More Articles on Worms Forts Under Siege
Exclusive: Worms Forts Under SiegeSEGA Europe E3 Line-UpThe Worms are Back!!!Latest Previews
Street Fighter IV - Hands OnSpider-Man: Web of Shadows - Hands OnFamily Trainer - First Lookde Blob - Hands OnGC08 - Resident Evil 5 Hands OnUser Reviews
There are currently 0 User Reviews for Worms Forts Under SiegeWrite your own review for this game today and you will receive 100 Gamer Points.
Click here to register
Exclusive: Worms Forts Under Siege Preview
Derek dela Fuente
08/06/2004
Worms, worms, worms we can't get enough of em...
Was it way back in the great days of the Amiga, that we first experienced the joys of Worms?! There were great adverts, with funny catch lines, and Wormsâs memorabilia everywhere! (Well it did seem that way.) Oh the halcyon days when gameplay was king and innovations were just an added extra. Were you a Worms or Lemmings fan? Fast forward and we see Worms metamorphosised into a 3D game where gameplay is still frustratingly compelling as it ever was, and bring things up to date with the great thought that we can now look forward to another Worms title, Under Siege, which we are sure will have an abundance of surprises and yes, some new innovations but pertinent to the gameâs universe!
Team 17 is one of the few developers, which has stuck close to their original roots. Still based in Wakefield and still including the creative mind of Martyn Brown, the Creative Director, who worked on the very first Worms title. Derek dela Fuente was able to pick his brains about the past, present and more so, future!
âWorms Forts is a new branch out for the Worms series, so itâs not a sequel as such to Worms3D â“ although weâve kept the universe and feel of the game very similar in look and flavour. Many T17 people have been with the company for some time now and many are working on Worms Forts. Iâm still involved although my contact with the development âfront lineâ so to speak is much more withdrawn these days, as I tend to direct and arbitrate our development process as well as keeping my eye on the studio as a whole.â
Some of the not so impressed gamers, who may no be that au fait with Worms, could shamelessly be murmuring that Worms is top of the list in nostalgia stakes, with an established brand name but could well be past its sell by date! Fact is, Worms is such a unique gaming idea that as long as the team keeps abreast of a number of current trends, and create cerebral and taxing ideas for the loveable cast, it could go on for many years and even with some really inventive ideas, top its previous heights! Martyn was eager to give his own views!
âThose comments could very easily be attributed to many licenses, brands and franchises in the marketplace today. In terms of Worms, I believe weâve really tried to move the game forward, keeping it fresh and enjoyable for a whole new audience. The gameâs industry is a different place to how things once were and new, original titles are considered publishing risks â“ as a result, Team17 as a commercial concern with some 80 staff will only work on titles that we believe publishers intend to release on the market â“ there are many great unsigned, unreleased games and developers out of business. In short, developers options arenât what they were â“ but we are lucky that we own the Worms IP ourselves and can develop it in the way we see fit.â
Humour plays an important part in the success of Worms, which is will always be a focus but it is the mix of puzzles, ingenious use of weapons and a rock solid plethora of ideas that make up the perfect recipe!
The features list offers a good insight into the new direction with new gameplay style - the chance to build huge fortifications to defend against your opponent's attack! Plus, âAttackâ being on a scale never before seen in a Worms game, with up to 30 different weapons and multiple upgrades.
Martyn explained a little about the vision on offer, as well as talking about the technology side of the game.
âThe most obvious departure of the series is the focus on building your castles and forts, expanding your reach, with less emphasis on merely killing worms or knocking them in the water. There are many opportunities to build and expand, making it a little bit more strategic than say Worms3D.â
âAs for the technology side of the game, weâre always looking to expand our tech â“ Worms3D may not appear technically advanced but its engine is, since itâs a fully dynamically deformable environment â“ there are very few other examples of this. We also develop our game series across multiple platforms so sometimes we are limited in terms of expansion in order to keep the content viable across these platforms â“ but above all we concern ourselves with the way our game plays and not producing a tech demo.â
The Worms experience has always been more about playing the game, rather than mulling over what is on offer - to get the perfect feel good experience. Itâs about maybe getting stuck, finding yourself in an impossible fix and solving ways to win through â“ which offers the perfect feel good factor when playing!
The weapons and the best way to use them to your advantage is one aspect of Worms that makes it compelling and Team 17 has a feast of them on offer!
âWeâve really cut loose with the weapons in the game now, thereâs some ridiculous stuff in there which include firing a bishop out of a mortar (he loves it really), a wooden boat that unleashes a horde of manic apes and a hamster-firing mini-gun. In addition we have a wide range of buildings that can be quickly constructed which offer new weapons, tools and facilities.â
Players will travel through ancient mythologies and experience unique Worm style Egyptian tribes, Greco-Roman sieges, Oriental Samurai and King Arthur's Medieval Knights and there will be tons of customisation, environments and fort styles to unlock, not forgetting online play!
You can never speak about Worms without mentioning its well tried route of 2D to 3D, which its big rival Lemmings took and successively killed the franchise back in 1995; thankfully taking their time, Team17 ensured a smooth transition with last years release of Worms3D â“ a critically acclaimed title that sadly didnât see the success it should have.
âWe thought about the 2D to3D transition for a long, long time. We waited until we were confident that the main aspects could be developed without making major compromises â“ much of this was revolved around a dynamically deformable environment and movement/firing controls that felt like the 2D game. I think for the most part, we pulled it off and surprised a few people and we will continue to improve and refine the series now we have a good grounding.â
âWorms has never been a title that burnt a trail across the charts, usually it just sits in the top 20 for a long time, notching up steady sales â“ an evergreen â“ which Worms3D has done to a large extent (although it re-charted highly at Easter). Thereâs also the high level of competition youâre up against these days â“ not only in gaming terms, but in sheer market presence, TV-advertising et al â“ going up against the big guns in your first few weeks is difficult for most.â
It did appear from the general tone of the conversation that Worms Forts: Under Siege has a number of elements still âunder wrapsâ and we are sure that in the forthcoming months Sega/Team 17 will present a surprise or two to keep the momentum building before its release!
