Worms | Life of Android

The Story

If you’re unfamiliar with the neverending Worms franchise, then where have you been this past decade and a half? The Android incarnation of this turn-based classic is the same as ever with its classic weaponry and tongue-in-cheek humour barely changed from the summer of 1999 when we last played Worms Armageddon to death. It was a fantastic game then, it’s almost as good now.

The Experience

Despite a series of dalliances in 3D, Worms still thrives best in two good old fashioned dimensions. In this respect, Android is a seemingly natural home for our pink invertebrate friends with its simple touch interface and the game’s undemanding cartoon graphics. Users can play through the app in its single player and multiplayer forms with those going solo met by a pleasing array of Quick Game, Body Count and Challenge modes with which to test their warfare skills. This adds some much needed longevity to what is a basic pickup and play title.

A dodgy control system was always going to be the app’s only stumbling block and thankfully Worms settles in well to its new touchscreen home. Instead of an informative video tutorial, EA plumped for a ropey slideshow explaining how to navigate your wriggling creatures across the battlefield. Despite the obvious hindrance this presents to instant multiplayer fun, once you figure out how to work the app yourself, all is just peachy.

A few new weapons have been added for the app like Spartan Kick and The Brick but, even at this stage of the series, the joy of exploding a perfectly hurled Holy Bomb remains unparalleled. Enemy AI is also surprisingly good and the physics engine is just as we remember it on the PlayStation, although we did admittedly forget about that peskily changeable wind until our own bazuka shot had reverted right back on us.

Ultimately, whether you’re happy to shell out 69p on Worms or not depends on if you’ve already had your fill of its gleeful formula. Those new to the warzone will be pleased with the depth and entertainment they find waiting for them. Those old hands may not be quite as convinced but this app remains worthy of a download for purely nostalgic purposes.