Sharp geometric shapes, gorgeous alien landscapes and mellow beats define the latest musical adventure from the makers of Bad Hotel. That the melodies you generate while weaving waves through space free your friends from the clutches of evil is merely a bonus.
Lucky Frame knows how to bring music and games together to create charming new experiences, from the delightful music generation of Pugs Luv Beats to the tower defence meets procedural music toy brilliance of Bad Hotel — one of the best games on iOS. That dual-mastery coalesces once again in Wave Trip, a music generation toy masquerading as a simple space shooter.
The Game: You play as a geometric astronaut attempting to free her friends, who’ve been trapped in floating bubbles hovering over alien planets. Using simple up-down controls (with a recharging shield for deflecting enemies) she collects orange coins to break the bubble trapping her pals. Blue coins act as multipliers, helping players rack up high scores, but getting hit by an enemy resets the multiplier. So basically the idea is to collect as many blue and orange coins without hitting an enemy as possible.
You can’t die in Wave Trip — combo reset is the harshest penalty — so taken by itself it’s a game about racking up points before the level ends.
The Music: Every coin is a sound, and every sound contributes to a melody. The more coins the player collects, the richer and deeper the melody becomes. Getting hit by enemies slows and distorts the level’s tune. It’s that brief dissonance that drives the music-minded player to excel in Wave Trip.
Levels are comprised of several different arrangements of coins, each forming their own particular piece of a lush musical puzzle.
Again, there is no death. There are no restrictions. There is no level unlocking. The whole of Wave Trip is yours to explore from the get go. And when you’re done exploring, the creation begins.
The Creation: Wave Trip’s most compelling feature is the ability to easily create and share your own levels. Here gameplay and music collide in an amazingly simple editor. Place the coins strategically or melodically, add enemies to hamper player progress, and hit play. That’s all there is to it. Personal musical expression has never been so easy.
Ultimately the appreciation of Wave Trip lies in the reason you’re playing it. If you are in it for gameplay alone, the simple score-based leaderboards and lack of traditional restrictions might be a turn off. If you’re just here for the tunes you might be put off by having your appreciation of Lucky Frame’s musical creations interrupted by rude pink-hued alien enemies. But if your love of sound and interactive entertainment work together in perfect harmony, Wave Trip is a magnificent creation that inspires and delights.
Wave Trip
Genre: Musical Action
Developer: Lucky Frame
Platform: iOS
Price: $1.99
Get Wave Trip on iTunes
Leave a Reply