Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition Review (Switch)

You may be wondering why we are covering Worms: Armageddon now, when it was released last September. But since then it has had a few updates with the most recent adding a nice selection of other Worms games as bonuses to the package. It also fell through the gaps a bit with us on first release so now seems to the perfect to time to get back into throwing explosive sheep around.

There have been a huge amount of Worms games released over the years for pretty much every console and computer you can possibly imagine. Out of all of these though it is widely held that Worms Armageddon is the pinnacle of the 2D, original formula. It’s hard to argue with as well, as the game builds beautifully on the original, adds a few new elements and smooths and levels many of the bumps.

If you’ve never played a Worms game before, you need to know it’s a turn-based game where players use their team of worms to try and destroy the opponents. It developed from the very old artillery games where you had to put in co-ordinates to try and get your tank to shoot your adversary, with scenery and obstacles in the way. The twist here is that you have a whole host of weapons to use from bazookas and shotguns, to exploding sheep and concrete donkeys. You can also manoeuvre your worms around and use ropes and jet packs to traverse terrain.

Once you get the hang of everything the game is incredibly deep and satisfying. It’s also heavily geared towards multiplayer. Armageddon though does a better job of adding single player elements. There are specific missions to undertake and basic training to get you used to all the different weapons. The game would benefit from a wider explanation with regards to what buttons do in terms of general control though. It’ll all soon become second nature though and it’s hard to deny just how much of a classic party experience this is.

Aside from the main game there is a whole host of archive and bonus material here. Since the update you can now play the Megadrive and Super Nintendo versions of the original Worms and the Gameboy Colour version of Armageddon and the Gameboy Advance version of Worms World Party, effectively adding any titles that would have appeared in the Switch Online apps.

In addition to this a historical timeline is also present. This is packed with pictures and interviews about how the game was developed. It’s remarkably well put together as well and mimics the timelines scene in games like the Jeff Minter Collection and other archival ‘interactive’ documentary games. It shows how much care and detail has been put into really making this as definitive as it could be.

Overall, Worms Armageddon remains an essential multiplayer game and a stand out classic. If you have never got on with the series then this isn’t going to change your mind, but for fans looking for a nostalgic buzz that still plays beautifully there is little more that could have been done here to make it better.

Overall 9/10