Worms review

Most people will remember the PC classic, Worms. If you don’t you either too young, too old, or you missed a seriously important part of your youth. In short, the original Worms had everything - good graphics, tons of weapons, strategy, and extreme playability - basically, Worms had all the things that makes a game truly great. So, with this in mind, how does Worms fare on the iPhone format?

When you first open the game you realise that it’s pretty much the same as you remember it being, which is good as no one likes it when the developers start tinkering around with a near perfect platfom - take note George Lucas.

That said, it doesn’t take long before you realise that all isn’t what it seems. Unfortunately, there is something not quite right about Worms on the iPhone. Don’t get us wrong, it is fun, but it’s just not as good as the original. Everything is there, the game is essentially the same, but there is something missing, like something got lost in the transition from PC to iPhone.

It’s hard to pin-point what it is exactly, as it’s very subtle. Firstly, the controls are a little fiddly. To move one of your Worms you tap on either side of it, and to jump you double-tap above its head. However, if you push in the wrong place, you end up jumping when you really don’t want too, which usually ends in you landing on a mine or down a ravine. Needless to say, this gets rather annoying after a while.

Additionally, it’s a lot harder than it was on the PC, which we think has a lot to do with the controls. In short, there is one big aspect of the game play missing. In short, you need the dexterity a mouse affords you for a game like Worms - unfortunately, the touch screen controls are not up to scratch this time.

We remember the original Worms being fun, very easy to play, and not at all frustrating. However, this version is none of the above, which is extremely disappointing as we adored the original. Also, the game isn’t helped by the fact that it’s extremely hard - even on easy. Don’t get us wrong, we like a challenge, but its so difficult to win on this game it kind of ruins it...

During gameplay you have the option to use the pinch-and-grab function to zoom in and out, which you’d think would come in extremely useful, particularly in a strategy game. Unfortunately, it doesn’t and its actually more of burden than a blessing. Overall, the function is sluggish and unresponsive, which seriously takes its toll on the gaming experience.

Don’t get us wrong, the game is still playable and fun. There’s just something missing. It’s like an intrinsic, but unknown, part of the game has been lost in the transition from PC to iPhone. That said, the game is still amusing and quite playable, once you get used to the weird controls, laggy zoom-function, and the fact that you don’t know what half the weapons actually do before using them.

Overall Worms for the iPhone is quite a disappointment. However, this is probably compounded further by how much we loved the original games. It’s worth a look if you’re into 2-D strategy games, but we wouldn’t bother if you loved the original, it’ll break your heart.