Worms Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 14 March, 2007

The worm has turned up again.

Version tested: Xbox 360

When I got back from holiday and Kristan asked me to review Worms, my shoulders slumped a bit. "I expect I know why that is," he said. "It's because you think that - having slaved half to death while you sunned yourself on a beach somewhere - I am deliberately punishing you with a game that a) everyone has played, b) the two people who haven't can download off Xbox Live and try out anyway, and c) that is probably exactly the same as it always used to be."

"Correct," he added.

Worms' longevity is, of course, tremendous - even by the standards of an industry that continues to support Mega Man, Trip Hawkins and whoever it is that accidentally uploads all Ubisoft's product information to a public FTP once a month. It was 1994 when it first popped up, if Wikipedia remembers correctly, and won plaudits for its delightfully surreal premise, daft weapons and funny accents. Since then it's become something of a national institution, a bit like Terry Wogan or Babs Windsor, at least in the sense - if we're prepared to dispense with the usual games industry standard of "is it ripping off enough films" - that it's failed to do anything particularly inspired in the last ten years and now just sits there reciting the same punchlines while we all applaud like an audience of poorly medicated Kilroy disciples.

'Worms' Screenshot 1

Levels are randomly generated before each round, but you can regenerate if you're not keen - and writing down the level code will allow you to relive them later.

Worms is, as everyone knows, a strategy game where teams of up to four spineless pink cartoons batter one another across a 2D landscape, having to overcome severe movement restrictions, proximity mines and harsh terrain in their attempts to sling explosives at one another or dispense rougher justice hand to hand. Often described simply as turn-based, in effect it's still an action game, with players taking it in turns to wiggle, hop, swing and jetpack their way around each randomly generated level in real-time, trying to cause as much damage to the enemy as possible within a time-limit.

Reviewers continue to pay tribute to Worms' "British sense of humour", but it's not as witty and irreverent as seems to be its reputation - really it's just a lot of high-pitched squeaking and silly names. The animation system's often pegged as delightfully expressive, and the big eyes with moving pupils were definitely a good idea, but most of what counts for comedy is icons in thought bubbles and a lot of expressions that suggest the worms are as weary of my company as I've become of theirs. Sometimes they get a bit het up by the action, but they'll be pleased to learn I'm here to maintain their frowning vigil as the AI takes 20 seconds to decide whether it wants to skip its turn or, more likely, fire at me in an unplannably precise, wind-assisted arc of perfect, incredibly unfair exploding death. What was I saying again? Oh yes - after staring at roughly the same thing for the best part of a decade, it occurs to me that it hasn't really done much more than blink and wear a sign on its head that says "Willy".

'Worms' Screenshot 2

Levels are sprinkled with barrels, but sadly there's no napalm to spill.

One possible response here is that Worms on Xbox Live Arcade was simply intended as a restrained port rather than a new game, with the mechanics and weapons already set in place. But that would simply beg the question, where have all the weapons gone? Someone on our forums compiled a helpful list of the FORTY-EIGHT that aren't included here, and while some of them were hardly indispensable, others - the Holy Hand Grenade, the bungee rope, the petrol bomb and the napalm strike to name a handful - are sadly missed. All we've got left is the bazooka, grenade, cluster bomb, uzi, shotgun, fire punch, airstrike, sheep, banana bomb, prod and fireball. At least you can still place girders, blowtorch your way into hillsides and swing around with the ninja rope - although the latter is harder on a console pad than with the PC's three-finger d-pad, and, come to think of it, people placing girders and tunnelling are quite irritating to compete against.

The other possible response is that Worms was the lantern but YOU were the light. When you threw a grenade and it trickled down a hill at just the right speed to blow somebody into a stack of mines, killing them when your best hope was a wound, you'd be left hooting at your own good fortune. That still happens now and then, and it's certainly funnier when it happens to a real person.

'Worms' Screenshot 3

Graphically it's all very similar to Worms Open Warfare on the PSP, which is to say not as clear as some of the PC versions, but still quite sharp.

Indeed, played with a couple of friends sharing a controller, it will happen enough to ensure GOOD TIMES, and since the game only costs about the same as three pints, it's ideal to slump giggling onto the couch with. Then again, you probably own one of the previous versions capable of supporting round-the-computer gameplay, so perhaps it's the online multiplayer bit you'll be interested in. In which case, you'll need to know that games with lag are annoying, but that you should be alright once you stop people downloading legally obtained media in the other room. Admittedly you're reliant on the good, non-quitting nature of your opponent if you want to see out a round that becomes one-sided, but it certainly does what it needs to do. Beyond the online, you've got random games against the AI, or 20 "Challenge" levels, but these only really earn the name when the opposition starts behaving impossibly.

But for a few missing weapons, then (sorry - a few dozen missing weapons), this is as close to the series' peak as we've been since the days when the novelty hadn't worn off on the PC, and given the right company you'll find it quite approachable, with simple controls and the usual potential for comedy failure. Whether that's enough though is debatable - and it's a safe bet you already own plenty of games less reliant on fluke and pratfalls to entertain.

6 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (105) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • dog2_99 #1 5 years ago

    looks kinda interesting!

  • Der_tolle_Emil #2 5 years ago

    For me Worms is already worn out. I played several Worms sequels to death and I really don't need yet another one. I guess though this will be the first title that people will play online because it's quite accessible.

  • KingOfSpain #3 5 years ago

    I thought this was a bang on 8....great game.

    I will say one thing, it looks bloody fantastic on a HD setup.

  • trevd72 #4 5 years ago

    i like it for a diversion, there again i got it free cos of the stupid DRM that M$ have in place, so I cant complain. I prefer the back to basics of worms anyway except i do miss the "haaaaaallelujah" of the holy hand grenade. I am sure the ninja rope was 4x originally and no infinite so I would have preferred that. It has problems online though with people dropping and when the host drops it does not switch to an another player or punish the host. Saying that to punish the host would be harsh seeing as there are connection issues.
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 11:15

  • Daikon #5 5 years ago

    *boots up Amiga*

  • dirigiblebill #6 5 years ago

    Used to love this when I had the old monochrome Gameboy version. Perfect train fodder.

