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By Andy Matheson on June 20th, 2001
Introduction ’The first of many!!’ my worm cries after nailing an opponent worm with a grenade.
After many PC versions and a lackluster DC offering, Worms returns to Dreamcast with a very important feature:online play. But is the onloine expierience worth going through?
Presentation The game is presented in a very simple manner. A simple 4 option opening screen, and no confusing menus. Everythings easily understandable and readable. The only problem I found in the menus here, is that when you want to play a certain form of Worms game(sorta like patches if you will, like ’Sniper Mode’, where your worms can’t move). Well, there are plenty of modes to play the game under, but the game doesn’t tell you what each option does. Some are listed in the manual, most are not. Other than that, presentation is top-notch.
Controls are also nice. Not too hard, but still takes a bit to get down. Theres keyboard support, but no mouse support : Playing on the keyboard is very cumbersome, cause each button you need to use is placed far from each other for some reason. However, on the DC pad, control is excellent, and the keyboard can be mastered just as the controller can.
Graphics & Sound As expected from any Worms game, the graphics are very simple. No fancy looking stages or backgrounds. No big explosions. Everything is kept simple. Of course some will like that idea of gameplay overshadowing graphics, others would prefer prettier eye candy. Whatever floats your boat.
The sound is excellent. From music to the Worms smart ass remarks, alot of fun in this game is in the sound alone. Each team of worms has their own personality, meaning they’ll say different things. Nailing a worm with a bazooka and hearing him yell ’I’ll get you’ never gets old :)
Gameplay The concept of Worms is pretty simple. You start out with 4 worms on your team. You square off against 1-3 other teams on one stage. Each worm gets a turn to move, attack, run, whatever. Your goal is to kill every opposing worm. Each stage has its hazards. Theres water below, which equals instant death. Theres also mines on each stage, and they explode pretty quickly.
During your turn, you can bring up the weapon menu to scroll through and select your weapon. There are TONS of weapons in this game. I’ve had it for 2 weeks and still have not seen em all. Theres guns, from handguns to mini-guns. Theres explosives, from grenades to exploding sheep. Theres also tons of close combat moves, including the infamous Shoryuken.
The modes of play are Single Game, where you can either play against 1-3 CPU teams or play some sweet 4 player action. Theres Mission Mode, where you try to complete each mission with every team, unlocking new weapons and teams along the way. And then theres Online Game, where you connect to the Worms server and play games against up to 3 other people. And in this mode is where I find the only major fault with this game. Online plays SUCKS. In the 2 weeks I’ve had the game, and about 10-15 attempts, I’m yet to get a game of worms going online. I know it’s not my DC or copy of the game, because my bro gets games going almost every try. The game freezes almost everytime you try to join or start an online game. If you have 2-3 buds to play the game offline with, the lackluster online mode isn’t as hard of a hit. But it’s just like NFL2K1, beating your friends is cool, but it gets old. A good online mode wouldve netted this game a 10. As it stands, the games main feature is badly flawed, but offline play is good enough to save it.
Lasting Appeal With the online mode being such a letdown, the game has definatly lost some of its luster. But offline play is good. How much you’ll get out of this game depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a great online game, look elsewhere. If you want a great offline game to play with friends, and maybe online every once in awhile, you’ll love this game.Conclusion Overall, the game still gets a good rating because it kicks ass offline. With a better online mode the game would rival UT or NFL2K1 for my playing time online. The control, graphics, sound and presentation are all top notch. The online mode just sucks though. But it’s still worth the money. |
