Sometimes it’s good to know what you’re getting into. After Wave: Downfall reveals its true identity in the first sentence of Nintendo’s product page. It’s an “arcade shooter where players fight monsters and complete different missions with cool battleships.” If this sounds like a game like you, read on.
A small plot of action is mostly presented on the text screen at the beginning, accompanied by a very short cutscene. In a nutshell, aliens from outer space invade Earth. pretty standard. What makes things somewhat unique is that they dropped meteorites, flooded the earth, and derailed animal life with radiation. You can have water-based enemies that cannot be attacked.
After Wave: Downfall offers three difficulty levels for gamers with varying skills and interests. Between all your enemies and firepower, there can be a ton of on-screen activity. Over time, you can increase your HP and gun damage, reduce energy loss on impact, and power your power bombs. You can also practice each level beforehand.
Like many shooters, it can be repetitive, but it goes beyond the story. There are also additional modes, most of which must be unlocked. One early example is the lack of firepower in modes that play like runners when shipped. With achievements to earn, characters to unlock, and local leaderboards, the content is fair at a cost of $14.99, assuming you’re a fan of the genre. In that case, the replayability is further enhanced.
The game looks like a title that would have been released in the late Nintendo 64 or early Dreamcast days. The cartoonish presentation is vibrant but perhaps not diverse enough, and while dated, the occasional perks such as changing the camera angle of him or zooming in on bosses during non-interactive transition scenes are quite Cool. There’s just so much action, it’s not like you’re just stopping to watch.
Musically, it doesn’t have a lot of variety, but it sounds appropriately epic without being harsh. Although it’s a genre theme, I think it goes well with the water theme.
Despite the lack of flashiness, After Wave: Downfall is a pretty good release for fans of the shooter genre. Despite its dated look, the water theme and enemy variety make it a somewhat unique game that I recommend for co-op players. It’s not much fun to tackle solo, but there’s more than enough to keep you busy here, and you’ll have to play for quite some time to unlock everything.
