War Thunder

 PC
User Score
3.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1908 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 590 out of 1908
  2. Mixed: 203 out of 1908
  3. Negative: 1,115 out of 1908

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  1. azmyth
    Jul 22, 2014
    7
    Pros:
    Beautiful graphics
    Relatively accurate historical combat Fun to play, very satisfying when you win Lots of aircraft/tanks to chose from and they are always adding more Teaches you about history Cons: Extremely steep learning curve - When you start out, you are thrown into combat against everyone - pilots with 1,000 hours under their belts and pilots who don't know the    Pros:
    Beautiful graphics
    Relatively accurate historical combat
    Fun to play, very satisfying when you win
    Lots of aircraft/tanks to chose from and they are always adding more
    Teaches you about history

    Cons:
    Extremely steep learning curve - When you start out, you are thrown into combat against everyone - pilots with 1,000 hours under their belts and pilots who don't know the controls yet. Seeing as how you'll start as the second type, you will be slaughtered for the first 20 hours of gameplay unless you are experienced at flight sims already. If you want to be good, you've gotta learn a lot of maneuvers, energy retention, different aircraft types, etc.
    - Reasonably priced for the most part. You get a fair bit for your money, unlike Wargaming's model where each premium vehicle can cost $30-$50. If you wait for sales, you can get a good premium plane for $5. Free players aren't penalized in the actual game, they just earn less money for victories and unlock new planes more slowly.

    Although my review seems pretty critical, I should emphasize that this is probably still the best WW2 combat simulator out there, and it's the most fun I've had playing a flight sim of any sort since Star Wars: Tie Fighter.    … Expand
  2. lindowWicker
    Aug 23, 2013
    7
    Pretty good game been playing for 40+ hours and is quite fun, advancing in levels gives you new planes to play with and they can be upgraded.
    The tier system matches you with players with roughly the same level plane as you so you won't be in a match with a biplane vs a jet.
    After a while the game does get a bit samey and you the tactics do seem to be rinse and repeat but overall a solid    Pretty good game been playing for 40+ hours and is quite fun, advancing in levels gives you new planes to play with and they can be upgraded.
    The tier system matches you with players with roughly the same level plane as you so you won't be in a match with a biplane vs a jet.
    After a while the game does get a bit samey and you the tactics do seem to be rinse and repeat but overall a solid game and worth playing for a bit as its f2p.    … Expand
  3. leftstanding
    Sep 3, 2013
    7
    First off this is not a WWII simulator! A simulator does not allow you to move your mouse onto an aim-bot and click to shoot another player. Nor does a simulator have turbos on every aircraft, and allow you to go 90 degrees of pitch at 600 kmh without ripping off the wings. That being said it is a fun arcade style game for screwing around in a WWII shoot-em-up game. Forget about yourFirst off this is not a WWII simulator! A simulator does not allow you to move your mouse onto an aim-bot and click to shoot another player. Nor does a simulator have turbos on every aircraft, and allow you to go 90 degrees of pitch at 600 kmh without ripping off the wings. That being said it is a fun arcade style game for screwing around in a WWII shoot-em-up game. Forget about your joystick and any other sim-gear you may have as this game heavily rewards players who use a mouse, to a ridiculous level. There is a "realistic" mode of game play, but unfortunately there are very few who play it, leaving you with long wait times, or unrealistic mouse mashing 3rd person dogfighting. Would be worlds better if they took away mouse aim, fixed the joystick issues, and created incentives for the realistic play to bring more players. Beware it is set up as a pay to win style game, though paying will not do you half as much good as using a mouse and playing third person will. All in all... please stop calling this a simulator. If you want a WWII simulator play IL2.… Expand
  4. ddddddddddddddd
    Feb 6, 2014
    7
    Pretty fun for 100 hours each faction, then it starts to sort of bore out a little. This is no doubt a good game, but the fact that it's essentially a freemium dumbs it down for me. Physics and graphics definitely better than WoWPs.
  5. Frank1492
    Oct 16, 2014
    7
    Pretty good game. I'm an actual pilot and can say that the physics and whatnot are *sort of good without being too hampering for people who don't have any real life experience.

