Worms 2: Open Warfare

Putting a group of invertebrates in control of special-forces grade weapons and making them fight isn’t the most cerebral game concept that’s ever been peddled, but therein lies the strength of the Worms franchise. It has been providing the ultimate antidote to the po-faced strategy titles dominating the shelves since the original title topped the all format charts back in 1995.

For this latest edition, old school Britsoft developers Team 17 have brought the carnage to handheld formats, this time giving the battles particular themes, such as the futuristic Space War!, the self explanatory World War Two, and one based on the Spanish Armada, which for some reason is called Pirates.  

The games also includes new single and multiplayer modes such as Rope Race, Fort, Puzzle and Campaign mode.

The strategic use of different weapons and equipment has always been the lynchpin of the gameplay in Worms. It is also – at the risk of falling foul of the resurgent climate of fear and recriminations surrounding video games violence – the root of its humour.

Whatever your stance on the controversy, it is genuinely funny to see a worm shoot another worm in the head, gangland style. Favourite weapons from earlier titles such as the Super Sheep, the Concrete Donkey and the Holy Hand grenade are joined by 11 new weapons including the Bunker Buster and the Buffalo of Lies.

If this latter option in particular doesn’t make you curious, we don’t know what will.