War of Thunder, A Review

Any one of you will tell you how they've been playing this game for several months and that we're abnormally late with reviewing it. But the truth is that this MMO title still hasn't officially launched; as of the moment of writing this text, it's in the open beta phase, and when the developer decides it's time to remove that beta label from use, it will still be a constantly changing, improving, and upgrading F2P game. So, in principle, we review these kinds of titles sparingly, but these days War Thunder is truly entertaining me, so I've decided to share my experiences and impressions of the game in its current state. The announced playable ground and naval units are still absent, so the game revolves solely around aerial combat, which is the only aspect I'll write about. Besides, this is where VR shines through.

So I'm dusting off my VR equipment, taking it out of my MQ-CC Meta Quest Storage & Carry Case, and reviewing this fantastic title.

What is War Thunder?

In the edition in which War Thunder currently finds itself, the easiest way to describe it is by comparing it to its biggest competitor in the genre – World of Warplanes. Although both games belong to the MMO aerial combat simulators genre, I won't delve into which game is better because, as I've noticed, much of it depends on a person's individual taste. I've tried both titles with friends, and during coffee breaks and outings, we often debated the quality of these two games, ultimately agreeing that it's not about which one is better but rather about which suits each person better. Some prefer the ease of manoeuvring in WoWP, the services of Wargaming.net, and the game's speed, while the other part of the squad prefers realism, attention to detail, and various nuances that make up War Thunder.

Reaching the definitive truth about which game is better is one of the more challenging tasks that could be posed to a reviewer, so unfortunately, I won't further engage in this topic to the disappointment of those who adore either game. It wouldn't be fair to tell people, "Hey, that reviewer from HCL praised this game to the skies. You have no clue." It all boils down to subjective taste, so if you want to see what suits you personally the most, you'll have to try both games. After all, both are free.

War Thunder Gameplay

Regarding the fundamentals of the game, precisely aircraft specifications, the effects of G-forces on pilots, functionality and reliability of technology, and other aspects, War Thunder handles these aspects better. Its developers have devoted attention to a more realistic portrayal of the conditions of aerial warfare during that era. Unfortunately, significant deviations are noticeable in some aircraft models, which appear overly sluggish, not always aligning with their historical reputation, achievements, or status as fast and agile dominant flying machines. In this narrative, the Americans probably suffer the most, their aircraft noticeably "nerfed" compared to the actual state of affairs and other similar games. On the other hand, it's pretty enjoyable to play with the swift and agile Soviets or the forces of the Third Reich, whose aircraft justify the ill reputation initially given by the British during Operation Sea Lion.

The battles unfold on three levels or in three modes within the game. They are, in order: Arcade, which is, as the name suggests, quite arcade-like and accessible to new players; Historical, which represents historically accurate battles where players are limited to one aircraft from the country they've chosen; and Full Real actions, which remove all target markers and other HUD assistance, leaving the player to navigate solely through the experience gained from previous battles. If one of your aircrafts goes down, you still have several left. This will lessen your frustration and keep the battle dynamic. Such a practice is absent in Historical and Full Real battles, where you must land a damaged aircraft on the runway for repairs. Although this possibility is open in arcade battles, too, only some will use it due to the dynamic the mode encourages.

Getting the Planes

You'll acquire aircraft through the branches of development trees of five warring factions – the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Third Reich, and the USSR. It's worth noting that within the Third Reich tree, you can acquire German and Italian aircraft, and under the UK tree, you can develop British and Australian planes. Aircraft are in categories of 20 ranks, spanning production dates from 1927 to 1948. The aircraft selection is genuinely extensive, often including different variations of the same model, which can sometimes differ significantly between the first and last versions of the aircraft.

By gaining experience, you can upgrade purchased planes with better engines, weaponry, ammunition, armour, and the like. You can also direct the flying experience of the crew towards developing specific abilities such as resistance to G-forces or enhanced vitality that mitigates the possibility of your pilot disappearing into oblivion with a lucky shot. Experience points will also contribute to your level within nations. The more experienced you become, the more new aircraft you can unlock, research, purchase, and utilise. Despite all of the above, as a player, you have your own cumulative experience across all nations you've tried. In practice, you'll pay little attention to all this, as the game itself notifies you if you can do something new with the experience you've gathered.

Achievements in War Thunder?

You can also gather various achievements, decals, medals, insignia, and the like, and although none of it holds tremendous value, they can bring joy. You'll especially be pleased if your in-battle achievement is rewarded with a decal for your aircraft, allowing you to decorate it as you wish to intimidate (warn?) enemies or amuse fellow players. Unfortunately, many customisation options are restricted by the need to purchase additional decal slots or aircraft skins. However, that's how Gaijin Entertainment earns from this game, a practice that deserves respect.

War Thunder Worldbuilding

The battles take place at several different altitudes, allowing you to engage against aircraft of a diverse range. However, that's different from the goal of most missions. You receive it at the start of each match. Most commonly, your task is to destroy a specific number of enemy ground units, some of which can be taken out with gunfire, while others might require bombs or rockets. If the battle is over water, there's a chance to drop torpedoes on enemy ships, depending on whether your aircraft can handle such warfare.

Another type of mission pushes you to capture and hold control points on the map, which are always enemy or neutral airfields. I've always found these types of tasks to be the most thrilling challenge because landing on the runway demands a high level of skill from you – timely lowering of landing gear, controlled reduction of speed, and precisely timed contact with the surface, all while facing enemy fire from all directions.

Epic moments are abundant in this game, and destroying an aircraft, especially a bomber, is immensely satisfying. Unfortunately, if someone kills you, you're not immediately able to view a replay of your demise, although I believe such an addition would enhance the game's enjoyment. Likewise, due to the pace of action on the screen, the infobox won't display information about who destroyed you or whose flight you ended for long enough, abruptly interrupting the possibility of interaction among players. Another factor that hampers the potential for forming friends within the game or engaging in extended interaction is that once a match ends, you're immediately thrown into statistical data without the chance to at least exchange a brief "GG" or "WP" in writing.

In Conclusion

Having traversed all the world's battlefields, from imperial Japan to Mother Russia, we've reached the moment when we must firmly touch down and pronounce the ultimate words on War Thunder. I must definitively place this title in the category of the most entertaining MMO games I've ever experienced, but also among those with glaring flaws. Embracing realism is a commendable endeavour, but intentionally weakening specific aircraft, perhaps for the benefit of all players' enjoyment, there are better approaches to uphold that ideal. Moreover, reducing the ability for interaction and communication among players to such an extent that you can't quickly congratulate each other on a well-played match is a trivial absurdity I had just encountered.

War Thunder still needs improvement in some areas to warrant an unequivocal recommendation. However, it will cater to many players as a free title where the pay-to-win aspect is minimal. There will always be those who can easily overlook its potential shortcomings. If you're one of those individuals, War Thunder will be brimming with like-minded players at any given time of the day. If, on the other hand, you're not among them, it's worth checking out the competitor above to see if its style of MMO combat resonates better with you.

In any case, remember that this review covers only one aspect of War Thunder. Feel free to comment and share your experiences with War Thunder. War Thunder's ESRB rating is T for teens, and despite the relatively mild nature of destruction, we wouldn't recommend this to younger players. The microtransaction nature of this title is super predatory. Another aspect to remember is their VR time and how it can affect them.