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World of Tanks

World of Tanks is a 3D WWII MMO shooter where players take part in epic tank battles. World of Tanks emphasizes strategic gameplay and teamwork and supports up to 30 players per match.

Publisher: Wargaming
Playerbase: High
Type: Shooter
PvP: Teams / Clan Wars
Release Date: April 12, 2011 (NA/EU)
Pros: +Hundreds of vehicles to unlock and learn. +Easy to pick up and play, but difficult to master. +Large competitive scene.
Cons: -Steep learning curve. -Slow-paced gameplay that can get repetitive. -Unlocks require a lot of grinding.

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Overview

World of Tanks Overview

World of Tanks is a team-based shooter pitting two teams of armored vehicles against each other. It offers a level of depth and scope rarely seen in WWII games. Over 200 tanks and artillery pieces based on historic designs are available to unlock. The game has enjoyed international popularity since its launch, due in part to the fact that its easy to pick up and start, but difficult to master. Each nation has a research tree to advance through to unlock access to new tanks, guns, and even crew members for those vehicles.

Extensive updates since its initial release have enhanced the competitive scene in World of Tanks and added many clan features.

Key Features

  • Historically Accurate Tanks – realistic tank-based gameplay with tanks from USSR, Germany, USA, France, China, UK, and Japan.
  • Strategic Gameplay – there is no respawning in this realistic gameplay with multiple tank types (Light, Medium, Heavy, Tank Destroyers, and SPGs).
  • Competitive Scene – active competitive gameplay with an e-Sports scene.
  • Varied Game Modes – Standard, Assault, Encounter Battles, etc with 15v15 gameplay.

World of Tanks Screenshots

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World of Tanks Featured Video

World of Tanks - Update 9.5 Official Trailer

Classes

Nations – USSR, Germany, USA, France, China, United Kingdom, Japan

Tank Types:

  • Light Tanks – these tanks are perfect for scouting enemy positions, or for fast assaults and flanking heavier tanks.
  • Medium Tanks – these tanks strike a balance between the nimble-yet-brittle light tanks and the powerful-yet-slow heavy tanks, making them a versatile vehicle that is able to fill a variety of roles.
  • Heavy Tanks – these lumbering juggernauts are a force to be reckoned with. They are present wherever power is needed, making them useful in both defensive and offensive positions. They can even provide cover for lighter tanks, due to their heavy armor.
  • Tank Destroyers – these tanks are armed with the most powerful weapons in the game. However, they are not equipped with a turret, which means that players have to turn the entire vehicle when aiming.
  • SPGs – SPGs are mobile artillery units, which can snipe enemy tanks from a distance. They work great in unison with scouts, such as the light and medium tanks.

Game Modes:

  • Random Battle – the primary game mode. Matches players in 15v15 battles on a random map. Random Battle come in three flavors:
    • Standard Battle – each team has a base. Players must eliminate the opposing team completely, or capture their base within 15 minutes.
    • Assault – one team must defend a base while the other must either destroy all the defending tanks or capture the base. Time limit is reduced to 10 minutes.
    • Encounter Battles teams start at opposing sides of a neutral base and must race to capture it.
  • Team Training – players create custom lobbies which are either open to the public or invite only. This mode rewards no experience or credits and is often used for practice or testing new tanks.
  • Tank Company Battle – the party matchmaking mode in WoT. Players form and queue as teams and create a tank roster using a set number of points.
  • Clan Wars – a browser-based, multiplayer, geopolitical meta game where clans battle for control over provinces in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
  • Strongholds – a game mode centered around clans. Each clan can build and upgrade a stronghold using 'Industrial Resources' earned by fighting skirmishes against other clans. Each skirmish pits two detachments of 7-15 players against each other.

Full Review

World of Tanks Review

By Marc Marasigan

World of Tanks is a realistic 3D tank-based MMO developed and published by Wargaming. It was released on August 12, 2010 in Russia, and on April 12, 2011 in Europe and North America. In World of Tanks, players take part in huge PvP tank battles set during World War 2. The game is also available for Xbox 360. Similar games include World of Warplanes and the upcoming World of Warships, both from Wargaming. It's worth noting that the developer put quite a bit of effort into making the battlefields and tanks historically accurate.

Welcome to World of Tanks!

World of Tanks is one of the most popular MMOs out there. However, this is not due to its accessibility. In fact, World of Tanks can be intimidating at first, and there is a pretty steep learning curve. Upon login, players will be asked if they want to start a tutorial, which will introduce them to the basic concepts of the game. So far so good. But the depth of the game becomes apparent when players face off against real opponents and start tackling gameplay mechanics outside of the battlezone.

