Try worming your way out of this one! (Worms 3D (PS2))

Name: rune_tune

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Product:	Worms 3D (PS2)
Date:	18/03/08 (70 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great game that has evolved well.

Disadvantages: Might not suit some because of some basic graphics and features.

Worms 3D For Playstation 2.

~ How I began to play Worms! ~

Some years ago, in the midst of time (okay only 1995 but hey.....) I had a Amiga computer system that was all the rage.
I have a much younger brother and when he would come to stay with me, we would often drag this out and one of our favourite games was Worms.
I later bought a Mega-Drive and we would play on that as well, but eventually we moved on to Playstation games, and finally we went from the original Playstation version to the 3D version brought out when we bought our Playstation 2 (PS2).

~ A little history of the game ~

As already mentioned, this was a game, which we played on the Amiga system I owned, and at the time the game was only available on this system. Later it was made so other systems could use it, including the Sony Mega Drive, Saturn, the earliest Playstation and Nintendo Game Boy.

The game originated as an entry to a competition, and while it didn't initially win anything, and was ignored by a number of people when it was shown to them, a company called Team17 was at a trade show with their stand and when they saw the original game being displayed by its maker, they offered to buy it on the spot.

The Commodore Amiga was the forefront of gaming for a lot of people at the time this became commercially available and the first game and some of the subsequent releases were simple cartoon characters with basic level designs but in fact the overall premise of the game has changed little.

~ The 3D version ~

So along came the 3D version and was first released around 2003 available for the Playstation 2.
The idea about the game itself has changed very little from the first release in 1995. The biggest changes are obviously the 3D graphics, but also some changes in the weapons, by virtue of some new items and also how you would operate them. As I've said, the premise of the game has changed surprisingly little over the years.

~ The Game ~

So, what exactly is the game about?
In essence you fight another group of 'worms' (controlled by an opponent) through different and varying landscapes.
You take it in turns to attack each other, with different weapons and moves giving your different options and strategies.
You have a number of environmental factors you have to take into account as you play; the most obvious is the wind direction and strength (which is shown on screen for you) as well as the land features which changes with every game and in fact with every move since you are able to blown it up with abandon!
The ultimate object of the game is to be the last man (or in this case Worm or Group of Worms) standing!

You can also use blow torches and other items to dig yourself a tunnel or cave area to try and hide from incoming missiles, as well as using outcrops and other natural features as a form of shielding if at all possible.
The overall premise has hardly changed at all, and the same ideas and strategy you used in the early games are just as relevant with the new game, but that is what made the game so enjoyable in the first place, so its nice to see they haven't tried to make any real changes with this aspect of the game.

~ Starting the Game ~

As with pretty well most games, when you first turn it on, you get given some options, from single player (against the computer) to multiple players (we often play as a team of 4, myself, my partner, my brother and his partner or my sister). Other options are all fairly standard - Music on or off, different choice of music, quick start and so on.
You can also make your own team of worms - giving them your own team name and subsequent names for each worm in the group. Some examples of some we've used in the past as a family are:
Team names - Pop Divas, Star Trek, Sports Stars, Actors, Actresses.
Worm names - From Kylie (with the Pop Diva Group) to Keira Knightly in the Actress group.

You can though simply go with some default options provided by the game if you want to get going quite quickly.

So you are now set up, ready to go......

~ And the game begins ~

So, you've got your team of worms and a nice array of weaponry (listed later) at your disposal. Thinking of disposal, this is the object of the game, to dispose of your competitor's worms without losing all of yours.
So, you start with the control of one of your worms, which you can either inch slowly forward, backward or even tunnel through the landscape, or if needed you can jump across and even back flip around obstacles which might crop up. You might need to use one of your weapons to help you navigate through somewhere, but watch out, because not only are their other worms who are soon to be hot on your trail, but also land mines which should you hit one will inflict a lot of damage (It's more likely to kill you)!

You're also on a strict time limit set by the game for each go, so you have to make sure you can manoeuvre yourself into position and also try to attack one of your opponents within the set time.

You also have to account for damage you might suffer if you accidentally fall down a hillside or cliff area, and you are surrounded completely by water which if you fall in, means you are dead and you lose one of your worms!

The settings are.... Absurd, not quite fantasy and just a little 'fluffy' at times, very cartoon in nature, but don't be put off by this because you do actually need to be pretty good at working out strategy games, and the mix of the silly with the serious strategy is what makes this game work so well.

~ Single player or Multi Player? ~

It's a game which lends itself well to being for a single or multiplayers. Personally, we love to play it as a family or with friends because its just such fun, but if you just want to play on your own, this really does allow you to without loss of enjoyment. You are given several different choices, which can also lead to other options. For example in the Campaign mode you are taken through a series of maps but not only are you trying to eliminate the other worms as you would in the regular game, but also pick up special packages which are placed through the maps.

If you manage to navigate successfully through the campaign, you will then be given the chance of a Challenge game, which gives you a chance to show off your skills with some of the weaponry.

The quick start option is something you can use if you want to just have a go at something on a random basis. Great if you can't quite make up your mind as to what you want to play!

