Worms: Open Warfare 2

"Team17 Takes A Step in the Right Direction"

For those of you poor saps who bought the first Open Warfare title for the DS, and may be tentitive to hand out some cash to buy the sequel, don't worry; this game will not dissapoint. Any player, whether they've been with the franchise for years or are new to the series, will have a blast with the newest output from the British game developers, Team17. They took the critiques they got from last time (and boy, there were many) and developed a well-crafted, entertaining game.

Gameplay: 9.5/10

Like I said before, Team17 went out and solved some of the major flaws from the first Open Warfare. They fixed up the control system so it wasn't quite as bugged as the original, they totally revamped the AI of the CPU-worms, they got rid of all the bugs. They basically gave this game a better effort, and it shows. The controls work very nicely, implementing the touch-screen capabilities but not forcing them like previous DS games have. The campaign mode, albeit not to difficult, is a fun little adventure, and the puzzle mode makes you really use your noggin at times. The puzzle mode is harder than the campaign in my opinion, at least some of the scenarios, which can really boil your brocolli at times. The customization is immense; from the flag creator, to the voice selection, to the victory dances and gravestones. Your team truly feels like your team. All and all, WoW2 is a blast to play. One thing I was disappointed in was some weapons that were left out: including the baseball bat, viking axe, napalm strike, and longbow to mention a few.

Story: 8/10

Generally speaking, the Worms' games don't have blockbuster storylines, and this ain't no exception. Basically, for the campaign mode, its a worm that keeps getting blasted off into different settings, and, more importantly, different wars. At points, its seems a little lame and forced, but it does what it needs to to tie the levels together. Doesn't really make or break the game, and I'm not surprised nor dissapointed in it, although I can say if your going on story alone, you'll probably be disappointed.

Graphics: 9.5/10

The game starts off with a beautiful cutscene; maybe some of the best on the DS. All of the cutscenes are this good, and they really put the DS's graphics card to the max. The levels cutscenes are well done as well; they look like every other Worms' titles graphics, albeit more cramped in. The Worms look like they should, everything looks right.

Sound: 9.5/10

The game really shines here. The worms' voices are great, as per usual, with the humour still included from previous games. The sound effects, during weapon firing and when moving and jumping, are the same from past games. The background music fits the themed-levels nicely. Overall, the game sounds great, so good that I actually leave the volume on rather than turning it off like I normally do.

Replayability: 10/10

The game offers a variety of different modes, including the core modes (puzzle and campaign) but also a Labratory mode (kind of a minigame mode) and a few multiplayer modes. The Wi-Fi connection is also well done, so you can keep playing this game for a while.

Final Recommendation:

Buy it now. Regardless whether your a hardcore Worms' player or not, this game should be on the "To Buy" list of any gamer with a DS. Everything was well done, the sounds, graphics, controls, everything. Team17 got back on their horse, after coming off a miserable previous attempt. So stop reading, and go out and buy Worms Open Warfare 2 at your local video games retailer today. See you online!

Worms Open Warfare 2: Its Worms World War!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/27/07

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