Wavetale: Compact Thoughts

Wavetale is a game where you pilot a character named Sigrid who is living with her grandmother in the decaying archipelago land. This land is surrounded by this corrosive smog substance named Gloom. One day while Sigrid is prepping with her grandmother to turn on their lighthouse to push back the Gloom. Sigrid falls into the water and is saved by a mysterious shadow lurking underneath the waters that surround the archipelago. With the shadows' help, it allows Sigrid to surf around the ocean without needing a bot and help others activate their lighthouses to push the Gloom back.

  I bought this game on a whim because the art style caught my eye during a late night scan of steam games during the summer sale. I am glad it did because I had a relaxing and enjoyable time playing Wavetale for about four hours. The surfing, gliding and ziplining matched with the music set a wonderful vibe for the singular game session I spent on it. Anyone can grab this game and instantly get good at it. This also functions as a great game to get newbie players to learn how to enjoy video games as the barrier entry is so low to understand and enjoy.  The overall story presented by the developer is an endearing tale of loss and the want to prevent more loss through their hard headed but traumatized characters. What this game does well within its story elements is the dialogue and how natural it feels given the circumstances of this world's current political and climate situation. Nothing feels off and it never felt like the team wasted a line. 

I purchased this game during the steam’s summer sale for $2.69 compared to paying the MSRP of $29.99. I think this does affect my opinion of the game. This game does not have replay value and for a price of $29.99 other games with similar quality and the ability to be replayed multiple times cost the same amount if not cheaper. It's a good game, but I fear that price per use might be very dissuading for a customer.