When you upgrade your PlayStation Plus membership to tiers above Essential, you’re going to get a lot more games. But, o??f all the current PS Plus games in the catalog, which ones are the best in terms of multiplayer?

We have some recommendations below.

The 10 best PS Plus multiplayer games

There are two other tiers for PS Plus, so we’ll also n??ote which one is ??for which service to give you a better idea of which one to get or what’s available in your current subscription.

For Honor - Extra

For Honor has been around for over seven years at thi??s point, but has received so much content ranging from new maps, characters, customizations, and progression options. Team up with some friends to ta??ke on the PvE or PvE modes in this brawler. 

It takes a while to get good at a game like this since it’s different than many ??other games in this genre, but once you get some decent ?combos and defensive plays down, this opens up tenfold.

Monster Hunter Rise - Extra

With Monster Hunter Wilds on the horizon, now is the best time to get into the latest installation of the franchise to prepare for it. Rise is more akin to the classic formula of the MH games, borrowing a lot of the more modernized stuff from World, but also making it better.

The cooperative aspect is seamless and just more fun with more people coordinating awesome methods to hunt, trap, and beat the monsters. If you’re looking for a game to introduce you to the franchise, you will not be disappointed with Monster Hunter Rise.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege - Premium

Similar to For Honor, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege has been out for a long time, having so many maps, operators, and content that await??s. Admittedly, this game is a sweat fest, but as long as you ignore the ranked side and te??am up with some friends for casuals, it’s a great time.

This game breaks away from the twitch shooter aspect that many may have grown tired of from games like Call of Duty. It’s slowe??r, mor??e tactical, and methodical. You still need to be a decent shot, but each operator has their own set of weapons and gadgets that can help snag that win.

Killing Floor 2 - Extra

Killing Floor 2 is a round-based zombie shooter ga?me with cla??sses. The cooperative aspect of it makes this so much fun, especially when pitted against the hundreds of zombies (or Zeds as they are called in-game). 

With so many maps to choose from and so many builds in the game, you can easily have doze??ns of hours slaying these Zeds. There’s even a PvP asp??ect of the game if you and your group are feeling competitive.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge - Extra

If you want a classic beat ‘em up in the modern era, TMNT Shredder’s Revenge ??is the best you’ll get from the PS Plus collection. It’s an awesome party game that’s so reminiscent of t??he Sega Genesis and arcade era of 16-bit games. 

The bes?t part is, if you have a group above ??four people, you can play up to six players at once!

Worms W.M.D - Extra

The Worms games were all wacky fun with hilarious physics, explosions, and interactions. To break away from games that have a more cooperative aspect, Worms W.M.D is all about blowing up all the comp?etition to be the one to get out on top. 

It’s an easy game to get into, whether you have ever trie??d 2D tank-styled games or not.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 - Premium

The Division 2 is one of the bigger looter?? shooter games out right now that isn’t free to play. It has only gotten better since it was first released. Having a full-on cooperative aspect, PvP, and a sizeable community, this is something you can easily sink over ?a hundred hours into.

The gunpl??ay and all the builds are for the hardcore, but the initial playthrough of the base campaign will still provide plenty of fun for casuals.

Serious Sam Collection - Premium

If you want a more cooperative experience with a shooter, the Serious Sam Collection is going to be a blast. Being more akin to early 2000s ??boomer shooters, this collection of games will provide you and your friends with dozens of hours? of high-octane shooter gameplay.

While highly unlikely, you can play c??ooperative mode wi?th up to 16 players. The action will be insane and hilarious all at the same time.

Moving Out - Extra

If you want a more party-centric multiplayer game in the PS Plus catalog, Moving Out will scratch that itch and then some. Think of these games being an extension of the Overcooked games. You’re cons?tantly walking over your teammates and other ob??stacles to get the job done.

You might br??eak a few things or have a hu?ge fail along the way, but it’s all in good fun.

Overcooked 2 - Extra

Carrying the momentum forward from Moving Out, Overcooked is the OG of birds-eye view, cooperative, item-moving games. The experience in the second game is different almost every single time since everyone is frantically trying to?? get their tasks done and efficiently. 

The post 10 Best PS Plus multiplayer games appeared first on Destructoid.

Recently, we told you that British developer Team17 may experience job losses following the CEO leaving t?he company. Sadly, it looks as though this may be the ?case after all, with the studio possibly losing a third of its staff.

That's according to a recent report from Eurogamer, which says that cuts to T?eam17 could see 91 positions being affected. Initially, it was thought that the QA department would be the main focus of the layoffs. However, it appears as though redundancies may be felt in the IT, HR, marketing, customer service, and usability departments.

Develop??ers are said to have ??contacted Eurogamer with concerns that upcoming games published by Team17 may be in jeopardy. At the time of writing, the studio has not issued an official statement, nor publically given a reason behind the restructure.

A bad time to be part of a development team

This seems to be just one more example of a wider issue in the current gaming industry. Publishers and studios have been restructuring departme??nts and teams, which has unfortunately led to staff members being let go.

Recently, it was reported that Naughty Dog had also been hit with layoffs, as had The Walking Dead and Wolf Among Us studio Telltale Games. Epic Games has also cut 16% of its workforce recently, ?impacting around 830 employees in total.

It's not just game developers, either. Streaming service Twitch has also been experiencing layoffs, making it feel like anyone who works in g?amin?g in any capacity isn't safe.

Hopefully, Team17 will issue a statement about the reported layoffs, but right now feels like a shaky time to be involved in the video ga??me industry.

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After both public pushback and developer response, the publisher is stepping back from NFTs

The MetaWorms have been shelved. Following public response online and from its developer partners, Team17 has announced it is ending its Worms-based NFT project MetaWorms.

Yesterday, the Worms publisher announced it would mint a new NFT collection based on the well-known multiplayer series Worms. Much like other NFT announcements that have been made over the last few months, you can imagine how this went.

The "MetaWorms" project was met with instant pushback online. Notably, developers who have worked with Team17 also began publishing their own disavowal of the idea, including Overcooked developer Ghost Town Games and Yooka-Laylee developer Playtonic. Going Under studio Aggro Crab put it succinctly: "We believe NFTs cannot be environmentally friendly, or useful, and are real??ly just an overall fucking ??grift."

To?day, Team17 announced that after listening to feedback from its games communities and develo??pment partners, it would cancel the MetaWorms NFTs.

//twitter.com/Team17/status/1488618187109408780

NFTs have become a hot-button issue in gaming. Publishers have toed the water, or even dipped their whole foot in, seeing potential money to be made. Critics and developers have pointed out the environmental concerns, developmental issues, and general questions of wha????t they would add in the first place.

The pipeline of announce NFT project, get major blowback, and walk back or outright cancel it is becoming increasingly streamlined. It's to the point that I'm wondering why any company would see these responses and still willingly walk onto the coals. I won't be surprised if there's another announcement ??tomorrow. Its subsequent apology is probably already drafted.

As the concept booms, so does its issues. We'll see how it pans out further in the gaming space. For now though, the Worms and their?? World Parties are not NFTs.

The post Team17 calls off plans for Worms NFT project appeared first on Destructoid.

Something, something, environmentally friendly

[Update: In a statement to Eurogamer, Team17 has already addressed the negative feedback toward the Worms NFT announcement. Eurogamer suggests that many within the company did not know the project was forthcoming u?ntil it was publicly announced.

"Team17 is licencing the Worms brand to our newest third-party ?partner so they can produce collectible digital artwork based on one of the most beloved IPs in indie games, in a similar way to already available physical merchandise. Team17 has no plans to introduce NFTs or play-to-earn NFT mecha?nics into any of its indie games label titles."]

Original Article:

Team17 has partnered with Reality Gaming Group to mint a new "generative" NFT collection based on the iconic multiplayer franchise, Worms. The news was revealed to a chorus of eye-rolls and boos on social media earlier this morning, after being reported by website PocketGamer.biz.

The "MetaWorms" collection will see Reality Gaming Group use its Digital Asset Platform (DAT) to manage? a wide variety of characters and artworks taken from the storied 26-year-old battle franchise. Reality Gaming Group notes that each worm will be "unique" and "generative" and "stored" and "blockchain" and all those words that you hear whenever?? anyone is promoting the controversial scheme.

