Worms W.M.D (PC) Review

Is a gimmick still a gimmick if it results in laughter? If some people roll their eyes, does it really matter if others get enjoyment from a feature? Worms W.M.D, on the surface at least, seems somewhat of a gimmick-filled release. One of the first examples of this is that Team17 appears to have roped in as many characters as possible, with pre-orders for the game receiving hats and weapons based around the likes of the Saint's Row series, Broforce, Goat Simulator, and even the upcoming ex-Rare-developed platform fest, Yooka-Laylee. Notable by its absence, however, is Earthworm Jim - possibly the one crossover that would have made the most sense. All of the licensed IP mentioned is on top of the already generous collection of hats and skins Team17 has crafted. There's an absolute abundance of skins for the team. Want to make the worms wear sombreros, or maybe all have rainbow unicorn heads? Not a problem in the slightest.

There's also the seemingly bizarre inclusion of a crafting system - as if there's a legal requirement for all games to have one these days. Collect materials, select the weapon of choice, and if you have all the parts, it will be in your possession for the next turn. It's easy to get cynical about games if you play a lot. Spotting trends and fashions such as when it's clear everyone's jumping on the same bandwagon. Worms W.M.D is doing this with its crafting, hats, and crossover IPs, but does any of this actually hurt?

In a word… no! Don't like something? It is possible to ignore it, or at least turn it off from the very extensive settings page; and even completely ignoring cosmetics, this is a very meaty release. Whatever time the team spent making the hats doesn't seem to have caused the gameplay to suffer in any other ways. In fact, with its plethora of new features, it's arguably the most significant version for many, many years.

There is, of course, a bunch of new weaponry - boosted significantly by the aforementioned crafting system. Each weapon now has a few variations, assuming the materials to make it are in-hand. The crafting system is even designed to allow for crafting during enemy turns - a smart move for a turn-based multiplayer romp. Then there are the vehicles - a completely new addition to the series, allowing worms to take control of helicopters, mechs, and tanks to provide a more mobile way to deliver carnage. Mechs can glide, helicopters can give off a pleasing rain of destruction below them, and tanks can… jump. You really do learn something new every day. Who said Worms wasn't educational, as well as being fun?

There are also gun-turrets, which work as expected, and what seems to be the most interesting new addition: buildings. Going inside buildings feels like the seamless expansion to the core mechanics rather than a new feature bolted on. Acting less like a garrison, and more like a simple cut-away of another part of the map, it would be a safe bet on buildings (more than tanks and gun turrets) making a return in all future instalments.

Aside from the buildings, a lot of these new additions are filler to gain people's attention alone. Not that they are necessarily bad things, as such, just not the 'meat' of the game. If something gives entertainment value in the moment, it doesn't need to revolutionise the genre in order to be worth having. The difference between a gimmick and a revolutionary feature, though, is simply what sticks around - and, at times in gaming history, what has seemed like a flash in the pan has gone on to become mainstream and 'expected.' Only Nostradamus would try to predict what will become future classic parts and what will merely fade away. That said, clearly buildings will be back...count on it!