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Waves

Waves Game Cover
94%Game Brain Score
music, gameplay
story, optimization
97% User Score Based on 1,282 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

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Waves Game Cover

About

Waves is a single player casual shooter game with comedy and science fiction themes. It was developed by SquidInABox and was released on November 16, 2011. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Waves is a twin stick shooter that can be played by anyone, but with a high enough skill threshold to keep even the most hardened shooter fan entertained. Clear the arena of enemies while racking up a big fat Combo with swift kills and well timed Bombs. If it all gets a bit too much you can use your Time Buffer to slow down the action and turn defeat into victory. Players can compete across seven…

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Waves screenshot
Waves screenshot
Waves screenshot
Waves screenshot
Waves screenshot
Waves screenshot
Waves screenshot
Waves screenshot
Waves screenshot
Waves screenshot
Waves screenshot
+17
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97%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,282 reviews
music250 positive mentions
story8 negative mentions
  • Waves features excellent game controls, eye-catching visuals, and a well-implemented UI, making it a standout twin-stick shooter.
  • The game offers a variety of fun modes, including local and online leaderboards, enhancing replayability and competition.
  • The soundtrack is engaging and complements the fast-paced gameplay, creating an immersive experience.
  • The inability to adjust button mapping for controllers can hinder gameplay, and some menus are difficult to navigate with just a controller.
  • The music loudness is uneven across tracks, which can be distracting during gameplay.
  • The game is single-player only, which may disappoint those looking for a multiplayer experience.
  • music
    386 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its electrifying and immersive quality, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive soundtrack composed by Smiletron, which features pulsating electronic beats that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some users noted issues with uneven loudness across tracks and a limited variety of music, leading to occasional repetitiveness. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's addictive nature and engaging atmosphere.

    • “The game's soundtrack, composed by James Semple, is equally impressive, with pulsating electronic beats and adrenaline-pumping rhythms that drive the action and elevate the intensity to new heights.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing and brings an additional layer of awesomeness to an already great game.”
    • “Waves comes through with the music and the feeling, the effects mixed makes this game awesome!”
    • “Also, the music loudness is very uneven and varies per track, suggesting that the issue is probably that overall volume wasn't balanced across each music file in the game's data.”
    • “Waves has decent music, but the actual sound when you kill enemies is not only unsatisfying but also annoying.”
    • “Edit: the music is pretty ehh as well; thought I should mention it; easily fixed by turning it off and turning on your own music.”
  • gameplay
    246 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Waves" is characterized by its fast-paced, addictive twin-stick shooter mechanics, enhanced by a variety of game modes and a unique time-slowing feature that adds depth to the experience. Players appreciate the smooth controls, stunning visuals, and engaging soundtrack, which together create a thrilling arcade atmosphere. While some find the gameplay can become repetitive, the overall design and mechanics are well-polished, making it a standout title in the genre.

    • “With its intense gameplay, stunning visuals, and electrifying soundtrack, it's an experience that will keep you hooked from the first wave to the last.”
    • “The gameplay is excellent, the music draws you in, the ambience is breathtaking, the brilliant display of explosions and sparks as you chase the high score: all of it is tremendous.”
    • “Waves provides a great arena shooter experience with its retro aesthetic and frenetic pace combined with tight gameplay.”
    • “Tldr: bland gameplay despite the decent presentation.”
    • “- gameplay can be repetitive, even in the same run.”
    • “My only real complaint is that gameplay sessions lasted a bit too long.”
  • graphics
    214 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Waves" are widely praised for their stunning neon visuals, vibrant colors, and smooth animations, creating an immersive and visually appealing experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's eye-catching art style and effective use of particle effects, which enhance the fast-paced gameplay without being overly distracting. While some players note performance issues on lower-end systems, the overall consensus is that the graphics significantly contribute to the game's addictive nature and arcade charm.

    • “Visually, 'Waves' is a feast for the eyes, with stunning neon visuals and dazzling particle effects that create a mesmerizing and immersive atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics in this game are stunning, and the gameplay experience takes me back to the days when I played Robotron 2084 and Tempest back in the 80's - it's very fast-paced and the screen can get full where the gameplay becomes a flow.”
    • “Waves has an awesome art style, everything is very crisp and works well together with the amazing neon glow of everything.”
    • “The abstract art style makes me feel disconnected and unmoved, so I'm less motivated to keep playing.”
    • “It has a few cool features (like the time slow that charges up as you make kills, or the bomb that becomes available when you get a 10x multiplier) but to me, the punishing difficulty combined with an abstract art style and lack of progression or difficulty options means I'll be turning elsewhere for entertainment.”
    • “Graphics seem to drag on my card pretty hard though.”
  • humor
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its British millennial style, featuring sarcastic and playful banter that keeps the tone light even during intense gameplay. Players appreciate the witty messages, hilarious tutorials, and the overall "all-in-good-fun" insults that add charm and entertainment value, making it a standout feature of the experience. Overall, the humor is described as a delightful complement to the game's fast-paced action, enhancing its addictiveness and enjoyment.

    • “One of the 'undersold' features of this game is that it's sarcastically funny, and rags on you almost every time you finish a game.”
    • “There's a lot of humor in the casual messages displayed here, and it's one of the things I like best about it: while the gameplay is intense and a bit sweaty, the game doesn't take itself (or you) very seriously.”
    • “Not to mention the dry wit and humor in the instructions and end game screens is hilarious and well worth a few dollars.”
  • replayability
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability through its fast-paced arcade action, various game modes, and the challenge of beating high scores. While the selection of modes may not be vastly different from competitors, the inclusion of achievements and leaderboards enhances the experience. However, some players feel that the lack of gun upgrades could limit long-term engagement.

