World of Tanks is a game that is quite a bit more "tanks" than "world", which I mean as criticism of the marketing, not the gameplay. It is a "lobby" game, where you queue for battles, and are dumped into a random map alongside random players to blow each other up. Battles are short (generally 5-10 minutes), visually appealing, and require a mix of tactics, situational awareness, player skill, reflexes, and teamwork. Visit GamePro UK.
Each player controls a tank, hence the name, and there are a lot of tanks: 10 tiers, several nationalities, and multiple size categories (light, medium, heavy, and so on). You begin, of course, with very weak "Tier 1" tanks, and as you gain experience and money, you upgrade to progressively higher tiers. You can own multiple tanks, but you pilot only one at a time in battle. See also: DayZ review.
World of Tanks bills itself as an MMORPG, but it really isn't, and if you want "EVE Online, but you're a tank instead of a spaceship," that's not what this is. Some elements may seem familiar: You gain experience with lower-tier tanks, which you then spend to upgrade your tank with better weapons and gear, and also to unlock the next highest tier. The crew of your tank has a set of skills which can improve over time. You can equip consumable gear to repair damage or restore an injured crewmember to health.
Quibbles over categories aside, is it fun? Yes. It's very easy to get into and start playing; the game design places playability and balance over strict historical accuracy. There's a simple WASD control scheme for moving, with the turret aimed via mouse motion, and a few number-key commands to swap ammunition types or use a repair kit.
World of Tanks does not ignore basic physics or tank performance limitations; the physics engine does an excellent job of conveying a real sense of bulk and mass. In a reversal of a common trope in other games, small ground elements (fences, trees, parked cars) are trivially run over and crushed, while even relatively slight inclines can stymie your vehicle, forcing you to take an alternate route.
World of Tanks: basic gameplay
Basic gameplay in World of Tanks is: Pick a random battle, wait 30 seconds or so, then roll out! Unless you are in a Tank Company (guild) or Platoon (group of friends), you'll be mixed in with 14 or so random strangers on one team, to battle an equal number on the other, all in tanks roughly close in power to your own. There are no defined "sides" in World of Tanks, so each team will mix tanks from all nationalities. The map selected is random as well, and the maps range from wide-open spaces to narrow mountain passes and city streets. Learning each map's unique features is part of mastering the game.
It's very easy to die in World of Tanks. Being one-shotted by someone you didn't even see is commonplace. It's rare, in my experience, to have more than 2-3 survivors of any battle, on either side. While you have to pay a small amount to repair your damaged tank, you don't lose anything except time. You must wait until a battle is over to use the tank again, though you can join a different battle in a different tank.
If there's a flaw here, it's that battles can get repetitive, although the human factor (there are no computer-controlled opponents) helps minimize that. After you research Tier 4 tanks, two new battle types open up. There are 33 different maps, as well, and maps are constantly being edited and improved. In addition, new tank lines are being added, further increasing variety.
While it's hard to generalize from a small sample, I found the community in World of Tanks to be generally positive. Only rarely did I encounter the kind of behavior that is too often a hallmark of online gaming. This may be due to the game design: Since the teams are random, there's a strong awareness that the guy you're shooting at now could be on your side in the next match. On the other hand, the higher you rise in the game, the higher the penalties (repair costs) for losing become, so this may change at higher tiers of play.
World of Tanks is free to play, but there is a cash shop. While it's not absolutely required to play, many tanks are "premium only", as is better ammo, some upgrades and equipment, and so on. Being a "premium member" also increases your experience gain. Many things which can be bought with credits (currency you earn in game) are much easier to acquire if you pay with "gold" (purchased with real cash). The temptation to spend a few bucks for better ammunition, faster experience gain, or the ability to transfer experience earned on one type of tank to another is very strong.
Like many games, World of Tanks can be modded. The visual changes from a mod are only visible to the player who has it installed, but it can certainly make play more interesting and screen shots more amusing. There's a vibrant modding community and a huge assortment of skins to download, ranging from changes to add historical markings to bright pink pony tanks.
Comments
Joe Mckenzie Hill said: downloaded this game and cant play it because in uk pissed off
Urievankerr said: WoT was good but when you get into it you find every game is fixed as which side win shame really as even their competitions have been rigged from the inside as admitted by them on THEIR forums allowing staff members friends to win the prizesGone from good to SUCKSDont bother
Davejones said: Maybe you need to go over to WGs forums and see how paying customers money is handed out to friends in rigged competitons you may then alter your review to reflect that
wotplayer said: Tank Companies are NOT specifically GuildsTank Companies are a group of people that will form one full group of 15Instead of going to a random battle You choose your specific 15 players choose the battle type this will vary on how many points you want to play inThe most famous battle type would be Champion This is where there is no tier limit per team Meaning you can use top tier tanks in this game and that would include Tier8 Arties and Tier10 heavies and mediums as well as Tank destroyersOn a side note We call Guilds here ClansAnd of course we can do Clan Tank Company Battles which would be kinda like Clan Wars but without having Clans lose their landInstead you go into a 15v15 battle in a random mapAnd at least you know your team mates instead of strangers that dont talkEnglishAnd about better ammunition You can purchase premium rounds for credits that you earn from the game You DO NOT need to buy premium ammunition to have an effect in game And besides the premium tanks in this game isnt that overpowered You can easily kill them if you know where to shoot them at This is one thing that World of Tanks is doing great at You can never buy your WINS in World of TanksYou may own every premium tank in the game You may have unlimited gold rounds in your depot You may have a one year premium account But if you do not know how to use your tanks youre still as useless as a tier 1 tank in a tier 10 battle At the end of the day this game still calls for skill and not paying to winFor interested readers out there World of Tanks is a very good game Are you tired of losing to people that have fat wallets Well here in WOT if you know how to shoot you can send those wallet warriors back in their garage in no timeAnd for the editor and writer for this articleGet your facts straight before you publish something like thisAnd to think this is PC ADVISOR Get a new writer for games pleaseWe do not want interested players reading such BS
Meng said: Started last August now have over 6k battles finally gotten my first pimped tier 9 tank and Im still loving it D
Thorium220/PrincessWoona said: I started playing WoT at the beginning of May initially on NA server now on SEA and im now just shy of 3k battles So much funespeciallywhen youve got some mates to play with
Gary Gemmell said: Excellent game highly recommended for WWII nutters like me