Hands-on with Wave Wave for iOS

There aren't many games out there that begin with an "intense imagery" warning. Wave Wave does. Good job, too.

Wave Wave is a fast-paced arcade dodge-'em-up in which you control a zig-zagging line through angular gauntlets.

It bears all the hallmarks of a 'just-one-more-go' game. An incredibly difficult 'just-one-more-go' game. Like Super Hexagon.

So, yes, there are electronic beats, mesmerising visuals, and simple controls. It even has a female voice that says "Game over" when you fail.

You play Wave Wave with just one touch. You press your finger or thumb down to make the line move up or down (it varies depending on the level), and let go to make the line travel in the opposite direction.

That's easy enough, you may think. But, no. Stop. This is one of the most sensually hostile games I've played. By that, I mean the developer clearly hates your eyes and tries to destroy them while you play.

To explain: not only does the speed at which the line moves go up and up, but also the gaps to zig-zag through get narrower and narrower.

You can expect to encounter visual distortions such as "Flat" (where a level is squashed) and "Rotate" (where a level is, err, rotated). There are plenty more where they came from, mind.

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One of Wave Wave's strengths is the sheer variety of game modes on offer.

The "Levels" are short angular stages with a finish line at the end. Mostly, you're dodging black triangles. There are multiple difficulty settings here, ranging from Tough to Extreme.

Then, there is "Galaxy". Instead of dodging triangles here, you have to evade clusters of small shapes. Unlike in Levels, you can make a few mistakes in Galaxy before failing.

Oooo, don't forget "Infinity". This is an endless mode that will drive you bonkers. You can select your flavour, too. "Rotator" is a constantly rotating level, for example. In "Repeater", meanwhile, a pattern is copied over and over again.

Lastly, there is "Random". This seems to be the hardest mode in the game. Not only do you have to move fast in this mode, but you also have to respond to all the different visual effects at different times. Good luck handling that.

There's also a VS. mode inside each of the main three game modes in Wave Wave. After selecting the VS. mode, the screen splits in half so that both players can use their side of the device. Put simply, it's a race of endurance.

Wave Wave is a really tough game. But it is a lot of fun, and minutes have just flown by as I try to master a level over and over.

It may look near-impossible to play from the video footage, sure. But when you're playing it and get into the zone, all it takes is practice and determination. The visual effects really do strain the eyes, though, so you'll probably only play it in short doses.

The best way to describe Wave Wave is 'Super Hexagon with screen wobble, bumps, and visual distortions'. There are all the ingredients here for a good time... if you can stomach it.

Wave Wave will be surfacing on the App Store very soon.