Worms Xbox Live Review

I have always been a fan of worms, so even though Worms for Xbox was a game I was very familiar with, I figured I had to get it simply for the fact that it has offline competitive play and the very best: Online Xbox Live competition. While the game offers a true and genuine version of Worms, I can’t help but feel its lacking a little.

Gameplay: 8/10
Pros: The gameplay has been very well adapted to the Xbox Controller, and while it is a little clunky at first, the great worm-blasting action is present.
Cons: The enemy A.I in the challenge mode is really slow…like the computer worms sit there with word bubbles over their head for 20-40 seconds. This makes single player matches go on way longer than needed. As mentioned before, there are some clunky controls and weapons that are sorely missed.

Graphics: 8/10
Pros: One of the better looking 2D Worms games. The 3D backgrounds add a lot of depth and are a good compromise: we get the classic 2D gameplay vs. the inferior 3D version, but get some of the graphical flair of the 3D version. The worms are VERY well animated.
Cons: There are WAY too few arenas to fight in…London, Volcano, Arctic…and ? It feels like they skimped on levels and even a level editor.

Sound/Music: 7/10
Pros: Great and still hilarious worm voices. Explosions and sound are great. Music is sufficient and tense.
Cons: Definitely a lack of variety with the worm voices compared to the PC iterations.

Lasting Appeal: 7/10
Pros: There is great online and offline play for 2-4 people. The online matchmaking is pretty simple and worked well and rather quickly. Playing against a human is a lot better than the computer opponents who take forever with their turns.
Cons: Only 20 weapons, a few maps, and no map editor make this game feel a little bare boned. Compared to other worms titles, it feels like Team 17 skimped on features.

Average: 75%
Tilt: -2.00%

Worms is a very capable title and a good fit for XBLA, but just being Worms on Xbox isn’t enough. Maybe Team 17 had to sacrifice features to meet Microsoft’s 50MB limit (which is being relaxed as announced at the Game Developer’s Conference), but I can’t help feeling that this version of Worms is a little expensive when you can pick up many PC versions for similar or cheaper prices. If you are a Worms fan and have to have it on your flatscreen, and Xbox than don’t fear…you’ll get the very fun, addictive and capable Worms gameplay. Otherwise, save some money and get a better product by going for one of the older PC titles.

Verdict: 73%