Those crazy little worms are coming back, in this upcoming instalment to the long-running franchise by Team 17. In this preview build, I was able to play through a small sample of the training modes and campaign, along with the series staple of their classic multiplayer. Worms WMD aims to reinvigorate the classic gameplay of the series by going back to a fully 2D experience, rather than a 2.5D plane like in Clan Wars. Everything plays how you would expect it to, with most of the classic weapons all here, from the ever-trusty bazooka up to the Concrete Donkey.
The game also seeks to reinvent the wheel in certain areas. The first big change is the addition of an all-new crafting system, which allows you to not only make weapons and ammo out of parts mid-game, but also make customized variations of those weapons. For example, sick of the standard shotgun? You can make a triple-barrelled shotgun, giving you three shots with lower damage output. Or you can turn that Uzi into a Minigun. Or add some poison to that stick of dynamite. Getting the parts isn’t too difficult either (unless you’re trying to make super weapons) as, if you’re short you can just dismantle any weapons you’re not using, although this will take time just as making them does. Thankfully you aren’t stuck waiting for the weapon to be made; you can carry on the fight while production marches on, so crafting feels neither slow nor time-wasting. Be careful though; you can only use it when your turn is active, and you are always on the clock.
Another new element is the use of vehicles, emplacements and buildings. Entering vehicles or fixed weapon pods is as simple as pressing a button, aiming and firing away. Watching the results is satisfying, whether it’s shelling the enemy with a tank or raining down machinegun fire from above with the helicopter. Using buildings as enterable cover is also a new and simple feature, with your worms being able to use them either as snipers nests, artillery points, or just as good cover against the enemy fire. While I am certainly interested to see these new features, I am concerned about the balance of such things in multiplayer, particularly with the helicopter, which allows you to circumvent the problem of navigating treacherous terrain without using jetpacks or rope.
Finally, the campaign gives you a set of missions to complete in typical Worms fashion, with each one detailing bonus objectives for you to attempt, such as killing 3 enemies in one go, or keeping all your team in cover. Adding bonus objectives is a nice touch to the game that should give more of a replay value to it, although I do also hope that the main objectives will be a little more varied that purely ‘kill all the things’.
Overall, so far Worms WMD looks promising. The series has always struggled to top the classic Worms Armageddon, and over the years has tried many a different style of play, including full 3D gameplay and so on, to mixed results and opinions. Perhaps then, by sticking to the formula that has always worked, while using improvements that are not forced or tacked on, Worms can hope to evolve properly, and introduce new players to the series that has entertained so many.
