Waves of Steel

About

Waves of Steel is a single player simulation game with warfare, historical and science fiction themes. It was developed by TMA Games LLC and was released on February 6, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Waves of Steel" is a competitive naval warfare game that puts you in command of a powerful battleship. Engage in strategic combat, using your ship's weapons and abilities to outmaneuver and destroy your opponents. With multiple game modes, customizable ships, and a dynamic battle environment, "Waves of Steel" offers a thrilling and immersive experience for fans of naval warfare games.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 620 reviews

story76 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Extremely addicting and fun, especially for fans of Warship Gunner 2.
Offers a lot of freedom in designing custom battleships with a variety of weapons and components.
Engaging arcade-style gameplay with chaotic naval combat and humorous elements.

The campaign is relatively short with limited content currently available.
Some players find the political themes and character designs distracting or off-putting.
The UI and controls can be janky, leading to occasional frustration during gameplay.

story
430 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
80%
2%
The game's story is described as light-hearted and absurd, often feeling like a mix of wacky naval combat and quirky character interactions, with some players finding it enjoyable despite its simplicity. While the narrative may not be particularly compelling or deep, it serves as a backdrop for the engaging gameplay, allowing for customization and replayability through mission-based mechanics. However, some players express frustration with the story's political undertones and the overall execution, leading to a mixed reception regarding its quality and impact on the gaming experience.
- “The story is surprisingly good, miraculously good given that there are sensitivity readers in the credits.”
- “The characters are wonderful, their story is engaging, and the core gameplay loop just draws me right in.”
- “That's just the gameplay, the campaign and story is actually very interesting, comes with some twists and turns and some kooky characters as well as some really well done character arcs.”
- “I'm not going to touch the story other than to say it makes the original Warship Gunner look like War and Peace.”
- “They ruined any chances at having a decent plot by focusing far too much on the political messaging and they ended up with a 5-minute cutscene about fleet admirals whining about previous trauma.”
- “The story is absolutely all over the place but has you wanting to see the end.”
gameplay
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
64%
5%
The gameplay is characterized as a fun, arcade-style experience with a strong emphasis on customization and ship design, allowing for creative and varied strategies. Players enjoy the engaging core loop of completing missions, collecting parts, and building ships, although some find the mechanics simplistic and the graphics lacking. Overall, while the game has its rough edges, it offers a high-octane, enjoyable experience reminiscent of classic naval combat games.
- “The gameplay loop of collecting parts, finding secrets, and replaying missions to find gear feels good.”
- “The gameplay is high-octane fun, and going on rampages is great for when you just want to turn your mind off and game.”
- “The core gameplay loop involves playing the missions and then building new ships using newer and better parts, or adjusting your build to be able to beat the mission.”
- “On top of the buginess and poor gameplay, the game is a politicized mess.”
- “Even with all that said, I cannot recommend you buy this game; even if you entirely ignore the story, the gameplay isn't that amazing.”
- “Except this is 'do it again, stupid!' gameplay with a terribly janky ship designer.”
graphics
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
5%
The graphics of the game are generally described as simplistic and cartoony, which some players feel detracts from the overall experience, while others appreciate how this style supports smooth gameplay and high framerates during chaotic action. Despite the basic visuals, the art style is consistent and allows for creative level design and ship customization, making it enjoyable for those who prioritize gameplay over graphical fidelity. Overall, while there are calls for improved graphics, many players find the current aesthetic charming and fitting for the game's arcade-like nature.
- “Ignore the simple graphics, it allows the game to go mad with loads of ships and projectiles in a fun and engaging combat, with a wonderful ship creator that lets you create the overpowered warship of your dreams!”
- “The graphics are clear, if a bit simplistic, but the art style is consistent and the ship visuals are spot on for matching your designs and letting you see the action.”
- “The graphics are noticeably on the simple side, but this serves the gameplay by keeping the framerate high in the face of swarming enemies and projectiles.”
- “I just wish the graphics were better; these might actually be worse than the original game.”
- “The overall aesthetic of the game is lacking polish, but this is to be expected from an early access game.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as nice and fitting for the storytelling, while others find it generic and repetitive, particularly during combat. Many players express a desire for more dynamic and intense music to match the fast-paced action, with some opting to play their own music instead. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as inconsistent, with standout moments overshadowed by a lack of variety.
- “Aside from the gameplay itself, the soundtrack is pretty nice and the storytelling made me feel like I was reading someone's WWII Pacific theater crossover fanfic where obscure fictional characters help the US win the war in an alternate universe.”
- “Excellent music.”
- “The tutorial starting out is great, I love the music, and hey, blowin' things up!”