Perhaps predicting said controversy, Reality?? Gaming is quick to point out that its own take on the NFT market is "environmentally friendly," allowing the company to mint MetaWorms for "low energy" costs. The group equates 100,000 MetaWorm NFTs to the average annual costs of running a kettle in 11 UK households, (so... 11 years of daily kettle usage?) In addition, the company will donate an unspecified percentage of each NFT sale to ReFeed Farms, a company that itself uses worms as an "enhancer and bio converter" for the fertilization of soils.

"The ultra-low energy technology Reality Gaming Group uses, together with their carbon neutral servers, played an essential part of the reassurances we sought before our agreement; we’re very much looking forward to giving Worms fans a chance to own a piece of our histor???y," said Team17's Harley Homewood.

Recently, the team behind survival sequel S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 abandoned its plans to go all-in on NFTs after getting railed by its community. Just last week, Ubisoft raised the ire of video game fans by brazenly suggesting that they just "didn't get" how its own NFT range �a href="//jbsgame.com/right-on-cue-ubisoft-quartz-brings-nfts-digits-to-ghost-recon-breakpoint/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Quartz �is a "really beneficial" player-centric endeavor. Other publishers, including Sega, Electronic Arts, and Konami, are also dallying with th??e concept of NFTs, eager to make a buck, but perhaps? not so eager to take public flack.

For more reading on NFTs within gaming, check out our own Jonathan Holmes' take right here.

The post Team17 unveils Worms NFT blockchain collection ‘MetaWorms’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Worms....come out and play

Worms has been a part of my life since I was a kid.

My first foray into the world of tactical wormy combat was on the Game Boy many moons ago, and my wife and I have been jamming the series together for over a decade. For the most part though, things have been relatively comfortable for Worms. It might get a new gimmick, another theme, a level editor, or more customizations — but at the end of the day, you're inc?hing around shooting guns in a turn-based manner.

This is why I applaud Team17 for experimenting yet again with Worms Rumble, even if it comes up a bit short.

Worms Rumble (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed])
Developer: Team17
Publisher: Team17
Released: December 1, 2020
MSRP: $14.99 (free with PS+ in December)

The "rumble" bit is key, as this isn't the standard Worms formula here. Think of it l?ike a real-time deathmatch, complete with the same third-person aiming and movement system; with a battle royale mode (last worm standing) to boot.

It really is that simple. There's no local play in Worms Rumble, much to the chagrin of my wife. Instead, Team17 traded in local support for 32-person cross??-platform multiplayer, in a bid to keep the community trucking along and sustain the game. There is no campaign. Th??ere's no offline modes at all, really.

It's a bit of a problem. I'll get to why the existing modes are fun in a moment, but Worms Rumble feels more like a fleeting game that needed a PlayS??tation Plus push than the staple timelessness of older titles. In an era of battle royales and online-o??nly games, this sort of shakeup was needed, but without a comfort-food mode to fall back on, Team17 is risking it all if people stop playing it.

I hope that doesn't happen, actually, because Rumble can be exciting when it really gets going. The arenas are quite varied and gigantic, in part due to the teeny size of your player character (who can be customized of course, through various unlocked-in-game cosmetics and voice packs). Even in a real-time environment the Worms combat system shines, allowing for qui??????????????????????????ck aiming and lighting fast reactions.

All those classic Worms weapons still work in real-time, and in a few cases, are arguably more fun. The Holy Hand Grenade never stopped being hilarious, nor did the devilish detonate-on-proximity sheep gun. With a greater emphasis placed on the survivability of your single worm avatar, even low-tier weapons are more viable now, adding a larger degree of variety to Worms ??combat in general. Ye?s, the grappling hook and jetpack are still in, but with the generous roll-jump and wall-jumps, you don't always need them to get around.

Over time though, that joy starts to wane naturally due to a lack of meaningful progression and gametypes. For ?the most part, I'?ve just worked deathmatch out of my rotation altogether, and have not found a group willing to play team battle royale, which leaves me with one mode. More modes could arrive down the line, but for now, this is what you're getting.

This review is on the short side because there isn't a whole lot to Worms Rumble as is. You queue up for your mode of choice (which will probably be battle royale solo queue more often than not), you try your best to rank, unlock a few cosmetics you may or may not use; then repeat. Like the hundreds of games on the market ?like it, it can be a joy to play, but you'll likely want to wash it out with something else later that afternoon.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Worms Rumble appeared first on Destructoid.

Dust off that bazooka

Worms is a franchise that certainly holds many memories of my formative years. A bunch of friends squeezed around a 486, blasting each other to kingdom come with pixel-perfect long-distance shots, devastating shrapnel grenades, or a Street Fighter-style Dragon Punch when the conflict? got up close and personal.

Legendary British developer Team 17 is hoping to capture that same feeling of friendly rivalry with Worms Rumble, the latest release in the long-running strategy franchise, now available to purchase on PS4, PS5, and PC via Steam. While the expansive maps, huge array of weapons, and explosive action are all present and correct, Worms Rumble re??invents the battle entirely by going real-time.

That's right, instead of waiting your turn and nervously picking your shot, the entire battle is fought by all players simultaneously, creating apocalyptic mayhem never-before-seen in the Worms franchise. A wide variety of modes are on offer, including solo and squad battles, as well as a mammoth, 32-player, Last Worm Standing battle royale. Worms Rumble supports cross-gen and cross-platform play, which ?should hopefully keep the lobbies full, regardless of your platform of choice.

Team 17 plans to add special XP events, new modes, and limited-time challenges over the coming months to help keep the action fresh. Oh, and to help you spot your slimy pal amidst all this chaos, a wide variety of skins, accessories, and oth??er customization items will be available to unlock and purchase in-game. Just because you're raining hell, doesn't mean you can't look fabulous while doing so.

Worms Rumble is available now on PS4, PS5, and PC via Steam. It's worth remembering that Worms Rumble will also be a part of PlayStation Plus' December offerings.

The post The worm (re)turns as Worms Rumble explodes onto PS4, PS5, and P????C appeared first on Destructoid.

Last Worm Standing is battle royale by another name

Forget cockroaches. Worms – the Team17 multiplayer game, but also maybe the slimy little fellas too – will outlive us all. The series has been going strong fo?r decades and a new title is on the way in 2020.

Worms Rumble is a frantic 32-player game with real-time platformer/shooter arena combat, cross-play support, and three modes. Deathmatch is a series staple, Last Worm Standing is a b?attle-royale shootout, and Last Squad Standing – a variant with ten teams – lets players revive their mates.

They're really going for it. In both of the battle royale modes, "not only will you have your enemies to fight off, but the restricted zones will play a big part in the outcome of the battle," according to Team17 producer Danny Martin. "Linger too long in one of them, and you'll start losing health until you move into another. The restricted zones won’t always start or finish in the same location, so you'll need  to keep an eye on the warnings when they appear and high tail it ?out of there to a safe location."

I know this format is extremely played out, but in Worms? It could be a nice jolt. I'm open to it.

Worms Rumble is coming to Steam, PlayStation 4, and PS5 in late 2020, and "the release is just the beginning." I'm sure that'll mean new cosmetic unlocks and seasonal events – two elements that are already confirmed for launch – but hopefully it also means updates with additional game modes.

If you're curious enough to want to try the closed beta, sign-ups are open for July 15-19.

Worms Rumble brings real-t??ime multiplayer act?ion to PS4 and PS5 [PlayStation Blog]

The post Worms is going real-time with Worms Rumble on PS4, P??S5, and P?C appeared first on Destructoid.

Holy Hand Grenade!

War never changes but Worms does. This slippery, slimy artillery shooter has some iteration over?? the years; moving from 2D to 3D certainly qualifies, but this series is still rooted firmly in worms blowing each other to smithereens.

This year will see a new Worms game from Team17, and the developer promises substantial changes. In a tweet an??nouncing the unnamed project, Team17 says "The worms are back in 2020 like you?'ve never seen them before. New worms, new ways to play."

The accompanying teaser trailer doesn't offer much insight as to how this new Worms will change the game. Instead, it merely destroys the classic games before swatting at grenades with a bat. At least showing us some destruction -- even if it's meta-destruction rather than worm-on-worm assault -- is a step in the right direction. This is Worms, so something has to get a bomb dropped on it.

