Choose Waves 2: Notorious
Choose Waves 2: Notorious if you want an Early Access game with Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and Online PvP. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Waves 2: Notorious launched in 2015.
Waves 2: Notorious vs Solar Core
Waves 2: Notorious and Solar Core both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. Waves 2: Notorious (2015) is 11 years older than Solar Core (2026). Waves 2: Notorious is free; Solar Core is paid (Price unknown). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Solar Core
Choose Solar Core if you want an Indie game with DualShock Controller Support, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Solar Core launched in 2026.
Both Waves 2: Notorious and Solar Core sit in Action on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Waves 2: Notorious |  Solar Core | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Early Access | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 87.6% positive (137 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Squid In A Box Ltd | Aileron Interactive |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Waves 2: Notorious (2015) is 11 years older than Solar Core (2026).
- Waves 2: Notorious is free; Solar Core is paid (Price unknown).
Waves 2: Notorious vs Solar Core — FAQ
- Should I play Waves 2: Notorious or Solar Core first?
- If you want chronology, Waves 2: Notorious (2015) came out before Solar Core (2026). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Waves 2: Notorious and Solar Core similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Solar Core have multiplayer like Waves 2: Notorious?
- No. Waves 2: Notorious supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Solar Core is listed as single-player only.
- Is Waves 2: Notorious free?
- Yes — Waves 2: Notorious is a free-to-play Steam title. Solar Core is paid (Price unknown).