Worms W.M.D (PC) Preview

By Thomas Wrobel 27.07.2016

Review for Worms W.M.D on PC

It was in 1995 the worms declared their war.
A turn-based battle with projectiles, but the people wanted more.

Delivering with ninja ropes and supersheep, exploding things aplenty,
The weapon total, all in all, seemed around seventy.

The game was pretty simple: angle the bazooka, judge its power well,
Make your plans, depress the key - then watch it go to hell.

Unfortunately for these brave worms, this carnage was quite fun.
Through thick and thin, good times and grim, the game had quite a run.

Sequels came, and the war went on, and decades since have past.
A 3D game here, a class system there, but how long did those last?

A Space Oddity, Open Warfare, remakes and more.
With all these entries past is there more left to explore?
Or is there no hope - Will Worms W.M.D just bore?

Worms has been a staple for PC games for a long time. In some ways, it is to turn-based strategies as what Mario Kart is to racing, being both different and accessible enough for even people not normally fans of the genres to enjoy. Most people probably have at least one version - in a drawer somewhere - forgotten and waiting patiently for some elaborate LAN gaming party plans to fall apart, and everyone to need a multiplayer game that works on one old laptop.

The games have moved on since that old copy in that drawer, though. After an admirable, but ultimately failed, flirtation with 3D in the early 2000s, Worms returned to its routes and has been regularly popping up on release schedules with 2D entries, ports, and re-releases ever since. Worms W.M.D, however, seems to be one of the most definitively new entries in the series. In fact, with its plethora of new features, it's arguably the most significant version of the game in some time.

Screenshot for Worms W.M.D on PC

Worms W.M.D features vehicles for the first time, allowing worms to take control over helicopters and tanks to provide a more mobile way to deliver carnage. There's also gun turrets, which work as expected, and what seems to be the most interesting new addition: buildings. Going inside buildings feels like the seamless expansion to the core mechanics rather than a new feature bolted on. Acting less like a garrison, and more like a simple cut-away of another part of the map, one could heavily bet on buildings (more than tanks and gun turrets) making a return in all future instalments. There's also, of course, a bunch of new weaponry, and the seemingly bizarre inclusion of a crafting system - as if there's a legal requirement for all games to have one these days.

Additionally, Team17 seems to have gone licensed IP crazy, with pre-orders for the game receiving skins and weapons based around games such as Saint's Row, Broforce, Goat Simulator, and even Yooka-Laylee. Sadly, however, it seems no one thought to invite Earthworm Jim - possibly the one crossover that would have made sense.

Aside from the buildings, a lot of these new additions could be categorised as gimmicks. Not that they are necessarily bad things. If something gives entertainment value in the moment, it doesn't need to revolutionise the genre in order to be worth having. The difference between a gimmick and revolutionary feature is simply what sticks around - and at times in gaming's history, what has seemed like a gimmick went on to become mainstream and expected. Only a complete fool would pretend to know what will become future classic parts of a game. That said, clearly buildings will become future classic parts of this game.

Screenshot for Worms W.M.D on PC

Final Thoughts

The preview version of the game played did have a few technical issues, but all of these were well known to the developer and won’t be in the final release. It also only had a handful of campaign levels to judge. However, the entertainment value of what was shown was very positive, and combined with the fact the final game promises 30 campaign missions (as well as training and challenge levels), there should be enough meat to the final product. Overall Worms W.M.D is shaping up nicely, and while it might be a gimmick-filled release, it also could be the most fun one in quite some time.

Developer

Team17

Publisher

Team17

Genre

Strategy

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  8/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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