    Problems include lack of dynamic game play as far as objectives are concerned. Bombers end games in about 5 minutes and flight models for russian planes are unrealistic (its a russian game dev after all)    Pretty good game. I'm an actual pilot and can say that the physics and whatnot are *sort of good without being too hampering for people who don't have any real life experience.

    Problems include lack of dynamic game play as far as objectives are concerned. Bombers end games in about 5 minutes and flight models for russian planes are unrealistic (its a russian game dev after all)

    anyway, while there is a lot left to be desired, its free, and I've played a ton and had fun. They can fix a lot of the problems fairly easily so there is potential for this score to get up to an 8 or 9.    … Expand
  6. MBCuss
    Oct 10, 2013
    7
    There are many pros and cons to this game. The pros would be the battle types along with maps. The planes handle well with keyboard and mouse but not perfect. Joystick is best when doing for real battles. There are a large verity of planes for all kinds of players. They are adding ships and tanks but that will not be for a while. Tanks probably by December. The cons are what lot of gamesThere are many pros and cons to this game. The pros would be the battle types along with maps. The planes handle well with keyboard and mouse but not perfect. Joystick is best when doing for real battles. There are a large verity of planes for all kinds of players. They are adding ships and tanks but that will not be for a while. Tanks probably by December. The cons are what lot of games face. The match making is a little bad but is ok most of the time. There are some control problems. Also there are some planes that are very unbalanced at high tier and low. For example Russia has a tier 8 fighter that has a 40mm on it that can one shot any bomber almost. This is good if you like historical authenticity but bad in some game modes. These are all fine problems which you can easily get over and in time they will have little effect on you. The Worst problem is ranking up. It takes along time to get jets unless you pay for xp conversion and a premium account. So it will require a lot of time. It is not pay to win however because you can shoot down just as many fighters as the people in premium planes. It is based on skill rather than money. The only pay to win is crew. If you buff your crew with say max gunners you can shot down many players fast but still if they enemy players are good they will know what angle to attack form in which they take almost no damage. Also again some fighters can one shot bombers by taking out wings. Not a lot of fighters can one shot but there are some which in a good pilots hands could make some go 10 and 0. Overall good if you invest time and effort into this game and practice you will overcome these problems. Hope I see you on the battle field.… Expand
  7. spectralknight
    Aug 9, 2016
    7
    What I am going to say here is strictly related to my opinion.

    What I like about this game, features that are good: -Tanks are built to the smallest detail as well the airplanes; -Graphics and everything related to visuals of vehicles and maps; -The developers seems to work for their game and we often receive updates, events, vehicles, new items and features; -Sound; -It is a good    What I am going to say here is strictly related to my opinion.

    What I like about this game, features that are good:
    -Tanks are built to the smallest detail as well the airplanes;
    -Graphics and everything related to visuals of vehicles and maps;
    -The developers seems to work for their game and we often receive updates, events, vehicles, new items and features;
    -Sound;
    -It is a good game for airplanes as well for tanks also I heared that they will add battleships in the near future;
    -Gameplay, controls, movement of vehicles and everything related to parts damage which is a good ideea and makes the game different and special in some way compared to other games of this type...also you have an interesting kill-cam after you are destroyed showing how your tank got damaged totally(for ground forces);
    -Various game-modes and large maps;
    -It's free and is not pay2win at least for Ground Forces;
    -World War II Theme;
    -Active and friendly community;
    -The game is populated. You find easily battles and time of waiting in queues for playing are small. This could sound weird for being in the list of positive features but the number of players in a game is an important feature that keeps it alive;
    -Very good optimization and performance;