  • DDevil #7 5 years ago

    More weapons in future downloads please Spadge.

  • theidiotsarewinning #8 5 years ago

    really liked this...but then i always thought the most fun bit about worms was coming up with the best team/character names anyway.
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 11:21

  • ostrasized #9 5 years ago

    I always thought most of the 'missing' weapons were just gimmicks, anyway.
    This goes back to the start of the series, Worms on the Amiga - and every weapon that's there is useful and balanced - unlike the ludicrous ones that have been thankfully removed.

    That said, if you're not a die-hard wormhead (grins, waves) you won't get the amazing kick out of playing this in ranked matches that I do, so I think the score is harsh but fair.

  • Phattso #10 5 years ago

    Actually, I'd not even have given it a six. Was really looking forward to the game, but the demo came across as a loveless port of an ageing game.

    I'm sure that's not the case, and I have a lot of respect for Team 17, but this just didn't push the right buttons for me at all. It didn't even use the full 50MB file allocation which, for a game like this, could have been used for an extra visual theme, more weapons, or whatever.

    For me, a missed opportunity. But if you absolutely must have more Worms I'm sure it does the job. It didn't for me. :(

    /edit: actually, I'm being harsh. A six is a fair score - especially given some of the really shit titles on XBLA. Worms didn't do it for me, but it's far from the worst game on there.
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 11:22

  • quantumsheep #11 5 years ago

    It's flawed, yes, but I haven't really played Worms since the original version my friend had on the PC.

    The games can take a while, even the single player ones (as pointed out, the worms take ages to 'think') so it's not really a 'go on for a quick go' kinda game.

    However, find a good bunch of people online and it's good enough, and certainly worth the MS Points just to hear the cries and laughs of your opponent!

    Always thought a lot of the later weapons seemed a bit *too* much anyway.
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 11:26

  • DanWhitehead #12 5 years ago

    The ludicrously accurate AI all but killed the single player challenges stone dead for me. Playing against an opponent that continually lobs cluster bombs across the map, bouncing off scenery so it lands RIGHT ON YOUR HEAD is a chore rather than a challenge. Coupled with the fact that in a three team match the two AI teams will simply join forces against you, solo play is just no fun. Multiplayer against friends is still a blast though, so I certainly don't regret the download as I'm sure it'll get months of play on that front.

  • semprini #13 5 years ago

    Late reviews FTL

  • Xerx3s #14 5 years ago

    This is a great game, ideal for late night sessions with your mates. An 8 would be far more justified.

  • Overlush #15 5 years ago

    Surely some new IP is not such a big ask from Team17? How long is Worms going to pay the bills?

    Not a bad version of it though...

  • Walshicus #16 5 years ago

    Six?! You're mad! It's an easy 8.

    Removing the gimmicky weapons leave this incarnation of Worms easily the most pure in the series since the first...

  • samk #17 5 years ago

    "the AI takes 20 seconds to decide whether it wants to skip its turn or, more likely, fire at me in an unplannably precise, wind-assisted arc of perfect, incredibly unfair exploding death."

    Honestly, which pillock at Team17 thought it'd be fun to introduce a pointless 20 second wait for every AI turn, at the end of which the AI usually skips a turn or gets a perfect shot???

  • LOLLERS #18 5 years ago

    Yeah Napalm should have been in, I like the tactical oppourtunities itopens up. But then I guess everyone will have a favourite weapon that 'should have gone in'.

    It did feel a bit more cut-down than I was expecting though, only 3 landscape types and not many weapons, I know a lot of them are gimmicks, but thats what makes them fun to use every so often and lessens the monotony of grenade, grenade, bazooka, grenade, cluster grenade etc. etc.

    Still good fun though, although I upset my gf when I took an unlikely win and she won't play now :)

  • trevd72 #19 5 years ago

    @DDevil - sshh they will charge for it and splinter the group between haves and havenots and encourage more partial releases

    @DanWhitehead totally agree but this has been the same since the amiga days. these worms have phds in avionics or something like that but sometimes can't jump for shit. Single player has always been shit to the point of a 2/10 score for me.

    It is a bit of a lazy port being very close to (if not exact) the psp one that i already have. they could have put extra options in to reduce round time and turn time like previous versions, unless i missed these. i think you can increase the damage inflicted to quicken a game. Sometimes tighter time limits create panic in the tactics. I also miss the option to choose the worm you will use. the count down before your turn is there so i may have missed that too. the maps are too narrow and flat. This cuts down on the epic artillary exchanges and limits the darkside tactics.

    like I said before though i prefer this weapon set, although a few others could have been included.

    can spadge give some feedback on our comments?

  • agparrot #20 5 years ago

    Grenade!

    /squeaky voice

    Worms on the ps1 was one of the few games I've been able to get my Mrs to play, and that was largely because of the squeaky lunacy, and the fact that you could turn off the timer in that version, so she could spend as long as she liked lining up the blowtorch/pneumatic drill/girders to make it harder for me to blow her pink squealers up.

    Am going to dust it off, I think

  • masterson #21 5 years ago

    Whilst i find it hard to disagree with much of the review, it's still the best "800 points" I've spent - this vs 3 (local or remote) mates is top stuff.

  • Ciaran500 #22 5 years ago

    Its just not the same without holy hand grenades and super sheep :(

  • repairmanjack #23 5 years ago

    When you look at some of the tired shite, the direct port of 20+ years old stuff, that has scored higher than this you just want to shake your head in disbelief. Horses for courses, and all that, but this is without question an eight for me. It embarrasses much of the drek on XBLA (/glares at Pacman).

    Still one of the best multiplayer games ever.

  • DrDamn #24 5 years ago

    This is ~£6 isn't it? What did you want for £6, the moon on a stick?

    Seems perfectly weighted to me. Nice limited selection of weapons and options - sometimes less is more. Only minor criticism is lack of control on explosion strength. Seems there is not so much power in the explosions - or is this improved with different schemes?

  • speedjack #25 5 years ago

    Never played it before - so this is all new too me.

