Waves

About Waves

Waves is a fast-paced twin-stick shooter from Squid In A Box, released in 2011 for PC. Set in a neon-drenched Neo-Cyberspace arena, you battle swarms of bugs and viruses to prevent system collapse. The game blends frantic action with strategic scoring, clear waves, build combos, and use bombs to maximize points. Its single-player focus and seven competitive modes make it accessible yet challenging. With a Metacritic score of 82, it’s praised for balancing arcade fun with skill-based depth.

Gameplay

You control a character with a left stick for movement and right for shooting, fending off endless enemy waves. Each round requires quick reflexes to maintain a growing Combo counter, which boosts scoring. Bombs clear clusters, while the Time Buffer lets you slow down the chaos to reposition or avoid death. Sessions are short but intense, lasting 20, 30 minutes, with high-score pursuit driving replayability. The seven modes range from survival to timed challenges. Controls are tight, but the difficulty spikes sharply after the first 10 minutes as enemy density and speed escalate.

What Players Think

PlayPile users rate Waves 4.3/5, with 72% completing all modes. Average playtime is 15 hours, though 40% of players log under 5. Community moods: 62% “Addictive,” 28% “Chaotic,” 10% “Frustrating.” High scores dominate conversations, many note the 30-minute grind to beat global leaderboards. Critics praise the “tight gunplay and escalating tension” but call later levels “overly punishing.” Metacritic’s 82 reflects a consensus: it’s a solid, if polarizing, test of skill.

PlayPile's Take

Waves is a niche pick for twin-stick purists who enjoy scoring systems and high-score challenges. The $15 price tag (if available) matches its replay value, but the steep difficulty may deter casual players. 37 achievements reward mastery, though 28% of players never unlock them. It’s a short, sharp burst of chaos, ideal for 20-minute sessions and those who thrive under pressure. Don’t expect a story, just a relentless fight for points.

Storyline

Set in a Neo-Cyberspace arena your system is being overrun by bugs, errors and viruses and the only solution is to kill every rogue process before it kills you.