When I first saw one of the trailers for Wargaming.net’s World of Tanks, I didn’t really know what to expect. The footage is crazy! Initially, it looked like a racing game from a funny farm, giving the impression that the tanks had fallen out with the cars over some sort of name calling issue or something and as a result there was a vehicular war sparked, like in Transformers. I just didn't get it. Take a look at the trailer below, and see for yourself. But make sure you don't judge it solely on the trailer...
Wrongly, I chose to ignore World of Tanks after seeing the above footage, but the reason why I eventually decided to grab this game is because a friend of mine said that it is actually bad-ass. I trusted his many excitable outbursts and commenced downloading the game.
World of Tanks is a free, 1.8GB download, and if you download it directly from their website, it goes pretty quickly.
At first, by looking at the title of the game alone, I was quick to assume that it was going to be an MMO, which did actually push me away from the idea of getting the game even more so, as I just couldn’t see it being a success. However, World of Tanks is in fact a Team Deathmatch game, with a hint of base capture in the mix, and it works well! So the early lesson here, is that you shouldn’t judge a game by its cover.
The main menu in World of Tanks is set in a depot, which stores all of the tanks that you have earned. You start off with three really bad tanks, which you have to use in order to build up your credits and experience points. The credits and experience points earned from the 15-on-15 battles will enable you to purchase upgrades for the chosen tank on the tech tree. Each tank has its own, unique tech tree, which players will have to work through in order to research the tank on the next tier, or to just make the current tank in the depot as good as it can be.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - GhostKing
World of Russia ... unbalance ... do not waste your money for this game !!
2 - Roflsniped
GhostKing, Maybe you should learn how to play the game. You can easily take out russian tanks if you know what you are doing, so maybe start by not sucking?
3 - Geobaldi
I agree Roflsniped. So many complaints all over the net about how OP the Soviets are. It's no harder to take them down than any other nations tank. Each nation has their own strengths and weaknesses. Learn them and exploit them. Matchmaking can use a little bit more work, but then again, did the Americans and Soviets think it was fair when they ran into their first Tiger in real life WWII? Overall a really great game and one of the best F2P games on the market.
4 - Howard
No, it's definitely World of Russian Tanks.
5 - Soriugen
It's just that the Russians favored larger caliber guns, which, by the mechanics of the game, get higher damage per shot.
The Germans however have generally better penetrating guns, the Americans are a mix between the two in terms of guns if you ask me.
So no, the Russians aren't OP, they just use bigger sticks out of the factory.
6 - Howard
And the mechanics are DEFINITELY favoring the Russians.
"did the Americans and Soviets think it was fair when they ran into their first Tiger in real life WWII?"
Apparently the Russians were but hurt over that since they made the Tiger a tin can in this game.
And if within the mechanics of the game its not completely obvious that the game is catered to Russian tanks, I hope people are able to see through the rose colored glasses when they read the dev blog descriptions of their tanks:
".. During this operation 2 IS-2 and KV-85 were destroyed. The remains of the unit surrendered to American forces. To honor soviet tank crews it is should be mentioned that one JagdTigers was severely damaged and then destroyed by its own crew."
To honor Soviet tank crews, wtf?
And the reality is that the JagTiger's gun would knock out any tank on the battlefield. World of Tank's solution: Give the best tank destroy gun to the Russians, lol!
7 - Geobaldi
"And the reality is that the JagTiger's gun would knock out any tank on the battlefield. World of Tank's solution: Give the best tank destroy gun to the Russians, lol!"
In reality, the ISU-152 Heavy Tank Destroyer, the Object 704 in the game, was the only Soviet vehicle in the war that could reliably take on and destroy the German heavy armor including the Jagdtigers. That's why it was known as the Beast Killer. They may not have penetrated the armor most of the time, but they did kill most of the crew due to the large amounts of spalling that the Soviet rounds produced.
8 - Vigil
This game is broken. Reviewers that are reviewing this are failing so miserably. They play the game for a few days, after being given a lot of gold and a premium account and they aren't forced to grind through the battles like the rest of us. The matchmaking system is terrible, there is a huge issue with the spotting mechanics and updates are VERY few and far between. The devs of this game seem to have forgotten about it in their rush to release it. I've seen maybe one update since release, and it really did nothing. There has been no update to fix the issues in this game as promised, while there was one update during the open beta. This game is far from release, and I believe this game does not deserve to be released yet. This is why I have not payed any money for this game; the devs have done nothing worthy of my cash. I will not pay for a broken and defective game. All these reviewers need to replay this game, but on their own, without the bribes of WarGaming.
Also, "You have, however, got the option to purchase gold for your account, which can then be exchanged for credits, to give you a fast track to buying the tanks, but this isn’t essential. Earning credits and experience in the game can be a breeze once you have come to grips with the controls and how your tank handles."