    Finding the controls a bit fiddly though. Is that just me ?

  • homerramone #26 5 years ago

    Its worms as it should be - only it works online. Easily worth more than 6/10.

    As for moans about hosts dropping out and missing weapons. Pish and tish.

    Hosts drop out of all games now and then - play it with people you know then you know there not idiots who will drop out when they are losing.

    Missing weapons - all the weapons you need are there. No theres no SUPER sheep, or carpet bombs, or armageddon. But the original worms didnt need them.....

    And as someone says - hours of fun for less the the price of a few pints of beer. Cracking value gromit.

  • LetsGo #27 5 years ago

    such a shame... could have been great :(

  • IAmBatman #28 5 years ago

    I didn't find that the AI was always pinpoint accurate.

    I found that it was pinpoint accurate 50% of the time, and wildly inaccurate to the point of damaging itself or wasting a turn the other 50% of the time.

    The AI in this game is appalling.

  • Steroyd #29 5 years ago

    Reason's why I didn't get Worms Open Warfare.

    /still mourns for Worms Armaggeddon port.

  • ReNo #30 5 years ago

    Had a good session on this last night with mates, and while we all had a laugh, they all seemed to think I'd been ripped off. Personally I didn't feel hard done by at all - its only £6 for christ's sake. I might already own 3 different versions of Worms on several systems, but I'd pay this entry fee for the convenience of having it on Live Arcade alone.

    Admittedly, it should REALLY have included more visual themes (the 3 on offer are lovely, but 3 is never enough), but hopefully they'll appear as downloadable content. What I really would have liked would have been more options for generating levels, as at the moment I seem to continually get almost identical levels. Options for how much "furniture" to add after the basic form had been generated, for example, or the number of mines. What about allowing worms to be placed in teams, rather than just random placement (random IS better, but options and variety are good)? Or good old Banzai mode from the original game, where every explosion was the maximum size and banana bombs became even more devastating? I'm quite happy with the limited weapon set, but some of those on offer are kinda gimped from their original worms potency (the two punches being prime examples).

  • spadge #31 5 years ago

    Feedback from us (me, really) - my views and not always the view of the board :)

    At the price of 2.5 of your London pints, it's a bit hard to get excited about a 6/10 (consumer average scores are meta-scoring around 8.3* in comparison). It depends what people's expectations are/were. The game does what it says on the tin, it's a very playable, accessible multiplayer-focused game. XBLA needed something like Worms really - hence being chased by MS to do it. The suggestion that we've cynically stripped weapons to provide them as DLC is contemptible. [Update: The user score here on EG is 8/10, even with the "1" that someone gave it]


    As ever, we've no choice but to stomach subjective reviews wether good, bad, indifferent or uninformed. At the end of the day, people can decide for themselves on XBLA due to the trial/purchase deal. I don't think a lot of the reviews "get" what we've done with it (i.e. casual space, low price - and low data size) but c'est la vie.

    We take on board the lack of weapons, but this is an update of the original - streamlined for a more casual experience, hence it being called "Worms" not "Worms Armageddon 2" (or similar). We appreciate people may like to see "Worms Armageddon 2" but this isn't it.

    The lack of voices and themes was purely due to a 50mb limit (high def art and localised audio bumped us almost to the 50mb). We didn't have the luxury of the new 150mb limit when we were wrapping this up last year and just because it's recently gone up, doesn't mean we could benefit immediately. Voices and themes are coming via DLC and before you all shout "rip off!" - there'll be a ton of freebies even though MS control the pricing policies, not us. The themes in HD are like 9-10mb each btw, so we couldn't squeeze another in. Two more voice banks (out of the 30 or so on the way) wouldn't have made a great deal of difference to comments about that either - actually they'd just piss people off because it wasn't THEIR favourite.

    We've had great feedback from players, yes the title does look great on a HD rig, but anything other than that and we'd have been tear-gassed by angry remonstrators.

    Whatever we do, we're dammned by one section or another. This one rolls back the years and dives into strategy - and it's actually very good fun abusing people over live and chasing the leaderboards. It's doing rather well, sales wise, so any questions about the longevity & appeal of this (or other long running franchises) are null and void.

    BTW There will be a UT (update) to fix a couple of minor lobby problems only noticed when tens of thousands were trying to play, generally speaking everything has been pretty good - (/Smug on) I shudder to think how many games of Worms have been played in the last week, we were no.7 most popular Live title (including full price games) and no.1 on XBLA by some way. (/Smug off)

    Specific responses to user comments:

    Weapon "packs" are very, very unlikely. This would only fragment the community online for the haves and have-nots. The game plays very srategically due to the balance in the weapon set and certain features (like select worm) totally screw that up. Should the title be a success (cough!) then we'll very likely look at doing something else with a different feel & feature set once we have heard people's thoughts about the game (our forum is pretty lively right now).

    (/Rant on) A "loveless port" and "a bit of a lazy port" are, to be fair, pretty shitty and uninformed comments and as such, well wide of the mark. I'd suggest you come to our local on a Friday night and suggest this to the very people who worked hard on this title - and to the very same people who are piling in their personal hours playing and chatting to the XBLA community. Disgusting, really. Easy to say lads, not so easy to do. Email me and let me know what job you do and I'll blindy suggest you're a lazy so and so too, without grounds obviously. If you don't like what you see, then don't bloody buy it! We totally get that it's not everyone's cup of tea. (/rant off)

    AI. Always something of a bugbear. It's an extremly tough title to do good AI for, it takes a while because it's given time to calculate tens of thousands of moves - unlike a human, it can't "read" the landscape as such (especially given the random and destructable terrain) and it can't really get too emotional about it. Strategically this game is very advanced. I admit that we do resort to levelling up this by occasionally allowing the CPU to throw in a good shot or two, but other than wait a very long time, that's the rub. We make no bones about it, this edition is multiplayer centric (on or offline). The AI does have 5 flavours though and does use all the weapons. Before anyone suggests the AI is more "lazy programming" I'd suggest they see shots of the AI "thinking" and firing thousands of trajectory arcs, movement decision points and more besides whilst it contemplates it's surroundings, worm positions and what weapons are available.

