Regardless of numerous sequels, Staff 17’s turn-based technique collection has struggled to raised 1999’s Worms Armageddon. The developer is aware of it, too; Worms WMD relies on the fan-favourite recreation’s supply code, and the Steam launch of Armageddon has been constantly up to date, most lately with a serious patch in 2020. Now, Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Version celebrates 25 years of wiggly warfare, and it is nonetheless numerous enjoyable.
This model primarily brings the modernised PC construct to consoles and throws in some extras. The Recreation Boy model is included and absolutely playable, whereas a Battle Tales part takes you thru the origins of Worms. It options interviews with key figures, fascinating asides, design documentation, and extra. In the event you like your trade historical past, Digital Eclipse has supplied an honest Worms lesson right here.
However what of the principle occasion? Properly, it is Worms Armageddon, solely with a considerably increased decision, on-line multiplayer (sadly not crossplay), and a modest set of Trophies. The only participant remains to be comparatively strong however the construction and problem spikes imply it actually reveals its age. Equally, the menus all through could be a little complicated to navigate, and the controls will be initially tough to work out, and the presentation is broadly fairly archaic.
Nevertheless, when you’re over these hurdles, this stays a extremely entertaining technique recreation with numerous methods to play. Its huge strengths are its friendship-making/destroying multiplayer and thorough customisation choices, letting you make your personal rulesets, groups, and procedurally generated maps. Nevertheless you select to have interaction with it, the sport’s brief turns, cartoonish physics, and big selection of weapons all contribute to an excellent time, whether or not it is in small bursts or lengthy multiplayer classes.
If you’re within the thick of a match, utilizing a baseball bat to smack a worm into the water, blowing up a cluster of enemies with a well-placed sheep, or expertly crossing the map with a ninja rope, solely to botch the touchdown and begin a sequence response of mines and exploding barrels, all of the tough edges erode away. Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Version is a warts-and-all revival of a recreation that, 25 years later, nonetheless has it the place it counts, and there aren’t too many titles that may make that declare.