I'm sorry, but are you saying that unless I'm getting about 500-1,000 SP a match I suck? This is about 33% skill and 66% what tank you drive. If I can kill 4-5 tanks, on average, with an IS-3 (open beta) but only 1 or even 0 with a stock KV (release), does this mean I am bad? No, this just means the tank I'm driving is terrible. The reviewer's statement about XP and credits being earned in a "breeze" are arrogant and false.
9 - Jay
Vigil, it's your opinion and not fact; my review is my opinion. I didn't get given an account with gold, I started right at the bottom with the starter tanks and no XP, as I only have the Hetzer tank destroyer at the moment.
10 - Renegade Paladin
Knocking over trees just for funsies is actually fairly foolish; it's one of the ways veteran players track enemy movement when there's no spotter. You can watch a forest and see if people are in it by how much vegetation spontaneously falls over. ;)
11 - Dreig
Anyone being that critical of a FREE and FUN game, needs to shake their head and get some perspective.
ALL games have things wrong with them, depending on who you ask.
As for tank balancing, yes you can fall victim to a russian tank's big gun if you are going to sit there long enough for them to get a bead on you. Knowing that, use some grey matter and move. Shoot their weak bodies and take them out before the 15 minutes it takes them to reload. Basically if you are complaining you can't do something, it's probably because you suck, rather than balancing.
It's a really fun, free game.
12 - traveller771
i play since december and it's the first online game succeeding in keeping me so long and after nearly 2000 games played the russian tank seems op to people unable to used the weak point of every vehicule, russian tank got punch and armor but, german one can shot them from the others side of the map and the american tanks seem to load very fast. for the match making, yes it could be a pain in the ... to got a is3 i front of your pz4 but there is strong chance your team got also a panther tank to pound it. To the poeple devilising this game... let the poeple who like this game and go play something else.
And don't forget it's free to play so try and if you dont like dump it that's all
13 - Disappointed
I have played in the closed beta and it was bugged .. Now upon "final" release , still many bugs , same maps etc , getting repetative as to where enemy are going to either attack or retard rush. If you wish to progress through the tanks/artillary , you really need to purchase "gold" and have a premium account. Yes , i have purchased gold and wasted nearly £80 on this game , I doubt i will purchase anymore as its getting full of "noobs" who dont understand how to play the map or any idea of tactics . It is rated 15 .. but is played by much younger players. I wish it was not free as this would keep the better players in game and get rid of the childish comments and constant spamming in the game . 0/5 stars as it is .. if it trully was pay as u go ..4/5 . It need more maps to make it a worthwhile game
14 - Howard
"In reality, the ISU-152 Heavy Tank Destroyer, the Object 704 in the game, was the only Soviet vehicle in the war that could reliably take on and destroy the German heavy armor including the Jagdtigers. That's why it was known as the Beast Killer. They may not have penetrated the armor most of the time, but they did kill most of the crew due to the large amounts of spalling that the Soviet rounds produced."
Was that a comment to honor Soviet tank crews, just as the devs have done with their blog on the jagtiger?
And funny you should mention the ISU-152. The real thing could only muster 2 rounds a minute at best and only with an experienced crew. Russian nationalism has managed to double the rate of fire for the model up to 4 r/m in game!
Salute comrade!
15 - DrPhlox
I agree with virgil the balance system does SUCK. LvL 3 tank against a T-29?
16 - dragonfly
First of all the game is pretty good, and can be enjoyed.
Major flaws include "invisable moving tanks" that the HAVES purchase and sneak up to 10 feet away from you, failure to allow exp to gold transfers creates huge inequities which someday mat be corrected.
The Russian equipment plays quite strong and I agree somewhat with critics, especially irritating is the IS 3 which didn't even see action in WW2, you might as well through in some T55's or an Abrams for that matter. Sherman are also I beleive alot better than thay should be and the german equipent gets the short end.
Some equipment has to be purchased which is definately makes you feel like a HAVENOT.
Like any game you have to find your way and overall the game does present challanges and is not to be beleived from a historical perspective, but does provide entertainment.
17 - Vigil
Everyone calling it a "free game" and telling everyone to stop complaining need to stop and look at this game. People out there are paying quite a bit of money for a game that is bugged and broken. The game is enjoyable when it works, I will not argue there. But when it doesn't work, and it is very consistent, it hurts to play. I still have high hopes that this game can succeed, but in reality I had feared the devs left it as is and are saying it is good enough. The release of the new and improved tech charts somewhat made it easier to bear, knowing that they are releasing new tanks, but does this mean that the issues are forgotten?
I do not personally think it is good enough. For instance why are all tanks thrown into battles up to 4 tiers higher? Tanks from 5 or 6 down should be put into matches that are 2 tiers or higher with the higher ones being eligible for tier 10 battles. This is an example of something they could have tested in Beta, but they didn't for unknown reasons. I still have no idea why WarGaming never used the Open Beta to test updates. The Christmas Trees that appeared after their Christmas update didn't leave until the update in late March/early April. I know it's a "free" game, but I am trying to make it so that the people who have actually payed for the game are going to get their monies worth.
