Worms Rumble: Does the real-time action worm?
Table of contents
1 How much worms is there in Worms Rumble? 2 Battle Royal simply everywhere 3 A little fun for in between Now Team 17 is starting another attempt to reinvent the popular series of games, relying on the tried and tested principle of two-dimensional combat. Worms Rumble relies on chaotic real-time battles with just one worm instead of using the calm round tactics with an invertebrate team from the earlier parts. And not only that: the new offshoot of the series, like many other games, is jumping on the Battle Royal train! But he still drives a bit wobbly on the rails ...How much worms is there in Worms Rumble?
The real-time battles are not the only change that Team 17 is daring with Worms Rumble (buy now 13.49 €). Instead of providing variety with randomly generated maps as in the predecessors, three fixed maps are our battlefield in the latest offshoot of the series. And firm is to be taken literally: The environment is no longer freely destructible. It was one of the great strengths of Worms, which made every round feel new and different. Since the maps play very similarly, we often don't even notice that we are moving on a new battlefield. The different types of worms also didn't make it into Worms Rumble. In the earlier offshoots, for example, we were able to choose a larger creeper in addition to the standard worm, which can take more damage but is less agile. Such "weight classes" could have been easily integrated into the game principle of Worms Rumble!Even if the world of Worms Rumble looks like 3D, the action only takes place in two dimensions. Source: PC Games But not everything has changed. In addition to a few new weapons, infamous items such as the holy hand grenade or the exploding sheep are still part of the party. However, these were partially adapted to the new game principle. The mowing ball of wool in Worms Rumble is not a single weapon, but is instead fired from a kind of sheep grenade launcher. These changes have been implemented sensibly and are not too far removed from the original. The balancing of the weapons was only partially successful. The multiple firing rocket launcher, for example, is a whole lot too strong and can wipe out a whole group of worms in one fell swoop. The shotgun is also far superior to other starting weapons such as the hand cannon and the assault rifle. If you are not lucky enough to find a chest with the right items, it will be difficult. This portion of coincidence was already included in the older Worms titles.
Battle Royal just everywhere
Jumping and shooting is not that easy with the controller. The mouse and keyboard have a clear advantage! Nevertheless, there is an optional crossplay function. Source: PC Games In Worms Rumble we have the choice between four different game modes - one of which is training, which, in addition to the short tutorial, has a small parkour with an integrated stopwatch. This little challenge is nice, but the core game is of course in the other three modes: Deathmatch, Last Worm Standing (Battle Royal) and Last Squad Standing (Battle Royal in a team of three). Deathmatch mode is exactly what it means to be. Everyone against everyone, who dies will be re-spawned, who has the most points wins. We get these with kills and lose them when we bless the temporal. A round always lasts 8 minutes. With up to 32 players at the same time, Worms Rumble shoots, which can be a bit hectic, if not chaotic. The bullets fly wildly around us, explosion here, explosion there. There are only breaks in Deathmatch when we crawl into one of the ventilation shafts. We then wait there until our life energy has slowly but surely replenished by itself. With the right items we can accelerate this process, but in the heat of the moment the two seconds without fire protection can quickly backfire. Attack is and remains simply the best defense.The poisonous smoke brings us closer together in typical Battle Royal style. Source: PC Games In the Battle Royal mode "Last Worm Standing" we have to approach the matter a lot more carefully. To leave the field as the winner, because a more tactical approach is rewarded here. We wait patiently until the first one flies over the virtual Jordan in a battle between two opponents. Then we use our chance to eliminate the weakened winner. But that's where the tactical finesse ends. Where we tactically placed our worms in the earlier Worms titles and kept certain weapons for the right moment, Worms Rumble at the end of the day is almost all about the player's accuracy. PC users have a clear advantage over the consoleros of the Playstation 4 and 5. With the controller, the right stick is used for aiming, while the X button is responsible for jumping. Jumping and shooting at the same time can be a huge challenge for one or the other. But if you want, you can still try your hand at crossplay. This is kindly adjustable manually.
Last but not least, there is the last squad standing mode, in which we go into battle with two other worm colleagues. That works great too, together the chaotic blast is really fun! Worms Rumble could have been a real hit at LAN parties. Unfortunately, in Team 17's new game, there is no way to start private matches. The worm action is almost predestined for this! The developers should perhaps improve this in an upcoming patch.
Skins as far as the eye can see: We can embellish our worm with any color and costume - without a real money shop! Source: PC Games Instead, the resources were put into the clothes and equipment of our worms. Tattoos, glasses, full body suits: the skins in Worms Rumble are diverse and nice to look at. We can also customize the colors of the weapons. These skins must first be unlocked in order to be able to buy them with the in-game currency. We get the money through completed games. In addition, we can collect experience points with small quests like "Fly 90 seconds with the jetpack" or "Do a double kill with weapon XY" in order to increase our level faster, which in turn unlocks new skins. Those who are not into clothing or who don't care about the appearance of their worms will probably lack the motivation for these tasks.
A little fun in between
Worms Rumble has got off its roots its predecessor solved - and that's a good thing! The earlier round tactics games are still fun and are still very popular at LAN parties, but a new game in this genre couldn't have invented much more. The series needed a breath of fresh air and that can - just in time for the 25th anniversary of the franchise - offer real-time tactics. Unfortunately, the game is still lacking in content. The three game modes are clearly too few to remain permanently exciting and three seemingly identical cards that cannot be destroyed are simply boring. And why there are no private games remains a mystery to us. Hopefully the developers will fill the game with fresh updates on a regular basis in order to keep the already low player numbers. As a short game for in between, Worms Rumble can be very entertaining.My opinion
By Alexander BernhardtAuthor I am surprised: Worms Rumble is not that bad after all ! When I saw the first trailer for Worms Rumble, I was very skeptical. Worms and Battle Royal? Can it work? My answer: yes and no. The game principle works very well! The controls are fluid and, unlike its predecessors, thanks to the real-time, it never gets boring. Unfortunately, Rumble lacks variety and content. So many options were left behind! A destructible environment could bring a lot more possibilities, the three maps just get boring quickly and different worm types would have been nice too. But the most painful thing is the lack of a private session, then Worms Rumble could have been a great LAN party game. Team 17, you know what to do! Worms Rumble (PC) 7/10
Graphics - Sound - Multiplayer - Worms Rumble (PS4) 7/10
Graphics - Sound - Multiplayer - Worms Rumble (PS5) 7/10
Graphics - Sound - Multiplayer - Pro & Contra Action-packed and entertaining Known, but also new weapons Many Wurmskins Tension-charged Battle-Royal mode Crossplay possible Few game modes Hardly any breather breaks No private sessions possible Only three (very similar) maps environment cannot be destroyed More pros & cons ... Conclusion Worms Rumble has very little to do with Worms and still suffers from a lack of content, but can still entertain.
