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A New World of Tanks Review

World of Tanks is a World War II themed multiplayer online game that features tank vs. tank combat. Developed by Wargaming.net, who specializes exclusively in military strategy games, World of Tanks is a one of a kind experience, pitting you dead center in the heat of armored warfare. In this free-to-play game there is a melding of several genres including action, strategy, simulation, and MMORPG. Offering 150 unlockable vehicles, and thousands of upgrades, World of Tanks boasts a myriad of content to keep you set on your goal of tank supremacy.

When you first open the client for the game, you’ll notice that there is a lot to sort through, but none of the content is too overwhelming. In just a few minutes of going through your garage, depot, barracks, tech tree, you’ll easily digest the incentives the game offers to players. The amount of unlockables is immense, but obtaining these rewards isn’t too difficult either. There’s an in-game currency, obtained by simply playing the game, which can be used to “research” new tanks and other upgrades (like new ammunition, modules, equipment, consumables, ect.)

Along with this, you can recruit new members from several factions including the USSR, Germany, and the USA. World of Tanks stays true to the WWII theme and all of the content is delivered with historical accuracy in mind. So, if history is your thing, you’ll enjoy the work put into the game to keep things authentic.

Getting into the fight and firing away at the opposition is a click away. All you have to do is select to battle from the client homepage, and the game will automatically pair you with 29 other teammates to square off in 30 vs. 30 skirmishes. New players will generally see themselves starting out playing a basic team deathmatch with no respawns, but more advanced players can look to join clans and try out more objective based play.

I found the gameplay to be rather straight-forward. I feel the RPG element of the game is really what’s most rewarding. Researching new tanks and improving your arsenal is what I appreciated most about the game. Being able to try out different builds on the battlefield is also enjoyable. The controls are fluid, using your typical WASD to move your tank around, while using your mouse to aim your reticle. One thing to note is that the developers at Wargaming really wanted to stress realism in this title. This means you can’t just charge full speed ahead, guns blazing. You are going to have to coordinate with your teammates to get the advantage on the opposition. Also going along with the theme of realism, when your tank is in motion your reticle will expand, lessening your accuracy on shots fired. To ensure a direct hit your tank is better off in a stationary position. This style of gameplay requires a bit of patience and finesse. You aren’t going to be speeding around like you would in a game like Twisted Metal; the combat in World of Tanks leans toward practicality.

An interesting dimension of the game is the choice between 3 tank classes. You can play as a light tank which favors maneuverability, take the well-rounded route with medium tanks, or sit back with the heavy tanks that pack a punch. 

For a game that is free-to-play, World of Tanks offers some really crisp visuals. Tank animations look great, as do explosions and gunfire. The game can look impressive without needing a monster gaming rig as well. The client runs in a window and the game isn’t a huge stress on your computer, so for instance, if you are killed in a round and are waiting for the battle to finish, you can simply minimize the game and browse the internet and whatnot. I found World of Tanks to be most enjoyable in short bursts of gameplay. When you’re new to the game, dying early in matches can be frustrating since there are no respawns, so I found World of Tanks to be a great freeware companion while multitasking.

There is also a nice variety of maps. You’ll go from the open plains of Eastern Europe, to a more urban German town, to the peaks of Italy, and even the deserts of Northern Africa. The maps have an impact on strategy due to unit collision. The narrow streets of the German map offer a great deal of cover from infrastructure, and provide flanking opportunities as well.

Closing Comments:

World of Tanks offers a lot of content at no cost, and at 3.5G it doesn’t take up a lot of your hard drive space either. There is plenty of incentives to keep you coming back and to make your efforts feel rewarding. Beyond that it’s just downright fun to blow tanks up. Wargaming.net delivered a solid product overall. Easy to play, hard to master, World of Tanks will surprise you with its sheer complexity for a freeware game.