Worms Open Warfare 2 Interview

Worms has been around for years, but that hasn’t stopped Team 17 from regularly updating the classic franchise with new games. The next game to come from the wormery is Worms: Open Warfare 2 for the DS and PSP. We spoke to Team 17 about their handheld sequel.

Pro-G: The basic Worms game is such a classic, simple formula, that attempts to reinvent it have led to releases of mixed quality, such as the 3D titles. How have you overcome the problem of creating a product with enough new content to warrant a customer’s purchase, without upsetting the delicate balance core to Worms?

Team 17: The fact that our same core design team worked on the early PC versions of WORMS means that the finely tuned game balance is never at risk of being broken. Both the design and code team have been working on new content for Open Warfare 2 for quite some time. All ideas and thoughts are planned out, prototyped and then play tested properly before being bundled into the title. With this sequel, we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to explore new ideas, modes and features in our quest to make Open Warfare 2 chock to the brim with endless hours of playability and fun. We’re sure it will appeal to fans of the original Open Warfare, fans of the original WORMS, as well as attract a whole new crop of gamers who are completely new to the series.

Pro-G: Worms and the DS stylus make for a perfect marriage of software and hardware, but how does the game work on the PSP, with its notoriously twitchy analogue nub?

Team 17: The DS touch screen is obviously a perfect compliment to the gameplay style of WORMS and allows the player increased depth of interaction, but the PSP controls are not without their merits. The PSP controls in Open Warfare 2 are based on the vigorously tested and honed control method of the original Open Warfare. The analogue stick is used to control the camera’s position around the landscape while the d-pad is used to control the worms’ movement. Although the DS may have the extra touch screen, the PSP version also possesses a number of unique features that include higher resolution landscapes. Both versions really take advantage of their individual virtues.

Pro-G: It’s great to see the Rope Race multiplayer game, which started life in modded online levels, make it into an official Worms game. Was paying attention to fans of the series important in other aspects of the development of WOW2?

Team 17: Feedback from fans and other Worms players has been incredibly influential on almost all aspects of development. We made sure to pay close attention to opinions and criticisms of the first Open Warfare and I believe this is reflected in the sequel. New weapons, game modes and team customisation options are but a few of the areas in which feedback has been a large influence. When adding new content to a game, we always take into consideration ideas and suggestions from the fans with the goal of including the things that we know the gamers want to see.

Pro-G: Can you tell us about any of the other new multiplayer games, other than the standard deathmatch?

Team 17: In addition to the classic deathmatch, which provides all-out death and destruction, we have two other multiplayer modes. There’s a Fort mode, which features teams pitted against each other upon separate landscape forts. Players will need to choose to either defend their Fort and ward off all attacks, or try and bridge across to siege the enemy’s hold. Rope Racing is another addition to the multiplayer modes and allows players to hone their roping skills in order to reach the end of numerous landscape mazes in a race against the clock. Players are also able to create their own rope racing landscape, which they can then challenge other players to tackle.

Pro-G: The fantastic training and challenges on Worms Armageddon genuinely constituted a worthy single-player Worms experience. What have you got for the solo Worm assassins this time around?

Team 17: The single-player content in Open Warfare 2 is as large a part of the game as the multiplayer modes this time round. Not only are there 35 new campaign missions with which to challenge the player’s deathmatch skills, there’s also Time Attack missions to test players’ skills against the clock and, for the first time ever in a WORMS title, a Puzzle mode. The Puzzle mode requires the player to use their brain, as well as their brawn, in order to complete levels using weapons in a way they might not have thought of before. This, in turn, teaches the player new skills that can be used to their advantage in multiplayer bouts. There’s also a handy tutorial for players that are new to the series, as well as three firing ranges to hone your weapon skills on without fear of retribution from marauding enemies.

Pro-G: The Concrete Donkey weapon from the original Worms is almost an icon of gaming silliness. What have you got for fans of Worms’ daft humour this time?

Team 17: In addition to the infamous Concrete Donkey, we have a number of familiar favourites and new additions. Amongst these, we have the Buffalo of Lies, which charges through anything and anyone that may stand in its way. There’s also a Bunker Buster, which unearths any Darksiding worms that may have burrowed deep down. As well as the Sentry Gun that fires at anyone daft enough to step into its line of fire. It’s certainly been tremendous fun throwing all types of wonderful and wacky ideas around the office, some of which were just too outrageous for worm warfare.

Pro-G: How does WOW2 take advantage of each handheld’s online gaming capabilities?

Team 17: Both versions of the game are packed to the brim with online options that take full advantage of both machines’ online capabilities. Online leaderboards and Daily Awards play a large role in ranking the best (and worst) WORMS players around the world. The PSP version features a clan system, whereby members can be invited to battle against other clans for a place on the clan leaderboards. Players also have the ability to chat whilst in online games (whether this is to congratulate an impressive shot or taunt an opponent) and upload their custom schemes and landscapes for others to download at any given time. With the PSP version, it is also possible to invite a player into a match, regardless of where he is in game. Without a doubt, Open Warfare 2 truly is the ultimate handheld multiplayer game!

Pro-G: Are there any significant differences between the two versions? How does the DS split screen change things?

Team 17: Although the two versions are the same at their core, there are a few extras exclusive to each that allow them to shine on their individual merits. One of the criticisms of the first Open Warfare DS title was that it didn’t exploit the full potential of the touch screen. This is something which has been addressed in the sequel and has even given birth to the Laboratory mode, which takes advantage of the various input devices that the DS boasts over the PSP. Gameplay on the DS version also takes place across both screens rather than just one screen, giving the player a better view of the surroundings and making it easier to line up long distance shots. The PSP version is by no means lacking though, with higher resolution graphics and extensive online multiplayer capabilities. including clans and custom content uploads.

Pro-G: Tell us a little more about the themed battles? Does the theme in anyway affect the gameplay or is it purely cosmetic?

Team 17: Themes offer far more than just aesthetic variety. Theme-specific special events will occur during gameplay that have the potential to totally change the direction of a game. A player that is dominating a match one moment could be the victim of a disastrous earthquake that wipes out half of his troops the next. Such events add endless possibility to the outcome of a match and inject a little mayhem to the strategy. However, the player does have the option to disable Special Events if he so wishes. Low gravity and slippery surfaces are also unique to certain themes and will influence the players’ choices with regards to where they jump and how they should land.

Pro-G: Customisation has always been key to the pleasure reaped from destroying and protecting your Worms. How has customisation been expanded on in WOW2?

Team 17: Customisation is a huge part of Open Warfare 2 and the player is presented with an assortment of ways in which to personalise their teams and gameplay. The appearance of the Worms themselves can be customised, including victory dances, hats and skin colours, along with the ability to create a unique custom flag which is visible throughout multiplayer games. There’s also the ability to create custom landscapes, which on the DS takes full advantage of the touch screen and stylus. Players with the PSP version can then upload their custom landscapes for players around the world to download and enjoy. The customisation options in Open Warfare 2 really do offer the player near endless possibilities!

Pro-G: Finding someone who doesn’t like the original format of Worms is a hard task indeed. Why is this and how have you embraced this for WOW2?

Team 17: The reason for that is simple – WORMS is simply an incredibly fun game! That’s why we’ve incorporated everything that made the original game shine into Open Warfare 2, along with a barrage of new content. Everything that we chose to include in Open Warfare 2 is the product of many years of playing and perfecting WORMS. Not only is WORMS the perfect multiplayer game, we have gone to great lengths to make sure that the single-player experience is just as much fun. For these reasons, amongst many others, this is without a doubt the best WORMS game so far!

Pro-G: Thanks for your time.