Worms Reloaded

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Worms Reloaded
Worms Reloaded.jpg
Developer(s) Team17
Publisher(s) Team17
Series Worms
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Mac OS X [1]
Linux
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
August 26, 2010 [1]
Mac OS X
May 17, 2011
Linux
October 15, 2013
Genre(s) Artillery, strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

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. [1]

Contents

Reloaded is a port of Worms 2: Armageddon , a sequel to the 2007 Worms console port.

Gameplay

Gameplay Worms Reloaded gameplay.jpg
Gameplay

Worms Reloaded is a turn based artillery game, in which players command a team of up to four worms. During each turn, players control only one worm from their teams. In the standard gameplay, the objective is to eliminate all enemy worms and be the last team standing. There is also a "race" mode where the objective is to reach the end point in less time.

When "Artillery" mode is not enabled, worms can move across the landscape. Movement is primarily accomplished through crawling and jumping, but items such as the jet pack and ninja rope can enable much faster travel and access to more terrain. The player has a preset amount of time to move or attack with the worm before the turn ends (5 to 90 seconds). Once the player uses a weapon, the "escape" timer starts, giving up to five seconds to move the worm to a safe position before the turn ends.

Reloaded features a wide variety of weapons, some based on real weapons and others imaginary. Some weapons fire in straight line, such as the shotgun, but many such as grenades and bazooka shells follow curved trajectories (from gravity and wind) and can attack distant targets behind obstacles. Several animal weapons such as the sheep and ferrets will move along the landscape and then explode. There are also several "air strike"-type weapons which are dropped from the sky towards the intended target.

A worm can be killed in two ways, either by having its health reduced to zero or by falling into the water below the landscape and drowning.

Weapons, utilities (such as jet packs and blowtorches), and health kits can be randomly airdropped into the level if selected as part of the game scheme.

Customization

As seen in previous Worms titles, customization stands as a prominent aspect of Worms Reloaded. Players can create their own teams of Worms, choosing the names of the teams and naming each of the team's four worms. Each team also selects a voice set, victory dance, grave marker, skin color, and wearable hats, among other features. Many of the voice sets are classics from previous titles.

Players can also modify or create multiplayer game schemes, which define the gameplay rules and available weapons during matches. For example, the turn length can be adjusted, and the players can choose what objects may randomly spawn on the landscape. Additionally, Reloaded allows players to define the starting inventory of every weapon, and how long before that weapon becomes available for use. If weapon crate airdrops are enabled, more weapons will randomly drop to the landscape over the course of a game.

The game offers an in-game level editor, in which the players can draw terrain shapes and add basic features such as possible spawnpoints for objects. The game automatically fills the terrain's shape in with a landscape texture when the level is finished. Additionally, players can import full-color levels in image format.

While still flexible, the customization in Reloaded is simplified when compared to older PC titles. For example, Worms Armageddon allowed the player to choose for each individual weapon how likely that weapon was to appear in a weapon crate. Reloaded does not offer any control over which weapons can appear in crates or how frequently. Likewise, players can no longer adjust the power of each weapon individually. Team size has been reduced from eight to four, and sudden death scenarios have been reduced.

Development

The game is largely based upon Worms 2: Armageddon (released on Xbox Live Arcade in 2009), but is said to be an 'extended edition of the console versions of late.' Team17 released few details or media content concerning the title before release, and a press release is not available. A select group of the public were allowed into a European and Worldwide Beta, however both were under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

On June 21, 2010, the official Team17 Twitter revealed that the beta testing phase had ended. [2] The developers stated that the game would be released as a digital download only at a "very attractive" price. [3]

The game was released on Steam on August 26. [1] Two days before the release, Valve announced that anyone who pre-ordered or bought Worms Reloaded over the subsequent 10 days (August 25 through September 2) would receive a gift in Team Fortress 2 . [4]

Team17 stated that a Mac OS X version was in development. [5] The Mac version was released on Steam on May 17, 2011. [6] Users of the Mac version can not play a multiplayer game with users of the Windows version of the game.