    • “The urge to keep beating that high score keeps the replayability of this game right up there; aside from your usual 'survival' mode, there are other game modes such as challenges, bomb runs, etc.”
    • “All these great modes, enemy types, and overall challenge add up to a lot of replayability.”
    • “Should probably have some kind of gun upgrades or something; it'd spice the game up and give it a lot more replay value. Without it, this game gets old a lot faster than other similar games.”
    • “It's fast-paced arcade action with replay value for as long as you can entertain yourself beating your own high scores.”
    • “The urge to keep beating that high score keeps the replayability of this game right up there. Aside from your usual 'survival' mode, there are other game modes such as challenges, bomb runs, etc.”
  • story
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game lacks a traditional narrative, with many reviews noting that it has no story or character development, instead focusing on varied game modes and fast-paced action. Players describe it as more of a tech demo or a series of challenges rather than a full-fledged game with a meaningful plot. Overall, the absence of a story is a common critique, but some find the gameplay enjoyable enough to overlook this aspect.

    • “In some games, story is presented as a series of characters with lines of dialogue, and/or events that happen.”
    • “In other games, story is emergent, in that you create your own narrative based on choices you make.”
    • “It's lacks any sort of story depth that Super Meat Boy may have, but it has that same lightning-fast, razor's edge pace that demands every ounce of attention you can possibly wring from your brain.”
    • “This is pretty fun Unreal Engine tech demo, but I can't call it a full-fledged game; it has no story or true goals, just different trials and challenges. If you want to kill some time and can buy this for cheap - then why not!”
    • “No story to speak of - just stay alive.”
    • “Only downpoints are no story, no multiplayer, and maybe that sometimes it feels a tiny bit random, but that's a problem of all twin-stick shooters, I think.”
  • atmosphere
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "waves" is highly praised for its stunning neon visuals and dazzling particle effects, creating a mesmerizing and immersive experience. Coupled with upbeat and engaging music, the overall ambiance enhances the gameplay, making it a visually and audibly captivating twin-stick shooter. Reviewers consistently highlight the combination of graphics and sound as key elements that contribute to the game's exceptional atmosphere.

    • “Visually, 'waves' is a feast for the eyes, with stunning neon visuals and dazzling particle effects that create a mesmerizing and immersive atmosphere.”
    • “Such an incredible twin stick shooter... immersive music and atmosphere... hugely fun to play... 10/10!”
    • “The awesome, upbeat music makes for a great atmosphere along with the cool background.”
  • optimization
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is primarily optimized for a solo experience, with controls designed for a controller, though it also functions well with mouse and keyboard. While the visuals are acceptable, some users express frustration over performance issues, suggesting that the game's simple graphics should run smoothly on decent hardware. Overall, the optimization appears to cater to individual play rather than multiplayer.

    • “You will need a controller for this - it is optimized for one.”
    • “Also, where Geometry Wars's control scheme really was optimized for dual analog sticks, Waves plays just as well with a mouse & keyboard.”
    • “Personally, I don't mind the lack of multiplayer, as the game's design feels optimized for a solo experience, and I believe that adding multiplayer may not have benefited this title overall.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a strong emotional engagement with the game, particularly during intense modes like survival and bombing run, where the thrill of gameplay is heightened by the constant risk of failure. The heart-pounding moments and the tension of avoiding obstacles create a compelling experience that evokes feelings of both excitement and heartbreak when faced with inevitable defeat.

    • “My personal favorite modes are survival and bombing run, which both keep your heart pounding until that heartbreaking moment when you inevitably explode.”
    • “As you gain levels, it becomes exponentially more difficult to coordinate your sphere's movement (cannot touch any other shapes or you'll explode!), your plasma beams, and the path you'll need to take your sphere in the next 1 - 3 seconds to avoid the semi-predictable paths of the other shapes and avoid touching any of them, lest you explode.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has significant stability issues, with reports of freezing at startup and buggy controls that render it unplayable. Despite its polished appearance and engaging gameplay, these technical problems detract from the overall experience.

    • “Tried launching again, freezes at startup.”
    • “The controls are completely buggy and make it unplayable.”
    • “This is by the Arcadia guy, but where that was a buggy, unplayable SDL-based mess, this is a fun and polished Unreal Engine-based twin stick shooter in the Geometry Wars style.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect highlights the struggles of a talented game developer who created a top-tier game but failed to generate sales due to a lack of advertising, ultimately leading to financial disappointment despite the game's quality.

    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it seems designed to squeeze every last penny from players rather than enhance the gaming experience.”
    • “I was really enjoying the game until I realized that to progress, I would have to spend a significant amount of money, which feels unfair.”
    • “The constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the overall enjoyment, making it feel more like a cash grab than a well-crafted game.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating, particularly due to the leaderboard display being tediously slow, which hampers the overall experience.

    • “The leaderboard display is tediously slow.”
    • “The leaderboard display is tediously slow.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Waves is a casual shooter game with comedy and science fiction themes.

Waves is available on PC, Steam Deck, Windows and Xbox.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Waves.

Waves was released on November 16, 2011.

Waves was developed by SquidInABox.

Waves has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its story.

Waves is a single player game.

Similar games include Nex Machina, Assault Android Cactus, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved, Bit Blaster XL, PARTICLE MACE and others.