Game Card
Worms: Open Warfare 2 (PSP)
- Publisher:
- THQ
- Developer:
- Team 17
- US Release:
- 04.09.2007
- EU Release:
- n/a
- Number of players:
- n/a
- Type:
- Action
- Reality Factor:
- Fantasy
- Real Time:
- Turns
- Extra:
- Comic Style
- Combat Status:
- Militaristic
Review
We play Worms: Open Warfare 2...
As much as we all bemoan a lack of innovation, ingenuity and general creative leadership within modern video gaming, sometimes it’s nice to just settle back into something convincingly familiar and allow the waves of nostalgia and programmed reflexes to bubble back to the surface. In an age of complex control schemes, steep learning curves and time-sink campaign modes, taking a step back and simply enjoying a basic game with a friend can be exactly what you need to rejuvenate and refocus your love of the medium. Team 17's Worms franchise has consistently provided solidly entertaining and colourful strategy gaming for the last three generations of gaming technology, and Open Warfare 2 comes at just the right time to remind us all of how simple video gaming can, and some would say should, be.
After several ill thought out incursions into 3D and a fairly poor attempt at a DS port last year, Team 17 once again seems to be finding its feet, and Open Warfare 2 provides a comprehensive package that long-serving fans of the series will love, whilst simultaneously bowing to a few modern conventions in order to hook new players.
Speaking of new players; although it may be completely inconceivable at this stage to think that there might be somebody out there that hasn't played Worms in one form or another, we'd better cover the basics. The overall premise of the game sees two opposing armies of worms face off across a variety of wacky and destructible terrain types, taking turns to fire grenades, missiles and various other weapons in a battle to the death. Wind speed and gravity play a large part in determining the difficulty of each target, and choosing an attack candidate quickly becomes a strategical priority. Attack the wrong opponent or leave yourself in the open, and you'll be kissing goodbye to your entire team within the first few turns. Matches can last from a few minutes up to an hour or so depending on the game type and play styles of the protagonists, and given the turn-based nature of play, never needs more than one pad or console for as many players as you can muster. Perfect for portable gaming.
The strength of any Worms title always lives or dies with the amount of variety and personality imbued in the development process, and thankfully Open Warfare 2 ticks all the boxes to make this a long-awaited classic. It seems that Team 17 were determined to shoehorn pretty much every available worms feature into one package, and the end result is a sandbox of game types and weaponry that will keep any fan occupied for the foreseeable future. All the classic crazy ordinance such as the Super Sheep and Concrete Donkey makes the grade, along with a few new additions that add a little bit of spice to proceedings.
Making your own custom game types is as simple as ever, and creating suitable terrain isn't as much of chore as you would expect on the PSP. Indeed the console for once handles all the necessary control inputs with grace, and with a minimum of awkwardness. The analogue nub is used for panning the camera around the battlefield, with face buttons mapped to the usual array of selection and movement controls. Shoulder buttons are utilised for zooming in and out, and overall the challenged layout of the PSP never becomes a problem.
Perhaps of more note, the single-player element has also at long last been given some attention, with a full campaign mode taking your team of worms through various historical settings, and a new puzzle mode tasking the player with some fiendishly difficult objectives with time or turn-based restrictions. As good as Worms has been in the past, playing by yourself just wasn't a viable option due to the rather broken nature of the super-AI, but the addition of the above modes and some tweaked opposition intelligence finally makes it a worthwhile prospect for the solo player. Puzzle mode in particular offers up a fantastic challenge, and has the added bonus of considerably improving your skills for those epic multiplayer battles.
Indeed, whilst local multiplayer has always been a substantial part of the series' roots, the online element of Open Warfare 2 has been given a strong presence this time round, offering up both ad-hoc and infrastructure modes, along with advanced features such as friends’ lists. Given the turn-based play, lag never really becomes an issue, although you will notice an element of control buffering from time to time. It's never to the detriment of the experience however.
Outside of the above, a full range of customisation options are present, from the usual ability to rename teams and individual worms, through to choosing different animations and individual clothing components for your newly crafted group of slithering warriors. Each game type earns points to be spent at a Worms store, which offers up unlockable content including new music, maps, backgrounds, clothes weaponry and animation. Collecting every available upgrade will take a considerable amount of time, but pimping your team out with high-end gear more than makes up for the effort.
Overall then there isn't much to detract from Worms Open Warfare 2 on the PSP. If you’re a fan of the series, it marks possibly the most comprehensive and feature-rich edition yet, with an online mode as fully developed as any of its console cousins. There are comprehensive tutorials and single-player game modes for those new to the series or looking for something different, and the portable design of the PSP makes it an ideal platform for delivery. In short, it's well worth a purchase for pretty much every PSP owner out there, and comes highly recommended.