    I'll check back later if there are any more questions or whatever, but most is being covered on our own forums ([link url=http://forum.team17.com)]http://forum.team17.com) [/link]

    As for us doing original stuff, this is just one of the things we've been doing of late and whilst not much can be discussed on that stuff, Worms remains a key IP for us - and gamers in general if the 360 XBLA take-up is anything to go by. New IP and exciting updates to games of our past are on the agenda.

    You're likely to see more of us on digital platforms in the future, it should be pretty interesting in terms of our existing and also new IP. However, we're still in the mainstream retail area of the market and some announcements will be forthcoming about those titles.

    Cheers. (And be easy on me, am jet-lagged from GDC excesses)
    Edited by 2 at 14/03/07 @ 13:05

  • ostrasized #32 5 years ago

    people would try to claim that a developer cynically stripping weapons out of a game to potentially sell them to you later in DLC

    Except they've stated time and time again that there will not be new weapons in DLC. New sounds, new level themes, but no new weapons.

    A smaller, better balanced weapon set does make the game better. Of the 'missing' weapons about 5 were actually useful, if overpowered (the baseball bat, for example, was pretty much an insta-kill. Gee, I'm sad that's gone) and the remaining 30+ were just f'in stupid incidental rubbish. Carpet bombs? Indian nuclear test? Mad french sheep? The in-jokes these represented are 5+ years old!

  • IAmBatman #33 5 years ago

    > firing thousands of trajectory arcs, movement decision points and more

    My problem with it is that it only ever picks either an awesome result or a terrible one. I've never seen it do one somewhere in between, as most human turns are, and which it must get quite a few of returned in its thousands of calculations.

  • Phattso #34 5 years ago

    In fairness, Spadge, I did say it 'felt' like a loveless port - but was unlikely to be one. I was trying to communicate how it didn't hit the mark for me - obviously very badly. As I said in the original post: I have a lot of respect for Team 17. This didn't work for me at all (which is annoying as it was number one on my list of things I wanted on XBLA) , but clearly it is working for a lot of other people.

    My opinion is a fair way from uninformed and I'd be happy to discuss further (email in profile) if you feel I'm unduly harsh - either way, congratulations on the success. Hopefully some of the DLC and/or a future release will be able to hit the mark for me.

  • trevd72 #35 5 years ago

    @homerramone the host dropping problem is two fold.

    1 the game has problems holding games. you have no indication as to the connection quality of the match so perhaps the games that drop are rubbish connections.
    2 if the host leaves on purpose or not, why not just hand it to another player.

    not everyone has a mate online who wants to play worms every time they want to play. i hate it when people say play with people you know. its not always possible and defeats the purpose of ranked matches.

    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 12:50

  • Dirtie #36 5 years ago

    Yeah, but you know the Concrete Donkey is still the best ;)

  • bonker #37 5 years ago

    "Email me and let me know what job you do and I'll blindy suggest you're a lazy wanker so and so too without grounds."

    LMAO

    Fanfuckingtastic lol

  • Dezm0nd #38 5 years ago

    Can see why you gave it a six, but i absolutely love this version of worms, it has ripped out the nonsense weaponage, leaving a very hardcore experience which, online, is fantastic.


    ...when it works...

  • samk #39 5 years ago

    "Before anyone suggests the AI is more "lazy programming" I'd suggest they see shots of the AI "thinking" and firing thousands of trajectory arcs, movement decision points and more besides whilst it contemplates it's surroundings, worm positions and what weapons are available. "

    This may have washed on the Amiga etc versions of Worms but we're talking about an Xbox 360 here with its considerably greater processing power, so I fail to believe it takes 20 seconds to work out trajectory arcs on a 2D game, at the end of which it simply decides not to do anything (skip a turn) or fire a perfect shot (which is zero fun.)

  • septimus #40 5 years ago

    Thought the conversion was great. Only thing I hate is the never changing music.

    I just have the opening music throughout the entire game, unlike the PSP which has music for the different scenario's. Probably going to be released as an add-on, which is a bit of a rip-off even though the game was cheap.

    I went straight ahead and bought it without getting the trial first... could that be why the music never changes?

  • spadge #41 5 years ago

    The online side is working pretty well. There's one issue when a 4 player game is joined (by one or more, not sure yet) at the same time that the host hits START. If the host waits until people have stopped trying to join (the beeping stops) then it'll play ok. 2P/3P games play fine. There are very few disconnects in games - at least that's my experience in the 30 or so I've had - the guy at the top of the boards had over 100 games since wednesday... I'm not sure he sleeps.

    Septimus: No, it's because music is fairly expensive, data-wise. There was space for just 2 pieces (ambience and sudden death). More music will be available by DLC. You can also get hold of other music and use that.
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 13:01

  • ostrasized #42 5 years ago

    ostra - If you were better at worms, you'd know that some of what we've lost was vital for game balance.
    Heh. I'd play you anytime, I'm currently around 140th online (as 'myrmican'). I've been playing since the first version (although I liked the 'director's cut' better)

    I disagree that the extra weapons are vital - they're not. Dark side has never been unbeatable, even back on the Amiga when it was first called darkside because it was on the second side of the weapons loadout. Dark side is eeevil strategy, that's for sure, but everything you need to beat it is already there.

    For example, how are mad cows different from sheep, exactly? I assume you mean running one down a tunnel, but if you're that close then you can probably get closer and do the job properly.

    Mole bombs - you might be right, but I always found them unreliable - and like all the 'special' weapons, hard to practice with.

    I like the way that the strategy of the current version is reliable and predictable - it does make for a better game, although I confess - I'm not in the least bit worried about the last few rounds being darkside dominated. It's part of the endgame to a really intense battle, just like it always was.

  • quedex #43 5 years ago

    Compared to the way EG have treated other XBLA games, this was a pretty piss-poor review. You could tell right from the start that Tom didn't want to like the game. Spadge's response is spot on.

    As for the weapons, I'm firmly in the "Amiga weapon set is god" camp. Things like the concrete donkey and homing clusters broke the game, and it's nice to see that T17 went back to basics.