@Team17Ltd [Twitter]

The post Dissect this teaser for a new Worms game appeared first on Destructoid.

IPO plan set to boost company status

UK developer/publisher Team17, most famous for the Worms series, are reportedly plotting a huge IPO float, in the region of £200 million, on the London Stock Exchange. The financial decision is pois?ed to make the company the biggest third-party publisher in the UK.

The news was reported in The Times, which states that the official announcement is set to happen within days. The British studio is no stranger to huge financial maneuvers, having received a near £17 million invest?ment in the company, by the Lloyds Banking Group, back in 2015.

Founded in 1990, Team17 made a name for themselves in the home computer market, before taking their wares to consoles with franchises such as Worms and Alien Breed. More recent ventures include publishing The Escapists and Yooka-Laylee.

Though development is handled at the company's Wakefield headquarters, publishing is handled in Nottingham, my home town.? Rest assured I will be knocking on their door post-sale, asking to borrow a tenner.

Team17 plot £200 million stock market float [The Times]

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Geronimo!

Team 17 took to Twitter today to announce that the Switch port of Worms W.M.D. will be hitting the hybrid console on November 23. It will run you £19.99 / 29,99€ / $29.99 and will occupy around 4.6 gbs on the Switch (or less than one NBA 2K18 save file). T??he game will also utilize HD Rumble, if that is your bag.

For me, the unique portability of the Switch would be the perfect home for Worms. Now you wouldn't need to worry about frie??nds having their own copy of the game; you can literally bust it out anywhere and be good. I'm sure that'll lead to some amazing incidents of people yell?ing, "I'M GONNA NUKE YOU," in public.

Worms [Twitter]

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No beer and no PSTV make Charlotte something something

People are often dismissive of the PS Vita: it pales in comparison to the Nintendo 3DS, its back catalogue is nothing special, and Sony made some utterly bizarre design choices. These people often forget that there is another layer of disappointment to this story, which was the release of the PSTV – a gadget for your PS4 that doubled as a no??n-handheld Vit?a. Let me repeat that – a non-handheld handheld, three years before Nintendo executed the idea with some semblance of elegance. In hindsight, it feels like it was almost doomed to failure.

Hold that thought, though – maybe the PSTV (and the Vita, for that matter) attract greater criticism than they deserve. There are certainly reasons why you might want to own a small, versatile Sony games console, and the PSTV provides just that. I've had my PSTV since February 2016, and I use it on a fairly regular basis – I'd say that at this stage, equal time is spent between my PS3, PS4 and PSTV. So, I feel well placed to look back on the hundreds of hours I've poured into this little guy, and tell you whether it deserves to be written off as a flop. Ult??imately, the PSTV lets Sony fans down, falling short in several areas, but there's still something of value there fo??r a select few of us.

PROS

1. Its size

Simply put, the PSTV is seriously compact. It's also just as lightweight as you'd expect for something so tiny. There's really not much between the PSTV and the Raspberry Pi 3, while it is dwarfed by the DS Lite (see below). This makes the PSTV the perfect console to take with you to gaming events, where there is an abundance of screens or you're taking your own. I dread having to schlep my hulking PS3 Slim (Slim?!) across half of the city for gamin?g meet-ups, so having something so squashed down that I can fit in into a nice handbag, yet still hook it up to a large s?creen later, is a huge plus.

The PSTV with a rainbow alpaca (for scale)

 2. It's cheap as chips

When I picked up my PSTV, shops couldn't get rid of them fast enough. They were being flogge??d primarily as a PS4 accessory, since they also allow for streaming PS4 footage to a second TV, so demand was pretty low. If that was all the PSTV did, then I think it would have died on its arse completely.

So, I spotted a bunch of them on sale at MediaMarkt for 40 euros, and grabbed one without a second thought. At the time, PS Vitas could run to around quadruple the price; PSTVs have since gone up to closer to 100 euros, but you can still pay almost doubl??e that for a Vita. Either way, you're shaving off some of the price if you're willing to forfeit the screen. It's also such an unpopular/unknown console that flash sales to get rid of stock are highly likely.

In addition, the fact that the PSTV comes with 1GB internal storage meant that I could start tinkering with it before I got hold of a used proprietary micro SD card (more on that later). And I got a voucher for a Worms game that I've never played, and probably never w??ill, so...that's nice, I guess?

3. So many great games &nd??ash; on a massive telly!

Back in 2015, the only way you could play Danganronpa 2 on a big screen was to get a PSTV: the PC release came a year later, and the double release of Danganronpa 1 and 2 on PS4 came two years later. The same (still) applies for Persona 4 Golden and Persona 4: Dancing All Night. It also might be one of the more practical ways for you to play PS1 and PSP games, even though the PSTV only supports digit??al releases of these formats. Meanwhile, it has a Vita cartridge slot, so digital or physical Vita games can be played on it. If you value playing your favourite titles on a larger screen, rather than being hunched over a handheld unit, this console is for ??you.

Personally, I would always rather play something blown up to a larger scale than squint at a tiny screen. I'm also not one for playing games in public, outside of a multiplayer context; I feel quite self-conscious on the odd occasion I do whip out my DS Lite on the bus. I'd much rather just listen to podcasts when I'm out and about. If I'm at home, but away from a TV screen, that tends to be when the laptop comes out and I complete more menial tasks in Stardew Valley.

Handhelds are not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, but I can relax and absorb the atmosphere of a game better if I'm playing it on a home console. On the whole, the PSTV allows me to get more enjoyment out of Vita games. And I already enjoy the he??ck out of a LOT of Vita games.

CONS

1. Incompatibility and lack of support

By far one of the worst things about the PSTV is the fact that large parts of the Vita catalogue are not compatible with it. Because it isn't a handheld console and therefore has limited capacity to mimic touchscreens, huge swathes of games are greyed out in the PS Store. There is a way to use the analogue sticks of the DualShock 3/4 to perform touchscreen inputs, but it is so unwieldy that there is simply no PSTV support for a lot of titles. Among the outcast games are Gravity Rush, the Persona 2: Eternal Punishment and Persona 3 Portable bundle, and Danganronpa 1 (i?n Europe only – no idea why certain games are only supported in specific regions).

You'd think the DualShock 4 would allow for some touchscreen functionality, but Sony really dropped the ball when it came to incorporating the controller's various functions. The headphone jack doesn't work, nor does the Share button. There is no advantage to playing with a DualShock 4?? compared to playing with a DualShock 3, which reeks of laziness.

The only thing worse than being unable to play some PS Vita games on the PSTV is the fact that some games are appare?ntly supported, yet don't work as they should. Luckily, this has only happened to me with one game that I got through my PS Plus sub??scription for free, so I didn't throw my budget away on something broken.

Amnesia: Memories is apparently unlocked for the PSTV, yet the mini-games (required to get all of the trophies) requi??re quick reflexes – and touchscreen functionality. While the PSTV can theoretically mimic this through analogue stick inputs, there's no way that playing a time-sensitive air hockey or rock-paper-scissors mini-game this way could be anything other tha??n gobsmackingly shite. With no sign of any fixes or updates to the PSTV on the horizon, this is what you will be stuck with for all eternity, sadly.

2. The great micro SD card swindle

This will probably go down as one of the greedier moments in Sony corporate history. Thi??s problem extends to the PS Vita, but crucially, it was never fixed with the PSTV: the need for proprietary micro SD cards.

While I can appreciate that banning the use of standard micro SD cards would avoid the PSTV becoming a hacker's delight, it eventually got cracked anyway (as is inevitable). The la?ughable pricing of these Sony-branded micro SD cards rubb?ed the fans up the wrong way right from the start.

This is compounded by the memory card being locked to a single PSN account. So, for example, you will need separate memory cards if you have a UK and a US PSN account – technically against the rules, but even the President of SIE Worldwide S??tudios does it – or the patience to back-up and format ??one memory card again and again and again. There is simply no way to buy a game with one account and play it on another account, unless you apply some serious modifications to your console. So if you want to experience Vita games from around the world, you'd better be ready to lay down some serious cash, or to go th?rough the irritating process of wiping your memory card several times.

