If you’re after a game that has exceptionally easy achievements or a little casually addictive arcade shooter, then After Wave: Downfall is both. Developed by 7 Raven Studios and published by Totalconsole, the game is already available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 4|5 and Nintendo Switch. The game features solo play as well as local co-op if you want that same screen action from the comfort of your own home. There is no online multiplayer featured throughout which is a sad shame, but it doesn’t really need it if I’m honest. If you’re a fan of classic vertical shoot-em-ups like Ikaruga or even the R-Type series, then there may just be something for you here.

Introduction

After Wave: Downfall has a very simple premise and its gameplay will suit casual and hardcore gamers alike. It has a simplistic control scheme with only a few commands to be mindful of. You’ll essentially be traversing through the levels within the difficulty level you select and dodging all manner of obstacles and ensuring you stay alive. Be mindful of your positioning as you fire forwards toward huge gatherings of different enemies and conserve health and power-ups to slay the bosses across the game.

Gameplay

You’ll be accustomed to the controls of the game fairly quickly here with the analogue sticks controlling the movement of your craft with the triggers slowing you down with A firing in front of you. The shoulder buttons will deploy power-ups for when you really need a pick-me-up in the heat of battle. If you’ve played a vertical shoot-em-up before then you’ll understand that it is a game of bob and weave as enemies and their projectiles fly towards you. Using the left trigger will slow you right down to negotiate areas that are tight and need that extra little bit of precise movement. For the most part, though, it plays smoothly and most importantly it is great fun.

Whilst I found the lead-up to the bosses actually quite easy on the lower difficulty settings, you do need to prepare well for the boss fights as they take some hammering to take down. Power-ups are extremely limited so utilise them well and perhaps try your best to save them for the endgame. If you die then you can use in-game currency to bring yourself back to life for another crack but you’ll lose any multiplier you’d racked up. Extra health and recharge batteries for power-ups are sporadically scattered throughout levels but also extremely scarce at the same time.

Graphics & Audio

Graphically After Wave: Downfall has a cutesy art style that will appease the youngest of gamers, my four-year-old was drawn to the bright and vivid colours along with the fast-paced combat. It isn’t the most demanding game in the world and would even be passable for mobile devices in future I’d expect, but it does look pretty to play if your expectations aren’t ridiculously high. There is a small range of character builds to choose from which differ in their aesthetics and gender. The plethora of enemy types was what pleased me the most from interesting-looking sea creatures to families of beavers. Don’t underestimate their stance and power though as you’ll need to be careful with your approach.

The HUD is also cleanly presented and I became hooked on watching my multiplier across the screen when dispatching hordes of enemies and trying to keep the streak going. It is also deeply satisfying watching your score rack up in the top left corner as you progress through each individual level. The audio performs as you’d expect and playing this gave me the feeling of being consumed in an arcade with the sound effects popping off against the high intensity of the gameplay loop.

In Conclusion

After Wave: Downfall was a game I enjoyed much more than I thought I would. It was chaotic and challenging and whilst some will love the fact achievements pop so quickly, I kind of wished they were a bit more difficult to get. The reason for this is some may simply get the 1000 gamerscore and then leave the game alone, and it deserves better than this. Whilst it visually passes for an early-gen Xbox 360 game in terms of its appearance, it actually feels fun to play and has great variance in enemy types, bosses and weaponry. If you’re simply wanting to boost that all-important gamerscore or just after a casual change of scenery, there is some enjoyment to be had for any age or ability of gamer here, alone or with friends and family.