Worms Ultimate Mayhem

Last updated
Worms Ultimate Mayhem
WormsUMBoxart.jpg
Developer(s) Team17
Publisher(s) Team17
Series Worms
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows and Xbox 360
September 28, 2011 [1]
PlayStation 3
  • NA: February 14, 2012 [2]
  • EU: February 15, 2012
Genre(s) Artillery, strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Worms Ultimate Mayhem is a 3D artillery turn-based tactics video game developed by Team17. [3] [4] The game is a re-release of Worms 4: Mayhem with improved graphics. It features all-new content, story mode voice acting by Guy Harris, and other gameplay fixes such as reworked camera controls. The game features turn-based gameplay, a single-player campaign, and both local and online multiplayer. While primarily based on Worms 4: Mayhem, Ultimate Mayhem also includes content from Worms 3D , with its campaign and multiplayer maps included in the game.

Contents

The game was released as a digital download on September 28, 2011 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 and on February 14, 2012 for PlayStation 3.

Gameplay

As with all previous 3D Worms games, Worms Ultimate Mayhem features a 3D, turn-based artillery strategy that allows player to move freely in all directions. In the game lobby, players are able to choose from a wide variety of different weapons and use them when the game starts. At the start of the game, each player takes control of a team of worms. Due to the game's turned-base nature, each player controls one worm at a time within a set time limit; when the time limit expires, the worm fires a weapon, or the worm takes damage for any reason, the player's turn ends and game proceeds to the next player's turn.

The objective of the game is to eliminate all of the enemy team worms. There are two ways that a worm can be eliminated. The simplest, usual way is to deplete the worm of its health using any of the weapons available; some weapons provide the ability to push or knock back worms. The other, faster way is to knock the worm into the water, causing it to die as soon as it comes there. Once all worms from a team are eliminated, that team is out of play. The last team with worms left standing is the winner.

Multiplayer gameplay allows for up to four players, online or locally, where they can choose from a few different game modes, such as Statue Defend, Homelands, and Deathmatch. [5] In the classic Deathmatch game mode, the objective is simply to eliminate all opposing team worms. In Homelands, each team is given a home base and can only collect crates from the middle area, though the objective is the same as in Deathmatch. Statue Defend is similar to Homelands, but every time a worm dies, it will respawn in full health within its team's base, and there are also bird statues in each base, so the objective is to destroy all opponents' bird statues.

Single-player gameplay allows players to test their skill against AI opponents through a set of game modes, where they can also learn to familiarize themselves with the environment and the surrounding. These game modes include a tutorial series, a story mode and a challenge mode, all carried over from Worms 4: Mayhem, as well as a remastered Worms 3D campaign mode. Players can earn coins and unlock items for purchase in the shop through single-player gameplay.

Weapons

All weapons and utilities in Worms Ultimate Mayhem are carried over from Worms 4: Mayhem, along with the Binoculars from Worms 3D. These range from classic weapons such as bazooka, fire punch and concrete donkey, to newer weapons like poison arrow, sentry gun and bovine blitz.

Customization

Players are able to customize their worms with different accessories and a variety of unique speech banks to show off their unique style and personality. Players can also customize their weapon; creating something new and powerful to face off enemy worms.

Development

Reception

Worms Ultimate Mayhem received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. [6] [7] [8] Critics usually praised the multiplayer and panned the camera angles, although Play magazine considered the latter improved over earlier 3D titles. [13] TeamXbox believed that multiplayer was undoubtedly the best part for its breadth of content and customisation, but criticised the diminished dramatic effect of weapons on the environment compared to the game's 2D installments, as well as widely inconsistent artificial intelligence ranging from incompetence in campaign mode to firing bazooka shots with unrealistic accuracy in Quick Play. [15] GameSpot noted some graphical improvement, but also lengthy loading times, particularly when restarting challenges, and that moves requiring dexterity, such as those using a ninja rope or a jet pack, were hampered by the game's transition to 3D and the resulting environmental structure and unhelpful camera angles. Whilst praising the wealth of weapons, it was disappointed by the weapon creation system, which it found was constrained to damage sliders and modifiers that still failed to produce a dramatic effect seen in the 2D counterparts. [12] Destructoid criticised the controls, how the worms move, and the fact that, when paired with the turn-based nature of the game, both render single-player experience tedious. [9]

