"An Engaging and Charming Outing for the Nintendo DS"

Back in March 2006, THQ published the newest addition of Team17's Worms franchise, Worms: Open Warfare for the Nintendo DS. That game, in all respects, was a disappointment. Fans and critics alike berated the game for it's sloppy presentation, buggy interface, and the lack of many of the fun weapons the series has been known for.

Fast-forward to September 2007. Team17 has just released Worms: Open Warfare 2, this time teaming with developer Two Tribes. Is it a massive failure like it's handheld predecessor? The answer to that question is a resounding “no.” Worms: Open Warfare 2 is a tightly controlled, fleshed-out, and most importantly, fun-filled game for the Nintendo DS.

For those unfamiliar with the Worms franchise, here is a crash course. It is a turned-based strategy game, featuring teams of 4 worms battling on a destructible landscape. These tiny soldiers are given a vast arsenal of weapons and tools to defeat their opponents with. Using their arsenal they must either deplete the hit points of all the enemies worms or knock them off the edge of the stage. Included in every stage are level hazards, ranging from simple high ledges to exploding barrels and landmines. Also each of the different landscapes features custom events such as a sandstorm to move around level hazards or high tide with rising water from the bottom of the screen. Finally, each turn and match has a time limit. If the match time runs out, all the worms hit points are set to zero and the water at the bottom of the screen will slowly rise to the top.

The standard weapons fair for the worms include bazookas, grenades, shotguns, mines, and many others. Some weapons make references to other gaming franchises such as “Firepunch,” which is similar to Ken's uppercut in Street Fighter or the weapon “Dragon Ball,” which will make your worms shoot a kamehameha-style energy blast at his opponent. More zany weapons include exploding sheep, the immensely destructive banana bomb, or the “Holy Hand Grenade” of Monty Python fame. In addition to these weapons the worms have access to parachutes, jetpacks, ninja rope, and other tools to aid them in traversing the battleground. After using weapons you'll be given three to five seconds to retreat.

Worms: Open Warfare 2 includes a fully featured single player game, along with its multiplayer assets. Players can test their skills in campaign mode, which provides a series of scenarios to overcome across a number of different landscapes. Each landscape has it's own level hazards and quirks to keep things interesting. There are a few “boss battles” scattered throughout the campaign, each of which is a particularly challenging one on one engagement. You'll be forced to use a limited amount of ammunition to defeat the foe in a short amount of time. Also featured in the single player of the DS edition are the puzzle and laboratory modes. Puzzles provide different challenges that the player must accomplish with limited weapons or movement. The laboratory features a number of touch-screen/microphone based mini-games, which quickly become agonizingly difficult but enjoyable. And of course, if all a player wants to do is sit down for a quick skirmish, he can enter the “quick battle” mode and jump right into the action.

Perhaps the most appealing thing about a Worms game are the worms themselves. These cartoony characters are well animated and specifically designed for humor. The graphics of Open Warfare 2 do the series justice. Each worm can give detailed expressions, and the environments are well designed. The voices of the worms are also noteworthy. They will cheer when scoring a victory, moan when in pain, scream when blasted into oblivion by an explosion, and even tell the player to “get a move on!” when time is running out. The only qualm with the sound in this game is that voices of the worms are often at too low a volume compared to the music. The music itself is fitting and unobtrusive, but a bit more balance would be appreciated.

Another interesting fact about the voices of the worms is that you can select a specific accent for your team. English, Irish, Spanish, Russian, and great deal of other choices are available. This ties into another crux of the Worms franchise, customization. Your worms can be modified in a variety of ways. The can be given a team name, individual name, skin color, voice, victory dance, and even a custom flag. Think of it as an emblem from Mario Kart DS, only this time instead of eating your dust your opponents are taking dynamite to the face. The game also includes a fully featured level editor. You can design custom landscapes, battle schemes, and rule sets. These can then be used in single player, multiplayer, and online matches.

That's right. Worms: Open Warfare 2 utilizes the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. In addition to standard multiplayer and download play, you can take your worms onto cyberspace and participate in one of three modes of online play. The first is “random match,” which is just that. You connect to random person, vote on rules, and duke it out. The second option is a “ranked match,” which is a completely randomized battle that can either increase or decrease your online rating. You can check your stats on the online leader boards right from you DS. The final option is, you guessed it, “friend match.” After swapping friend codes, you can connect with your buddies online, and watch as your personalized worms battle for dominance. Overall the online experience in Worms is a good one, with virtually no lag in two player matches. You can connect up to four players at once, although game-splitting issues in some instances.

One final feature to be noted in Worms: Open Warfare 2 is it's in-game shop. Completing objectives in the single player modes awards you with credits that can be spent there. You unlock new skins, music, dances, special maps, and additional single player challenges using these credits. This adds even more replayability to an already impressive outing.

Closing Comments

Whether you are new to the franchise or a veteran, you will appreciate the simple but deep gameplay and zany humor of Worms. The game is solid in all respects, with a fully featured single player and multiplayer challenge. This is a great outing for the Nintendo DS, and definite step up over the first game of the series. If you are looking for a different experience than you're used to, definitely check this game out.

Ratings

Presentation: 9.0
Worms features easy to navigate menus. an effective tutorial for beginners, and humor that everyone con appreciate.

Graphics: 8.5
The visuals are clean, clear, and effective. The worms' animations are both charming and humorous. Landscapes have interesting details and weapon effects.

Sound: 7.5
Music is fitting but unobtrusive. Sounds effects are adequate. Voice work fits perfectly into the tone of the game, but could be a bit more balanced volume wise.

Gameplay: 9.0
This is an engaging and simple turn-based strategy game. The weapons are tools are varied and interesting. Above all, this game is fun.

Lasting appeal: 9.5
Single player offers hours of enjoyment. Side games, unlockables, customization options, and of course the rich online play will keep you coming back.

Final Score: 8.7 (Rounded to 9 for GFAQs)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/26/07

Game Release: Worms: Open Warfare 2 (US, 09/04/07)