Let me share a fact that may shock you: I’ve never played a Worms game. Sure, the series is so inescapably prolific that I’ve managed to absorb its basic tenets through osmosis, but I’ve never commanded those little worms for myself. That is, until I got the chance to go hands on with the upcoming title in the series, Worms W.M.D.
Despite my lack of familiarity with the series, W.M.D’s humor, strategic options, and methodical pace made it instantly charming. While I certainly wouldn’t recognize every effect that the game’s new features might have, the addition of vehicles, buildings, and crafting all feel like smart inclusions that add tactical considerations to the game while alleviating some of its flaws.
If you’re somehow not at all familiar with Worms, here’s the basic gist. You’ve got a 2D battlefield populated with worms commanded by you and your opponent. On your turn, you take direct control of one of the little guys, squirm to an advantageous position, then let loose with one of a myriad weapons. Your arsenal is such that you don’t always know precisely where your shot will land, as most weapons have firing arcs that can vary wildly, so you’ve got to aim to maximize the potential effect. Even if you can’t hit the enemy directly, you might be able to blow open their cover.
That’s the part Worms fans already know, but W.M.D adds three big new features. The first is vehicles. Naturally, these pieces of equipment add to your mobility and firing power. Tanks will let you fire a barrage of explosive shells, but also provide some extra defense, and still let you jump across gaps. Helicopters let you very quickly fly around the battlefield and drop bombs from above, but you have to watch where you end your turn, as you’ll drop out of the skies once the counter hits zero.
Buildings will also populate the battlefield. These act as terrain like any other sort, but you can’t see inside them unless you’ve got a worm in there to scout it out. These locations, then, are perfect spots to set up ambushes, though of course you’ll need to watch out for your opponent trying to do the same.
The most intriguing of the new features for me was the addition of a crafting system, letting you break down unneeded weapons into components and turn those components into different pieces of gear. It’s an interesting additional consideration when you’re commanding your forces, but the system has a more important role–it gives you something to do during the opponent’s turn. You can queue up new items during an enemy turn and have them ready to deploy when it comes back to you. In the few single-player missions I got the chance to check out, this was a wonderful way to fill the time it took the enemy to take its actions.
Of course, Worms is all about the wacky weaponry, and quite a bit of it was on display in this preview version. There were old standbys like bazookas, grenades, shotguns, and uzis, as well as more creative weaponry, like bunker busters that drilled straight through the ground, airstrikes that covered the earth in a rain of fire, and a giant goat statue that explosively jackhammered its way through any terrain in its way. I’m not sure what’s new and what’s returning, but every item I got the chance to check out felt good, powerful, and fun to use.
While multiplayer was part of the demo, I sadly didn’t get the chance to check it out. Instead, I dug into this build’s five single-player missions. Most missions were variations of “kill all enemy worms,” though one did add in a mission critical friendly unit. Each mission included three bonus objectives, with criteria like not using a certain weapon or killing three enemies in a single turn. The bonus objectives don’t fundamentally change how you approach the missions, but they do give you some extra replay value and encourage you to try out tactics you might not otherwise consider.
System Requirements
RECOMMENDED:
- OS: Windows 7 64-Bit
- Processor: i5 2.5GHz (Quad-Core)
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVidia GTX 650
Those requirements are all subject to change, but Worms W.M.D’s simple, 2D art likely won’t require much of your PC.
Release Info
The game is set to release August 23 on Steam. You can preorder it now for $29.99, and that will get you access to an All-Stars Pack featuring gear and weaponry from Team Fortress 2, Rocket League, Broforce, Saints Row IV, Goat Simulator, the Escapists, Orcs Must Die, Yooka-Laylee, Unturned, and Payday 2, as well as five extra missions and a handful of bonus weapons.
Additional Thoughts
Even as a total newcomer to the franchise, I really enjoyed what Worms W.M.D had to offer. The single-player missions were fun, puzzle-like strategy challenges, and I look forward to seeing how the game plays in its multiplayer form. Six players will be able to compete in local and online matches, and there’ll even be a ranked option.
I can’t speak to how long-time series fans will feel about the title, but the methodical, playful strategy of launching explosive rounds at tiny soldiers and watching the ensuing chaos was a lot of fun. With its attractive art and smart gameplay additions, W.M.D might just be worth checking out even for new players.
Most Anticipated Feature: Seeing the full extent of the game’s ridiculous arsenal.