As I've said, personally we play a lot on the multiplayer game and love it. Not only does it allow us to all poke fun out of each other as we play, but it does give you some additional customisation. As mentioned we often play with up to 4 players (the maximum number of teams you can have), and as well as putting together your own teams and members of a team you can also do a little more with some of the weapons, health, game length and even number of rounds you want to play per game. You can also choose the landscapes you want to play in, colours of the landscapes around you and also even if the landscape is destructible - although we always have it as being destructible on our game so I don't know just how it might differ in terms of game experience.

~ The main weapons and items you can use. ~

Bazooka.
This is probably one of the most used of all the weapons, but is also affected a lot by wind direction and strength, so you must always consider this before launching a shell in the direction of an opponent.

Homing Missile.
This is basically like the Bazooka but it is target specific. Much like a sniper who would line up and fire, you aim carefully using a site guide before firing. Again, this is susceptible to the wind, and also objects that might obscure its route so can only be used in certain situations but is very effective when it can be used.

The Mortar.
Again, another firing weapon much like the Bazooka but it sends out cluster bombs when it impacts, so its quite deadly. Not always as accurate though.

Grenade.
Useful to throw in certain situations, they have a time delay before exploding, so if you use correctly you have time to get out of the way before they do go bang!

The Homing Pigeon.
Remember the Homing Missile? Well this is the same sort of thing but it can manoeuvre around basic obstacles and impacts more damage when it strikes. Not any good for very complex areas though.

Bouncing Bananas.
Just that, one of the more silly items in your infantry but nonetheless, powerful bombs when they explode on impact and once the main banana explodes its power isn't the first explosion, but the secondary ones it inflicts as smaller bananas are thrown out!

Sheep/Super Sheep.
If someone is hiding in a particularly nasty spot you are having trouble getting to, sometimes sending a sheep bouncing their way is useful. But beware, sometimes they can decide to turn around and head back in your direction in certain conditions in the landscape!

Another farm variety, the Mad Cow!
And a little like the sheep, release the frothing mouthed cows and see what happens next! And after the cows you could.....

Always try the Concrete donkey!
Its hard and just drives its way through anything in its way!

The Holy Hand Grenade.
Oh what fun! This makes the ordinary grenade seem small in comparison

Air Strike.
You can also send out an air strike if you need to. Usually quite limited in number, so use wisely but can be a very effective weapon if used correctly.

Other useful items.

A jet pack.
You can use this to fly from different points on the map if needed. Again a useful strategy tool when needed.

Ninja Rope.
Another item to help you out of tricky spots.

Parachute.
So you can drop down to earth in relative safety without becoming Worm Pulp!

~ How does the game measure up? ~

Well it's a firm favourite in our household. I tend not to play many games because of arthritis but I do find this is one I can enjoy without too much difficulty since the controller use isn't frenzied like some other games (Driving and fighting ones for example). While you are having to complete in a time limit, you can often work out a move before your turn by watching the game going on, so its not hard to position yourself or the weapon your going to use.
As mentioned its all done in quite a fun and quirky cartoon setting. Yet it doesn't become cartoon like in its appeal and so should appeal to children and adults alike. As I've said, I've got a brother who is much younger than I am (I had moved away from home before he was even born) and he used to love playing this even as a 8/10 year old, and still loves it today.
The landscapes can vary from the Moon, to The Empire State building and King Kong! The graphics are simple (think Nintendo Wii if you've played on that) and even with the 3D, doesn't burst out at you for being anything other than pretty basic technology to achieve this.

I'm still not sure Worms 3D really does work in a 3D environment though! I know that sounds strange and I'm generally a lover of 3D work, but sometimes I feel a game doesn't really benefit overall from it and doesn't gain much depth from the original 2D version and this is one of those times. We often put our original Playstation 2D version on to play - and while the 3D does get played, I would say perhaps not quite as much!
3D works wonderfully in most areas (Driving games for example) but I do just wonder if its been done for the sake of it rather than the overall good of the game - This is one of those occasions where I have to wonder if that isn't the case.
The worms have quite cute voices, again done very much in a squeaky cartoon style but again you have plenty of choice if you want to have a slightly different sound to your worms! The background music doesn't seem unchanged though and overall it shows little difference to the Playstation 1 version. We tend to maintain the background noise from weaponry and the worms but remove the music anyway since we find it distracting and annoying, but that isn't something unique to this game and our own personal preference.

~ Final Thoughts ~

In many respects if you already have the original Playstation version of the game, I'm not sure buying this version is going to give you an awful lot more. Either one is what makes this game work - it's cute, some fun strategy and good multiplayer options. But since it could have lost that aspect altogether I'm not complaining, and if you're looking to play this for the first time, the 3D version will do - just fine.
Well, we've been playing it in different versions now since 1995 and still enjoy it, so there is something to be said for its longevity! I wonder, how many games will I be looking back on in another 12/13 years time and still talking about or even playing as much?

5 out of 5 stars for me.

Summary: A strategy game that might just surprise some people as to how addictive it could become.