Worms W.M.D Preview

The Worms series has a long legacy going all the way back to 1995 and the Amiga original. 21 years later it’s been on nearly every system conceivable with each iteration of the turn-based artillery game adding more weapons and twists to the basic concept. Worms W.M.D is aiming to re-invigorate the series with some interesting new additions.

For those who’ve somehow escaped every version of the game up to this point; you have a certain amount of time per turn where you have to fire one of a wide range of weapons at the opposing team of annelids to wipe them out before they do the same. It’s a simple to grasp concept which could explain the series’ longevity.

So what does Worms W.M.D bring to the table? For a start we’re seeing a return to the very emotive cartoon-style visuals, the worms themselves having playful animations full of charm. As usual your battles take place on a variety of landscapes that look rather lovely when zooming in and out of the battlefield and the series’ trademark explosions, humorous voice work and giant concrete donkeys return in full force.

New to W.M.D are vehicles, tanks, helicopters and mounted gun installations which are at your command, the vehicles in many ways feel like something from a Metal Slug title. The tanks for example can jump and offer both protection for the occupant but also offer extra fire power, it will be interesting to see how these integrate into the final game.

Also new to the party is the ability to actually enter some buildings. When you go “inside” a building it transitions to a silhouette of the contents. This provides new cover opportunities but you aren’t totally safe as, like in previous Worms titles, everything is destructible. From a pure gameplay mechanic standpoint this feels like a huge change and could allow for some really interesting level design!

The other big tent-pole feature for W.M.D is the crafting. This system allows you to dismantle weapons into parts (that you can also find in crates during battle) that you can then use to create souped up variations of your destructive devices on your next turn. From an Angry Concrete Donkey (like an ordinary Concrete Donkey but on fire, obviously) to the Super Flatulence Sheep, there is a humorous set of tweaks you can make to the already large armoury of weapons.

All three of these additions could potentially make a big difference to how Worms W.M.D feels and plays. The crafting could add some interesting decision making to the mix, do you use your last grenade or turn it into parts to make something better next turn?

Worms W.M.D looks set to add enough new mechanics and toys through its crafting, vehicles and building interiors that it at least opens up some explosive new combinations. It certainly has a good shot at keeping the Worms legacy alive.

Worms W.M.D is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on the 23rd August 2016.