Worms Ultimate Mayhem
- September 28, 2011
- Team17
- 7h median play time
"Worms: Ultimate Mayhem" is a comedic 3D strategy game, offering single-player missions, local/online multi-player for up to 4 players, and customizable worms and weapons. With over 70 missions from Worms 3D and Worms 4: Mayhem, HD visuals, and extra content, it's the ultimate 3D Worms collection for 2 or more players in co-op or competitive modes.
Reviews
- Worms Ultimate Mayhem offers a nostalgic experience, combining elements from both Worms 3D and Worms 4: Mayhem, making it a fun trip down memory lane.
- The game features a wide variety of weapons and customization options for worms, allowing for creative gameplay and unique strategies.
- Playing with friends enhances the experience significantly, providing endless laughs and chaotic fun during multiplayer matches.
- The game suffers from significant technical issues, including jittery mouse controls, poor optimization, and frequent crashes, especially on modern PCs.
- Multiplayer is often plagued by lag and a lack of active players, making it difficult to find matches or enjoy a smooth online experience.
- The controls can be clunky and unintuitive, particularly for players accustomed to the 2D Worms games, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- story177 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in "Worms Ultimate Mayhem" is a notable improvement over previous entries in the franchise, featuring a charming time travel narrative with voiced cutscenes and a variety of missions across different historical settings. While the humor and creativity in mission design are praised, some players find the campaign's pacing and occasional technical issues detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game offers a fun and engaging single-player mode that complements its multiplayer gameplay.
“This game features a time travel story with characters and conflicts, even if they are relatively simple, and it even features a plot twist near the end, again, pretty much unheard of for Worms.”
“The game is packed with content, tons of customization items for your team, a story mode with cutscenes and an actual plot, which is unique in the Worms franchise.”
“The story itself is quite barebones as usual, although I must say most of the jokes cracked in the campaign were pretty funny.”
“Worms 4 single-player missions are uninspired. They are paired with a pretty bland story around them.”
“The single-player campaign is the story of how your wormy team and the professor go fight war with 'the enemy' and get entangled in a time travel adventure.”
- humor121 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in "Worms Ultimate Mayhem" is widely praised for its wacky voice lines, over-the-top animations, and the chaotic physics that lead to hilarious moments during gameplay. Players find the game consistently funny, especially in multiplayer settings, where the absurdity of worm warfare and comical weaponry create memorable experiences. While some note that the humor can wear thin over extended play, the overall consensus is that the game delivers a delightful mix of charm and laughter, making it a great choice for both solo and group play.
“The game’s humor is on point, with wacky voices and over-the-top animations that make it impossible not to laugh, even when it’s your worm flying off the edge.”
“The cutscenes are beautiful, the jokes are extremely humorous, and the gameplay is a great mix of a strategy and shooter game.”
“You'll be laughing from start to end and there's actually some skill required to master the weapons.”
“Controls are terrible and the humor becomes unfunny with friends after about 20 minutes.”
“Not funny after 30 minutes.”
- gameplay118 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Worms Ultimate Mayhem" is a mix of fun and frustration, as it transitions from 2D to 3D, introducing new strategic possibilities while maintaining core mechanics. Players appreciate the customization options and the engaging turn-based strategy, though some criticize the controls and AI difficulty, which can detract from competitive play. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable, especially in multiplayer, but it may not fully satisfy fans of the original 2D gameplay.
“The 3D element adds a lot of dynamic gameplay situations, far more than normal worms.”
“Knowing how the physics work, how much damage each weapon deals, using the wind to hit weirdly positioned targets, managing time - mastering the game’s mechanics can lead to very interesting clashes between players.”
“Ultimate Mayhem takes the classic worms gameplay and shoves it directly into the third dimension, and let me tell you, the transition breathes new life into the game.”
“The gameplay is also polarizing, having been moved from the standard 2D into 3D which obviously gave it a whole new medium for use of weapons and strategic use of such.”
“Unusable camera controls, broken physics, and repetitive gameplay that takes too long.”
“The learning curve isn't exactly forgiving, as now you play in a kind of 'first person' view mixed with 3rd person for movement, which is totally alien to regular worms gameplay.”
- graphics92 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Worms Ultimate Mayhem" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the remastered high-definition visuals and vibrant cartoonish art style that enhance the overall experience. However, some players noted that while the graphics are improved from previous iterations, they still appear somewhat dated compared to modern standards, with occasional glitches and optimization issues. Overall, the visuals are considered appealing and fitting for the series, contributing positively to the nostalgic gameplay.
“The graphics pop, and I can't help but see.”
“Very good, mic quality is good, 3D is amazing and the graphics are 10/10.”
“Great graphics, great controls and lots of depth, this game shows that worms can exist in a 3D environment and do it well.”
“Graphics: while the graphics are improved compared to previous games in the series, they still look a bit dated compared to current standards.”
“Graphics are way too dated for 2011, it looks about 2004 graphics tops.”
“Frequent crashes, graphics glitches and piss-poor optimisation for PC.”
- music31 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its nostalgic vibe and ability to create a fun atmosphere, with some standout tracks that enhance the overall experience. However, many users express disappointment over the absence of iconic tracks from previous titles, particularly the original Worms 4, and note a lack of variety in the soundtrack. While the remixed music is appreciated by some, others feel it doesn't capture the charm of the originals, leading to mixed feelings about the overall sound design.
“It's fun, looks beautiful, has a great soundtrack, it's actually challenging and it brings that childhood nostalgia.”