    What I don't like about this game, features that ruin this game:
    -Silver balance is almost non-existent...I don't know how Ostwind for example which has been built on Panzer chasis has a max repair cost of around 9000SE and a Tiger II or T54 has less repair costs. Because of this when you play with some vehicles or on certain tiers you have 80% chances to keep loosing SE every match...in this rythm you can make the performance of reaching 0 SE in your account if you don't play with other vehicles that can bring you some SE(or buy premium);
    -BR is a problem...not for every vehicle but for some and this makes this game unbalanced at some points. This in combination with SE unbalance problem could be very frustrating;
    -Russian tanks and planes have a little advantage over other nations and when I say this it's not because their vehicles are OP at all it's just because of BR which in some cases is very low for some good russian vehicles and some of their vehicles are less expensive at repair costs. This problem is not available for all russian tanks but it is for a part of them. So Russian vehicles have a little advantage over some nations but not a huge one.
    -Minor glitches;
    -Sometimes I have the feeling that the developers don't listen to the voice of community;
    -Matchmaking is sometimes stupid as long as you play IS-2, Tiger II and you face T-54 and Leopard I for example;
    -One Shot Kills could be ridiculous sometimes;
    -RP ammount per battle even if won are terrible at least on high tier;
    -Maybe some airplanes on Ground Forces battles especially the ones with rockets;
    -It is the game where you can loose over 10 times in a row, I dont know how this is possible;
    -Some vehicles are OP and others are useless;
    -Airplanes are pay2win as long as the team with most players that have more slots and airplanes to respawn wins;
    -You have to choose between spending money or playing hundreds of hours;

    Of course maybe there are another pro and against features for this game but in my opinion those are the most important. Sadly I don't know why but I have a feeling that developers are trying to make this game balanced with some things that are from WoT and I started playing this game just because I didn't liked WoT system and balance but glady at this point WT is not entierly WoT and I hope it won't become. As an overall I recommend this title. It is free to play and is surprisingly good for a free to play(you don't find often a good free to play game). If you like tanks or airplanes and look for a game related to this you should try War Thunder. The World War II theme for this game is amazing I think is the best WWII vehicle based game around. It is worth a try and as long is free if you don't like it you can just uninstall it. The game had and still has potential but it needs some improvements and a little more balance (at least for BR and SE) as well. I could easily not recommend this but as long as I played it so much and I have over 700 hours in it I will choose to recommend it. (Score: 70/100 for me)    … Expand
  8. NoMoreChillies
    Dec 26, 2013
    7
    War Thunder is a great free to play WW2 flight game
    It is friendly to new comers learning flight for the 1st time
    there are more sim like game modes for those hardcore, but Arcade Battles hold the largest playerbase no Joystick needed, can fly with M+KB Graphics are awesome Gamplay is tight and fun, still with some balance issues. Gaijin are a USSR dev company and show some    War Thunder is a great free to play WW2 flight game
    It is friendly to new comers learning flight for the 1st time
    there are more sim like game modes for those hardcore, but Arcade Battles hold the largest playerbase

    no Joystick needed, can fly with M+KB

    Graphics are awesome
    Gamplay is tight and fun, still with some balance issues.
    Gaijin are a USSR dev company and show some obvious bias to their national machines, hopefully they can overcome this if they want the game to be an international success.

    Tanks are in CBT atm with ships planned for future release. Yes all 3 will be in the same battles.

    gave 7/10 just because of the russian bias, once this dissolves the game becomes 9/10.    … Expand
  9. Billy_Benoit
    Mar 2, 2014
    7
    War Thunder is a great game solely for the fact that it is free to play. It is probably the best aerial World War 2 game out there. Realistic dog fights and fun to play for a time. Not a game you will see yourself playing for any more than a few months. Regardless, if you enjoy World War 2, or dog fighting games, this is definitely worth a try.
  10. StevetheBandit
    Aug 30, 2014
    7
    War Thunder: A "free-to-play" combat flight sim. Only it's not free-to-play.

    Don't get me wrong, it's a good game. The graphics are amazing and the planes look great. The audio is also very clear and realistic. Now the problem came in patch 1.37. The new godawful technology tree ruined the game for many used to the previous 20-tier tree. I also didn't enjoy the Tanks update. The thing    War Thunder: A "free-to-play" combat flight sim. Only it's not free-to-play.

    Don't get me wrong, it's a good game. The graphics are amazing and the planes look great. The audio is also very clear and realistic. Now the problem came in patch 1.37. The new godawful technology tree ruined the game for many used to the previous 20-tier tree. I also didn't enjoy the Tanks update. The thing is that the maps for tank battles simply aren't fun, along with the high system requirements (even if playing on low or minimum graphics).