    Edit: And anyone who claims that the later weapons were needed, then take any weapon set you want, and I'll still be able to kick your wormy little butt around the map with just a ninja rope, shotgun and blow torch.
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 13:08

  • spadge #44 5 years ago

    Thanks mum. x

    ;-)

    Same deal as last time eh, £5 in used 50p's behind the bike-sheds.

  • septimus #45 5 years ago

    Thanks for the quick response spadge :) Sorry for the rip-off bit, but Team17's audio has always been good, so you miss it when it's not there. Playing Worms with Celldweller in the background just doesn't have the same atmosphere ;)

    Still love the game, so thanks for the hard work.

  • ostrasized #46 5 years ago

    Regarding the music - personally, I turn it off then stream my MP3 collection to the 360 using http://www.tversity.com< /a> ;-)

  • trevd72 #47 5 years ago

    Sorry perhaps lazy was strong but it is a clone of the PSP version with no real additions for the main intent which is Live! play. Perhaps lazy should read "unimaginative"
    Where are:

    the team options - 2vs2 or even 2vs1 goliath match
    clan options
    design a emblem
    connection speed feedback.
    host switch
    time limit changes
    one hit kill matches
    allow cpu in match
    rising sea level option
    smaller girder option
    counter darkside tactics
    decent lobby system (this one sucks so bad.)
    Record your own voice pack
    design worm skins.

    i could go on and on.

    yes its only £6...but i am sick of this only £6 on xbla excuse. At the end of the day you get no physical media, i cant hire it, i cant buy it used, i cant sell it on - therefore it has no value, the is no merchandise, no box, no manual, no marketing as such the only middleman is Microsoft. there is no (the big red herring) piracy. So because its only £6 should we have a limited MP game, which is after all what it is all about. I just think that extra could have been done to allow us to decide how to play worms....such as the decision to allow us to select which worm goes next. Saying all that I like it lots for MP, it just could have had a bit more polish added considering how many versions there are out there for cheap.



    By the way i am lazy so you can call me that if you like. I automate all my work and sit on these forums ranting.
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 13:31

  • spadge #48 5 years ago

    Add all that stuff and it very quickly ceases to become a £6 product. Or a casual one to boot. All the options and switches are fine for people who know the game, but those that don't suddenly find themselves playing a game which relies on a hugely different thought process.

    Selecting which worm moves next actually buggers up a lot of the strategic play (it's a lazy way to play!).

    Some of your points and your general (lazy) dis-satisfaction that this perhaps isn't "Worms Armgeddon 2" are duly noted. It depends also what you call "polish" since it looks reasonably polished, ticks all the high def boxes...

  • ostrasized #49 5 years ago

    such as the decision to allow us to select which worm goes next.

    Way to miss the point of the game, fella.

  • JimmyC #50 5 years ago

    I haven't really played Worms since I briefly played the original on PC many years ago, but I've got to say that I've had as much fun on Worms as I've had on almost any other 360 game, full price games included. I've definitely been playing it A LOT more than crackdown recently.

    I never played any of the sequels so I have no idea which weapons are 'missing' so the weapon set that's in there seems very well balanced to me. If anything there might be too many as there are a couple of weapons that I never use/never see anyone else use online.

    The only real problem that I have with it is that it could do with a few more level themes as I got bored of the ones in there pretty quickly. Although, working on a Live Arcade game myself, I can appreciate why things like that had to be cut back to fit into the size limit. Luckily I think we'll be able to take advantage of the new bigger limit...

    Actualy theres one more thing, all of the achievements were way too easy to get! I like it when they're a bit of a challenge.

    All in all I love it and I think 6/10 is a bit harsh, especially when you compare it to some of the other Live Arcade games that EG have scored higher. 8/10 at least, and definitely the best XBLA game available...at least until in a few months time ;)

  • LOLLERS #51 5 years ago

    spadge - just out of interest, you say that the themes are 9-10 meg each, what do the themes contain that make it up to 10meg? The background, the terrain textures, the random props+textures and environmental effects like the snow?

  • Raymeister #52 5 years ago

    Harsh review. I haven't played Worms for years (since the Amiga days). Since I bought the Live version I haven't played anything else. Play four randoms over Live and the chances are that you'll have at least one laugh out loud moment. Brilliant game, brilliant fun.

  • spadge #53 5 years ago

    Lollers, 3d background, mid-ground & all textures. Large textures for the foreground land and the objects, which are very large. The London theme packs to just under 9mb from 35mb sourcefiles, for example. Everything's high-def resolution and colour. A far cry from the original!

  • Kiigan #54 5 years ago

    To be honest, I think the stripped down selection of weapons is a very good thing. My interest in the series waned as more and more weapons were added - so getting it back to essentials is a good step IMO.

  • trevd72 #55 5 years ago

    Polish ain't always in the look, but also the feel of the game. You know that stuff Nintendo inject into games.

    Starting a 4 player match and losing a player and going back to the lobby to pick up another player - thats adding that little extra polish (although its in most games so is kinda standard now).

    HD is not the be all and end all - i would love to know the % for SD and HD. its pure marketing.....it would have been nice to see worms for the Live! era more than the HD era.

    I understand that memory is a problem, but is it so much of a problem that a lobby that does more than the basics could not have been included, or to allow for team matches.

    The select a worm thing could have been a option. In my experience it can add to the strategy as it adds a chess like strategy to the selection of worm and actions - only an option not standard.

    In the end I take it that this a game is aimed at the casual player with no scalability for the more experienced who have poured money into the franchise. If thats the case why the levels of expertise in the game. At the end of the day if i did not know the game and want to play it bog standard i could chose beginner. If, like i have, i have played for years then have the other options (memory permitting). When you select the game from the list available the options active could easily be displayed so that you can pick the setup you would like to play e.g. rising water level - 15sec turn time. All polish and going that little bit extra for Live!

