We all know that hundreds of games are released every year.  A lot of gamers are also starting to realise that multi million pound budgets with great cinematic experiences may not mean that a game will be successful.

Over the years a lot of attention has been put on driving the latest tech forward to make a stunning looking game.  Unfortunately, a lot of these developers lose sight of the key element of videogaming and that is the gameplay and overall experience.  You may have also read that a lot of key franchises this year are “going back to their roots” in a search to recreate the buzz and feel that made a game popular in the first place.

One game that has bucked this trend time and time again has been the Worms franchise, developed by Team 17.  Now, Worms has had it faults in the past trying to move with the flow and create 3D versions of the game which, in my opinion, have not been as successful as their 2D counterparts.  So, with the Worms franchise going strong for the last 15 years, the latest version of the game is upon us, back in 2D glory and with a few bells and whistles attached to bring it up to date.

For anyone that has never played a game from the Worms franchise (where the bloody hell have you been!!) the premise of the game is simple.  Take a team of 4 Worms, pit it against other teams of Worms on a 2D landscape, arm them with  variety of comical weapons and start to blow the living crap out of each other until one team survives in a turn based system that feels as good as it ever did.  Sounds simple – right?  Well, the simplicity of the gameplay is exactly what makes this franchise so beautiful.  Worms: Reloaded is very simple to pick up and play but the strategies to become a better player is what makes you come back to it time and time again.  Even if all of your Worms die a violent death, the cheeky one liners and the inevitable last gasp carnage of them blowing themselves up and anything close to them gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling that is hard to describe.  Gaming in general will normally give you a feeling of loss and sometimes you end up staying away from a game due to frustration but with Worms and the comedic elements in the gameplay, you just want to have another go to improve your skills.

The Worms franchise has always been heralded as a great multiplayer game and that still remains with this iteration of Worms.  Using the STEAM engine, Worms players have never had it so easy.  Hooking up with friends, randoms and even unlocking achievements is as simple as clicking a mouse button a couple of times and within seconds you will be linked to someone in a game of lag free carnage.

Worms Reloaded has had its upgrades but they are quite subtle apart from the different landscapes which look crisp, beautiful and well designed.  Incorporating tunnelling tools has also added an extra dimension to the usual jetpacks, ninja ropes which help you to reach those difficult places and the weapons that can be collected feel a lot more balanced than some of the versions before.  There are some great gametypes there too that will give you some diverse options to your gameplay if you feel the need to try something a little different.

One big upgrade, or downgrade you may call it, is the A.I. system in the campaign which now spans 60 missions over 3 campaigns.  In previous versions of Worms, the A.I. has been on rails.  No shots were missed, everything was pretty accurate and the A.I. placed it’s worms where you couldn’t hit them was blatant, leading to a somewhat off putting experience for the novice.  Thankfully, the A.I. seems to have been dumbed down a little so now the worms actually make mistakes and will make for a lot more balanced match.

One of the biggest draws for Worms Reloaded is the amount of customisation that is available to you.  If I could swear properly now I would.  Basically, everything is customisable in the game.  By winning coins you can upgrade your worms look, adding weaponry or even customising your fort, you could probably customise your family too but I have not found the option for that yet!  If you are getting bored of playing the same maps then these are also customisable and a map can be fully built from the ground to create a breath of fresh air that can be played locally or shared with other people.  The boundaries are limitless and the only thing that will hold you back is your imagination.

My only niggle with the game is the control system and how it has been mapped to buttons and the mouse.  Personally, I am for ease of use when it comes to PC games and felt that a lot of the handling could have been controlled with the mouse only.  Although you get used to using the keys to aim, move and fire it is a bit of a pain to get comfortable for long periods of time or even adjust everything during your 30 second countdown.  It feels better over time but you will have to go through the breaking in phase which is a slight annoyance.

Overall, Worms Reloaded is the definitive version of the game.  A solid campaign which will test your skills for a long period of time, coupled with faultless online and local multiplayer will have all Worms fans blowing their trumpets at its success.  Turn based, 2D gaming is not for everyone and unfortunately there will always be gamers that are sucked into the world of hi brow gaming with the multi million pound budgets that go with them.  But when all is said and done there is no better game to be played than the simplest of ideas that has been steadily crafted to perfection through the years.  Worms Reloaded is the pinnacle of this type of design and is a must buy for anyone that wants to see how the simplest of ideas can be made into a long lasting franchise.