Worms Armageddon

"Mmmmmmm............Worms"

Worms Armageddon is the second title the little creatures have featured in, following the reasonably successful Worms. Whilst Worms was fun to play and showed some of the most original ideas yet seen, it got tiring too quickly and found it’s way to the back of your collection before too long. Worms Armageddon sets out to rectify that problem and comes through with flying colours.

The graphics of Worms Armageddon are reasonable, but no better than that. The only feature of the graphics which looks respectable are the hilarious movie sequences at the start of the game. Have a look at the game running on a PC and you’ll realise what a terrible job was done during the port from PC to Playstation. Whilst the graphics are expected to be inferior on the little grey box a better job could certainly have been done.
For a start, the graphics aren’t anywhere near as flashy as previous Worms games. The series has always boasted bright, colourful graphics, but it seems as if someone’s turned the brightness down on the TV set leaving the graphics looking drab, lifeless and a bit grainy. The worms themselves are animated well, although they could have been a bit larger, and the weapons they handle are also reasonable. It’s just a pity that most of the huge explosions that everyone loves have been toned down.
The backgrounds and landscapes that the worms fight on aren’t detailed enough and lack the zaniness that they once had, replacing it with dull, repetitive patterns. Overall, the graphics were a disappointment considering the potential the developers had at their fingertips.

The sound is just terrific. Every single feature of the audio is almost flawless. The worms have a multitude of different voice styles that can be assigned to them, each one with their own slang, insults and accompanying accents. Despite their looks the weapons each make fantastic and believable sound effects, the explosions sound like explosions, the gunshots sound like gunshots, everything has been recreated perfectly. The music is perhaps a little too sparse, although if you leave the gam long enough in the menus you’ll be treated to an amusing little rap by an unknown Scottish chap (My god! I just made a rap of my own!) which tells the sad story of the warring worms and is a nice novelty. Other than this lack of music I cannot think of a bad word to say about the audio.

The gameplay is always where Worms is at its best. You’re commanding a team of worms against an opposing side, on treacherous terrain, armed to the teeth. It’s up to you to make important strategic choices to keep your worms alive and win the battle. On the outside it may sound like a simple turn-based shooter, but the depth that the game has is truly astounding. Playing against a friend or lining up against some computer opponents you’ll notice there are nearly thirty different game styles for you to choose from, ranging from Artillery to Strategy. Right through the alphabet, choosing one can be quite overwhelming simply because there are so many to choose from.
Worms games have always been unequalled when it comes to multiplayer fun, but falls down when it comes to the single player department, finally this problem has been rectified. Worms Armageddon offers the player a deathmatch mode, where you battle it out against computer teams of increasing size and difficulty. A huge list of missions, where rather than just shoot the heck out of opposing worms you use all the different strategies you’ve learnt to solve some tricky puzzles and work your way out of dangerous situations. There’s also training, where you can hone your worming skills by blowing up a few targets. This is the first worms game in which people of any social status can enjoy themselves.
The weapon line-up is huge, and retains the weirdness of previous games. All the weapons from Worms and Worms 2 have been kept, bazookas, sheep, mad cows, old ladies, too many to list. There’s also an assortment of new weapons including aqua sheep and the much-feared Armageddon, which rains destruction from the sky.
The versatility and depth that Worms Armageddon offers is simply amazing. It brings the genre of turn-based shooting to a new high!

The fun factor that this game offers is unrivalled. It’s the ultimate multiplayer game, win the game and you get that satisfying feel of success and you can rub it right in your friends face. Get beaten, and just remember how sweet that feeling of revenge will be. The competitive nature of Worms can form fierce rivalries; you can battle it out with the same opponent for hours on end without a dull moment and without noticing just because it’s so fun.

Overall, if you’re looking for a multiplayer game to get, you can’t go past Worms Armageddon, it’s a worthy purchase. The enjoyment you get out of this game will probably last longer than your Playstation will. Although if you’re mainly a single player there could be better games for you out on the horizon.

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GOOD POINTS
- Unequalled amount of depth, so many modes to choose from!
- Never has a better array of weapons been found in one game.
- Hectic multiplayer action, no game does it better.
- Who doesn’t like the idea of homicidal worms?

NOT SO GOOD POINTS
- The graphics are still below average
- Background music is at times non-existent
- If you’re a single player the lifespan is practically cut in half
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GRAPHICS 6.5/10
SOUND 10/10
GAMEPLAY 9/10
FUN FACTOR 10/10
LIFESPAN 9/10
OVERALL 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/02/00, Updated 05/02/00