3. Shonky hardware, shonkier software

In many ways, the PSTV is a sturdy little thing – you don't get the feeling it will be smashed to smithereens, lest you forget to cover it in bubble wrap before going on a trip with it in your backpack. In other respects, i??t can be quite temperamental. I have noticed from personal experience that it can be hard to get the bloody thing to power down properly; I am used to having to set the time and date 50% of the time I switch it on, because I don't realise it's not powered down properly when I flip the switch on my extension lead.

As you'd expect for a handheld derivative, it's not business up front, party in the back – there is a HDMI out, an Ethernet port, one USB slot, and that's your lot. It's minimalist and certainly attract?ive, but also really sparse. If you want a fuss-free way to stream your favourite Vita games, prepare to be disappointed.

The PS Store has always been ludicrously primitive, and it's at its worst on the PSTV. The damn thing crashes all the time, and it saddens me to see that Fez and TWD: Season 2 are still the top advertised games. They're doubtlessly great games, but they're oh so very old! Also, my internet connection is terrible, but I swear it's even worse on the PSTV. When I tested it out on my parents' comparably impressive WiFi at Christmas, the download speeds were sluggish, even when downloading something as simple as Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God.

To me, the PSTV feels like a prototype stole??n from Sony's R&D department: the foundations of something good are definitely ??there, but it has an upsetting lack of polish.

THE VERDICT

It would be irresponsible of me to te??ll you to go out and buy a PSTV at all costs. In fact, it won't be a valuable addition to the vast majority of Sony games collections, since it falls short on so many levels. But if the compatibility limitations don't scare you off, if you vastly favour games on a giant TV screen, and if you're a little short on cash, the PSTV might be worth looking into. You're not going to experience anywhere near the same level of thrill as when switching on one of its heftier siblings for the first time, but it's a nice little standby device for when there's an obscure Vita game you're itching to play (??provided it's compatible).

The real question is whether the $60 price tag is worth it, given that you'll be dropping just as much on a decent-sized memory card. Sony should have realised the error of its ways and made a firmware update to allow for non-proprietary SD cards or multiple accounts per card, or it should have dropped the price on the cards and made th?em more readily available. Instead, the PSTV fell into obscurity. And it sort of belongs there, even though I do have a soft spot for it.

Do you own a PSTV? Do you think it's a terrible console, or did you get some enjoyment out of it? Let me know in the comments down below!

The post Looking back on the PSTV: hidden treasure ??or colossal failure? appeared first on Destructoid.

First title on a Nintendo console in seven years

As announced by stalwart British development group Team 17, Worms W.M.D is bringing its m??icroscopic warfare to the Nintendo Switch soon..

The turn-based warfare game, which was released l??ast year on current gen consoles, features all the comical aspects of armageddon fans have come to expect from the now 20-year-old franchise, but also included new features such as vehicular mayhem and tower-based fortific?ations.

The Switch port will feature all of the content from the previous W.M.D rele??ase, as well as both local and online multiplayer and even new stage themes and fun customisation options for your annelid anarchists (oh yes).

Worms W.M.D seems custom-made for the Nintendo device, with the Switch's mobility allowing you to take th?e game wherever you want to play with a bevy of chums, The game is scheduled for release sometime in the fourth quarter of this year.

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'Hoy there, small fry

Team17 is in a precarious spot with the Worms series. If it deviates too much, it's chastised for straying too far from the proven formula. If it doesn't offer anything new, it doesn't justify its existence in a world where a million Worms games exist.

Worms W.M.D does just enough to come out on top though.

Worms W.M.D (PC, PS4, Xbox One [reviewed])
Developer: Team17
Publisher: Team17
Released: August 23, 2016
MSRP: $29.99

There's no beating around the bush, this is basically the same Worms gameplay from the '90s, just with a new (sleek) coat of paint and a f??ew more weapons. The biggest change in the latter arena is definitely the vehicles, which are neutral "items" of sorts on each map that help make each match a little more interesting. There's tanks, helicopters, and mechs to drive, and all of them are balanced to the point where they don't feel overpowered -- plus, players can just steal them back on their turn anyway. The tank is basically a supercharged rocket, the helicopter is a jetpack with a machinegun strapped to it, and the mech can initiate a ground pound attack -- nothing too exciting.

There's also the crafting mechanic, which allows players to grab items from the battlefield and use recipes to turn them into a few different options to use imme?diately. I actually like this addition far more than the vehicles. You can switch things up on the fly, and the UI is intuitive enough to figure out how to craft stuff in second?s. It also serves an additional purpose of balancing out weapon crates, so the game doesn't entirely hinge on grabbing a random super-weapon.

With 30 campaign missions, 10 challenges, and the classic versus AI mode with randomly generated terrain, W.M.D isn't a slouch in the replay department. The campaign levels aren't just thrown together either, as they all serve a purpose in teaching players the meticulous intricacies of aiming, jumping, and choosing weapons. There's still physics to account for, and even after playing the series for roughly two decades I pick up on new tactics every now and then. It can still ta??ke too long to actually finish out turns while everything is calculated, but it's not worth rioting over. Granted, the vast majority of missions are "kill everyone" and "protect the VIP" objectives, so Team17 easily could have done more in that department. Starti?ng to see a pattern?

Unlocking rewards merely by playing (win or lose) is good though, as are the 66 total outfits (if you get the All-Stars pre-order pack). Team17 has even expanded to adding more topical voiceovers, like the "Budding Streamer" option that often shouts nonsense. But it's important that you know that this is it. Really, all of the stuff you're unlocking is cosmetic, and if you don't care that your worms are talking with an accent or have a Yooka-Laylee ??mask on, you have to live with the same rulesets and level themes (which are well done and modern-looking, but typically just worldly settings that don't push the envelope), either o??ffline or online with up to six players.

There really isn't a whole lot more to say about Worms W.M.D. If you've skipped over the last few Worms games but pine for the nostalgic feeling of ripping apart cute little critters across a gigantic map with precision bank shots, you'll be able to relive those memories here. Especially so if you love Armageddon, which this one is trying hard to emulate.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Coming in late August

I've been playing the Worms series since the '90s. The height of my exposure was by way of the Game Boy version of Armageddon, which I?? could conveniently ?play during car rides -- on a portable, the pass-and-play style was almost how it was meant to be experienced.

But since the mid-2000s, my interest has dropped a bit. I don't rush to check out every single Worms game these days, because, well...a lot of them are the same. Worms W.M.D hasn't changed a whole lot, but it's still Worms, and that's mostly okay.

One of the first thing I noticed about W.M.D was the style. It's pretty much perfect, as it exhumes a modern sheen (coupled with a solid frame rate, even in this early build), but it also has a disciplined, '90s feel to it. What I mean by that is essentially everything fits, no matter how absurd the explosion or silly the character model. I don't think you can really push Worms?? much farther without reaching uncan??ny-valley territory.

As of right now I have access to five campaign levels, five training missions, and multiplayer -- but the full version will of course unlock customization options (and feature 30 levels, 20 training missions, and 10 challenges, with online and offline play for six players). I breezed through the story bits and tried a little pass-and-play multiplayer, and it passes the Worms test. It's just as fun as ??ever, and vehicles add a small dimension as power-ups, just enough to make them interesting.

The tank conveniently jumps, for example, and the helicopter doubles as a jetpack mixed with a machine gun. So while it's not too innovative, it works all the same. Crafting is also in (done by grabbing ingredient-like pickups on the map), which I dig more than I thought I would, as it balances out overpowered luck-based crate drops, adds an element of choi??ce, and isn't hard to figure out or do on? the fly.

But going back to my initial point, it's all similar. There's six themes in the build I tested, most of which look great, but I'm always annoyed that each iteration doesn't just include everything. I love the Hell theme and enjoy myself immensely whenever it pops up, but I get a sinking feeling when I play each passing gam?e and see some of my favorite elements taken out, only to be added back in the next year. Newcomers probably won't notice it, but fans know what I'm talking about.

With that in mind, Worms has been a "buy every other game" series for me recently, and I'm due with this one. Worms W.M.D will launch on August 23 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One -- with an "All?-Stars" DLC pack on the latter that comes with a Joanna Dark weapon, as well as Microsoft/Rare-themed costumes.

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Free Worms

Worms Forts: Under Siege is free on GOG right now if you want it.

