If you like warships but wish they could kickflip, Waves of Steel is for you! Build your own custom warship and embark on a sprawling campaign filled with enemy ships, planes, submarines, and bizarre superweapons. Fast-paced arcade naval action is here!
Players freely place a wide variety of parts - including weapons, engines, superstructures, and other systems - onto a selection of ship hulls (destroyers, cruisers, battleships). This allows for a high degree of customization, enabling players to create their own unique warship designs tailored to different playstyles and mission requirements. Reviewers highlight the satisfaction of designing their "ultimate warship" and seeing it in action, praising the intuitive ship designer that facilitates tinkering and experimentation.
The gameplay prioritizes accessibility and action over simulation, with responsive controls, lock-on targeting, and the ability to automate weapon fire. Players engage in missions against large fleets of enemy ships, planes, and submarines, utilizing their customized warship's firepower and special abilities. Reviewers describe the combat as chaotic and over-the-top, allowing players to pull off maneuvers like drifting, ramming, and using science-fiction inspired superweapons, creating a sense of power and mayhem as they unleash their heavily armed vessels.
Completing missions allows players to scavenge new ship parts and technologies from defeated enemies, creating a rewarding feedback loop. Players can then upgrade and redesign their ships between missions to take on increasingly difficult challenges. The variety of available parts and weapons enables diverse build possibilities, encouraging replayability as players experiment with new configurations. Additionally, the ability to revisit earlier missions with newly acquired upgrades adds depth to the progression system.
The game offers a range of options and settings to accommodate different playstyles, including rebindable controls, adjustable volume and game speed, and the ability to automate weapon fire or enable assists like invincibility. Combined with the flexible ship building, these features allow players to tailor the experience to their preferences, whether they desire a more challenging simulation-like experience or an over-the-top power fantasy.