Worms 2: Armageddon Battlepack

Worms 2: Armageddon Battlepack is a downloadable add-on that adds an array of new single-player deathmatches, new forts, new game styles, new landscapes, a new mode, new achievements, and six new weapons, which we will be looked at individually and in a little more depth.

The first major addition is that of 30 new single player campaign challenges, that double the amount available from the offset. These hold as much variety as the originals, pitting players against enemies at varying difficulties, plus a few puzzles thrown in here and there. It also acts as a nice stepping stone for learning the strengths and weaknesses of each new weapon.

A brand new Body Count mode sees a steady stream of enemies attack you, and the aim is to survive as long as possible by using a combination of brute force and evasive techniques. The mode is a tonne of fun and provides a nice contrast if you’re growing tired of endless deathmatches, although it may have you tearing your hair out by the end. You are judged by how well you do in certain areas and then ranked on up to seven different leaderboards, which provides healthy competition and constant room for improvement.

Fort has been given some enhancements with ten brand new fort designs, two of which were designed by contest winners, and helps boost what was an otherwise lacklustre selection. Each one is unique and allows players a little more individuality and theming when it comes to choosing their ultimate team and setup. There is also a new Super Forts game style that comes with its own leaderboard, further enhancing the interactive aspects and adding life to what is primarily considered a multiplayer orientated experience.

On the subject of individuality, each team can now be assigned a player title describing what kind of gamer they are, whether they are a turtle who surrounds himself with masses of sentry guns and magnets, or a run-and-gun maniac who adopts the philosophy of kill or be killed; there’s something for everybody. They’ve also thrown in a bunch more comedic hats, as well as more colour variants on existing ones, and some new voices that your worms will use to taunt their adversaries.

Custom HUDs are another quirky addition, whilst superficial; they give you something fresh to look at. There aren’t too many to choose from, but the ones on offer, including ones aimed specifically for players who want to succumb to the light-side or dark-side, are diverse enough in appearance to make them worth selecting.

Here is a rundown of the six weapons available:

The Ferrets
These pesky critters will traverse the map, clinging to the nearest edge until they reach an enemy, oil drum or deep water, and then ultimately explode. The advantage these have that a weapon such as the Sheep doesn’t is that they won’t rebound off surfaces; however they can’t be detonated on command, so if you get it wrong there really is no turning back. The Ferrets are particularly handy at reaching worms that are either on a higher or lower section of the map and thus hard to reach, giving you a few more attacking options to work with.

Steal
This allows you to steal an opponent’s weapons or abilities and can be especially handy if you know what they’re particularly effective in using. If you want to limit their mobility for example, you could take away their Jetpack or Ninja Rope, or if you were attempting to hideout underground disabling their Bunker Buster would probably be a wise choice. You can also transfers rare items that are picked up in crates to use against them, such as the Banana Bomb, which isn’t included as standard in many of the game modes.

Marked For Death
A weapon with a high level of strategy, whereby a worm is selected and next time said worm is struck they will receive double damage until the round is over, even if they happen upon a health crate beforehand. It’s sometimes less detrimental to the team if you injure yourself by falling, thereby causing minimum damage. When a worm is Marked For Death a storm cloud will follow them around and a very glum look will be plastered across their face.

Invisibility
More a utility than a weapon as such, Invisibility isn’t too hard to fathom. Once used a worm will be able to stay cloaked as long as they don’t use the majority of weapons or take any damage. The only indication as to whereabouts a worm is hidden is when the camera centres when it comes their turn. It’s wise not to stand near any edges when a worm disappears as prod is one of the few options available to them, and could see you plunging head-first into water.

The Termites
When deployed these essentially dig three random tunnels beneath you at varying angles and then self-destruct, which can be handy if you need to make a quick escape. There’s no telling which direction they will travel though, and while they do provide tunnels of decent length they are often hard to navigate. This seems to balance out quite nicely though, because if they were too effective it would render the Sledgehammer and Blowtorch useless.

The Worship
Undoubtedly the more powerful of the new weapons and one that adds a completely new strategy to proceedings. When The Worship statue is placed in the battlefield it will take 2HP from every enemy worm and subsequently give 2HP to each ally worm. This happens at the end of every turn and once placed it is imperative that the opposing team destroy it before the life is drained from them.

That’s not all, as while in effect no friendly worm can be killed, maintaining at least 1HP while the statue exists. This can be combined with the Termites for a devastating combo, whereby a tunnel can be quickly built and the statue hidden within its confines.

The variety and scale of the content found here is pretty impressive and enhances the game considerably; by not only extending its lifespan, but adding a new tactical angle that fundamentally changes a players approach to each battle. Its cheap-as-chips price tag should also provide no excuse in making the purchase, meaning there really shouldn’t be anybody still playing the main game without this gem of an expansion.

Craig Bryan, NoobFeed
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