The game was released for Linux on October 15, 2013 as part of the Humble Bundle with Android 7 promotion. [7] Online multiplayer was not cross-platform, and only supported through the Steam version of the game. [1]

Reception

Worms Reloaded has received generally favorable reviews. On Metacritic its score is 79 out of 100, based on more than 28 critic reviews [14] while it rank on GameRankings is 81%. [15]

GameSpot commented: "The latest entry in the long-running Worms series further refines the 15-year-old formula and is one of the best yet", giving it an 8.0. [16] Apart from that general praise, the game has received criticism on its user interface (UI). PC Gamer called the UI "ridiculously oversized" [17]

Daemon Hatfield of IGN had said that "this is the biggest, prettiest Worms, yet". [18]

Rory Young of GameRant gave a game a mediocre score of 2.5 out of 5, praising its LAN multiplayer but criticizing its boring single player and lack of windowed mode. [19]

Jeremy Duff of Gaming Nexus had commented on its poor user interface, criticizing the use of keyboard instead of a mouse. [20]

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 World Party</i> 2001 video game

Worms World Party is a 2001 artillery turn-based tactics video game developed by Team17, and is the sequel to Worms Armageddon in the Worms series. As with the previous games in the series, players take turns controlling their teams and using available projectiles, firearms, explosives, and equipment to destroy all opposing teams and manoeuvre across a specified and highly destructible map.

<i>Team Fortress 2</i> 2007 video game

Team Fortress 2 is a 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the 1996 Team Fortress mod for Quake and its 1999 remake, Team Fortress Classic. The game was released in October 2007 as part of The Orange Box for Windows and the Xbox 360, and ported to the PlayStation 3 in December 2007. It was released as a standalone game for Windows in April 2008, and updated to support Mac OS X in June 2010 and Linux in February 2013. It is distributed online through Valve's digital retailer Steam, with Electronic Arts managing retail and console editions.

<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>Addiction Pinball</i> 1998 video game

Addiction Pinball is a pinball video game developed by Team17 and published by MicroProse for Microsoft Windows in 1998. It features tables based on two Team17 games, which are World Rally Fever and Worms.

<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 2</i> 1997 video game

Worms 2 is a 1997 artillery tactical game developed and published by Team17 and released for Windows. It is part of the Worms series and a sequel to the 1995 game Worms. As with the first game, players control their team of worms in combat against each other, using a wide collection of rockets, grenades, firearms, explosives, and air strikes, some eclectic and others bizarre. Also as with the first game, the objective is to eliminate all opposing worms and become the sole surviving team.

<i>Worms</i> (1995 video game) 1995 video game

Worms is a 2D artillery tactical video game developed by Team17 and released in 1995. It is the first game in the Worms series of video games. It is a turn based game where a player controls a team of worms against other teams of worms that are controlled by a computer or human opponent. The aim is to use various weapons to kill the worms on the other teams and have the last surviving worm(s).

<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 Golf</i> 2004 video game

Worms Golf is an action game for Java ME-enabled mobile devices. It was programmed by Rockpool Games and published by THQ in 2004.

<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>Alien Breed Evolution</i> 2009 video game

Alien Breed: Evolution is an isometric shooter game in Team17's Alien Breed series and is the first title in the series since 1996. It was released for the Xbox 360 on 16 December 2009. An updated version called Alien Breed: Impact was released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3 in the following year. It was followed by Alien Breed 2: Assault released in September 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>Worms Ultimate Mayhem</i> 2011 video game

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<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 Crazy Golf</i> 2011 video game

Worms Crazy Golf is a 2011 action game developed by Team17. A sequel to the mobile-exclusive Worms Golf, the game uses the basic framework of the Worms series as the foundation for a 2D golf title.

<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>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.

References

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  4. "The healing is not as rewarding as the hurting!". Team Fortress 2 Official blog. Valve. August 24, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  5. "We are doing a MAC version, but it's still some time off". Official Team17 Twits. Twitter. July 30, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  6. "Midweek Madness - Worms Reloaded 50% off. Now with Steamplay!". Announcement - Valve. Valve. July 9, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
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