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Worms WMD and Worms 4

Wow, Team17 has a lot on its plate! In addition to helping with the production of Yooka-Laylee, it looks like it has two more Worms games in the works. The first is called Worms WMD, and will feature a new 2D cartoon? look with "hand drawn landscapes." Vehicles have been implemented, and you can now enter buildings. It will arrive on Xbox One and PC in 2016.

The other game is Worms 4 (yes, it's a new game called Worms 4), which is now being developed for the iOS platform. It's due in August 2015, and will feature online multiplayer as well as 80 campaign missions. Based on the art style above, I'm interested in WMD.

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Dig in

Worms World Party has always been a divisive entry in the long-running series. Released as a followup to the almost universally lauded Worms Armageddon, some viewed it as a welcome refinement to a great game while others saw it as a too-same iteration that only served to split the online community. Me, I never actually played World Party because I was still spending countless hours on Armageddon.

So now we have Worms World Party Remastered, bringing the wormy strategy up to today's st?andards of HD visuals and Steam integr?ation. To that end it works, but despite the upgrades it can't help but feel like an old game with a fresh coat of paint.

Worms World Party Remastered (PC)
Developer: Team17 Digital Ltd.
Publisher: Team17 Digital Ltd.
Released: July 16, 2015
MSRP: $14.99
Rig: AMD Phenom II X2 555 @ 3.2 GHz, with 4GB of RAM, ATI Radeon HD 5700, Windows 7 64-bit

The trailer below does a good job summarizing what is new in this remastered version. Resolution can now go as high as 1920x1080. Sound effects have been updated. Controller s?upport is in for those who are more familiar with the console versions. Steam features like leaderboards, achievements, and trading cards are a??ll here.

While those are all welcome additions, some feel half-baked or manifest in unexpected ways. The Steam integration is a little wonky, since the default screenshot button is F12, which is used in game to select the "Skip Go" and "Surrender" actions. These don't come up frequently and there are ways around it, but I have already taken a few errant screenshots because of it. It goes the other way too; intentionally taking a screenshot will inadvertently bring up the actions. When it happens (or when a?ny Steam notification comes up), the notification window covers a good chunk of the bottom right corner of the screen, where wind velocity and weapon information live.

More jarring is the visual upgrade. While the battles (the parts that matter most) can now be viewed in 1080??p, the title screen and men??us are still their old, fuzzy, 4:3 selves. It isn't a huge problem, but it's a strange first impression to go into a game expecting a clean presentation and be met with pixelated opening screens pulled straight from the year 2001.

In battle, the resolution increase works as it always had: instead of sharpening up the graphics and textures it presents a larger field of view. In other words, each worm, sheep, and banana bomb maintains ?the same sprites and animations, but the camera is zoomed out so everything appears smaller.

Functionally, this is a welcome improvement. Taking long shots and planning big moves (especially the twitch action of the Ninja Rope) are easier with the entire level in view. Calling down an Armageddon and seeing every meteorite hit is a delight. Aesthetically, it doesn't feel like a remaster at all. Eschewing the 3D elements found in Worms Revolution, the looks of these worms and environments are the classic 2D versions, unchanged since 1997's Worms 2, only now we can see more of them at a time.

By and large, this is the same game that released in 2001. Play as a team of well-armed worms. Use an array of conventional (bazooka, grenade, shotgun) and unconventional (banana bomb, flying sheep, old woman) weapons to blow up, maim, drown, and otherwise murder the other team. Part turn-based strategy, part action platforming, part artillery game. For many, just being the same game as before is enough. After all, Worms is an institution in gaming for a reason.

Still, there are some design elements that betray how dated Worms World Party is. In addition to being ugly, the menus aren't intuitive. Some require a s??ingle click to enter, others a double click. Most are represented by images that aren't self-explanatory. After setting up a custom game type so I could practice with the Ninja Rope, I couldn't figure out how to set indestructible terrain.

The campaign i??s a collection of unconnected scenarios. Some are clever and some teach players a new technique or idea, but there isn't much of an impetus to do any of them. Worse, the mission descriptions are often obtuse or incomplete, forcing players to play and replay missions just to understand them or to know what "surprise" pops up halfway through. This is exacerbated by a lack of a way to quickly restart; a failed attempt results in players being kicked back to the menu, forced to click through a text box and to restart the mission, and made to wait for it ?to load up again. At the very least, load times are quick now that the game isn't disc-based.

The merit system is also never explicitly explained, so new players might be confused why a sloppy, "by the skin of their teeth" run might net a gold medal and an expert, no damage run might only be worth a bronze. It's a simple system once you know (it has to do with the number of attempts since the last victory), but it isn't ever spelled out. Worms World Party does this a lot. It assumes players already know what they're doing, which made sense when it first released on the heels of Armageddon but is less welcoming today for new players (o??r rusty ??ones like me).

Of course, the main selling point of a Worms game is the multiplayer. With six-team local or online act?ion and a bevy of options to tinker with, this does wha??t it needs to do. I did log onto WormNET prior to launch and found exactly zero others online. This will live and die with its community, so we'll keep watching post-launch to see if it's thriving or withering.

Worms World Party Remastered might be the go-to PC Worms experience for hardcore fans of the series with a taste for nostalgia. It definitely doesn't serve as a good place to get started for those who might want to try the series out. While ??it loo??ks a little shinier than it used to, it still doesn't look new, and it certainly doesn't play like a modern game.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Also the first episode of The Raven

November is almost over, which means more free-with-Xbox-Live-Gol?d games to look at and hopefully remember to download once they're actually available.

Throughout December, Xbox One users with a paid subscription can nab Worms Battlegrounds at no extra charge. Xbox 360 players can claim The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief (*shrugs*) from December 1 - 15, and then SSX from December 15 - 31.

I've cooled on SSX over the years (the 2012 title, I mean, not the whole series; SSX Tricky is still ??in the running for my desert-island game of choice) but for free, yeah, it's worth playing.

As for The Raven?, it's an episodic crime adventure from?? King Art Games set in 1960s Paris. But, more importantly, there's this screenshot:

Xbox Live Games with Gold for December 2014 [Major Nelson]

So much potential.

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An amalgamation of a few wormy adventures

Coming up on the 20th anniversary of the Worms series, yet another Worms game is upon us.

This is technically the first current-gen title though, worming its way onto the Xbox One an??d PS4. As you can imagine so early in these consoles?' lifecyles, the generational differences really aren't astounding enough to make a difference.

But thankfully, the foundation is still as rock solid as Worms has ever been, even if that isn't exactl??y a remarkabl??e achievement.

Worms Battlegrounds (PS4, Xbox One [reviewed])
Developer: Team17
Publisher: Team17
Released: May 27, 2014
MSRP: $24.99

Instead of going with the piecemeal approach of adding in new features and promptly taking them out with the next iteration, Battlegrounds feels like a natural evolution from recent entries. It has the clans from Clan Wars. It has the classes from Worms Revolution. And it features the same old turn-based gam?eplay it had in 1995.

Just like Clan Wars there's a tiny setup involved, once again featuring a magical artifact called the Stone Carrot, and a thieving villain. It's not exactly Pullitzer material, but it's a bette?r effort than churning out game after game with zero cohesiv?e thematic elements, so it's much appreciated. Here, the setting is a museum.

So does it look like a current-gen game? Not really. It's a decent middle-ground in terms of a downloadable title, but the 3D effects and the backgrounds can often get in the way (concealing key objects and platforms) more than they will awe you. In short, it looks like a very high quality game from the Xbox Live Arcade era. I would love it if Team17 could go back to the hand-drawn look, and make it stand out as much as the new Rayman games.

Gameplay is still the same, for better or worse. You'll get an arsenal of weapons at your disposal (now it's up to 65 tools), and you'll blow the other team to smithereens. Sometimes there's stuff in the way that you have to traverse by way of jet??packs, drills, and ropes, but most of yo?ur time will be spent blasting away with rockets and strategically placing mines. The new tools (Aqua Packs, Winged Monkey minions, and the Mega Mortar) are all fun in their own way, but you'll likely want to limit their use in multiplayer.

Just as?? always the controls can be finicky if you aren't used to them, and back-flipping or rolling down a hill to your death can be pretty common. As a turn-based game it doesn't necessarily need a fully twitch action system, but more precision would be appreciated in future iterations. Still, even if it's just for a while, watching a worm back-flip to his death from 100 feet up (comp?aratively) is pretty funny.

