create a unique atmosphere, and although the game probably won’t alter your lifetime beliefs on anything, it might make you think for a while. On the other hand, it’s a pretty short experience, and it’s not very interactive either.

The story puts you in the role of a girl named Michelle, although you have the option to change it to anything you wish. Her drama seems to be about the boy she loves, and it’s pretty fuzzy whether he feels the same or not. Half the game takes place in some sort of alternative reality in which monsters roam around freely, and each one of them has a warning for the girl.

The visual novel elements come into play when dialog is involved, because sometimes you can choose to say one thing or the other. This affects the story somehow, although you need multiple playthroughs to see the actual effects of your choices. There are some bugs you have to watch out for as well, some of which might prevent you from seeing the text all the time.

Speaking of which, the visual design is exquisite, or at least very impressive considering what the developer had to work with. The artwork is engaging, albeit slightly repetitive in some areas, and the bleak color theme is perfect for the type atmosphere generated by the story. There’s some music playing in the background as well, which helps even more with the mood.

In the end, Capacity is the kind of experience that leaves you pretty sad, but it’s not horrible or too depressing either. Hence, if you think you can handle a bit of sadness and you do not mind hearing about the curse of love every other few seconds, this can be a great way to spend a few minutes.