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| Worms 3D Reviewed by Pirate Yoshi Over-view: For years, Team 17 has made a name for itself solely on a single blockbuster franchise, involving cute, cuddly (if that's possible) critters, smart stratagey action, competitive multiplayer gaming, and hoardes of explosives and weaponry. Today, that series, aptly titled the "Worms" series, is perhaps the biggest action-stratagey game available on multiple platforms--with the latest installment, for which this review is written, the series delves a step further into the "action" genre than it's ever wriggled before. Graphics: 6.8/10 Remember, a 5 is average! While a 6.8 definately won't help Worms 3D's overall score, it's only fair to give it a mark such as this; the graphics are a bit choppy, and don't appear to push the limits of what the GameCube's graphics processor can do. However, the characters are all well-animated, and the cutscenes in particular are both hilarious to watch and very slick in appearance. The landscapes could have used a bit further detail, particularly where they've been blasted into, but this is probably do to the immense number of possible land pieces available--if the designers were to make each piece exactly perfect, this game would not have come out for another ten years, if at all! More on the huge number of land blocks in replay. Sound: 8/10 The sound effects may be recycled, but "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." As with previous Worms titles, the sound effects are very funny and well-fitted to the event taking place (i.e. shooting a rocket into the side of, saaaaaay, a huge King Kong wannabe). The voice acting is also hilarious, and the sheer number of different accents boosts the score higher still! The one lacking point would have to be some medioacre (at best) music--there's not a whole lot to listen to, even on the menu screen, but if you listen close, you'll hear the faint tones of the Worms World Party theme (perhaps it was used in previous Worms titles preceding even it? I'd have to go back and check...), which is worth SOMETHING... Controls: 7.4/10 The controls are rather shakey, and you'll definately need to do plenty of experimentation before you can use them so as to be up to snuff. I suggest going into multiplayer mode first and practicing with all the different weapons, playing against yourself to improve with and master as many pieces of artillery as possible. Even after developing some skills, you'll still occaisionally be frustrated with a poor camera angle (although you control it with the C-stick), faulty aiming (it can be very hard to gauge just how much power and in what direction you'll need to fire), and some sloppy worm control (jumping and squirming along thing ledges can be a real doomsday activity--your worm can easily hop over the edge and......well, I hope you weren't expecting to get a fight in, were you?). Fortunately, these plauges can be dealt with, and don't generally have a large effect on the overall outcome, anyways--if you jump your worm into the ocean waves, you probably weren't going to win, anyways; if you completely miss a golden opportunity to blow away and enemy worm, it'll eventually come around and you'll take him out anyways. Still, I'd like to have seen a bit better work done here than what 3D has to offer... Challenge: 9.5/10 Do not be fooled by the gentle, fuzzy appearance this game may offer--Worms 3D is for EXPERTS just as much as it is for NOVICES. The game is cleverly tailored to fit the needs of both veterans to the series and newbies who are taking up the grenade for the first time, so don't fear that you won't be given a proper introduction--there's plenty of room for botching up, learning the ropes, and honing some skills....early on. Once you've got those skills down, however, don't expect to have your hand held any longer--this is the point where the game picks up and caters to long-time Worms fans itching for some new challenges; the game becomes crazily difficult in some stages, and--should you not be challenged enough trying to finish the campaigns--you can always set yourself up for an extreme challenge in multiplayer mode, perhaps pitting your single worm against hordes of enemies, armed only with, saaaaaay, your Prod attack, or a limited number of grenades or shotgun ammo. Of course, the basic challenge that the game will give you *can* be completed, and you *probably* won't take years to do it. Replay: 10/10 Okay, so HOW does a game get a 10/10 in replay? Simple: a formula to ensure that you'll NEVER see the same game level twice! Alright, so it's not quite IMPOSSIBLE, but if you're out to prove that it *can* be done, then you'd best be ready to play for years upon years--Worms 3D comes with a random landscape generator, which will create a custom landscape (arena) from over 10,000 possible level designs. If you don't like your landscape, just tweak one of the many settings (land size, distance, height, objects, etc.) to see how it effects the environment. You can even input your own level coding (using simple numbers and letters--the game will read a series of about twelve or fifteen characters and create a custom landscape out of it) and write it down someplace for later use....try entering your name, your