Posted on August 26, 2010, Ron Whitaker Worms: Reloaded Review
Ever since the first Worms game launched in 1995, the series has given countless hours of enjoyment to gamers who enjoy lobbing a variety of weapons at their opponents. The latest entry in the series, Worms: Reloaded, is now available on Steam, and we got a chance to get our hands on it and see just what developer Team17 has in store in the series’ return to PC.
If you aren’t familiar with the series, the concept is absurdly simple. You control a team of worms whose goal is to annihilate an opposing team of worms. There are a variety of ways you can accomplish this, from explosions to simply knocking an opposing worm into the water. Weapons are the most fun way, and as it’s a Worms game, you won’t be surprised at the large arsenal of weaponry you can acquire.
Worms: Reloaded (PC [Reviewed])
Developer: Team17 Software
Publisher: Team17 Software
Release Date: August 26, 2010
MSRP: $19.99
The default weapon is a standard bazooka that requires you to properly judge the wind, the power behind the shot, and the arc at which you fire it. However, the more interesting weapons are what make the game fun. Air strikes let you blanket an are with munitions, exploding sheep run to assault your foes, and the inimitable Holy Hand Grenade lays waste to enemies and a large chunk of landscape alike.
Speaking of the landscape, the environments in this Worms game have a charm all their own, especially since you can design your own, if you are so inclined. You’ll find yourself fighting in locales like medieval forts, construction yards, and cities. Each of these is generated randomly, so you rarely see the same exact layout twice.
Another fun feature is insane amount of customization you can do to your personal team of crack worm warriors. You can name your worms individually, just in case you want them to mirror you normal gaming group. There are a myriad of voices to choose from, including a number of languages. You can choose to have your team talk like Grandpa or like a drill sergeant. The only downside to this is that they tend to repeat themselves. A lot.
Customization doesn’t stop at your worms. You can change settings for game modes, and even create your own style for playing the game. You can also put some time into creating custom landscapes to do battle in.
Worms: Reloaded also includes a number of game modes. First up, there’s a campaign mode. While there’s absolutely no story, it is an interesting blend of killing other teams of worms and solving riddle-like challenges that force you to do things like navigate a maze using a timed jetpack or kill a number of enemies with only one shot.
There are also two types of multiplayer: Online and local. Worms has always been one of those games that could actually get multiple players to huddle around one PC, and this version is no exception. Playing with up to four friends and/or family members is a blast, especially since the game is simple enough to explain to your kids. You can also get the same 4 player multiplayer online.
The multiplayer is really the meat of the game, as the campaign seemed to get very repetitive over a short period of time. It has its highlights, especially in some of the higher level challenges that really force you to examine the environment and make it work for you. Still, you can only go through the same missions so many times before it starts to wear on you.
Overall, Worms: Reloaded feels a lot like Worms: Armageddon updated to today’s standards. It’s a fun little romp, and a great time waster in small doses. Extended play sessions in the campaign may leave you a bit bored, but the multiplayer is still spot on. With its $19.99 Price tag on Steam, it’s definitely worth picking up, especially if you’re a fan of the series, or any of the classic MS-DOS titles that preceded it (Yes, I still remember Gorillas).
Pros:
- Embodies the best of the series
- Lots of customization options
- Multiplayer is a blast
Cons:
- Repetitive campaign
- Repetitive sounds
Score: 86/100
Pick it up on Steam here!