GameRevolution 's review was more positive. It praised the variety of game modes, and its attention was sustained by the cartoonish element of blowing up things, although it called the series' shift to 3D "a major mistake against the authenticity of the originals." [11] Conversely, GamePro believed that Team17 could have delivered a quality product superior to the 2D games if not for basic shortcomings such as camera angles. The publication described the graphics as having an art style streamlined with high-definition video, but still being unimpressively simplistic. [10] Digitally Downloaded was pleased by the variety of the single-player missions and the strategy involved, but felt that they become repetitive after some time. [16] Push Square found aiming weapons to be cumbersome and traversing large maps to be slow and noted plunging frame rates due to large explosions, but praised the sound effects, music, and worm accents. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Worms</i> (series) Artillery strategy computer game series

Worms is a series of artillery tactical video games developed by British company Team17. In these games, small platoons of anthropomorphic worms battle each other across a destructible landscape with the objective being to become the sole surviving team. The games are noted for their cartoony animation and extensive use of surrealism and slapstick humour.

<i>Worms Armageddon</i> 1999 video game

Worms Armageddon is a 1999 turn-based strategy video game developed and published by Team17. It was originally released for the Microsoft Windows operating system, and was later ported to the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Color. Worms Armageddon is the third installment in the Worms series. In the game, the player controls a team of up to eight earthworms tasked with defeating an opposing team using a wide range of weapons at their disposal. The game takes place on a destructible and customizable two-dimensional board and is characterized by cartoonish graphics and a unique brand of humour.

<i>Worms 3D</i> 2003 video game

Worms 3D is a 3D artillery turn-based tactical game in the Worms series. It was developed by Team17. The game was the first in the series to be in 3D and also featured several new weapons. Additionally, some of the weapons operations are substantially different from previous Worms titles.

<i>Worms 4: Mayhem</i> 2005 video game

Worms 4: Mayhem is a 3D artillery turn-based tactics video game in the Worms series developed by Team17 that was released in 2005. It is the direct successor to 2003's Worms 3D.

<i>Worms: Open Warfare</i> 2006 video game

Worms: Open Warfare is a 2D artillery tactical game. It was developed by Team17 and published by THQ for the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS. It is the first game in the Worms series to be released for seventh generation handheld consoles and marked the series' return to its original 2D gameplay style.

<i>Worms Forts: Under Siege</i> 2004 video game

Worms Forts: Under Siege is a 3D artillery tactical game developed by Team17. A follow-up to the previous Worms game, Worms 3D, Forts showcases new features. While the primary method of victory is to destroy the opposing team, victory can also be achieved by destroying the opposing "Stronghold", the most important building in the game.

<i>Worms</i> (2007 video game) 2007 video game

Worms is an artillery turn-based tactics video game developed by Team17. It was released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and iOS platforms. The game is largely a port of 2006's Worms: Open Warfare.

<i>Worms: Open Warfare 2</i> 2007 video game

Worms: Open Warfare 2 is a 2007 2D tactical artillery and strategy video game developed by Team17 and Two Tribes, and published by THQ. The game is a direct sequel to Worms: Open Warfare and was released for the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS in 2007.

<i>Star Trek DAC</i> 2009 video game

Star Trek D·A·C is a video game inspired by the 2009 Star Trek movie, developed by Naked Sky Entertainment in collaboration with Bad Robot Productions. The title is derived from the game's three modes of play: Deathmatch, Assault, and Conquest. The game was released for the Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Arcade on May 13, 2009, for the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows in November 2009, and for Mac OS X on December 21, 2009.

<i>Worms 2: Armageddon</i> 2009 video game

Worms 2: Armageddon is a 2D artillery turn-based tactics video game developed by Team17 and part of the Worms series, released on July 1, 2009 on Xbox Live Arcade. The game is a follow-up to the 2007 Worms game, which in-turn was a port of 2006's Worms: Open Warfare.

<i>Snoopy Flying Ace</i> 2010 video game

Snoopy Flying Ace is a dogfighting video game based on Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts franchise and developed by Smart Bomb Interactive for the Xbox Live Arcade service on the Xbox 360. It was announced on November 10, 2008 and released on June 2, 2010. An unofficial sequel to the 2006 video game Snoopy vs. the Red Baron, it features a similar World War I setting. Snoopy is tasked with defeating several members of the Flying Circus, a special flight squadron in the Luftstreitkräfte, and its commander, Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the Red Baron.

<i>Worms Reloaded</i> 2010 video game

Worms Reloaded is a 2D artillery turn-based tactics video game developed by Team17 that is part of the Worms series. The game was first released on Microsoft Windows via Steam, on August 26, 2010.

