Those lovable, homicidal Worms return for a second time on the Nintendo DS. Is this second outing better than their first, or has the Worms franchise truly gone stagnant? http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14514 Worms
–noun
1. Zoology. Any of numerous long, slender, soft-bodied, legless, bilaterally symmetrical invertebrates, including the flatworms, roundworms, acanthocephalans, nemerteans, gordiaceans, and annelids.
2.Video Game. A game in which cute, homicidal cartoon creatures called Worms blow each other to hell using various implements of war.
Worms: Open Warfare 2 is the sequel to the fun, but flawed Worms: Open Warfare on the DS. This iteration improves on nearly every aspect of the original, while maintaining the original Worms gameplay formula that has made the franchise so famous and so popular. The basic premise of Worms: Open Warfare 2 is the same as the past iterations of the franchise. You take your own team of lovable, killer Worms and lead them to victory against the opposing team.
At the very beginning, the game creates a save file on the game card that allows you to build your own team of murderous dirt crawlers right from the get-go, and you will be using this team of Worms to conquer the single player campaign and triumph over other players in the wireless and Wi-Fi modes in the game.
By completing the campaign, you earn points which you can spend on unlocking various maps and items to use in multiplayer matches and single player skirmishes. Some of these campaign missions prove themselves to be quite difficult until the proper strategy for them is revealed. It's not always obvious what needs to be done to progress past a particular mission, so trial and error is often the name of the game. However, the rewards for dealing with the sometimes difficult nature of the missions are more than worth it when it comes to unlocking goodies that you can set loose upon your friends in battle. Worms combat comes in the usual flavors: Beginner, Intermediate, Pro, and Full Wormage. On top of that, the game introduces two new game types: Forts and Race, plus four customizable game types, further adding to the level of depth this game has in options.
Adding flavor to the game is the aforementioned Wi-Fi mode, in which you can either challenge random opponents or take on your friends, if you have their friend codes and they have your friend code. The Wi-Fi mode is surprisingly lag free and plays just like anyone would expect a Worms game to play. The franchise lends itself well to online gaming, and this game is pretty much all the proof that anyone could want. Along with the Wi-Fi game play mode comes the obligatory stat track and ranking website that collects various data including win/loss records and posts them on the website for everyone to see, adding that extra competitive edge to the Wi-Fi mode. The only thing Worms Open Warfare 2 doesn't have is voice chat, but its absence is negligible.
The visuals of Worms: Open Warfare 2 are much improved over its predecessor in every way imaginable. Worms animate fluidly, textures are much higher resolution, and impressive 3D backgrounds sport a wealth of animation and detail. There is so much more to this game than the original, and it shows. The project was handed to developer Two Tribes after the disaster that Gamesauce's DS version of the original Open Warfare was. Two Tribes really went all out on the graphics engine for the game, completely scrapping the original game and starting over from scratch. It's really a shame that this Worms game isn't being given a completely different subtitle, because this is a very different game from its predecessor.
Sound is great as well. Those adorable killer Worms have retained their voices for the DS game, and the background tunes aren't half bad either. The sound itself is rather quiet on the speakers of the DS Lite, and turning the software volume to max doesn't really change that. Nonetheless, the explosions and weapon sound effects are effective and well done, rounding out a great audio and visual experience.
The controls are spot-on. Each weapon controls accurately, and the touch screen and microphone controls are also extremely accurate. Unlike in the first game, the ninja rope works perfectly this time around, making it one of the most useful tools in any Worm's arsenal once again. D-Pad and button controls are tight and responsive, making this the best controlling Worms game in a long, long time.
When everything is said and done, and you look back at this game after not playing it for a while, it becomes clear that the guys at Two Tribes have created a masterpiece that truly does the franchise justice. There are no sacrifices, no compromises, and no settling for second best here. Two Tribes has gone above and beyond the call of duty and have created an instant classic. This is truly the best Worms game ever made.
Pros:
Sky high production values Tight and responsive controls Quick and lag-free Wi-Fi multiplayer A vast wealth of content Cons: Friend Codes A lack of variety in backgrounds Lack of voice chat Graphics: 9.5 This is some of the best 2D and 3D on the DS yet. Detailed and animated backgrounds catch the player's eye, and the 2D is the most impressive yet produced by a third party developer. Worms animate cleanly, and the background doesn't flicker this time around!
Sound: 8.5 Excellent sound designed hampered by poor choice for the software's default volume level. The Worms have retained their cute voices, and Two Tribes have cranked out some catchy and memorable background tunes this time around. The weapons and explosions sound appropriately deadly, completing a solid, but quiet audio.
Control: 9.0 Tight and responsive controls are the name of the game here, as is innovation with the use of the microphone and touch screen in many of the challenges present in the game. The level of care taken in adjusting and tweaking the various forms of control is very obvious, as they make precise movements extremely easy.
Gameplay: 9.5 The addition of new weapons and the variety of terrains makes this one of the more interesting Worms games in recent history, easily eclipsing the fun, but limited Worms on Xbox Live Arcade. The core game play is intact, with numerous adjustments and tweaks here and there. This game feels more like an ultimate Worms compilation than a true sequel, and that's a good thing.
Lastability: 10.0
This is as good as it gets for replayable content. At nearly every turn there is at least one element of the game you can customize or change to your liking. On top of that, there is a wealth of unlockable backgrounds, weapons, items, landscape props, and various items you can retrieve by playing through the campaign and challenges. The Wi-Fi mode is both the meat and potatoes and the icing on the cake for this game. The online experience is virtually lag-free, and each opponent brings a unique and interesting challenge. There are also multi-card and single-card multiplayer modes for those who can't play online.
Final: 9.5
This is the definitive Worms experience. Two Tribes has managed to create the best Worms game in recent history, completely blowing away Team 17's offering on Xbox Live Arcade. For fans of the franchise and DS owners, this is as good as it gets. Go buy this game; it gets my highest recommendation.
Topic: REVIEWS: Worms: Open Warfare 2 (Read 3826 times)
