In 1999 Team 17 was in the front of many gamers conversations when it came to multiplayer games. The release of Worms in 1995 brought many friends and families around the couch or PC to only scream, shout, cry, fallout and make up with each other over the simple but addicting premise of blowing up the other team. Instead of human soldiers leading the charge into battle in these skirmishes, it was armies of worms firing bazookas at one another.
Armageddon is here! (In tiny worm form)
The follow up Worms 2 dropped in 1997 but the next big title, while being developed as an expansion pack before becoming it’s on standalone game and released in 1999 was Worms: Armageddon.
I don’t need to go over the history of this one, just understand that this took the Worms formula and dialed everything up to max settings for unlimited customisable experiencs. I myself had a copy too, I adored playing in primary school until I gave my “friend” a lend of the game. Said “friend” traded my copy of Worms: Armageddon for a PS1 steering wheel and I never got it back. Heartbroken, I never got to play it again I jumped on the opportunity to review this remaster of the 1999 beloved title. It’s a digital copy so you rob this one on me, screw you Lee.
Relocked and Reloaded
Much like our little war torn wiggly warriors, let’s jump into the dirt and talk about this game. Worms: Armageddon is the original 99 titles with a new coat of paint to make it all shiny and new looking. If it’s single player or multiplayer, this title has you covered. A series of challenges and skirmishes await the lone warriors who jump in for game but should you have friends by yourside, that’s where the most fun awaits.
Multiplayer includes a healthy amount of premade maps, alongside a fully customisable map editor. Up to eight teams of worms with up to eight worms per team, all of which are customisable. Full range of weapon options, with timers for unlocking during a game, damage scaling per weapon and how many each team gets. This allows games of absolute mania, total chaos and a pool of memories shared amongst friends.
But wait, there’s more!
Digital Eclipse has created a package here that not only included a remaster of the original title but four copy’s of Worms from the Super Nintendo, Sega Mega Drive, Gameboy and Gameboy Advance. These emulated retro throwback are fun to play with but playing Gameboy games on a TV can be quite jarring at times.
As well as the old school archive an expansive interactive history map of the Worms timeline, packed full of developer interviews, never before seen beta builds, concept art and much much more. If you’re a fan of Worms, this selection of history and trivia is well worth the sit down and enjoyment.
Can’t have the good without the bad
Problems I have with this game are minor but still annoying. Some flags don’t appear in game and will just default to a Union Jack instead. While the options are expansive to create a games weapon and rule set, it’s all drop down menus and text, it’s quite difficult to look through at times and leave you cross eyed. While the vast amount of voice picks for Worms is great, not having a preview option is an inconvenience.
These don’t pull away from the fun that can be experienced but could just slightly annoy you. If you’re looking for a game with friends, Worms: Armageddon cannot steer you wrong!
These wormy words have been brought to you by Lewis Magee.
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