“The maps, the music, and the whole vibe is so nostalgic.”
“And the soundtrack for this game is top tier for me; it always gives the right atmosphere to the place and the map.”
“Iconic Worms 4 menu theme song is gone and replaced with a watered down version of it.”
“Only thing that makes this game a little worse is that the old soundtracks from Worms 4 Mayhem are not included.”
“This game is just bland with uninspiring music and no art direction.”
- optimization25 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 48 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting severe performance issues such as low frame rates, mouse stuttering, and crashes, particularly on newer PCs. Many players noted that despite having capable hardware, the game struggles to run smoothly, leading to a frustrating experience. While some patches exist to address certain issues, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, detracting from its enjoyment.
“Fixes performance issues, enables support for all languages present in the game files, removes the sepia effect in the Worms 3D campaign levels, as well as many other things.”
“The game feels smooth, runs smoothly and generally plays smoothly as well, the only gripe that I have with it is the jetpack; it just feels kind of odd and it controls like a llama driving a car, very slowly when turning to the sides, very quickly when going forward.”
“Played this game when it was released, and it was perfect, but I have problems playing this game online; the game crashes in every match (also happens to some players I know). The game has no optimization especially for most recent machines making the game very laggy... but I still recommend the game if you want to play single player or local multiplayer; it is a fun game and feels very complete even without the DLCs, something that can't be said for many games nowadays.”
“Unfortunately, it simply doesn't function on newer PCs; low frame rates, broken mouse movement, and constant stuttering were among the issues I experienced.”
“A great game ruined by horrid optimization and a terrible camera.”
“So I definitely don't recommend it, at least not on its PC version: the bad performance, null config settings, and terrible adaptations to keyboard and mouse controls destroy the experience.”
- stability23 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- -9 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that hinder gameplay, particularly on PC. While some players find the charm in these issues, many express frustration over the game's performance, including problems with multiplayer lobbies, freezing during alt-tab, and overall poor optimization. Overall, the game is seen as a buggy experience that detracts from its otherwise enjoyable elements.
“The game runs smoothly without any noticeable glitches, providing a stable experience throughout.”
“I appreciate how the game maintains a consistent frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
“The stability of the game allows for seamless exploration, making it easy to immerse myself in the world.”
“Too many bugs; the game freezes.”
“This game is just a bad, messy port that is full of glitches and bugs.”
“Frequent crashes, graphics glitches, and poor optimization for PC.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a high level of replayability due to its challenging campaign, diverse gameplay mechanics, and randomly-generated maps, which keep the experience fresh. While some players may find the story mode repetitive after multiple playthroughs, the variety of weapons and destructible environments contribute to its enduring appeal. Additionally, the presence of single-player content and engaging multiplayer options further enhances its replay value.
“This level of variety gives Worms Ultimate Mayhem a unique level of replayability that makes it an easy choice when I want to play something.”
“There are loads of weapons to choose from and the destructible map and random crates, mines, and teleporters add replayability to the game.”
“You might get easily bored playing it over and over. This isn't in my case yet, but yes, the story is replayable and some users found it boring to complete again.”
“I'm not sure how alive the online scene is, but the bots are fairly good and the randomly-generated maps provide endless replayability.”
“There are loads of weapons to choose from, and the destructible map and random crates, mines, and teleporters add replayability to the game.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is described as deeply immersive and emotionally resonant, evoking a complex mix of feelings such as solitude and joy. Players appreciate the unique environmental elements, like the maps and ocean, as well as the top-tier soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Compared to earlier entries, the atmosphere in this installment is noted to be more subtle yet impactful.
“This is one of the first and most played games on my old PC, and as I grew up, I understood why. I had about 500+ hours with both games, W3D and W4M. I don't know why, but this game is the only one that gives a completely different atmosphere that makes me rethink a lot, like about the maps or the ocean surrounding the island. The worms themselves make me feel both alone and not alone, happy and sad.”
“The soundtrack for this game is top tier for me; it always provides the right atmosphere for the place and the map. Funny thing, I'm listening to the game OST while writing this review.”
“In general, the atmosphere in WUM is subtler than in previous entries.”
“This is one of the first and most played games on my old PC, and when I grew up, I understood why. Unfortunately, most of the time I played this game was with a cracked version, but I can say that I had about 500+ hours with both games W3D and W4M. I don't know why, but this game is the only one that gives a completely different atmosphere that makes me rethink a lot, like about the maps or the ocean surrounding the island. The worms themselves make me feel alone and not alone, happy and sad.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game enhanced by the deep character customization options, which allow for personal connections to the characters. The gripping story elicits strong emotional responses, with some players reporting tears during key moments. However, there is a humorous critique regarding the lack of emotional consequences for in-game actions, suggesting a desire for more impactful interactions.
“Riveting gameplay, stunning graphics, gripping story (I cried a few times, 3 to be exact).”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially when playing solo, but suggest that it becomes more enjoyable when shared with friends. The need for a second life for grinding indicates a potential frustration with the game's mechanics. Overall, while grinding can be a chore, it can also lead to fun social experiences.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“More tedious garbage from the developers.”
“The game can tend to grow fairly tedious when played solo.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization model is praised for being free of microtransactions, which enhances the overall gaming experience by allowing players to enjoy the game without additional financial pressures.
“All of this without microtransactions.”
“The game feels like it's designed to push players towards spending money at every turn.”
“I can't enjoy the game because the monetization system is so aggressive.”
“It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls.”