Worms: Armageddon

The Good
If you wander around my college, chances are you'll see about four young men gathered around a PC. What are they doing?

Well, we're playing Worms Armageddon. Most every lunchtime, we'll settle down and attempt to inflict fatal injuries on a group of innocent pink annelids. Squeaky computer voices crying of "First Blood!" and "Come in, Big Bird!" are frequent, as is the oddly terrifying mutter of an Old Woman.

The biggest plus for this sequel has to be the vast array of special weapons. From the incredibly destructive 'Armageddon' to the hilarious 'French Sheep Strike', powerful explosives walk, fly and drop all over the playing field, switching the balance of power swiftly and painfully.

The traditional weakness of Worms games, the single-player mode, has been greatly improved over past versions. A complex and difficult mission mode has been added, as has a deathmatch mode where your team of worms does battle with the dark forces of the computer. In deathmatch mode, you records of wins and loses is recorded and ranks are available, so there's always something to aim for.

The Bad
Argh! Damn those computer opponents! The same problem from every Worms game rears its ugly head - the computer can make the most complicated, difficult, downright evil shots every single time. I have seen bazooka rounds fly down blowtorched tunnels and hit the worm at the bottom dead on. I have seen Holy Hand Grenades make eight-cushion shots through a cavern, before wiping out an entire team. It's so miserably unfair! However, it should be pointed out that it's not as bad as previous attempts.

The other problem is that some of the new weapons and utilities really suck out the challenge. The 'Worm Swap' option, for example, which allows you to pick which worm goes next, can totally destroy a carefully laid-out plan.

The Bottom Line
All in all, a truely wonderful game, but one that should only be played with at least two other people. Do not expect the single-player to offer anything other than a thirty-minute blastfest. Buy it, then, if necessary, buy some friends too.