Players start with a number of tanks automatically unlocked, one from each country participating in the fray. Speaking of countries, you have: the USSR, Germany, USA, France, China, the UK, and Japan. You also have several types of tanks: Light Tanks, Medium Tanks, Heavy Tanks, Tank Destroyers, and SPGs (Artillery). Players start out with mostly light tanks, plus an elite light tank and a medium tank. One of the reasons for having so many tanks is that you don’t have to stay in a battle until it’s finished if your tank’s been destroyed.

To start a game, players simply hit the "Battle!" button at the top of the screen. Battles consist of 15v15 tanks duking it out in a variety of game modes. New players will automatically be queued against other new players in Newcomer Battles, which feature a specific set of maps. Newcomer Battles have the same rules as Standard Battles, in which you have to capture the opposing team’s base within 15 minutes, or kill every enemy. You also have Assaults, Encounter Battles, Team Battles, Team Training, Tank Company Battle, Clan Wars, and Strongholds.

Hitting the "Battle!" button will land players in either a Standard Battle, an Assault, or an Encounter Battle. Assault is a game mode in which there is only one base, with one team defending it and the other trying to capture it, while Encounter Battle also features one base, with neither team controlling it, and both trying to capture it.

Team Battles are basically team deathmatches that consist of 7v7 gameplay, where each team is limited to 42 tier points, with the maximum tier allowed being 8. Teams will usually go with five Tier 8 tanks and two Tier 1s. Tiers are used to measure a tank’s overall power. Team Battles are rated and they are currently the game mode used in professional competitions. Team Training, on the other hand, is a “make your own lobby” type of game mode, where players can practice without having to worry about tank repairs. This mode is best used to learn new tactics, game mechanics, and practice 1v1. Tank Company Battles allow players to form their own team, either with friends or with random players, and then participate in one of the four divisions (junior, medium, champion, and absolute), depending on how many tier points the team has accumulated.

Clan Wars feature the browser-based component of World of Tanks, where clans go to war against each other on the Global Map. This map features Europe, the Middle East, and Western and Northern Africa. The Global Map is divided into provinces, with each clan trying to conquer as many as possible. A clan’s strength is represented by chips, which in turn represent the number of clan members that have a Tier 5 tank or higher. The clan’s Commanders and Deputy Commanders manage the chips and how they are distributed on the world map. Once a province becomes contested between two clans, players from those clans will have to sign up to engage in battle. Finally, you have Strongholds, which are in-clan battles that allow players to gain Industrial Resources. These resources can then be used to build structures that will net the clan Reserves. Reserves give boosts to the amount of experience and credits earned in-game.

Tactics

World of Tanks is all about tactics and being smart about war, which is one of its biggest appeals. Barreling down the hill through an open field to steal the objective will get you shelled fast. However, standing back, hiding in bushes, and waiting for your opponent to be aggressive will lead to you and your team being overwhelmed. The balance is somewhere in the middle, with communication and coordination being essential to winning.

Knowing your ABCs of tank battles is a pretty good idea. Hiding in bushes, behind rocks and other cover, using the terrain’s angling to your advantage, avoiding predictability, flanking and knowing how to avoid being flanked, are all a big part of the game. Where you get hit and where you hit the enemy is also important. Tanks have the heaviest armor in the front, so you always want to be facing your enemy, while trying to get to his weak spots. You can also use heavier tanks as cover, while advancing aggressively towards the enemy. Angling also comes into play. A shot that might have penetrated your armor could simply bounce off if you face your opponent at a slight angle.

On top of that, each type of tank comes with its own playstyle. Light tanks are great for scouting out enemy positions, which will then allow the artillery to take them out from far away. Medium tanks are multi-purpose tanks that can act as scouts, support, and even front-line attackers. Heavy tanks are slow and heavily armored, and they are designed to crush the opponent through sheer force. With tank destroyers, their name says everything. They have extremely powerful weapons, but they lack a turret, which means they have to reposition themselves to aim at a target. Finally, SPGs are artillery tanks, which provide invaluable support during an assault or a defense.