    I don't really mean to be harsh but sometimes its frustrating when something you want to love, does not turn out how it would have, if you had the talent to make it yourself.
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 14:14

  • spadge #56 5 years ago

    I get your sentiment, but it's always difficult to appeal to everyone. The lobby stuff you mention is a mare to do in peer-to-peer titles, it's not like it runs from a server model. We know what polish costs and in a £6 release, we can't stand around all day blowing the chrome (that sounds like a great euphenism eh) - but we certainly try to make it tidy where we can.

    Btw here at the studio, we're still bewildered at how something like PacMan gets 2 more than us, given it also qualifies for all of the opening gambits in the review. I think it's a case of Tom practising "safe six" again.
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 14:29

  • trevd72 #57 5 years ago

    cheers spadge anyway.......i do actually like the game - a lot - and its the first time i broke the 50 mark on a leaderboard. jipee. Perhaps a WORMS GOES LIVE in the future?

  • chrisjm #58 5 years ago

    very harsh rant...i mean "review".
    from what ive got from the game so far i'd of happily paid much more, i own 4 other versions of worms and already this is the most played - and i paid £30 for each of the others! Live is great, just annoying when you play against people who just bury and girder themselves rather than playing. 9/10 from me.

  • trevd72 #59 5 years ago

    @chrisjm legit tactic i am afraid. its up to you to counter it. i bet you hate campers in FPS as well. ;)

  • chrisjm #60 5 years ago

    i know its a legit tactic, it just drags the round out usually :p
    although it all ads to the fun, if everyone played the same may as well play the cpu

  • LeSpank #61 5 years ago

    My thoughts are that it is a harsh review, definitely deserving of a higher score.

    The slow AI definitely is the worst part of an otherwise excellent game. Well worth the £6.

  • Walshicus #62 5 years ago

    Spadge; just want to say that paying £6.80 for Worms HD was the best valued purchase I've made in a long time. I think It's currently stacked to 60p per hour of entertainment.

    Anyhow, I do wonder if you have any plans to streamline the online experience. The ability to change team and weaponset without ending a session would go down a treat for me. Also, I understand there might be a need to censor some worm and team names in public matches, but is this necessary in private games? I also don't quite get why "Lin TseHsu" is treated as a banned worm name - one of the greatest Qing Empire officials doesn't seem controversial to *me*.

  • Daymare #63 5 years ago

    @spadge

    Please, Oh plEase make your next proper Worms sequel 2D again with emphasis on physics. Physics as in: there's, for instance, a pole with a worm on top. You shot the pole - it "brakes" and the worm falls down. No more pieces od terrain left in the air (or atleast make it an option).
    Put interactive stuff on the maps like elevators, special map-specific weapons, triggers that do something, special map-specific hazards (not just water), etc. Of course that eliminates "randomness" of terrain, but it could be an option or a set of pre-made, special maps.
    Close-ups on worms saying something or making a face.
    Maybe make it more cynical and, dare I say, bloody?

    There are of course many more possibilites.. I just think going 3D didn't do anything for this franchise.

  • gaselite #64 5 years ago

    Pretty harsh review for a well priced, good value game that does pretty much exactly what you'd expect and is great fun to boot. I dunno, there doesn't seem to be much reason for giving Doom a 9 and this a 6 apart from the reviewer being on a certain mood on a certain day (and I normally love Eurogamer reviews for not having these fickle, ill-conceived traits). Doom's 'It's old but I haven't played it in a while and, hey, I'm not sick of it' while Worms is more 'it's old and I'm not really in a worms mood so yeah, 6' without actually focusing on the qualities of the game on its own (I've enjoyed both Doom and Worms very much on XBLA), forcing it into a (fairly undesirable) context instead.

    Apart from a few minor, minor issues, it's great value for a pretty tried and tested game which is undeniably fun.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #65 5 years ago

    ATTENTION VIEWERS: Some people don't like Worms as much as you do. Get the fuck over it.

  • Kazzahdrane #66 5 years ago

    Fantastic fun, shame about the overly clever AI at higher challenge levels, and the slightly unstable online play before a match actually starts.

    8/10, Pac-Man can fuck right off.

  • MrAtheist #67 5 years ago

    Team17 getting pissy about review scores...

    WHAT A SHOCK

  • Tyronne #68 5 years ago

    just please...no body blows on the 360.

  • optimusprym8 #69 5 years ago

    Absolutely love it, this is the 1st game on 360 (XBLA or full retail) I have taken a day off for the release of! My only quibble is that there are a few obvious bugs still present and after the delay to clean up the last remaining few, it was a bit saddening to see these in there (sorry work in QA so tis me job!) but am sure these can be easily fixed with a little patch. Main ones are looping sound from the jetpack once finished using it (either my worm or another team's) and huge gulfs of silence when the backing audio stops and doesn't always loop and start again.

    Looking forward to the extra voice packs (missing my Scottish) and themes and please do some non-random levels too like you used to :)

    Would love to have more control over the custom settings as well like determining ratio of barrels to mines, density of... and ratio of weapon crates to utility crates etc

    And two players playing Live on the same console at the same time! Multiplayer multiplayer :)

  • Poorandugly #70 5 years ago

    Great game, great version, Spadge + team.

    ...Considering that this game apparently is selling quite well, Worms Armageddon 2 on xbox live wouldn't be out of order, now would it? That would satisfy both camps, me thinks.

  • NthSimulachum #71 5 years ago

    The ironic meta-referencing to the reviewers lack of knowledge on the subject and blatant wikipedia usage are beginning to become tiresome. I prefer irreverent and irrelevant anecdotes and epithets to start a review. Like all the pretentious stuff Kieron puts out.

    As for HD... wouldn't a vector based system for 2d graphics take a lot less space? When you're dealing with geometrical shapes filled with simple colours, or reasonably simple gradients, vectors may be a better solution as far as compression is concerned.

    As for music compression...how about HD midi music?:)

  • spadge #72 5 years ago

    Mr Athiest.

    Getting pissy? Where was that? The only aspect of any of this where I got pissy was in relation to the suggestion of lazyiness on the part of people I employ.