<i>Worms: Battle Islands</i> 2010 video game

Worms: Battle Islands is an artillery turn-based strategy developed by Team17 and part of the Worms series, released for the PlayStation Portable and Wii in 2010. Players take turns controlling teams of anthropomorphic worms and using whatever means at their disposal to destroy opposing teams and become the one with the last team surviving. Both versions of the game were released to mixed reviews.

<i>Cobalt</i> (video game) 2016 video game

Cobalt is an action side-scrolling video game developed by Oxeye Game Studio and published by Mojang Studios. It was released on 2 February 2016 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and the Xbox One consoles.

<i>Worms Revolution</i> 2012 video game

Worms Revolution is a 2D artillery turn-based tactics video game developed by Team17 and is part of the Worms series. It was released on PlayStation 3, Windows via Steam and Xbox 360 in October 2012. An OS X version was released on June 6, 2013. A PlayStation Vita version including all three previously released downloadable packs and titled Worms Revolution Extreme was released on October 8, 2013. This version of the game was included as part of a promotional bundle alongside the PlayStation TV system. Like previous games in the series, gameplay is 2D and turn-based, but it is rendered with a new 3D engine. There are both single player and multiplayer modes with up to four players online or local hotseat.

<i>Worms 3</i> 2013 video game

Worms 3 is an artillery turn-based tactics video game in the Worms series developed and published by Team17 for iOS on August 8, 2013, and released for Android devices via the Play Store and Mac OS X computers in 2014.

<i>Alien Rage</i> 2013 first-person shooter video game

Alien Rage is a 2013 first-person shooter video game for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 developed by CI Games, then known as City Interactive, using Unreal Engine 3. The game has single-player and competitive multiplayer modes. In its single player campaign, players are put in control of an elite soldier named Jack which is sent to destroy a mining facility and its aliens after they turned against and killed the humans that they had shared the facility with.

<i>Worms Battlegrounds</i> 2014 video game

Worms Battlegrounds is a 2D artillery turn-based tactics video game developed and published by Team17 and was released on 30 May 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

<i>Worms W.M.D</i> 2016 video game

Worms W.M.D is a 2D artillery turn-based tactics video game in the Worms series, released on 23 August 2016. Its gameplay resembles that of Worms Armageddon more than subsequent installments, while adding new features that range from interactive vehicles such as tanks, to buildings that the worms can enter for protection. It is also notable for being the first major redesign the worm characters have received since Worms 3D.

<i>Worms Rumble</i> 2020 video game

Worms Rumble is a 2020 action game developed and published by Team17. As a spin-off of the long-running Worms series, the game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in December 2020 and for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in June 2021.

References

  1. ""Worms Ultimate Mayhem" Steam Store page".
  2. Baldwin, Mark (February 2, 2012). "Worms Ultimate Mayhem Obliterates PSN February 14th". PlayStation.Blog. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  3. "Worms Ultimate Mayhem Announced". Eurogamer. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  4. "Worms Ultimate Mayhem Preview". Gamezebo . Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  5. "Worms Ultimate Mayhem | PS4 & XBox | Team17".
  6. 1 2 "Worms Ultimate Mayhem for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  7. 1 2 "Worms Ultimate Mayhem for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  8. 1 2 "Worms Ultimate Mayhem for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  9. 1 2 Bonds, Ian (8 October 2011). "Review: Worms Ultimate Mayhem". Destructoid . Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  10. 1 2 Meunier, Nathan (6 October 2011). "Review: Worms: Ultimate Mayhem (360)". GamePro . Archived from the original on 3 December 2011.
  11. 1 2 Charles, Devin (14 October 2011). "Worms Ultimate Mayhem Review". GameRevolution . Archived from the original on 17 September 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  12. 1 2 Peele, Britton (10 October 2011). "Worms Ultimate Mayhem Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 16 December 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  13. 1 2 "PSN reviews – Worms: Ultimate Mayhem". Play . No. 217. May 2012. p. 81. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  14. 1 2 Walker, Joe (23 February 2012). "Worms Ultimate Mayhem Review (PS3)". Push Square . Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  15. 1 2 Rowe, Tyler (13 October 2011). "Worms: Ultimate Mayhem Review (Xbox 360)". TeamXbox . Archived from the original on 18 December 2011.
  16. 1 2 Leví, Arnar (4 March 2012). "Review: Worms: Ultimate Mayhem (PS3)". Digitally Downloaded. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2023.