The Other Side of Things

We’ve barely scratched the surface here. The other side of things is what happens behind the scenes. Tanks need repairs, ammo, equipment, and a crew. Sometimes, tanks will need repairs after a battle, which will come at a cost. Ammunition also needs to be replenished once it’s all used up. Consumables are bonuses which can be used during the battle. For example, you have small repair kits, fire extinguishers, gasoline (speed boost), and several others. A tank can also be upgraded with pieces of equipment, which provide bonuses such as higher camouflage rating, higher range, higher repair speed, and so on. Finally, a tank cannot operate without a crew. Crew members will grow in experience as they see more and more combat. An experienced crew is an efficient crew, with experienced crew members directly improving a vehicle’s performance. Crew members also gain skills and perks once they reach max level.

You then have the research tree. Unlocking new tanks is done through this research tree, based on research points which are acquired through battles. There is a wide selection of tanks available, with some countries having access to more than others. Once a tank has been researched, it must be purchased, after which it will appear in a player’s garage.

The Competitive Scene

World of Tanks is part of the bustling e-Sports scene, with an official global tournament that had a prize pool of 2.5 million dollars in 2013. The game debuted as an e-Sport at the WCG 2012 Grand Finals in China. There are also smaller tournaments, where players compete for gold, the cash shop currency, and sometimes a smaller cash prize pool. The two biggest tournaments that feature World of Tanks are the WGL and the ESL, with the WGL being the official tournament from the developers, and the ESL being hosted by a third party.

Cash Shop and Premium Accounts

There are two types of currencies in World of Tanks. You have credits/silver and gold. Credits are the regular currency which can be earned in battle, and gold must be bought with real world cash. Gold can also be earned through tournaments, contests, events, and by clans that participate in Clan Wars. It is used to gain access to a variety of premium content, including premium tanks, ammo, and consumables. Gold can also be spent on upgrading an account to premium status. Players with premium accounts gain 50% more credits and experience each battle. Other features that can be purchased with gold are: permanent camouflage pattern, equipment dismounts, crew training, garage slots, clan creation, and name changes. The cash shop does offer advantages to paying customers, there’s no doubt about that, but it does not restrict F2P gameplay in any way.

Final Verdict – Excellent

World of Tanks is a very well-made MMO. It offers complexity both on and off the battlefield. It's easy to see why it’s one of the most popular MMOs out right now. The layers of depth in the game make it accessible to casual players while still providing many details for dedicated players to master. Given that it is so well-made, complex, and fun, World of Tanks earns high marks and a strong recommendation.

Screenshots

World of Tanks Screenshots

Videos

World of Tanks Videos

Playlist: World of Tanks

System Requirements

World of Tanks System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.2 GHz
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce 6800 / ATI X1800 with 256 mb ram
RAM: 2 GB
Hard Disk Space: 16 GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Core i5-3330 or better
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX660 / ATI Radeon HD 7850 or better
RAM: 4 GB or better
Hard Disk Space: 30 GB or more

Music

World of Tanks Music & Soundtrack


Extra Info

World of Tanks Additional Information

Developer: Wargaming
Game Engine: Bigworld
Composer: Sergey Khmelevsky

Alpha Testing: September 2009 (Russia)
Closed Beta Testing: January 30, 2010 (Russia), July 8, 2010 (English)
Open Beta Testing: June 24, 2010 (Russia), January 27, 2011 (English)
Open Beta Date: August 21, 2008 - September 3, 2008 (North America)

Foreign Releases:

Russia: August 12, 2010
China: March, 15 2011
Europe: April 12, 2011
Singapore: March 8, 2012
Vietnam: March 16, 2012
Korea: December 27, 2012
Japan: September 5, 2013

Other Platforms:

Xbox 360: World of Tanks Xbox 360 Edition released on February 12, 2014. Developed on a different engine (Despair), and requires seperate account to access. PC/Xbox players cannot play together.

Xbox One: 2015 release date announced.

Mobile: World of Tanks Blitz released on February 24, 2015. Available on iTunes and Google Play store.

Development History / Background:

The concept for World of Tanks was formulated in December of 2008 and officially revealed on April 24, 2009. Developer Wargaming is headquartered in Cyprus, but has Russian and Belorussian roots. After the initial success of World of Tanks, the company expanded operations to the West for a console release and has since released a mobile version as well.

World of Tanks has proven to be enormously successful with over 75 million registered users and over 1.1 million peak concurrent players as of December 2013. World of Tanks earned $372 million in microtransaction revenue in 2013, making it the fourth highest grossing free-to-play title for the year.

Two companion games, titled World of Warplanes and World of Warships, allow players to use their same account to battle in the air or at sea.