  • spadge #73 5 years ago

    Nthschmwotsit - the compression issue is unlikely to be a problem when the DLC arrives, sure it could have been approached more dynamically compression friendly - the actual sprite-system (flat 3d layered "paper" models) is very economic, it's the audio and very large bitmaps that cost in data size (sound also).

  • Psychotext #74 5 years ago

    As soon as I saw the review I immediately went looking for the spadge posts. Good man!

  • yagisencho #75 5 years ago

    I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one frustrated by the 'perfect shot, every time' so-called AI. Six times through Challenge #5, and the AI hasn't missed a single time. In fact, they've consistently humiliated me to the point where I just don't want to bother any longer.

  • Machetazo #76 5 years ago

    Ugh... It's just another port. One for the purists, maybe, but won't they already have it?

    It also isn't Armageddon. I'm not even going to show this the slightest bit of support (that said, when it's time for the Worms theme(s)/gamerpics to appear, I'm sure to be far more partial.)

    In terms of what's missing from Arcade, Gradius or R-Type...FFS!...Little spaceship, staggeringly low odds, pick-ups to even things out. Monstrous Alien Invaders to stop. Old-school, yes, but most sorely missing. Pinball FX will be another welcome addition though, I'm sure. :)

  • jontam #77 5 years ago

    Honestly, I am shocked at this review. It is the best game on XBLA by a long chalk, especially in multiplayer.
    The only thing I really miss in this version is the holy hand grenade, but due to space constraints, I can understand why certain weapons weren't featured.
    I also think it is commendable that spadge comes on here and answers people's questions, and criticisms, rather than the cynical 'fuck you' mentality of say, ubi or EA.
    If Team 17 have time for us, I have time for them! Keep up the great work and congratulations on producing such a great title which I am gaining many hours of fun from.

  • spadge #78 5 years ago

    Actually Jontam, the HHG omission wasn't really to do with space, but thanks for the response. The AI issues are taken on board, it's been a thorn in the side for some years.

  • jontam #79 5 years ago

    So the omission of the HHG was the due to the balancing of the weapons set?
    I know it may sound premature to suggest this, but going by the majority of good feedback this title has recieved, is it likely there will be a sequel to this version on XBLA that will take advantage of the increased file size, offering a 'fuller' experience?
    Keep up the good work!

  • Machetazo #80 5 years ago

    Time to grab the demo, lest I miss out on a good-un, methinks. Worms...HD...Could be good? and there's no cost.

  • AaronTurner #81 5 years ago

    This game is great value for money and head and shoulders above the usual pish dished out on Arcade.

  • spadge #82 5 years ago

    Jontam, a tad premature right now, but we certainly wouldn't rule it out.

  • ReNo #83 5 years ago

    Meant to mention this earlier, but we had a wierd bug yesterday where a turn was taken in which several worms died. As expected the replay was then shown, but during the replay one of the worms who originally died DIDN'T die. Once the replay ended, that worm was alive and well (although somewhat worse for wear). After that we watched every replay through the evening just to see if anything changed from the actual action, but it never happened again. Was quite ammusing, but I imagine it would be rather frustrating in a more competitive atmosphere.

  • DUFFKING #84 5 years ago

    I love the game, best arcade title yet.

    But, Spadge, why can't we set banana bombs to infinite in local multiplayer? My friends decided to have a bit of a laugh and set everything to unrestricted but we were disappointed that some things cannot be set to infinite.

  • Machetazo #85 5 years ago

    Perfectly functional, looks ok - the worms themselves look different, lacking character - but the game's just too bare-boned for my liking. Found it a bit boring.

  • MrAtheist #86 5 years ago

    spadge:

    Damn, I though my post was a pretty obvious reference to the Team17 AmigaPower LOLawsuit!

  • NegativeZero #87 5 years ago

    There are 48 missing weapons if you count the utter glut of stupid shit that's crept into the sequels. This pinned things back to practically the exact same weapon set as the original Worms. And it plays almost identically to it, too.

    The gripe about the annoying wait times for the AI to actually decide to do anything is very valid, though, as is the stupidly high accuracy that it has with grenades and the bazooka. No human player could ever make shots as perfect as that with the same level of frequency.

    7/10 for me. Would have been 8/10 if the AI wasn't insane.

  • bloodflowers #88 5 years ago

    I though the review was spot on. Had my fill of this series years ago. I'm kind of glad that this and (the dreadful) Alien Hominid are now out of the way so other things can be released.

    Interesting to see a developer say what everyone knew - 50mb was too small with the demands of high definition (still not sold on that - +20 overrated). I'm surprised the people making XBLA ports haven't looked at sequenced audio - at least I assume they havent, we used to get nice music off that 4 channel Amiga chip, and it only took a few hundred k.

  • andycroll #89 5 years ago

    Got to love stripped back Worms.

    If we're talking retro-Amiga-tastic gaming. Pinball Dreams and sequels would be a goer on X-Box Live. A trigger each for the paddles. Wonderland.

  • spadge #90 5 years ago

    Mr Athiest. Urban myth in terms of any legal proceedings.

    Things did get a bit fiesty, that's true, but as far as I'm aware there were no legals involved - unless I was in a coma when it happened. We were young, niaive and very passionate. I've grown up now and am old, niaive and very passionate :-) From what I recall, a letter was sent explaining our feelings (yes, we were pissed off at the time and felt aggrieved - having 4-5 ex Future people about the place made things worse in terms "what they were like";) but nothing ever came of it apart from us refusing to supply them with review copies (and we were not alone on that).

    Funnily enough, one of the AP guys tried the opposite on us when we used a quote out of a review in our advertising (or Ocean did, as it happens). 12 years back... all water under the bridge now in the rich fabric of life.