The aforementioned classes help add a tiny bit of strategy to the proceedings, and the Soldier, Scout, Heavy, and Scientists return. All of them play out?? just like you'd imagine (well-rounded, fast, resilient, and resourceful), and even though you'll ?likely just play them relatively the same way, it helps that there's a little variety involved, especially in the customization process.

Story mode is very short, with 25 levels (that go by very quickly), and 10 "Spec Ops" missions that don't amount to much more than training exercises. Like its predecessors, Battlegrounds' real worth is in its multiplayer -- so you'll want to grab some friends immediately, or try to find some online?? with?? the included matchmaking tools. Four players are supported to be exact, with a scant two modes -- Deathmatch, and Forts, which is basically just Deathmatch with teams starting in their own structures.

The customization elements are the bulk of the game's content, including the power to design a clan and bring it online, as well as create an emblem and send trash?? talk clan-to-clan. Actual worm customization returns, and you can play dress-up as well as change your team's voices to say, pirate lingo. It's a ton of fun just flipping through all the different voices and finding your favorite. There's also a level editor, which is highly functional from a console standpoint (since the feature hardly makes it there), but relatively bare-bones if you're coming from the perspective of a PC gamer.

Like most Worms games, you'll need other people to play with or risk monotony. Enemy AI still isn't the sharpest tool in the shed even this far in the game, and they can take far too long between turns, leading to boredom. Given the price tag of $25, it's perfect for those of you who haven't played a Worms game in years and have the itch. But if you've been playing along for the past few years, y??ou might be able to skip this slightly upgraded?? collective of recent entries -- unless you're a fanatic, of course.

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Finally, the new generation can begin

Since what feels like the dawn of time (or at least shortly after Scorched Earth existed), Worms has been a mainstay of videogames in general. With its odd humor and ridiculous arsenal, it has graced over 25 platforms with its artillery/platforming presence. Soon enough, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can finally be called real consoles, because Worms Battlegrounds will release for both platforms on May ??30 in Europe and June 3 in North America.

The launch trailer above shows us about what we'd expect: little cartoon worms with British accents spectacularly blowing each other up. Series staples like the Concrete Donkey and the Old Woman return, each with a new trick or two. Super Sheep, my old personal favorite, i??s also shown in the video delivering airborne justice to hapless worms. Nice.

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'This is the most important game we've worked on in over a decade'

For the first time in a long time, Team17, the developer behind the long-running Worms franchise, is working on a new property. The new game will be called Flockers, and that's all that?? Team17 had to say about it ?at this point.

Speaking to Develop, Debbie Bestwick, the st?udio's managing director, revealed the news at PlayStation Open Day. She was mum on details, but commented that "this is the most important ??game we've worked on in over a decade."

The reason for the silence is that the game isn't properly announced yet. That's expected to happen next week, when we'll hopefully learn more about this title that definitely isn't more Worms.

Team17 announces new IP Flockers [Develop]

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One of the first games for ID@Xbox

After Microsoft dropped the news this morning of a mysterious new Worms game for the Xbox One, developer Team 17 has announced Worms Battlegrounds f??or the XB1 and PS4. Team 17 makes a special mention of its participation in the ID@Xbox program, as it's one of the original supporters of t??he initiative.

Not a whole lot is known at this point other than a nebulous release date o??f 2014, but odds are there's going to be a lot of worms?, weapons, and destruction involved.

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As is the portable Worms: Battle Islands

Out of all the games I feel bad about missing last year, Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons has got to rank among the top of the list. It shouldn't take this much convincing to get me to play somet?hing I'm fairly sure I will enjoy, but that's the way of the world. Now I'll have my chance: the game joins the Instant Game Collection for PlayStation Plus members this week.

Look for Brothers as well as Worms: Battle Islands for PSP / PS Vita, another free game for subscribers, on PlayStation Network once the store update goes live tomorrow. Sorry, Worms, but I ?feel a whole lot less awful about not playing you.

PlayStation Plus: Brother??s: A Tale of T?wo Sons for Members [PlayStation Blog]

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Bigger, fatter, and juicier

I think that Team 17 needs some help. Some dastardly villain has clearly locked the developer up and abandoned them, because less than a year after releasing the excellent Worms Revolution, the invertebrate-obsessed studio has only gone and made Worms Clan Wars, which is not only a prop?er, fully fledged continuation of the venerable series, but a high point for th??e franchise.

Pe??rhaps the very worms they so admire have risen up and forced them into eternal servitude, and if this is the case, we should all get out our nicest stationary and write a strongly worded letter to these slithering, slimy dictators and demand that they give Team 17 a break. It would be well deserved, too, as they've already succeeded in the challenge of improving on a formula that was arguably perfected over a decade ago.

Worms Clan Wars (PC)
Developer: Team 17
Publisher: Team 17 
Release: August 15, 2013
MSRP: $24.99

Maybe you don't have a clue what Worms is. This is unlikely, and certainly embarrassing for you if true, but I'll refrain from judging you. The Worms of a decade ago is much the same as the Worms of today, with newer titles adding a few spins and twists on the classic formula but generally sticking to what made it work all those years ago (other than the terrible 3D Worms titles). 

Teams of tiny, pink warriors (now up to eight, once more) fight each other across a 2D, fully destructible and obnoxiously colorful map, using weapons from the mundane -- but not?? too mundane, these are worms after all -- like uzis and bazookas, to the completely mental, like exploding sheep and banana bombs. It's all in the name of good, not-very-w?holesome fun. Until one of your pals slaughters your beloved army of diminutive soldiers with an airstrike, that is. 

All the lovely new features from Worms Revolution have been retained by its wriggling, younger sibling: classes, water, and physics, most notably. Combatants are split up into soldiers, scouts, scientists, and heavies, all with different movement speeds, health, and special abilities, like the scientist worm's knack for healing his chums. They've been tweaked and balanced since Revolution, with area of effects for special abilities being ad??ded or increased, for instance.

Water, which was probably the most welcome addition in Worms Revolution, returns. It's much the same as it was before. Chucking water balloons at enemy worms will see them sliding down slopes and into a watery grave, and maps are filled with objects just waiting to be dislodged ??or blown up by missiles. But it's been augmented by machinery, with water gates, for example, allowing players to flood entire ar?eas and drown their enemies. 

Physics puzzles have been thrown into the mix, too, with all manner of buttons, levers, swinging bridges, and the aforementioned gates being strewn throughout the battle arenas of the war-torn museum that Clan Wars resides in. Oh yes, the museum -- that's definitely worthy of a mention. There's a story, you see. I know, you're incredulous. ??A story! How preposterous. And you'd be right, it is preposterous.

A nefarious chap has pinched a sacred artifact known as the Stone Carrot, and is attempting to control all worms, because that's just what you do when you're completely barmy. The only thing that stands between him and complete worm domination is a ragtag band of worms and sociopathic crypt-robber Tara Pinkle, who's basically a loony Lara Croft voiced by Katherine Parkinson of IT Crowd fame. 

You might recall that Matt Berry, also from IT Crowd, narrated the worms' last outing, so clearly Team 17 have a bit of a crush on the cast, and rightly so. While Berry's hilarious narration is sorely missed, Parkinson is delightfully silly while briefi??ng the A-Team of the worm-world and describing all the terrible things that she's done while looting treasure from un??fortunate tribes. 

The single-player stuff isn't usually the draw of Worms, and while it's hardly the highlight of Clan Wars, it's an entertaining romp that eventually becomes tricky in p??laces, sometimes because of fidgety platforming, some??times because of challenging level design. There's a checkpoint system now, too, so replaying entire levels is a thing of the past unless you explicitly want to.

Maps loosely follow the museum theme, with Stone Age, Viking, and Aztec-style battlefields, just to name a few. A day and night cycle adds a bit of visual variety to these maps, to boot. They are, as you would expect, ripe for deforming with explosive weaponry, and littered with objects that can be dislodged to block the route of an enemy worm, loosened to let forth a torrent of water previous held back, or just blown up to create a gargantuan explosion. While Revolution's object interactions were a bit on the fiddly side, Clan Wars offers a greater level of? control over item placement mid-battle.

