Worms Rumble – Review

Our Rating: 8/10

Battle Royale is unsurprisingly one of today’s most popular genres, not just a fad. So much so that several studies have attempted to jump on the bandwagon of this type of title. Either by creating new work or by implementing a mode that includes all of the distinguishing features in already established franchises. And of course, this includes Worms Rumble.

In other words, it is a global social phenomenon that has proven unstoppable since 2019. Especially now that an increasing number of people around the world struggle to survive in hostile environments. What no one expected was for the Worms saga to become the most frenetic action in real-time and, against all odds, in the form of Battle Royale, throughout its more than 25-year history.

With the release of Worms Rumble, these lovable, heavily armed worms, who were once sheltered in turn-based military strategy, have worked together to turn the tide of battle. And, best of all, he’s managed to strike the right balance between nostalgia and the need to adapt to new circumstances.

Technical section

Worms Rumble is a work that oozes sympathy on all four sides, thanks to a very careful and original artistic style. This was done without squeezing the technical capabilities of any of the machines that have sheltered it. It is a fast and frantic game where response time at the controls is everything.

Everything shows good work. From the design of the worms themselves, which have hundreds of options that allow us to customize them at will. To the massive scenarios through which we move. Similarly, the models themselves are extremely well-made and detailed, with animations that bring them to life. To all of this, we must add that the classic title runs at a flawless 60 frames per second. This was unaffected by the numerous explosions and destructible elements on the screen. Obviously, this is crucial in any multiplayer game.

Gameplay

The Worms saga has mutated to share the limelight with pinball machines, golf clubs, and bubbles found in the upper area of the screen over its more than 25-year history. So this isn’t the first time Team17 tries out their classic strategy par excellence. They have never, however, proven to be as formidable (as well as striking) a weapon as in a Battle Royale, where many discordant voices are always present. This Worms Rumble feels fun and frantic, whether it’s controversial or not for the sake of being unique.

As soon as we reach the controls of this proposal, which allows up to 32 players to interact in real-time, a 2.5D action recital begins. This reveals a game system that offers nothing new that we haven’t seen before. One in which we must guide our worm through various scenarios while rolling, jumping, and shooting other worms. To put it another way, our motto is to arm ourselves to the teeth to have the best chance of surviving.

Now, we’ve already warned you that death is unavoidable in our line of work. Additionally, we’re going to bite the dust in the first bars. The games end up turning into a festival of explosions that envelop the entire map.

Despite the chaos, we find ourselves in front of a work that offers a wide range of possibilities. It also contains weapons that are both imaginative and well-distributed.
As we level up and customize our favorite invertebrates, we can use everything from traditional bazookas, baseball bats, and assault rifles to a sheep thrower and a few new additions to hurt our opponents. The verticality of the stages is also utilized by hooks and a few jetpacks.

Duration

Worms Rumble has many advantages, including the ability to play very fast games to cause as many casualties as possible. This is true in the classic Deathmatch or Team Deathmatch modes (Deathmatch and Team Duel, respectively). It requires us to eliminate our opponents while having unlimited regeneration and no minimum level classification. The Last Team Standing and Last Worm Standing modes, on the other hand, have very different rules, because if they kill us, we are out of the game and can only watch what the rest of our teammates do.

Although these last modes can be accessed from the first bars, the game recommends that we wait until we reach level 5 at the very least. After all, these games put a lot of pressure on us, and even the tiniest mistake can lead to failure.
Whatever the case may be, we always get something out of each round because as we level up (either our character or the weapons he uses), we gain access to new and interesting cosmetics that allow us to customize our characters in the most bizarre ways possible. That means we can devote countless hours to remaking our alter ego.

Final Thoughts

Worms Rumble is a radical departure from the franchise, offering a concept that may irritate the most ardent fans who have been with it since the beginning, but that brings a breath of fresh air to the playable section while maintaining many of the characteristics that made these worms famous.

Team17’s work bids farewell to turn-based strategy in favor of an experience that features action-based encounters but falls short due to the game’s limited game modes. However, only time will tell if that is the case.