    Overall, it's a good game. Really fun if you progress through one nation and then start another and get really good because you're experienced.    … Expand
  11. Schweehog
    Aug 26, 2015
    7
    I have over 1,450 hours in this game so when you read my review it is in no way from a 'novice' or new player. (While the game mechanics are the same this review will be mostly focused on the planes side of War Thunder.) To put it simply; War Thunder is a free to play WWII flight game. Game is a key word, if you are someone coming from flight simulators you will not enjoy this game. TheI have over 1,450 hours in this game so when you read my review it is in no way from a 'novice' or new player. (While the game mechanics are the same this review will be mostly focused on the planes side of War Thunder.) To put it simply; War Thunder is a free to play WWII flight game. Game is a key word, if you are someone coming from flight simulators you will not enjoy this game. The game runs on a progression mechanic; you unlock new planes and modifications for them as you play. Better planes fight the other better planes so long time players can't use their fighter jets to destroy your biplanes. I won't list all the positives, but a small sample include the easy to pick up control scheme and stunning graphics at a low load on your computer. (While this game isn't minesweeper, it can run on almost any pc and if you play any other 3d games I guarantee this will run on it.) However, the negatives may outweigh the positives for some people.

    The main negative to this game is the pay to progress style of grind. It is technically possible to get every plane for every nation without paying a penny, but in the same way that it is possible to swim across the Atlantic. I must emphasize that this game is not pay to win, it is pay to progress. If you are the type of person who would want to get every plane for every nation or even every plane for one nation, you would probably end up spending more than if this game cost $40 up front and did away with the "F2P" pay to progress style grind. As I stated in the start of this review I have over 1450 hours in this game and I would say that I only have 90% of the planes. (And I even went the pay to progress route!)

    With that said it is free to play, so give it a try and see if you like it. If you don't care what plane you are flying and just like the game itself, you might like it. If you are the type who would play just to fly some of the cool planes like the B-17 or P-51, don't waste your time and money.    … Expand
  12. ComandanteCobra
    May 3, 2019
    7
    Fun for a free casual tank simulation multiplayer game.
    I've been casual playing tanks only for about one years so I did not review planes or ship battles or competitive matches.
    Matches are fast, many maps, many tanks, many players, good visuals, low waiting cue, amost no trolls in chat, good sound , it didn't feel like a pay to win game because at ages 1 and 2 and 3 I didn't find many    Fun for a free casual tank simulation multiplayer game.
    I've been casual playing tanks only for about one years so I did not review planes or ship battles or competitive matches.
    Matches are fast, many maps, many tanks, many players, good visuals, low waiting cue, amost no trolls in chat, good sound , it didn't feel like a pay to win game because at ages 1 and 2 and 3 I didn't find many pay to win enemies...to sum it up I have been able to play some games in one hour after work without too much hassle.
    I strongly recommend playing realistic battle over arcade ones
    Negative aspects are: mandatory game updater software that is invase and tricky to uninstall..i didn't like it ...if you search for it in online game store and forum you will read some comment about privacy issues with this ; some minor bug that hasn't been fixed in ages ; lot's of spawn campers...developers need a better way to prevent it ; repairing time and prices of age 3 (and up) tanks are very expensive...and that limit replayability in a single session ; steep learining curve ...it is not a new player friendly game so it is not easy to invite new players: for example maps knowledge and enemy tank armour knowledge weights a lot more than personal control ability or strategic thinking skills....so when netmatching force you to play against players with hundred of hours of play on their back you will be at serious disadvantage...a little frustraing at first.
    The game seems a little rough compared to others online game from AAA developers but it is a good game.; I'm a modeller so part of the fun comes in "collecting" various tanks form ww2 if you didn't like this aspect lower my review score by one or two points.    … Expand
  13. oldchemsoldier
    Dec 3, 2016
    7
    I would give it a ten,but I do have problems logging in a lot in the past couple months otherwise it is the best game I have played since aces of the deep
  14. VadimVyat
    Dec 23, 2020
    7
    This game is frustrating when you play alone, but so fun and interesting when you play it with friends. This game is hard to learn and hard to master, but when you learn it, you can start getting some pleasure and fun with your friends. It's F2P, but not completely P2W. Seriously, you can destroy premium Abrams using BT-5, or shoot down the most advanced helicopter or plane using someThis game is frustrating when you play alone, but so fun and interesting when you play it with friends. This game is hard to learn and hard to master, but when you learn it, you can start getting some pleasure and fun with your friends. It's F2P, but not completely P2W. Seriously, you can destroy premium Abrams using BT-5, or shoot down the most advanced helicopter or plane using some random WWII biplane. The main problem is grind. Not balance, not graphics, but A LOT OF GRIND. Yeah, you can easily get rank 3 or 4 (Like T-34s or Shermans) of any nation in one month or less, but if you want something higher (Abrams, F-4C or T-72), you'll have to donate or grind for more than a year. But, if you like WWII planes, tanks or ships - this game will give you them all in some time, but if you want Mig-19 or Mirage, you'll have to grind a lot. But if grind doesn't stop you, then just try it. There's good graphics, plane's physics (much better than in other games) and bit worse tank's physics. Gameplay is not so exciting, but with friends, you can have some fun. Just my small advices: T-72s, Abramses and other modern stuff doesn't worth your money and time, but jet planes can be interesting, and Arcade battles much worse than Realistic, but for newcomers arcade is the best way to learn the game basics.… Expand
  15. ardaulgur
    Apr 5, 2021
    7
    It is a very realistic game. But, if you want to play in good quality, you must have a very very good PC. Otherwise you gonna have low FPS (around 20-25 and you my see 15) and low graphics.
  16. kapliPonosa
    Oct 12, 2022
    7
    extremely unfriendly to new players. playing against 2k+ hours veterans every game even if you downloaded it yesterday is miserably unfair
  17. TechnoSC
    Apr 16, 2023
    7
    I guess I like it. I spend some time in the game (around 50 hours) and I like it so far. The graphics are good, not even close to bad and the physics are decent too. Of course they can make the game a bit more realistic or better balanced, but I think it's pretty good as it is of now.

