The Worms have been causing havoc on PCs, various consoles, and smartphones since 1995. The gameplay of the over 30 titles in the Worms universe is always similar. So, usually eight against eight worms compete on randomly generated maps. The goal is to defeat the other team with all kinds of entertaining weapons in a turn-based process. This simple and entertaining gameplay can still convince today and is ideal for multiplayer games.
A new Worms title for 2020 has now been announced by Team17, the long-time developer of the Worms series. However, the teaser released on 09.03.20 raises more questions than answers. The 50-second video starts with short game scenes from the most famous Worms games, which are zapped through on a TV. After a while, the image section becomes larger and the outdated antenna TV becomes visible, which is lost in the room. And then it gets interesting. With a battle cry, an animated Worm rushes to the TV and shatters it with a baseball bat. Then the legendary weapon of the game series flies into the picture with a holy grenade. The Worm tries to hit the grenade out of the room with a self-confident swing, fails and explodes. Finally, the release date 2020 rises from the smoke of the explosion.
So what does Team17 have in store for us in this new installment of the Worms franchise? Since the Worm destroys the old in the form of the TV, fans are expecting a groundbreaking innovation in gameplay. But the jump to 3D graphics is probably not what is meant. After all, in 2003, Worms 3D was released, in which players could move freely in space. At the same time, a VR title is also considered unlikely. Team17 would have hinted at this in the teaser and the VR market remains a niche despite the success of Half Life Alyx. Campaigns and missions are also not new and are a permanent part of many Worms games. Maybe Team17 is working on this idea and expanding it. Possible examples include Worms as heroes with special abilities and stats that the player improves during the campaign. In addition, some speculate about a battle royal mode or the abolition of the turn-based principle. But Team17 is likely to be hesitant to intervene so deeply in the success formula of Worms.
The target group should not change despite this uncertainty. So Worms remains a classic multiplayer game that allows for a quick and entertaining game round in between. Worms is aimed at both casual players and avid gamers, as it is easy to learn and difficult to master. Anyone can finally throw a holy grenade towards the enemy in the first round. But for this to also hit a bunker complex in the distance after bouncing off a wall, taking the opposing wind into account, some experience is required. Due to the cartoon look, Worms is also suitable for all age groups. For example, the classic Worms Armageddon was already released for 6 years.
In recent years, Team17 has developed numerous titles outside the Worms universe. The best known are probably The Escapists, Overcooked, Yooka-Laylee, Automachef and The Room. In addition, Team17 has already experimented with VR in the title Lethal VR and released Worms 4 games for smartphones.
