Liero is a 2D split-screen cavern shooter with worms. If you've played Team 17's "Worms" games then the phrase "Worms in realtime" basically sums it up.

Liero is essentially a worm vs. worm death match. You're armed with 5 ridiculously destructive weapons,

carefully chosen from a list of 40 before each match. Weapons include the Flamethrower, Laser, Chiquita Bomb (an explosive banana cluster), Super Shotgun, Dirt Ball, Big Nuke and many more. Once the game starts, you'll have to dig and blast your way through the destructible landscape in order to hunt down your pal and blow him to smithereens.

You are also equipped with a ninja rope (a bouncy little rope and grappling hook) which, with a little practice, can be used to zip around the map at high speeds. The

games physics are part of what makes it so much fun. It gives the player something to master. Even the most experienced users will find themselves concentrating in order to grapple around that rock at just the right angle to get in the perfect shot or to bounce a Spikeball off of the wall and into your enemy's hidey-hole. It adds a unique level of skill that's sure to reel you in.

The default maps are randomly generated and there are hundreds of downloadable custom maps and mods on various sites across the net for you to try out. Plus, there are tools to make your own mods and levels. You'll spend hours working on making the perfect sniping map, trust me. The sheer number of custom maps alone adds a huge amount of replay value, but with the ability to make your own, you may need to remind yourself to eat every now and then.

Liero can be played against the computer or hot-seat style against a friend, though t is best played with a friend as the AI isn't too great. There are 4 game modes: Kill 'em All, Capture the Flag, Simple Capture the Flag and Game of Tag. Many aspects of the game can be customized such as the color and name of your worm,

the reload times, the blood, etc.

This is definitely one of the best freeware action games on the net. With such a small file size, there's no reason why you shouldn't download it, grab a friend, and have a blast.

Note: You can run Liero on XP and Vista with the OpenLiero patch available at open.liero.be