What really elevates Clan Wars above its predecessors is the effort that has been put into the multiplayer component. There's local multiplayer, then your standard online PvP shenanigans, but the tr??uly special, properly new addition is the titular clan feature. With the same tools used to make a team of deadly, slimy worm-warriors, you can put together a whole clan, with a distinct appearance along with a shiny emblem and a clan name, and then recruit members to?? this clan. 

Clans compete for leaderboard positions, creating a perpetual worm-war and, hopefully, all the splendid drama, grudges, and competitive intensity found in eSporty games. Ultimately, its success lies in its ability to maintain a healthy population, which certainly won't happen if Team 17 keep churning out more Worm titles, so one? hopes that they will take a breather. 

In a novel twist, the floodgates have been opened up to user-generated content, with Steam Workshop integration. So in addi?tion to the new weapons like flying monkeys and teleporter guns -- both of which can be used to help ?and hinder by moving objects and worms around the map -- there are a slew of cosmetic items and player-created maps just waiting to be downloaded. 

While it doesn't stray too far from Worms Revolution, a game less than a year old, the focus on competitive multiplayer and custom content adds both longevity and depth to the long-running pastime of wormicide. If Revolution was the best that Worms had ever been -- and it was, because I said it was last year -- then Clan Wars is now the definitive version. 

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Worms, Worms 2: Armageddon, and Worms: Ultimate Mayhem

[Update: Contest over?! The winners are NovaKnight21, CabooseMiller, TheSunNamedMoon, DrButler,? irishladdie727, and cnaltman62!]

Our friends at Maximum Games have just released the Worms Collection for ?Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and they've given us a bunch of c??opies to hand out to lucky Dtoiders!

Included in the collection are the console releases of Worms, Worms 2: Armageddon, and Worms: Ultimate Mayhem, plus six DLC packs, all available here for the first time ever on disc. To win one for yourself, just post a random picture of worms in the comments below. (Be sure to tell us which system you'd prefer!) You ha?ve until 11:59 PM Pacific tonight to enter, and the contest is open to anyone with a US mailing? address. Limit one entry per person, and the winners will be selected at random.

We have three Xbox 360 and three PS3 copies to give out, so good luck! And if you can't wait to win, click here to buy your copy today!

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Plus Resident Evil, Van Helsing, Call of Juarez, and more

For the love of god, somebody get me a 3DS. I made the unfortunate mistake of backing the wrong Nintendo console, grabbing a Wii U late last year, when I should have put my eggs in the portable basket. Now I'm not able to play the fantastic Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, and I feel absolutely terrible. 

Along with Donkey Kong, a few other choice morsels launch this week. Resident Evil Revelations makes the move from the 3DS to home consoles; The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing sees the eponymous hero hunt monsters in a gothic-noir fantasy universe; Call of Juarez goes back to its western roots in Gunslinger; and?? the Wii U gets a?? bunch of ports. Lucky me. 

Anything making you short of breath this week?

Xbox 360: Resident Evil: Revelations, Fast & Furious: Showdown, Worms Collection

PS3: Resident Evil: Revelations, Fast & Furious: Showdown, Worms Collection

Wii U: Resident Evil: Revelations, Fast & Furious: Showdown, Sniper Elite V2, LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

PC: Resident Evil: Revelations, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, Ocean City Racing, Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes, Elemental4I, Dust: An Elysian Tail

3DS: Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Fast & Furious: Showdown

Vita: Men's Room Mayhem 

XBLA: Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Capcom Arcade Cabinet: All-In-One Pack

PSN: Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Capcom Arcade Cabinet: All-In-One Pack, Mugen Souls

Resident Evil: Revelations (PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360)

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (PC, PSN, Wii U, XBLA)

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (PC)

Ocean City Racing (Mac, PC)

Dust: An Elysian Tail (PC)

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Bring your ticket and your Bazooka!

What could be better than worms and ice cream? How about worms, ice cream and a arsenal of crazy weapons that you can blow up your friends with. Team17 has released the first piece of DLC for Worms Revolution, the Funfair Pack.

The Funfair Pack includes an array of amusement-park themed attractions for one and for all. Team17 has included five new single player puzzle missions to test your mettle on, as well as four new weapons to dish out even more pain on your wormy companions. Pla??yers will also have the new Burger and Ice Cream, along with the Red No??se and Masquerade accessories to clown around with. 

The Worms Revolution Funfair Pack will be available today on Xbox Live, PSN and Steam; and is priced for at a decent 400 Microsoft Points, or $4.99 for ?non-banana dollar currencies.

The post Worms Revolution DLC pack out today appeared first on Destructoid.

Let slip the worms of war

One cannot help but wonder, after so many years of senseless violence and bloodshed, what is it that makes worms so murderous? I guess that if you lived in the dirt, looked a bit ?gross, and were so often at the mercy of a trowel or a spade, you'd probably be a bit angry too. 

The endless cycle of wormicide continues in Worms Revolution -- a misnomer if ever I've heard one. Yes, it's pretty much still the same old Worms, but in the best way possible. Honestly, I'm glad. We don't really need another Worms 3D.

Worms Revolution (PC [reviewed], PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade)
Developer: Team 17 Software Ltd.
Publisher: Team 17 Software Ltd.
Release: October 10, 2012
MSRP: $14.99

If you love Worms and you're just looking to sink your teeth into another colorful artillery game then stop reading, and go and buy the bloody thing. The core gameplay is, despite the new engine, nearly identical to the rest of the 2D installments; w??h??ich means it's still pretty great. 

Two teams of battle-hardened worm warriors meet on destructible battlefields and use a highly customizable variety of weapons, from the mundane, like shotgun and bazookas,?? to the absolutely bonkers, like explosive grannies and holy hand grenades (if it's not from Antioch, you've been ripped off), just to name a few. 

If you're like me, however, and you've played the countless iterations, and they've all started to blend together, then you're probably wondering if it's worth picking up yet again. Do you like water, physics, and the consistently hilarious Matt Berry of IT Crowd and Mighty Boosh fame? If you don't, then you should probably just go back to playing Worms 2: Armageddon (or Worms Reloaded on the PC) which, up until now, was the most polished and content-h?eavy title in the series. 

For those of you still with me, you answered correctly. All three of those things are awesome, and two of them are awesome in Worms Revolution. You get a gold star. 

Water has been pushed as one of the defining feature?s that sets this version a??part from its predecessors. Water bombs, water pistols, pools -- it's like summer time. Unfortunately, it's actually October, so there's always the risk of pneumonia, too. Water-based weaponry makes up a small part of your wormy arsenal, while also featuring prominently as dangerous environmental hazards. 

A water bomb or pistol can be employed to make enemy worms slide down slopes, and presumably to their doom, or just get them soggy and even more gross. Nobody likes a soggy worm. Similarly, a pool of water above some unsuspecting worms can be blown up, showering the worms below. It might push them down a hill, or it might create another pool tha??t slowly drowns the little soldiers. The water acts more like runny jelly than good old H2O, and that's cool with me -- jelly is a lot more funny than water. 

It's just another reason to pay close attention to the environment, and murdering foes in such a way is immensely satisfying. It's one of the most welcome additions to the series, and in the likely event we continue to get more Worms installments, I hope it becomes a mainstay. 

The physics shen??anigans are a little less impressive, sadly. Large objects are scattered throughout levels -- the refuse of humans. Worms are actually scaled appropriately, so mobile phones, zippo lighters, and water bottles are all si??gnificantly larger than the suicidal wee beasties. Telepathy and UFOs can move and drop these objects, some of which explode and drench the area in flames, and they are also susceptible ;to weapons fire, which can dislodge them or blow them up. 

Much of the time, int??eracting with these objects is just a lot of hassle. Using telepathy to move objects is incredibly imprecise, and very rarely does it feel like you've achieved anything by doing so. Whether or not an object is damaged when you fire upon it also seems rather arbitrary. Directly hitting a bottle with a rocket might do no damage whatsoever, wasting a turn, whereas using the same tactics with a zippo might actually blow it up, or it might not. It feels random, and thus isn't a particularly solid tactic when there are actual explosives like mines or barrels, or pockets of water that will definitely unleash a torrent if struck. 

