At just 800 Microsoft Points, this game is an absolute steal.
This is basically the direct sequel to Live Arcade's Worms from 2007, one of the service's most popular titles which can now be found in the Greatest Hits for just 400 Microsoft Points. The sequel costs double that, but 400 less than the original did at launch. It's surprising then, for its relatively low price, how much great content Team 17 have managed to fit into this sequel.
Single-player wise, the game has a lengthy and challenging campaign of 35 missions in length. They range from traditional deathmatch games to more creative ones such as races and puzzles which make good use of the game's random map generator. There's also plenty of tutorials to get to grips with the controls and all the new weapons. Of course you've also got your basic quick play option which throws you straight into a deathmatch against the computer, whose AI is pretty damn smart it must be said.
Worms has always been a multiplayer favourite and this game is no different; it's got local and online multiplayer for up to 4 players and it's still great fun. All the modes can be used in multiplayer, so there's more variety than usual thanks to the added races and puzzle modes.
Where Worms 2: Armageddon really surpasses all of its predecessors is in the customisation department. You can create your own teams right down to the individual Worms' names, what hats they wear, their skin colour, the voice, their victory dance, their gravestone and more. You can also create your own maps and game types to add even more variety to the game. You can also take these online and see what your friends think of them.
The customisation is great and there are tons of assets to use when editing all aspects of the game thanks to the load of unlockables. During the single-player you are rewarded with coins which you can use to buy new hats, voices, maps, gravestones, weapons and even extra missions. The first XBLA Worms game had DLC too so I think it's a fair bet that we'll see some for Worms 2 down the line as well.
The basic formula for Worms really hasn't changed. The same goofy weapons we all know and love are still here such as the Banana Bomb, the Concrete Donkey and the fan favourite Holy Hand Grenade. Nothing about the gameplay has changed, there's just never been so much variety in how you can play thanks to the ton of single-player missions, multiplayer options and some really brilliant customisation features.
Worms 2: Armageddon is also the best looking Worms game yet. It looks incredibly sharp and polished with the same great art style, all looking better than even in lovely 1080p HD. The audio is also quirky and fun with goofy voices and sound effects coupled with some pretty sweet music tracks. The game also has support for Xbox Avatars which is a nice touch, but all they do is perform little emotes before each of your turns depending on how you are doing in the match. Still, it's a nice touch from Team 17 and more games should support the Avatars in some way.
It's great to see Team 17 back to what they do best after the abysmal Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust from earlier this year. Worms 2: Armageddon follows the same gameplay formula from 14 years ago, but the amount of modes and customisation options are really impressive. At just 800 Microsoft Points (£6.85/$10), this game is an absolute steal and is well worth picking up.
By Tom Acres - Systemlink Blog
