War Thunder is an incredibly ambitious MMO military game, one that puts players in control of WWII and Korean War-era aircraft and armor and sets them against other players. War Thunder is one of those games that's at times a very obvious work in progress and at others a very polished experience. It fills an important niche in the free-to-play gaming world, but it's difficult to say if most players will actually get everything they want out of the title.
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Plane-to-Plane Combat Shines While Ground Combat is a Work in Progress
War Thunder had a very lengthy beta period, one that saw the introduction of many new features and the polishing of almost all aspects of play. As such, the primary feature of the game - the aerial combat - is rendered in such a loving manner that you'd be forgiven for thinking the game is a flight sim. The game offers players the choice of playing on Arcade settings that push the fun to the maximum or Realistic settings that allow players to feel something akin to the real feel of plane-to-plane combat. Graphically, the game blows most similar games out of the water and the control experience is something that has to be played to be believed.
Unfortunately, the game does falter when it tries its hand at ground combat. Tank to tank combat is slow to the point of sluggishness, with none of the tactical brilliance displayed in competing games. It's clear that tank warfare didn't have as much beta time as air combat and most players will avoid the ground when possible. Fortunately, the splitting of the game into separate land and ground modes does allow players to skip over this mode if they don't enjoy it. With a little more polishing, though, the tanks might surprise most long-time players of the game with their versatility.
Free to Play but Premium Options for the Impatient
The free to play aspect of the game mostly comes out when it comes to progression. Like the "World Of" series, War Thunder allows players to move up a tech tree to improve their vehicles. This can slowly be done by playing the game or done quickly through the use of premium currency. One can also buy premium vehicles, giving the player a minor advantage for spending money. Overall, though, the balance is still strong and most players can enjoy the game without ever having to spend a dime. For impatient players, though, the premium store will be a frequent friend.
Conclusion
War Thunder is a game that promises to be under constant development, so players should be able to expect ship combat in the near future and new features as the developers turn their eyes elsewhere. While there are still obvious bugs to be ironed out and a few problems to address with the tank combat, this is a free to play title that's definitely worth a look. If you like mid-20th Century combat or want to try your hand at incredibly realistic air combat, this might be the game for you. If you don't expect perfection, you'll find an enjoyable MMO military game experience here