18 - Jay
I do agree with you there Vigil when you say people who pay will get their monies worth. In regards to the imbalance claims though, I personally think that they throw all tiers of tanks into the same battle in order to force teamwork upon the players; lone-wolf sucks, but that's my opinion. However, it can be annoying at times, I do agree, but you get that in a lot of these types of games; people with better weapons and perks in their load-out will have a better chance of owning the opposing person.
By the way, thanks all for reading my review :)
19 - Sictirus
World of Russian Tanks . For new players ' play only overpowered russian tanks dont waste your time playing german .
20 - Sigered
With all due respect this game is an unfinished work with lots of annoying bugs. Worse of all is the VERY unrealistic simulation of artillery. In this game artillery has a "drone" overhead view and the assumption that a casual view of your tank by an enemy paints your tank like a forward observer. There is no sighting shots, no walking in the artillery, nothing that bares resemblance of the difficulty putting your shot on a target with indirect fire. The flight of a projectile does not follow a ballistic path but rather curves to hit you as you move. I have no idea what the producers of WoT were things but this changes the balance of the game.
Additionally there are few maps and they are small with choke points that don't allow for much maneuvering. Grinding is repetitive and somewhat boring. While there are clans (guilds) you can form or join there still is no clan warfare.
The came is fun at times and worth playing as long as you understand it's faults and limitations.
21 - Jay
Whilst all of these complaints are fair enough, it has to be remembered that this is a free game, and for a free game its a fun game. I will not take World of Tanks as seriously as a paid-for game, which is why I won't be harsh with my criticism.
22 - Stelar_7
Don't believe the folks whining about how op russian tanks are or how crappy German tanks are, you'll get a RL analogy and they are all butt sore because it's a balanced game and they thought the grey tanks would be an i win button.
Some of the sighting it flawed, a crew with a high % in camoflage and a camo net and a TD can vanish in open terrain. Very annoying.
Balance is good, I find I lose to luck or leroy on my team far more than by what tank I drive, was russian in closed and open beta, I drive german now, will try american later. The short version is even the IS7 can die to a single shot if it's the right kind of shot.
What's not been discussed is the dammage model, very cool. different points of the tank have different armor values and the penetration of your gun matters, as does the angle you fire at. There is a little carrot in your reticle that will show red yellow or green to tell you if you should shoot at that part of the enemy. Spend reload time looking at their tank's weak points.
Also, auto aim is a trap, don't do it, and even if you can't penetrate, HE rounds will likely dammage and have a much better chance for a critical hit.
tl;dr, no one is op, it's all in the skill of the driver and the luck of the situation, though some drivers make their own luck. Money can make you more dangerous, tank upgrades are expensive so the primium player will have a definate advantage over the casual player. It's not insurmountable.
23 - strelkov
my first point
that the games next patch is 0.6.4 so as far as i'm concerned the game can have as many bugs as it want till it hits 1.0.0
2nd point
the tiger is still to be feared but not in the same way as when they first met them LOOK AT THE DATES OF THE TANKS! the IS and T29 where made to kill the tiger a year or 2 after the tiger showed up. When your in a tier 5 medium how do you feel when you meet a tiger? that is why they were scary during the war.
3rd point
the Russian heavies do have heavy cannons but they normally shoot the slowest and are the most inaccurate the IS 122mm D-25t seems to have problems penetrating a M6
4th point
saying its all about the tank not skill then using a stock tank as your example is silly was your IS-3 stock too?
almost all tanks suck stock but thats why you upgrade them. This game is a lot of skill at tier 5 i get as many kills in my pz4 as i get in my kv i've just have had more battles in my kv (finally got my s-51).
5th point
match maker is fine a lot of people give up when they see over whelming odds or what they see as unfair. i have been in many games where my team wines about match making failing and how we have no chance then we own the other team because the ones that aren't retarded work together
point 6
no such thing as kill stealing just team work this isn't cod this game revolves around team work the more shells that go into the big guys the better.
point 7
i agree with every thing Stelar_7 said here
point 8
for everyone complaining about the dumb people in the matches you play join a good clan chances are there will be some one that can invite you to a platoon or join a company battle till clan wars gets here.
point 9
invisible tanks Zinoviy Kolobanov read this please. its not so much the moving invisible tanks but this read is for anyone who thinks you should see the tank as soon as it fires
point 10
you don't need to pay to get cool deals that will help yo progress farther just look at the victory day celebration 5x exp for the first win is sexy :D
24 - James Edwards
point 11
You've had too much Vodka if you think the IS 122 has problems penetrating an M6. I've played both tanks, so I know first hand.
IS penetration rating is for 122 is 175 vs armor of M6 at 102mm for turret and front hull, which has next to no slopes at all.
Those are the facts.
But then again with a name like strelkov, one shouldn't expect less than you defending this Russian biased game, so it makes the rest of your points look like strawman talking points
25 - James Edwards
Oh, and to your first point, the game is no longer in beta, so that is a bunch of BS.
Its official release now, and these bugs should have been worked out in beta, otherwise what is the point of beta? This is release now and people are paying money for a beta?