- “The soundtrack is kinda generic and gets repetitive.”
- “More pumped up music while in combat, as the fast-paced action left me wanting more out of the music at times. If the music changes as the game progresses, I apologize; I would not know as I simply switched to playing music on my browser while playing.”
- “Play this game without background music and grab your own music player; it's a much better experience.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humorous and absurd approach to naval combat, featuring a variety of quirky weapons and ships that enhance the comedic experience. Players appreciate the clever writing and the fun, arcade-style gameplay that often leads to laugh-out-loud moments, such as ramming enemies and using unconventional weaponry like a bunny cannon. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect that contributes significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.
- “There's a lot of unique and funny weapons/ships to find that you can use to make your own fighting style, up close with a drill, far with cannons, or just random with lasers, flamethrowers, and even a bunny cannon.”
- “The writing is very funny and usually quite clever!”
- “Ramming is hilarious and you can kickflip a Yamato.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game offers a solid level of replayability, with a main story lasting around 6-7 hours and the option to engage in bonus missions or replay earlier ones using upgraded ships and loadouts. Players appreciate the freedom in ship design and the ability to carry tech from later missions into earlier ones, enhancing the overall experience. However, some reviewers note that while enjoyable, it may not be the most replayable game in its genre.
- “The game is also surprisingly long with a lot of replayability; the main story will take you around 6-7 hours, and then you can do bonus missions or replay old missions with your new ship.”
- “The missions are replayable at any time, and you can bring all the tech from later missions into the earlier ones.”
- “Lots of freedom in ship design, which allows for a pretty decent amount of replayability in the story missions.”
- “Taken by itself, the game is a pretty fun arcade experience, albeit not the most replayable one.”
- “The missions are replayable at any time and you can bring all the tech from later missions into the earlier ones.”
- “Lots of freedom in ship design which allows for a pretty decent amount of replayability in the story missions.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the need to start from scratch when using new hulls, which limits creativity and enjoyment. While some grinding is present to extend gameplay, the overall content does not support extensive grinding, making it less engaging compared to other ship-building games that incorporate more rewarding design experiences.
- “13 hours to perfectly finish all the basic missions; there's a few maneuvering bonus missions left and the Steam achievements, but that's just some grinding.”
- “It's not one of those games with enough content to keep you grinding for 1000+ hours.”
- “Other ship builders like From the Depths, Elite: Dangerous, or even Space Engineers gate the fun design aspects behind dozens of hours of trial-and-error, learning experiences, or grinding for money/materials.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The game is well-optimized, even for older hardware, allowing smooth combat and gameplay despite chaotic missions. Improvements have been made to features that previously hindered players, such as automatic collection of tech crates and a more accessible treasure system, enabling a broader range of ship builds. Overall, the optimization enhances the player experience significantly.
- “The actual combat just works; considering the chaos in some of the later missions, and one bonus mission in particular, the game is quite well optimized for my four-year-old computer.”
- “A number of features that formerly worked against the player in the older games (such as tech crates needing to be manually picked up, treasures so well hidden you either needed a guide or headbashing, indirectly forcing you into 'meta' builds, and so on) now work with the player, as tech crates automatically collect themselves at mission debrief, treasures are fairly hidden, and the game can be beaten with a wider array of ships that aren't terribly optimized.”
- “The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during intense gameplay moments.”
- “Despite the interesting mechanics, the overall performance is hindered by optimization issues that make the experience frustrating.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs and glitches that seem to stem from a lack of proper optimization, making it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its engaging storytelling and evocative soundtrack, which together create a unique narrative experience reminiscent of a WWII fanfiction. Players feel a strong connection to the characters and the alternate universe, enhancing the overall emotional impact of the game.
- “The soundtrack is beautiful, and the storytelling made me feel deeply connected to the characters and their struggles.”
- “The emotional depth of the narrative left a lasting impact on me, making me reflect on the themes long after playing.”
- “The game masterfully blends music and storytelling, creating moments that truly resonate on an emotional level.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game is considered relatively stable and bug-free for an early access title, with solid gameplay mechanics in both the campaign and freeplay modes, despite the campaign not being fully completed yet.
- “Relatively bug-free for an EA game; the campaign isn't completed yet, but the gameplay is solid, and there's a freeplay/quick battle mode.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that while there are personal opinions on character designs, they do not provide substantial insights into the character development aspect itself. Overall, the feedback lacks depth in discussing how characters evolve throughout the game.