[tab:Review]
Worms titles have been around a very long time, since 1995 in fact. It’s hard to believe I was ten years old when the first one came out. Team 17 has been from the developer since the beginning, and it’s safe to say they know how to make a pretty good game. Of course, most players will notice not much has changed over the decade, but with Worms Clan Wars, they added some nice things to make the experience a little different.
For those that don’t know, Worms is a turn-based arena warfare game set on a 2D plane that features cute little invertebrates that try to kill each other. If anyone has ever played Scorched Earth before, they know what I’m talking about. Players take turns moving their worms around the battlefield, use a giant list of weapons and gadgets to take out the enemy team, and march on to victory.
The game has a very robust single player mode where the story had me taking on special situations and puzzle solving, while still taking turns and attacking like in a traditional Worms game. Since the story mode takes place in a museum, the entire thing is narrated by a Lara Croft spoof as she talks about her adventures of killing things and obtaining treasure. It has its moments of comedy and never takes itself seriously.
Adding to the single player offerings, there is also a challenge mode called Worm Ops. Here, players are tasked with killing enemies with a set number of turns or ammunition. Both the story mode and Worm Ops offer up a big challenge after a few levels. It can get difficult.
Finally, players can take on the AI in a standard Worms match. These are where the unbalanced AI rears its ugly head. The AI is either completely useless and idiotic, or deadly accurate with their attacks to the point where I was feeling like the game was somehow cheating like a 12 year-old playing Call of Duty.
The multiplayer is where most of the new additions appear. From the title alone, people can see that clans play a large part in the multiplayer. Players can join or create their own clan, create customized emblems and appoint leaders and other players. Clans can partake in ranked matches or friendly matches with other clans and move their way up the leader boards. It keeps a nice record of every member and allows them to chat and party up for matches with a decent social aspect to it all.
Of course, players not wanting to partake in clan matches can jump into the standard multiplayer games both online and local. The online is handled through the Wormnet that keeps track of player stats and offers up a nice hub for players online.
A few other new addictions to Worms Clan Wars are the dynamic water effects. It really is a game changer now. Players can take out a bank holding water and the water will fall, rush and flow its way down, taking out whatever worm may be in its way. There are also water-based weapons that make an appearance that can easily turn the tide on a match. Call in an air strike of water balloons and players may very well take out numerous enemies at once.
It’s a flying monkey in a game about warring worms…
Clan Wars, much like other games in the series, has a large emphasis on customization. Players can customize the look of their team, what they sound like and much more. The big deal here is Team 17 is allowing Steam Workshop support. That means people can make practically whatever they want. Of course, I’m not talented or creative enough to do any of it, but the fact that there are people out there that can and will make some new content of their very own makes me very excited to see what hits once the game is released.
Fans of Worms will know what they are getting into with Clan Wars. The main staple of a good Worms game is all here. The multiplayer modes and the new clan support are very well done, and players wanting to jump in with their friends can do so with ease. Of course, the online is only as good as its player base so it all really depends on how many show up, but the framework is there for a pretty good time. The AI is brutal and unfair more times than not, but the single player challenges and story mode offer up some fun times even when the difficulty ramps up. The story mode has its charm and the customization options both in-game and through Steam Workshop are enough to keep me coming back for more. Fans of Worms will find enough new here to keep things fresh while newcomers can have plenty of fun too.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
[tab:Screenshots]
[tab:END]
