Worms: Revolution Review XBLA

Colne Crusader Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:33 pm

Release date:October 10 2012
Developed by:Warner Bros. Interactive
Published by:Team-17
Price:1200MSP

The Worms series of games have been around for about 17 years now. It is a highly regarded series and I’m sure every gamer in the land has at least heard of, if not played at least one Worms game. Worms Revolution is the latest in the Franchise that now spans nearly 20 games. Published by Team-17 the legendary Commodore Amiga developers, known more recently on Xbox for the Alien Breed games on XBLA, it is a Turn based strategy game in which you pit your team of worms against an opposing spine free force over various fields of battle. To aid you in combat, a plethora of items and weapons can be employed on each turn, from Bazookas to farting old ladies!! The strategy comes from knowing where to position your worms, which objects to use and when, and utilizing the environment!

This latest iteration thankfully leaves the 3D efforts behind and sticks to the much loved 2D perspective where you can glance over the entire game area, which I always think is essential for Worms. The gameplay is instantly recognizable as Classic Worms, however there are a couple of additions to proceedings that change things. First up is the addition of classes. You can now choose from four worm varieties. Soldiers are the normal worms, Scouts are faster and lighter; They can jump further and fall further without damage. Scouts are a pleasure to move around the field as they seem so quick and nimble compared to what Worms veterans are used to. Scientists heal team mates slightly with each turn they take, and also make any weapons they employ (such as gun turrets) more powerful. Finally, the Heavy class, are large and cumbersome beasts, but they can take more pain!!

The next change comes in the shape of physics objects scattered around the battlefield. These take the form of Zippo lighters and bottles of water amongst other things. They can be attacked with weapons in order to use their explosive or liquid spewing properties against foes! Dynamic liquid effects are also introduced here you see, and you can submerge enemy worms in water which will cause them to lose health on each turn. These additions, coupled with new items such as the Ninja rope and a deployable plug-hole, provide enough new shizzle for even seasoned Worms fans to get to grips with.

Single player mode provides 32 campaign missions. There are also a number of puzzle stages to negotiate. There’s quite a bit of game there to get through! Multiplayer is where Worms is at though, and this mode provides the typical game types of Deathmatch, Classic and Fort Matches. Multiplayer games can be customised to the Nth degree. Everything can be changed from the length of fuses in mines to the outfits of worms, to the percentage drop rates of each item, it’s very comprehensive. Graphically, Worms is typically colourful, and is generally novel and pleasant to look at. It won’t set your world on fire, but it is decent stuff! The sound effects are standard fare really. They are perfectly fine, but it’s only what a Worms fan will expect. The game is narrated by the well-known actor, musician and voice over specialist Matt Berry of Mighty Boosh and I.T. Crowd Fame. You will recognise his voice from the recent Natural Confectionery Company TV ads. The narration really adds to the typical Worms style of humour!

So overall, Worms revolution is a very good game! If you are a Worms veteran, you’ll be very comfortable with proceedings. The new gameplay additions are all decent if not totally game changing. The classic multiplayer gameplay remains intact. If you have never been a Worms fan, this game isn’t going to change your perceptions of the series, and if you have been in cryogenic storage for 20 years and somehow haven’t played a Worms game before, you should really sell your Megadrive and CRT TV and check out the demo.

Score 8.5/10

GrahamOfTheDead Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:44 pm

Good stuff! I bought the first Worms game on XBLA way back in 2007 but hardly played it. May be inspired to give it another crack.

gambler6464 Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:28 am

great review mate is'nt this the first arcade title that has a season pass?

Slayer1189 Thu Oct 11, 2012 11:59 am

Nice review though this is a miss for me. I feel the worms games become stale after a couple of hours. Glad to see they are abandoning the 3D route as for worms it seems best to go 2D all the way!

stubbymite Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:03 pm

this looks class i may pick this up.

Nice review work again mate

**minkey_monkey** Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:22 pm

nice review mate. I sadly don't find these games enjoyable unless someones playing it with me at home.

TreeMunky Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:41 pm

Sterling job my man. Enjoyed reading this with a mighty fine mug of tea. Love Worms and I am so tempted by this, feels like it should be 800M$P though...?