state, or your favorite website (hint hint!) and see what kind of arena you'll be given! But the level generator is only one of many great features--you've got complete control over which weapons your worms will have to fight with, how much ammo each gun will possess, when it will become available during gameplay, how often it'll appear in crates, and even where your worms will start out on the level! This can make for some awesome team warfare (want to stage World War 3? Turn off random placement, group all your worms on one side of the stage, and set your arsenal to, say, Holy Hand Grenades or Banana Bombs and let your creepy crawlers go at it! Just find yourself a good trench, in case things get ugly above ground.....). To top it all off, the settings for Team Creation are excellent! Name each individual worm on your team, pick out a flag and gravestone, equip your troops with a special weapon, name your army, and--the best part--give them a voice that fits them best! Perhaps you want gangster-talking worms? Or maybe super-hero-style chatter boxes. Scottish, Irish, Welsh, or English accent? A US Wrestler? The choices are phenominal, and you'll love this game long after you've first opened it! Gameplay: 8.9/10 Worms has always been a super-exciting, all-out addicting series to take on, and the latest installment grabs the best of the series, and throws it into a third dimmension! Everything seems rewired and juiced up, despite a strong sense of familiarity and a lot of the same concepts and resources from past games. The sheer number of options and modes make Worms 3D a game for the long-run, and the vast number of unlockables give you something to struggle for. The weapons are cleverly crafted, fitted to their purpose with great percision, and the stages are well set-up, with lots of nitches and crannies to cower in during fire fights or high ledges and peaks to snipe others from. To sum it up, it's entirely fantastic! That being said, however, there are some notable improvements that could be made to add to the experience. First of all, playing Worms slowly grows boring after hours, and you'll eventually want to shut it off for a while. *IF* there was some additional playing experiences tacked on (perhaps an adventure mode in which you compete against other worms in Real Time), there'd be a lot more incentive to NOT shut the power off. If more weapons were available (new weapons--there doesn't appear to be a whole lot of new junk hanging around this time), the notch would raise again. Finally (and you've been waiting for this one, I'm sure), if the game was on-line and humans from around the world could be combatting their worms, it'd be the icing on the cake. This game has a lot of potential and beyond-solid structure as it is, but there is (as always) room for improvement....just significantly more here than in some other titles. **Story: .3/1 While there's no storyline backing up the whole game, the individual campaigns and tutorial missions have smart, often humerous storylines to add some depth. Granted, the experience is rather minimal, but it throws an extra layer of play into the mix, and deserves some pointage for doing so. **Multiplayer: 1/1 This is not a hard catagory to get the whole bonus point in--for the most part, you've either got multiplayer support, or you don't got it. Let me say it now, Worms 3D has "got multiplayer support." As stated above, the options and gameplay modes are numerous and very contrasting from each other, and the vast number of variables make every experience feel fresh and new! Plus, you can have 16 players playing the game together (and more, if players want to double up controlling the same worm)--one worm for every player in the room, splitting you and your co-players into teams (or, should you desire, allied teams against common menaces!). The only flaw is that the game is played with a single controller, requiring you to pass on to the next player for his turn--you can easily screw up an opponent by keeping the controller after your turn and "accidentally" jumping their worm forwards, causing him to "happen" to land in the ocean and drown... If four controllers, one for each team, could be used, this would boast ideal multiplayer capable of holding its own against even the biggest multiplayer giants, such as Super Smash Brothers Melee and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! As it stands currently, Worms 3D definately gives such titles a run for their money, and is definately the supreme king of stratagey/action GCN titles. Worms don't disappoint. Graphics: 6.8/10 Sound: 8/10 Controls: 8/10 Challenge: 9.5/10 Replay: 10/10 Gameplay: 8.9/10 **Story: .3/1 **Multiplayer: 1/1 Total Score: 8.7 Score Explanation: If five is average (no "average" games come to mind, at the moment.... >_< ), then that makes Worms 3D "fantastic!", assuming a score of 9.0 = "phenominal!", and 10 = "Flawless!". I'd say that the word fantastic adequately fits this game--Worms 3D is a lot of fun to take on, and it's sure to keep you entertained and enjoying it for a long, long time. Those who should buy it include Worms fans and veterans, stratagey fans, people with a sick, twisted sense of humor involving huge guns and explosives, and casual gamers looking for a fun game to play at parties. |