Worms: Open Warfare 2
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: THQ Developer: THQ Media: Cartridge/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Turn-Based Strategy
Graphics & Sound: Worms: Open Warfare 2 is a game about worms that use everything from shotguns to exploding sheep to annihilate one another. Truly, this game requires little more introduction. It's a game with a long history that really needs only to stick to its classic blow-em-up roots to be good. With this game, you expect to see those goofy little worms and their arsenal clearly and identifiably. That's what you get, basically: angry worms, happy dancing worms, tired worms along with their bazookas, blowtorches, and lots of other tiny items of war. Worms: Open Warfare 2 fits about as much as it can on the small screens. It still leaves you with a good view of the landscape that extends through both screens. Although I can't compare this to the first Worms DS game from direct experience, it seems like this game has more of a polished look to it, right down to the fonts chosen. I was at first a bit worried about having to aim through the "split" between the screens, but it works pretty well. If I could ask for anything, it would be a zoom-out ability - not just a map. If I were speaking directly with St. Nicholas himself, I'd ask for the ability to play the game sideways, so I could get a different view of the field. But really, the game plays fine in this form. As always, it's nice that the menus don't hog the screen all the time. Worms: Open Warfare 2 (sorry for the repetition, but you'll have to understand I can't call this WoW 2 without causing undue confusion) has a familiar soundtrack and set of sound effects. They still work well: you've got your different worm accents, a range of background music from atmospheric battle to jaunty pirate themes, and satisfying explosions to top it off. No, there's nothing particularly new here, but sometimes it just ain't broke.
Gameplay: Worms: Open Warfare 2 is a turn-based battle game. It's all about choosing the right weapon for the right situation, and sometimes just choosing the most absurd weapon just for fun. Maneuvering is just as important as hitting your target, and you have to balance between setting yourself up for the next attack, and avoiding making yourself a tempting target. Worms: Open Warfare 2 is pretty generous with its gameplay options. You've got the quick game, if you just want to start a random fight with the CPU. You've got several different modes of single player campaigns and such. Puzzle mode is a nice change of pace in this game. You're given a set of weapons and a unique map. You essentially solve the puzzle, figuring out how to kill the other worms with what you've got. Laboratory mode seemed a bit thrown in, just to make use of the Stylus and Microphone, but it was still amusing in its own right. Then there are also 3 different Wireless/Wi-Fi play options. Though I wasn't able to try the local Wireless option where both players have a game cartridge, the Wireless download play was excellent. It starts a quick Deathmatch on a random map with up to 3 other players. One fun thing you can do with this gameplay mode is to watch what your opponent is trying to do and taunt their apparent plan of action. Well, you can when your DS happens to be caught up and seeing the real-time gameplay. There's usually a slight delay between your opponent making a move and you being able to see it. It's not such a big deal, you just get used to your opponent laughing and then waiting 2 seconds to see what he did to one of your unsuspecting soldiers. But on top of that minor annoyance, the Wireless play does tend to be a bit glitchy. I had more than a few matches freeze at random points, especially at the end of the match. Wi-Fi play worked great, with plenty of gameplay options to choose from. You can choose to play against friends, which means the need for those infamous friend codes, but you can easily pick up a random match with someone without the codes. You can also choose from regional players or worldwide, but honestly, how can you tell where the player is if you can only see the player's name? You can customize the matches in several different ways as well. For example, with the different Game Types, you can play for speed with the Race, or favor defense with Fort, or just play the familiar, to-the-death Deathmatch. Well, you can play those different modes as long as there is someone else out there is trying to play as well. I couldn't seem to find an opponent for anything other than Deathmatch when I tried. You just have to pick a mode, and wait for an opponent, and sometimes wait and wait some more. Unfortunately, you can't show off custom teams or maps unless you use those long, pesky friend codes. You also can't communicate with anyone during online play. It's not any kind of glaring oversight, but it would have made things a bit more interesting.
Difficulty: Worms: Open Warfare 2 has a CPU with skills that, well, only a computer seems capable of possessing. If all the CPU has is a bazooka, you can bet that it will hit you, no matter where you are on the screen. Its exacting skill is frustrating, but it does occasionally make mistakes and leave openings. It feels fair enough, but you are guaranteed to exchange a few foul words with your DS. If it's still not enough for you, you can purchase more challenging campaigns as you play. Wi-Fi play also has an option to play against ranked opponents. This should ensure that you play against people with similar skill level to your own. One thing to remember before you invite your fellow DS owners to play a match over the Wireless connection is there is going to be a learning curve. The Wireless play won't guide a newcomer through anything, so you'll probably have to explain weapons, menus, and controls for a while. It would be a lot to ask to have a tutorial mode in the download play, but perhaps a hint mode that you could toggle on or off would have done the trick. You can at least send them a demo game and allow them to solo for a bit before they try it against you.
Game Mechanics: Worms: Open Warfare 2 gets the job done as far as having good controls. Of course, the controls are simple, you choose a weapon, then aim and fire. It just takes some time to learn how each weapon works, and unless you've gone through the tutorials, there will undoubtedly be some misfires and weapon misuse. Use of the stylus and the touch screen is optional, but it's at least there as a convenient aiming/scrolling tool. There's a well-rounded set of weapons here. And no, not every Worm weapon ever is here, but plenty of new weapons make their debut here. Some of the new things are just hilariously named, and some do hilarious things. All I can say is stand far away when you use the Concrete Donkey - far away. One thing that can be overwhelming about this game is the sheer number of options and schemes available. I can hardly fault the game for having too many different ways to play, but for some things, explanations are a little hard to find. Worms: Open Warfare 2 is simply a fun Worms game for the DS. It makes great use of Wi-Fi and Wireless play, with only a few kinks. There's a lot to learn and master here, but it should feel fairly intuitive for Worms veterans. One can only hope this is the standard that future Worms games are built upon on the DS.
-Fights with Fire, GameVortex Communications AKA Christin Deville
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