Around the end of 2020, Stadia announced a partnership with Thunderful Games in order to develop an exclusive game. Only half a year later, Thunderful Games surprised Stadia users with Wavetale. Announced by Mark Hamill during Thunderful World, the game was showcased as an adventure title. A game with a focus on characters and story. Even more surprisingly, it released shortly after the announcement, even on Stadia Pro. In this post, we give Wavetale a Stadia review.
Before Wavetale released on Stadia, Thunderful Games already released the entire SteamWorld franchise on the platform. Some of the top-rated games on the platform.
Tipping on the surface
Wavetale starts introducing us to Sigrid, a teenage girl who lives on a small island with her grandmother. Through some quick objectives, we get introduced to the controls and the main gimmick: Running and surfing on water, thanks to a mysterious shadow that lives under the sea. Shortly after, we’re introduced to the Gloom, a dark substance that is taking over the world. With the support of a great cast of characters, we set foot on water to embark on an emotive adventure. Our mission is to get rid of the Gloom and clean the islands. On the way to complete our mission, we’ll also find side-quests and optional objectives. Such as completing time trials or searching for secrets.
Overall, movement feels smooth and responsive. Controlling Sigrid is great, despite her combat skills being fairly limited. Equipped with a net, we can perform a basic combo to get rid of the enemies. Our movement options are impressive. Sigrid is capable of gliding using her net, and grappling to some objects in order to reach higher areas. Movement in land feels responsive, but most of the work went to surfing. Most of the game takes part in water, and movement there feels fluid and smooth. Sigrid can jump in the water in order to get a slight boost. Timing the jump to the top of a wave, will grand a huge boost. Said boost can be chained together in order to keep the momentum.
The great sea
The world of Wavetale might not be gigantic or filled with landmarks, but it still feels coherent. It kind of reminds me of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. A world flooded with water where only some islands still exist. There might not be a lot of terrain to explore, but each and every island feels unique and useful. In the middle of the ocean, we can find ramps and springs that make traveling fun. Sprinkled between islands, are some secrets that we can check out in the pause menu. We can also purchase cosmetics to customize Sigrid with different outfits, hats and colors.
Wash away all your worries
Wavetale is a gorgeous game. With vibrant colors that mesh very well together, and a cell-shading effect that helps make everything pop-up. All characters are rather simplistic, in a charming way. Each one has a unique design that represents very well their personality. Locations might look samey at the start, but the more we explore the vast islands of the ocean, the more we get surprised. Seeing the waves of the sea change alongside the sky and the weather is quite the spectacle.
The soundtrack, composed by Joel Bille, is stellar. Every composition fits perfectly the mood of what is happening in the game. Soothing yet engaging compositions keep us company during when we’re exploring the vast ocean. When we enter combat or the situation is dire, the music becomes more intense. Every cutscene and special moment has a great track alongside it, making each moment more impactful. Just like the talented work of the voice actors and actresses. All characters have a fitting voice and deliver each line naturally. Personal conversations between Sigrid and her grandma feel genuine. Writing and dialogue help too.
Conclusion
Overall, Wavetale is a great indie game exclusive (as of now) to Stadia. Even though the game is not that long, having completed it 100% in around 7 hours, it’s still a great exploration game. Gorgeous visuals, splendid soundtrack and charming characters, make Wavetale a safe bet for people who enjoy these kinds of games. As a Stadia Pro title, it’s a perfect game to try out and, perhaps, even complete it in a couple of days.
You can check out the first 30 minutes of Wavetale here. Let us know what you thought of this Wavetale Stadia review in the comments!
Wavetale
Summary
Gorgeous visuals, splendid soundtrack and charming characters make Wavetale a great exploration game that released first on Stadia.
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Great review! This game is one of the most beautiful on the platform to me!