Worms World Party

Fans of the Worms series are no doubt jumping for joy at the prospect of a brand new episode to entertain them. With support for Internet and LAN play, new cooperative missions and multiplayer game modes and the usual bout of training features, single-player and skirmish missions, is this the ultimate Worms game?

The principle behind Worms World Party is to bring Worms gamers from around the world to indulge in their favourite pastime. If you've never played, or heard, of the Worms series, then the concept is very simple - Worms is a 2D, turn-based game where you control a squad of worms (yes, the little pink things you ate as a child), who unleash an arsenal of powerful and crazy weapons on each other until one team remains standing, or wriggling, victorious.

WWP, in a nutshell, is a very good game. The simple concept is easy to grasp, allowing you to jump straight in, but it takes a while to master the effective use of weapons to become a deadly worm-killer.

The game physics - don't be scared of the 'P' word, kids - are often working against you. Things to take in consideration when firing are distance, obstructions, weapon damage zone, other worms, wind speed and firing power. Your selection of available weapons is neatly packed into a menu, which is accessible by pressing the right mouse button. The cursor keys are used to move your worm around and aim, and the spacebar fires the chosen weapon.

The trick to playing the game when you are new is to familiarise yourself with the various weapons and their particular uses - there is a good list in the manual but actual hands-on experience is preferable. Weapons such as the skunk, super banana bomb and super sheep will entertain and destroy; the machine gun, blowtorch and bomb just get the job done. There is a mixture of frustration when you miss by a mile, and joy when you get a shot bang on. But generally being hit and hitting is a pleasure, WWP is a game that doesn't take itself seriously and you should treat it the same way.

Don't think that WWP is some kind of horrific game about worm abuse. Like the previous incarnations, the graphics and animations are all carried off with aplomb cartoon style. The level terrain and backdrops are prime examples, with cartoon ships, planes and villages all providing a platform for annelid antics (that's another word for "worms," because it's getting too repetitive to type). Team17 has provided a game that can be played and appeals to all genders and generations.

Once you have come to grips with the basic gameplay, you can delve into the features that allow for customisation. There are too many to list here, but you can design your own team and levels, change the game rules, adjust weapons and tweak just about everything in the game to suit you. Team customisation is essential in multiplayer games to add a little spice to the proceedings.

There are three ways to play multiplayer. The first is to gather around one computer and each take turns, the second to play on a LAN, the last is to hop on the Internet and take on people across the world. Playing on one computer is great fun and creates mayhem: deals being cut concerning who makes the cups of tea aren't uncommon in a bid to fend off impending attacks. LAN and Internet games take away that personal feel, but there is chat bar to keep you occupied while you wait for players taking their turns.

But while Worms is certainly a fantastic game, it does have a few problems - mainly relating to time. Worms has been around forever and not much has changed in the gameplay. Sure, you can tweak and twist, but you could do that in Worms Armageddon; yeah, you can play online, but you could do that since Worms 2; and it's got these great weapons, but so did even the original Worms.

Another possible problem is it's still solely turn-based, which will put many gamers preferring more fast-paced action off sooner than you can shout, "Liver and onions for lunch!" Also, not many people seemed to be interested in the online section - a visit to the game server took about half an hour to get someone playing. Admittedly, it might gain an extra boost in popularity when the game makes its US release in May.

Conclusion

Worms World Party is an excellent addition to the game series; as with the previous episodes, all the comedy and the gargantuan amount of options hang together well. But I would only call it a must-buy for those who have never played a game of Worms before or are unwaveringly addicted to the series. If you've played one of the previous Worms games, and weren't all that interested, there is no point parting cash for this. | |

Review By GamesDomain