With Vilest Worms To Dwell

If you've played PC games, there are two games that you will know of. Even if you haven't played them yourself, you know of them. The first on is easy: The Sims. The second one I'm sure you won't guess, but you will recognise it.

My first experience of Worms was when I was 11. I got Worms Reinforcements for Christmas and my two cousins and I played staight through the night until the sun came up. 

What intrigued me about the game was its learning curve. You scale to the game, instead of the game scaling to you. I know it sounds backwards, but allow me to explain: Generally when you play a game they start you out with simple challenges so you can learn the ropes. Then they slowly step up the difficulty so that you're always challenged. In Worms, the game mechanics stay exactly the same. But as you get to know the weapons and how they work, you start making more daring moves, often risking the life of your own worm in pursuit of the enemy. Of course you can scale the abilities of your opponents, and which weapons are allowed when, but how the weapons function and how you use them never changes.

And the most important fact of the game: No matter what weapons you have or how devestating their effect, your enemy can always take you down with a bazooka and a grenade. Because these weapons require time to master. To throw a grenade halfway across the map into a hole no wider than the grenade itself is a feat very few can achieve. And bazooka rounds are affected by the wind, allowing you to shoot around corners! 

What's best of all, is that the game is turn-based. You only need a single computer, a single set of controls, and a single copy of the game to enjoy it with friends. This post came about when we had the idea of playing on the projector. 3 meter wide total wormage!  

The version we're playing is Worms Armageddon (cover pictured below), and is my personal favourite of the series. Even though the game came out in 2001, it runs perfectly on Windows XP and Windows Vista. And the ability to set any resolution means you can play in HD. Later versions of the game became 3D, making it more modern in concept but harder to aim and shoot as effectively as the original 2D game. It also means having to use the mouse and keyboard much more. When we play on the projector, I map the keys to my Rumblepad so we can pass it around easier.

I would urge anyone to try this game, or its many derivative works, for themselves. Links listed on the wikipedia page. And don't worry about violence. It's cartoony graphics. I've seen Road Runner cartoons with more violence.





Words:
"So if reality gets in the way of fun, fun wins."
-Gamers With Jobs Conference Call, Episode 111