Team 17 haa tried to mix up the dynamics of one's squad of worms by introducing classes, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The giant cranium of the Scientist allows them to make better turrets, for instance, and their knowledge of medicine means that every worm on their team regenerates a small amount of health each turn. The sneaky Scout is smaller and faster than his fellows, and can get into wee nooks and crannies that larger worms can only dream a??bout (they are worms, so chances are they have weird dreams). The Heavy is a slow, ponderous behemoth; soak?ing up damage and smacking people around is his business. And finally, there's the basic Soldier -- the all-rounder, if you will. 

I tended to favor the Soldier over the other classes, but the inclusion of such a feature definitely changed the way I played the game, even if it was only marginally. I'd frequently ignore easy kills so I could t?ake the healing Scientist out quickly, or hunt down a Scout before he man?aged to worm his way into a tiny hole. 

Worms Revolution comes with a surprisingly robust single-player campaign, along with a puzzle mode. I honestly don't see the appeal of playing Worms by one's self, but if I did, I would be all over this. There are some ingenious -- one could even say devious -- maps which are genuinely enjoyable to play through, even if it is against AI opponents. The campaign, and to a greater extent the puzzle mode, teaches player?s slightly more advanced tactics, encouraging players to think outside the box. Matt Berry narrates the whole thing in typical loin-melting fashion, and between the jokes and mockery he usually gives a hint (and often outright instruction) on how to tackle particular levels. 

I?f you want to brush up on your worm-slaying skills without embarrassing yourself in front of friends and strangers on the Internet, then you can't really go wrong with the single-player shenanigans. The fact that you'll laugh your arse off thanks to Mr. Berry is just the icing on the cake. Really delicious icing. None of the cheap crap.

Multiplayer is where the action is, however, and not simply because it's fun to destroy the hopes and dreams of a human opponent; although, that is certainly a factor. The joy of the multiplayer is in tailoring it for your own perfect battle experience. The PC version comes with a level editor, so of course there's the whole act of designing your battlefield, but there's so much more. Confession time: I'm nutty about menus. I could scroll through menus tweaking a game until it perfectly fits my specifications all day long. Unfortunately, the menus of Worms Revolution are fairly awful, but if you can get past how badly laid out they are, you may v??ery well find yourself in customization Nirvana. ??;

You can customize each mode (Classic, Deathmatch, and Forts), and alter how many times you can use the ninja rope, how frequently you encounter mines, how much health worms have, if they take damage from falling, if dynamic water will be used, how often crates are dropped, the length of the fuse on sticks of dynam?ite... needless to say, it's rather in-depth.

The modes themselves aren't particularly surprising, but even before you start tinkering with them, they are more than serviceable. Classic removes the new features like water, Deathmatch doesn't, and Forts places the teams on two opposing land masses. More variety would have been welcome, but the customization options covers that if you're willing to pla??y about with the settings for a bi?t. 

Worms Revolution is as good as the franchise has ever bee??n. It's good old psychotic fun, and that's all I really wanted. Yet, after 17 years, it's still very much the same game. Those looking for a refreshing take on the basic formula might be a tad disappointed, but in the face of watching suicidal grannies take out wriggly cannon fodder, or self-destructing moles, I think that disappointment will be short-??lived.

The post Review: Worms Revolution appeared first on Destructoid.

Worms Revolution is some two weeks away from being released, and Don Keystone is attempting to, for the last time, explain Team17's?? strategy game to us with his oh-so-seductive voi??ce in a new gameplay video.

The 2D gameplay coupled with 3D graphics, customization options, class selection, level editor, and the behemoth of other features included in Revolution is nic??e; but none of the aforementioned features come anywhere close to exploding sheep and grannies. What? Don't give me that look.

Worms Revolution launches on Steam, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live on October 10. Steam users who pre-order Revolution will be treated to pre-order bonuses.

The post Worms Revol??ution has warring worms and exploding grannies appeared first on Destructoid.

Since the mid-'90s, I've been unable to look at the common garden worm without wondering "How many kills doe??s it have?" or "Does it have a shotgun?" I blame Team17 for this entirely; their military-minded, wriggly warriors make these animals seem ferocious.

Unfortunately, my love of these warmongering creatures has diminished over the years. The awkward switch to 3D left nothing but disappointment in its wake, and my interest has yet to be recaptured by the later iterations. My current wormless existence is about to get shook up, however, as original Worms creator Andy Davidson and Team17 have been hard at work making the latest title, Worms Revolution, forward-looking yet still able to inspire a great ?deal of nostalgia. 

In June, Casey got to take on Davidson himself at a round in Revolution, so I thou??ght I'd check out the title's single-player offerings; there's qui?te a bit. 

Worms Revolution (PC [previewed], PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade)
Developer: Team17 Software Ltd.
Publisher: Team17 Software Ltd.
Release: October 10, 2012

Most of my fond memories surrounding the Worms franchise involve other people; people who were once friends but became, at least for the length of a round and probably the rest of the day, sworn enemies. Given the online mode, there's little reason not to want to take on another human commander of worms, however, on the off chance you don't want to deal with people or you have a repellent personality, there's a healthy amount of single-player content in Worms Revolution.  

Even if you are eager to take on your pals? in worm-on-worm conflict, it's probably worth taking the first part of the campaign, the tutorial, for a spin. You only get one worm to control, and enemies are static, passive th??ings just waiting to be brutally murdered. There are quite a few new features, so it's a good place to come to grips with them. 

Throughout, players are mocked, berated, and occasionally congratulated by the sexy voiced funny-man, Matt Berry (IT Crowd, The Mighty Boosh) in his role as disgraced, mentally deranged wildlife expert Don Keysto??ne. Fans of his comedy stylings will find a lot to delight them here, as the writing seems tailor made for his delivery, and I have no doubt ?that you lovely Americans will enjoy the oh-so hilarious accent and funny British words. 

The tutorial stage of the campaign is drawn out over eight levels, which strikes me as a ridiculous number, and I must admit I found myself extremely bored after only one or two of them. Only Berry's narration made it tolerable. Thankfully, once that's over, it starts?? to pick up, and you finally get your full squad of violent, psy??chotic beasties. 

The campaign will take you to many colorful battlegrounds; mundane places turned interesting due to the worms' tiny size. You see, unlike in previous titles, the worms and their surroundings are actually scaled more appropriately, and animated scenes play out in the background with large rats scurrying about, or massive pelicans. Littered around the environment are human items such as mobile phones or Zippo lighters, and they can often end up obstructing your progress and require a lovely big explosion to remove. Sometim??es, these obstacles can be transformed into weapons to turn against your enemie??s, especially if these obstacles happen to be explosive or, even worse, filled with water.

Right from the start, the battles can actually be a bit tricky. It's not because the AI is particularly good -- though sometimes it seems like the enemy worms have the accuracy of Robin Hood -- but rather because of the obs??tacles scattered throughout the levels. While mines and explosive barrels are undoubtedly threats to watch out for, or use to your advantage, it??'s the water that you really need to keep an eye on. 

Water has always been a threat in Worms, but never before has it been used so widely, and as a weapon, no less. Water pisto??ls and water bombs can be us?ed to drown or knock down rows of foes, the jelly-like liquid carrying them down to their doom, while the water in the actual environment can also be manipulated to great effect. Pockets of water locked away in caves exist above and below the battlefield, and a well-placed explosive or an accurately fired rocket can turn these wee pools into deadly weapons. 

One of my favorite things about the campaign was how it showcased some wonderful level design. Team17 clearly went all out to create interesting game-spaces, and it really made me eager to try my hand at it, too. Un?fortunately, the landscape editor was unavailable in the preview build, so I had to console myself with the developer's intricate creations.

On top of the campaign mode, the other single-player feature is the puzzle mode. Instead of straightforward battles, these levels teach players slightly more advanced strategies, and task them ??with thinking outside the box a little bit.

To call them puzzl??es is a bit strong, though, as they struck me as more like?? extra tutorials, especially given the hints provided by Don Keystone. Still, they can be quite fun and feature interesting scenarios from defending fellow worms to murdering worms using only a weapon which will not actually kill them. 

The single-player content seems surprisingly robust, if not nearly as fun as playing with other people. As a way to practice and hone strategies, the mode more than does?? the job, but it's unlikely that people will be spending very much time with it. I really hope they do, though, as Don Keystone is quite the character and makes the campaign and puzzles amusing.

The post Preview: Worms Revolution for Johnny No Mates appeared first on Destructoid.