    Bloodflowers: Doing sid-like or amiga 4-channel audio would be fine, but I'm not sure everyone would want (or get) "retro cool". We went for modern-day, high-def, full audio and all that. I know some people think high-def is a bit of a cuckoo's egg, but really stuff looks awesome - and I'm not just saying that. The wii (god bless it) looks visually rough when I go back to that after the 360. I know I shouldn't care, but it DOES. Doesn't stop me from being ripped a new one by my 5yr old at bowling though.
    Edited by 2 at 15/03/07 @ 08:17

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #91 5 years ago

    "Funnily enough, one of the AP guys tried the opposite on us when we used a quote out of a review in our advertising"

    Blimey, Martyn. If it's really 12 years under the bridge, why are you still determined to lie about it in public? Allow me to "quote" your post in the same way that review was "quoted":

    "I was in a coma when it happened. I... pissed... on... my 5yr old"

    :lol:
    Edited by 1 at 15/03/07 @ 09:33

  • DesperadoDaz #92 5 years ago

    Many thanks to Spadge for actually taking the time and the effort to reply to all of the little queries, problems and thoughts regarding what is (so far) one of the best XBLA releases so far.

    6/10 is way too low a score. It seems to me the reviwer was still on holiday when he came to review this game. Personally i feel 8/10 is a fair score.

    This release on XBLA prompted me to go out and buy Worms World Party on the PC to compare the two games - only £4.99, so no real hardship. Having played WWP for a bit i feel that generally the weapon set on the XBLA version is just about spot on. At first sight it seems pretty stripped back, but a lot of the WWP weapons do the same thing, but look slightly different. Cows, sheep and Old Woman (for example) all do roughly the same thing - they just add a slight comedy element due to them looking different.

    The only things i would think needed to be included (IMO) was the napalm - Air strikes the are effected by the wind, petrol bombs, and restricting the roping to a set number of turns - i feel infinite ropes are a bit too many.

    The other thing i noticed that was in WWP blowing up the barrels produced buring fuel which spread out over the landscape rather just than the explosion that happens on the XBLA version. The buring fuel seems to be better to me.

    More varied scenery types would benifit the XBLA release, but as they are coming via downloads that will be sorted out in the future (hopefully not too far in the future).

    Overall a very good XBLA release. Thanks to Team 17
    DAZ

  • spadge #93 5 years ago

    Stuart, that was Ocean's marketing dept that did the ad, not Team17.

    Your comments in the PCG review incited it all from what I recall. I know we've never spoken much, or really got on, but that's fair enough really.

    I do recall you saying in the PC Gamer review of the original game (40%, ta - and I don't have it to hand, so forgive me if not precise) something along the lines of "If they expect this to sell on consoles, they better think again".

    So, 2million console sales later, an all-formats number 1 and umpteen awards later, Ocean had a bit of a cheeky laugh about it (shortly before being bought by Infogrammes) using various quotes like the one about the Hurrican coming to the south-west etc etc. It was only in the trade mag as far as I know (CTW at the time) and was a touch tongue-in-cheek, a bit of fun.
    Edited by 1 at 15/03/07 @ 10:32

  • spadge #94 5 years ago

    The beginner settings have unlimited ropes I think. Ranked games are a little tighter.

  • Liggur #95 5 years ago

    Great game looks fab on my Samsung 32"HD.
    6/10 bit low, should be an 8.

    as for other IP from Team17, what about Alien Breed or AB Tower Assault for XBLA then eh?
    My Favorite T17 games, they would be an instant sell for me!

  • Phreedh #96 5 years ago

    Lovely little game, spadge! You guys can be well proud. Ofcourse there are things missing. I loved W:A on my 1200. Had it setup next to my PC and W:A was running most of the time I was sat at my PC. Played Worms on the A1200 and had IRC, downloads, school work and stuff running on the PC. Aaaanyways! I think it's awesome, and I haven't even tried the multiplayer yet.

    The stuff I miss:
    - Certain weaponry, as others have already said. Won't flog that dead horse.
    - That catchy theme song.
    - Free for all vs computer. No fun playing vs 3 cpu teams when they all band up.
    - Proper ninja rope.
    - Less binary AI, as others have stated. I can't understand how the AI takes longer time to decide on the actions when it's less natural than on the Amiga version I've played the most. Surely the 360 has more raw power to draw from, Shirley?

    Thanks though, it's well appreciated by me!

  • Scurrminator #97 5 years ago

    hmmm, people need to take constructive criticism.

  • spadge #98 5 years ago

    We're absolutely and totally FOR constructive criticism. On our own forum, we've been getting it (ooer) for years. We've also been getting the foot-stamping, all-screaming abuse too - and somehow we don't listen to that.

    There's nothing wrong at all to suggest you don't like this, are disappointed at that, ask why something was done (there's usually a reason, or maybe an oversight) but saying "That's shit, you're a bunch of twats" despite providing a brief moment of self-indulgence, achieves nothing.

    It still amazes me that people are so utterly emotive about games, much more so than films or books. Perhaps it's the interaction and affinity people have, but I guess that's another thread.

  • mechamonkey #99 5 years ago

    Soldat Live plz.

  • chrisjm #100 5 years ago

    is there any rough timeline of when we might see any new themes, free or pay. I'll take em either way :)

  • quantumsheep #101 5 years ago

    Have I commented in here before? I think I have!

    But anyway, I'm playing this online more than GRAW2 at the moment. It's just... relaxing? Funny? Both?

    The games can take an age to play sometimes, but overall it's just fun =)

  • spadge #102 5 years ago

    All the DLC is prepared, we're just awaiting news of when it'll go up. Should be pretty soon. It'll come in chunks every few weeks or so. First up will be a bunch of voices, a theme, some audio and the usual theme & gamerpics.

  • Moogrose #103 5 years ago

    just my 2 cents, but i think its a fantastic game - i also own the psp version, but this just looks fab on a high-def telly. the mrs and i have had a good 'ol time of it together on the couch, and had a couple of solid online games.

    best XBLA title to date, and its a sin that a game like pacman gets a 8 while this gets a 6 - absolutely nuts.

  • Azazel #104 5 years ago

    This is the first Live Arcade game I've bought. Was playing the demo drunk with mates last night and simply had to buy the full version there and then :)

  • chiz #105 5 years ago

    Brilliant addition to xbl, just behind geometry wars in my opinion. Did the EG reviewer get out the wrong side of bed that day? 6/10 is laughable. Oh, and it's not missing any weapons.

    Alienbreed COOP next please, Spadge :D
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/07 @ 10:54