Top Game Moment: Too countless to mention, although pulling off a tricky move with the ninja rope is always a fantastic feeling to accomplish.
 |
 |
|
| The traditional Worms look is retained for Open Warfare 2 |
Some of the level themes are excellent |
After several ill thought out incursions into 3D and a fairly poor attempt at a DS port last year, Team 17 once again seems to be finding its feet, and Open Warfare 2 provides a comprehensive package that long-serving fans of the series will love, whilst simultaneously bowing to a few modern conventions in order to hook new players.
Speaking of new players; although it may be completely inconceivable at this stage to think that there might be somebody out there that hasn't played Worms in one form or another, we'd better cover the basics. The overall premise of the game sees two opposing armies of worms face off across a variety of wacky and destructible terrain types, taking turns to fire grenades, missiles and various other weapons in a battle to the death. Wind speed and gravity play a large part in determining the difficulty of each target, and choosing an attack candidate quickly becomes a strategical priority. Attack the wrong opponent or leave yourself in the open, and you'll be kissing goodbye to your entire team within the first few turns. Matches can last from a few minutes up to an hour or so depending on the game type and play styles of the protagonists, and given the turn-based nature of play, never needs more than one pad or console for as many players as you can muster. Perfect for portable gaming.
 |
 |
|
| Customisation options are vast in number | Ninja Rope and Dynamite, the classic combination! |
The strength of any Worms title always lives or dies with the amount of variety and personality imbued in the development process, and thankfully Open Warfare 2 ticks all the boxes to make this a long-awaited classic. It seems that Team 17 were determined to shoehorn pretty much every available worms feature into one package, and the end result is a sandbox of game types and weaponry that will keep any fan occupied for the foreseeable future. All the classic crazy ordinance such as the Super Sheep and Concrete Donkey makes the grade, along with a few new additions that add a little bit of spice to proceedings.
Making your own custom game types is as simple as ever, and creating suitable terrain isn't as much of chore as you would expect on the PSP. Indeed the console for once handles all the necessary control inputs with grace, and with a minimum of awkwardness. The analogue nub is used for panning the camera around the battlefield, with face buttons mapped to the usual array of selection and movement controls. Shoulder buttons are utilised for zooming in and out, and overall the challenged layout of the PSP never becomes a problem.
Perhaps of more note, the single-player element has also at long last been given some attention, with a full campaign mode taking your team of worms through various historical settings, and a new puzzle mode tasking the player with some fiendishly difficult objectives with time or turn-based restrictions. As good as Worms has been in the past, playing by yourself just wasn't a viable option due to the rather broken nature of the super-AI, but the addition of the above modes and some tweaked opposition intelligence finally makes it a worthwhile prospect for the solo player. Puzzle mode in particular offers up a fantastic challenge, and has the added bonus of considerably improving your skills for those epic multiplayer battles.
Indeed, whilst local multiplayer has always been a substantial part of the series' roots, the online element of Open Warfare 2 has been given a strong presence this time round, offering up both ad-hoc and infrastructure modes, along with advanced features such as friends’ lists. Given the turn-based play, lag never really becomes an issue, although you will notice an element of control buffering from time to time. It's never to the detriment of the experience however.
Outside of the above, a full range of customisation options are present, from the usual ability to rename teams and individual worms, through to choosing different animations and individual clothing components for your newly crafted group of slithering warriors. Each game type earns points to be spent at a Worms store, which offers up unlockable content including new music, maps, backgrounds, clothes weaponry and animation. Collecting every available upgrade will take a considerable amount of time, but pimping your team out with high-end gear more than makes up for the effort.
 |
 |
|
| As always, the terrain can be both a help and hindrance to your tactics | Possibly the most complete Worms title ever |
Overall then there isn't much to detract from Worms Open Warfare 2 on the PSP. If you’re a fan of the series, it marks possibly the most comprehensive and feature-rich edition yet, with an online mode as fully developed as any of its console cousins. There are comprehensive tutorials and single-player game modes for those new to the series or looking for something different, and the portable design of the PSP makes it an ideal platform for delivery. In short, it's well worth a purchase for pretty much every PSP owner out there, and comes highly recommended.
Top Game Moment: Too countless to mention, although pulling off a tricky move with the ninja rope is always a fantastic feeling to accomplish.
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Trailer #1
Posted 20.04.07
Length 01:05 Views 790
User Comments
By jacob7676 on Aug 14, 2009
