Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Worms: Reloaded gets its hooks in the moment a simple shot becomes a tiny physics puzzle. A grenade tossed over a ridge, a rocket threaded toward a vulnerable worm, or a mine placed at the right choke point can swing an entire match. Because every turn gives the other side time to answer, you are constantly balancing a safe hit against the tempting chance to knock somebody straight into the surrounding water for an instant kill.

The destructible terrain is still the heart of it. Blasting holes through cover, collapsing a perch, or setting off barrels means the battlefield never stays settled for long. The familiar arsenal supplies the reliable options, while the sillier weapons—such as the holy hand grenade and exploding sheep—deliver the kind of big, memorable turns that have kept Worms funny for so long. New hazards including sentry guns add another threat to account for, especially when the ground is already crowded with mines and barrels.

You can run teams of up to four worms, with up to four teams in a match, so games can become wonderfully messy. That scale is excellent for multiplayer rivalries, but it can also stretch the downtime between your turns. Reloaded is at its sharpest when everyone is engaged with each shot, laughing at a misfire or arguing over a near-perfect angle. If your group prefers rapid-fire action, the deliberate turns may feel slow; if you enjoy the tension of lining up artillery under pressure, that waiting is part of the pleasure.

There is plenty to do beyond a quick skirmish. The 35-level campaign, 30-level advanced campaign, and five unlockable levels offer a substantial solo challenge, while earned money unlocks more levels, weapons, themes, and cosmetic options. Customization runs deep: your worms can have their own colors, hats, names, voices, victory dances, and gravestones, and the team fort can be adjusted for that mode. The level editor is especially welcome, letting you quickly draw a map and populate it automatically or place hazards and worms yourself. Tall, vertical maps make misses hurt even more.

Graphics

The action stays in a clean 2D side view, where cliffs, tunnels, craters, mines, barrels, and the deadly waterline are easy to read at a glance. Tiny worms in hats and themed teams fit the broad comedy well, and the changing shape of the land gives each battlefield a suitably battered look as explosions tear through it.

Story

There is no grand narrative pulling you through Reloaded; its campaign is a sequence of artillery challenges rather than a character-driven adventure. That is the right call for Worms. The personality comes from the named squads you build, the soundbanks you choose, and the absurd way a match can end with one worm accidentally ruining its own team’s chances.

The campaign’s progression has a practical hook because success earns money for new levels, weapons, themes, and hats. It gives solo play a reason to continue beyond simply clearing the next challenge, even if the real stories are the unscripted ones you make during matches.

That lack of plot means you should not come in expecting a dramatic single-player journey. Come for compact battles and the little tales that emerge from them: a desperate last worm on a ledge, a disastrous explosive chain reaction, or a perfectly judged shot that sends an opponent into the sea.

Overall Experience

Worms: Reloaded understands that the series works because it mixes careful calculation with slapstick failure. A turn can be methodical right up until a badly judged projectile, a barrel, or a misplaced worm turns it into a catastrophe. Few strategy games make defeat this easy to laugh at.

The package is strongest if you have friends willing to learn the rhythms of turn-based artillery and stick with a match long enough for its tactics to unfold. Online matchmaking and ranked leaderboards give competitive players an outlet, while extensive team and map customization makes it easy to turn local games into your own ridiculous traditions.

Solo players still get a large stack of campaign levels and unlocks, but multiplayer is where Reloaded becomes more than a solid tactics game. The campaign can sharpen your aim and teach you to respect terrain, hazards, and water; a close match against other people is where every improbable shot earns its biggest reaction. If you want a 2D Worms with a hefty set of modes and customization, this is an easy recommendation, provided you enjoy the slower, turn-by-turn pace.

Retro Replay Score

7.7/10