Worms 4: Mayhem Review

So here we are, at another review of just another Worms game, right? Wrong. With a ton of new features, new weapons and new looks, this game is far from just a sequel to add to the ever-growing series. In case you don’t know what Worms is (where have you been since ’95?), it’s a strategy game. Not just any strategy game, but one where you play as worms, at war. The objective of a normal game is simply to kill all of the other teams’ worms.

Worms 4 easily surpasses all of its family. People are saying it’s just like an add-on to Worms 3D. Don’t believe them. As well as the best graphics yet, the guys at Team 17 have come up with a bunch of new sounds for your worms, new looks (they can now even wear glasses and hats with 100’s of possibilities), all new maps and best of all, new weapons.

If you want a game by yourself, just play the AI. The AI in this game has obviously been worked at well. Don’t expect the computer to always win, or for them to always be spot-on with a shot. Even the best AI team isn’t perfect and it makes for a fun game. Alternatively there is a story mode. I wasn’t expecting much from it but I was wrong. There are 25 missions in story mode, each involving collecting crates, killing all enemies, blowing up buildings, etc. Just in case you beat the story mode, then why not try the challenges? There are loads available from the sniping challenge to the jet-pack challenge.

Multiplayer modes in the game are great as well. You can have up to four teams play on a map at a time. All the maps are based around five different themed zones – Jurassic, Camelot, Arabian, Construction and Wild West. As well as pre-made maps, you can also select a theme and the game will create a random map with that theme for you. There are plenty of maps in single player, along with another 20 for multiplayer.

There are also many different game styles now available. For example, you can play ‘defend the statue’ or just go for an all-out deathmatch! A cool feature of the game I enjoyed using was the ‘Wormpot’ where you can choose special options for each game. One of my favourites had to be low gravity.

Everything you do in the game earns you points to spend in the item shop. In the item shop you’ll find a load of goodies ranging from new headwear, to some hands or even some maps. Credits are easy to get and are earned from playing most games. You’ll also earn a certain amount of credits for each trophy you get in your trophy cabinet. The trophies include ‘The 3 Bagger’ (where you kill 3 worms in one shot) amongst many others.

A brand new feature never seen before in any worms game is the ability to create weapons. Every team gets a special weapon, so why not make it extra special by making it yourself? You can make any weapon from grenades to guns or even air strikes! You can choose the amount of damage to the worms, the land and the scenery but the system won’t let you make the best ever-super-duper-explosive weapon. There is a gauge on the side of the weapon-maker and if it gets too high then you won’t be able to save it.

In previous versions of Worms in its 3D era, there had been some worm control and camera problems. The team worked on this and the worms are now easier than ever to control – they will glide up small steps etc by themselves, where previously you had to jump, and with the new camera, you’ll never miss the action as it always sure you can see your target. If you’re a fan of Worms and enjoyed the games so far, this is a must-have. In fact, even if you didn’t enjoy Worms Forts, then this game is still a must-have to get you back in on the Worms action! I loved it!