First off, this entire 2D game series is amazing. I say 2D since the 3D games are something completely different. Worms games excel in 2D format and this installment is no exception.
The positives regarding Worms W. M. D include the excellent background art and the polished animation. Also appreciated are that the general game-play experience is very similar to the exceptional Worms Armageddon.
Negatives include an A. I. that's not as smart as either the Dreamcast or 360 version of Worms Armageddon, the lack of some weapons -- including Ferrets and Termites, camera issues, silly voice-acting, the nearly-useless default Ninja Rope, and the shoe-horned crafting system.
First, the camera: It was a mistake to have the camera snap back to the worm that launched the attack; it takes the view away from the result (and the result is what players are watching for).
Voice-acting is hit-and-miss and certainly no match for the excellent voice acting featured in Worms 2: Armageddon. For comparison, the Cheese voices in W. M. D are a pale version of the superb Full Fat voice pack of Worms 2: Armageddon. Considering the sheer amount of blank space on the DVD, it's a mystery as to why the voice packs from Worms 2:Armageddon weren't included on Worms W. M. D. Thankfully, Worms W. M. D doesn't suffer from the strange sample playback issues of Worms Armageddon and Worms 2: Armageddon in which both games play samples at incorrect times (in particular the air strike and concrete donkey samples sound at times when those weapons aren't even active). Looks like someone (thankfully) stamped that bug out in W. M. D.
While the background art is great, there really aren't that many different worlds offered. It would be nice to see legacy maps included -- just as they were in Worms 2: Armageddon. Most missed are some of the background designs from the Dreamcast version of Worms Armageddon.
The default Ninja Rope (which appears to be the only off-line choice available) is too short and has terrible control compared to past games). It's sad to see one of the best utilities reduced to something so feeble.
As for the crafting system, it just doesn't suit this format of game-play and is better left out.
New weapons like helicopters, tanks, and mechs are interesting -- yet not essential. Any new weapon choices are always welcome though.
The Super Sheep weapon's rotation speed is much too fast. This was an obvious and easy-to-spot oversight (all the devs had to do was spend a bit of time studying their past releases and compare). The timer on the Super Sheep is also too short for the sheer amount of real-estate it needs to traverse.
I'm pleased to see that there aren't too many bugs in W. M. D, especially the annoying issue in Worms Armageddon where a grenade would hit an already-destroyed bridge. Having said that, there appears to be a bug in W. M. D in which sheep will not detonate even at a height of three worms above sea level when over open water.
An additional comment is that some of the excellent sound effects of previous games are absent here -- in particular the satisfying "blorp" sound of a worm plunging into the ocean that was utilized in Worms 2: Armageddon.
In summary, it seems that every installment in the Worms series suffers from issues that could have been spotted in the play-testing phase of development. And, as with previous versions, the menu interface is clunky. I'd have to say that Worms 2: Armageddon on the 360 likely has the best menu system of the series thus far and should be the minimum standard.
Despite these issues, the 2D Worms games are so fun to play that these problems can be set aside, for the most part.
The level of replay value for the Worms series is excellent and I hope to see more 2D Worms installments in the future.
The positives regarding Worms W. M. D include the excellent background art and the polished animation. Also appreciated are that the general game-play experience is very similar to the exceptional Worms Armageddon.
Negatives include an A. I. that's not as smart as either the Dreamcast or 360 version of Worms Armageddon, the lack of some weapons -- including Ferrets and Termites, camera issues, silly voice-acting, the nearly-useless default Ninja Rope, and the shoe-horned crafting system.
First, the camera: It was a mistake to have the camera snap back to the worm that launched the attack; it takes the view away from the result (and the result is what players are watching for).
Voice-acting is hit-and-miss and certainly no match for the excellent voice acting featured in Worms 2: Armageddon. For comparison, the Cheese voices in W. M. D are a pale version of the superb Full Fat voice pack of Worms 2: Armageddon. Considering the sheer amount of blank space on the DVD, it's a mystery as to why the voice packs from Worms 2:Armageddon weren't included on Worms W. M. D. Thankfully, Worms W. M. D doesn't suffer from the strange sample playback issues of Worms Armageddon and Worms 2: Armageddon in which both games play samples at incorrect times (in particular the air strike and concrete donkey samples sound at times when those weapons aren't even active). Looks like someone (thankfully) stamped that bug out in W. M. D.
While the background art is great, there really aren't that many different worlds offered. It would be nice to see legacy maps included -- just as they were in Worms 2: Armageddon. Most missed are some of the background designs from the Dreamcast version of Worms Armageddon.
The default Ninja Rope (which appears to be the only off-line choice available) is too short and has terrible control compared to past games). It's sad to see one of the best utilities reduced to something so feeble.
As for the crafting system, it just doesn't suit this format of game-play and is better left out.
New weapons like helicopters, tanks, and mechs are interesting -- yet not essential. Any new weapon choices are always welcome though.
The Super Sheep weapon's rotation speed is much too fast. This was an obvious and easy-to-spot oversight (all the devs had to do was spend a bit of time studying their past releases and compare). The timer on the Super Sheep is also too short for the sheer amount of real-estate it needs to traverse.
I'm pleased to see that there aren't too many bugs in W. M. D, especially the annoying issue in Worms Armageddon where a grenade would hit an already-destroyed bridge. Having said that, there appears to be a bug in W. M. D in which sheep will not detonate even at a height of three worms above sea level when over open water.
An additional comment is that some of the excellent sound effects of previous games are absent here -- in particular the satisfying "blorp" sound of a worm plunging into the ocean that was utilized in Worms 2: Armageddon.
In summary, it seems that every installment in the Worms series suffers from issues that could have been spotted in the play-testing phase of development. And, as with previous versions, the menu interface is clunky. I'd have to say that Worms 2: Armageddon on the 360 likely has the best menu system of the series thus far and should be the minimum standard.
Despite these issues, the 2D Worms games are so fun to play that these problems can be set aside, for the most part.
The level of replay value for the Worms series is excellent and I hope to see more 2D Worms installments in the future.
