Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition Review

Similar to the remainder of my fellow tea-swilling, fish-and-chip-eating, monarchy-having Brits, I bloody love Worms. Though the unique video games that kicked off the nation’s Invertebrate fever launched far earlier than my time, Team17’s traditional technique video games had been nonetheless a big a part of my childhood, even when my uncultured youthful self believed that Worms 3D was the most effective one.

I’ve mercifully grown up within the 21 years since that horrible opinion was shaped, which implies that I now agree with everybody that Worms Armageddon is the collection at its absolute peak, even when it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that later video games added. Regardless of my love for Holy Hand Grenades, it’s been a lengthy time since I’ve dived right into a match of Worms, particularly because the collection has been going by so many modifications lately.

Keep in mind Worms Rumble? Didn’t suppose so.

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All Hail Digital Eclipse

The corporate deserves extra credit score than anybody is giving it.

Whereas all of us Worms followers sit round twiddling our thumbs ready for the following large recreation within the collection, Team17 and Digital Eclipse are celebrating the twenty fifth anniversary of Worms Armageddon with a brand new re-release that brings it to fashionable consoles and provides a bunch of quality-of-life enhancements and extras. Whereas PC veterans received’t discover a lot new right here, it’s the right manner for lapsed followers and the following era to see what all of the Ninja Roping fuss has been about.

“You may Pay For That!”

A screenshot of Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition in action.

If, like a Worm, you’ve been dwelling beneath a rock, Team17’s Worms is a turn-based tactical collection that has you making a staff of high-pitched wriggling warriors after which taking by yourself species in real-time fight with weapons that wouldn’t be misplaced in Ratchet & Clank. Whereas there are some regular arms like Shotguns, Uzis, and Baseball Bats (regular for a human, much less so a creepy-crawly), you’ve additionally received an arsenal of exploding sheep, jetpacks, and a grenade that screams hallelujah because it blows up.

Mix all of these with instruments like jetpacks that allow you to fly across the map, teleporters, and even girders to create paths and bunkers for your self, and Worms matches find yourself having a shocking quantity of depth to them as you and one other participant work to kill one another off and have the final Worm standing.

I’m not normally a fan of both turn-based or tactical video games, however Worms has all the time held a particular place in my coronary heart for the way it caters to each sort of participant. Not simply because you may make a staff named after your mates and provides them silly accents, however as a result of Worms is simply nearly as good for casuals and newcomers as it’s for veterans and people who can really use the in-game wind route to their benefit.

Worms Is Nonetheless Simply As Good For Vets As It Is Casuals

Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition in mid-match action.

If you wish to take it severely and determine the intricacies of weapons and their a number of makes use of you may, however you may also play like me and simply use the Baseball Bat and Dragon Ball like a knob. That perspective is strictly why Worms Armageddon is taken into account by most to be the most effective. There’s an awesome variety of issues to customize, from the timers on grenades to the maps that you simply play on.

All the pieces that made Worms Armageddon particular when it launched in 1999 is captured within the Anniversary Version and I’m pleased to say that it hasn’t missed a beat in all these years. The quantity of strategic choices continues to be spectacular, the quick matches are simply as moreish as they’ve all the time been, and the sensation of clutching a win with a Mortar Strike continues to be unmatched. Properly, apart from ending a staff off with a Poke.

You’ll lose mates for those who do this, although. Belief me.

On the flip aspect, that additionally implies that all of the issues that may put somebody off Armageddon are additionally right here to remain. The notoriously powerful single-player missions are nonetheless hell to get by even for veterans, the controls will be fiddly and unwelcoming for newcomers, and the offline solo matches take away numerous what makes Worms so charming, to call a number of. That is Worms Armageddon by and thru.

Anniversary Version Is A Worthy Celebration Of Worms Historical past

The War Stories section of Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition.

You might need observed that I haven’t spoken an excessive amount of about what the Anniversary Version brings to the desk, and that’s as a result of there isn’t actually all that a lot on the gameplay aspect. Past making it accessible for console gamers and giving it a pleasant HD coat of paint, its normal remaster fare comparable to trophies, controller and on-line help, show choices, and a brand new save system.

Probably the most substantial factor that’s been added to this Anniversary Version is one thing that followers of Digital Eclipse’s work can be very conversant in – an in depth behind-the-scenes have a look at how Worms Armageddon (and the entire collection) got here to be, referred to as Struggle Tales. For followers like myself and people within the collection’ historical past or recreation improvement as an entire, the bevvy of video interviews and paperwork make for a captivating additional that ties all the things collectively.

Anniversary Version additionally consists of the Recreation Boy Shade model of Armageddon, which makes for a really good bonus, even when the controls are much more fiddly.

Past that, although, Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Version is strictly what you’d count on from a re-release like this and doesn’t go a lot additional than that. I’d have beloved to see crossplay and improved multiplayer lobbies contemplating how essential that’s to the collection, however what you’re getting right here is simply one other strategy to play the most effective Worms.

Whereas I’m positive that’s not going to be sufficient for many who have already performed hours of Worms Armageddon or who already personal it on PC (which stays one of the best ways to play), for everybody else it’s a pleasant strategy to expertise the collection at its greatest. Hopefully, above all else, it’s a reminder to Team17 what makes Worms works so effectively – and it is not when it is making an attempt to be a battle royale.