    Also, more of a personal thing: Why the **** are there so many 0 ratings? Like, at least play the game    I guess I like it. I spend some time in the game (around 50 hours) and I like it so far. The graphics are good, not even close to bad and the physics are decent too. Of course they can make the game a bit more realistic or better balanced, but I think it's pretty good as it is of now.

    Also, more of a personal thing: Why the **** are there so many 0 ratings? Like, at least play the game and don't write 50 reviews cause your favorite streamer said the game is ****
    And what do y'all have with ****ing graphics? The game has beautiful graphics and there are ****ing DLC's (free) to make them even better. Maybe check your game settings before posting so much ****    … Expand
  18. Metalsand
    Mar 17, 2014
    6
    Extremely cool game, but suffers from F2P money grabbing.

    I've played War Thunder for almost a year now. Mostly it has been great, solid gameplay nice variety, etc....up until they changed the research tree to slow down progress of players. Now, instead of choosing how research points are allocated, you choose a plane to begin researching, and even researching a tier 3 plane (out of 5    Extremely cool game, but suffers from F2P money grabbing.

    I've played War Thunder for almost a year now. Mostly it has been great, solid gameplay nice variety, etc....up until they changed the research tree to slow down progress of players. Now, instead of choosing how research points are allocated, you choose a plane to begin researching, and even researching a tier 3 plane (out of 5 total tiers) takes nearly 100 battles to obtain, and because of game mechanics you'll want at least 3 of those planes researched. As battles can take 10-20 minutes each, the game expects you to play 50-100 hours just to go up ONE TIER IN ONE COUNTRY. Yet, it only costs $5 USD to research that same plane with "free" research points. They turned an excellent simulator into an obvious money grab, and it is unacceptable. Playing to unlock new planes is nearly pointless now.

    Gameplay would make this an 8 or a 9, but the money-grab tactics bring that down to a 6. Only get the game if you love pumping at least $100 into a game to make it playable.    … Expand
  19. sir_raph
    Nov 12, 2013
    6
    The graphics lack. The simulation is not bad, but not innovative, exciting, or exhilarating. The game does not appeal to me at all, the enjoyment when playing the game, and the looking forward to playing with friends online, on a Friday night, is non-existent. These are the key areas that battlefield strives in. Honestly, not worth the play, however is still in Beta. Give it a try when theThe graphics lack. The simulation is not bad, but not innovative, exciting, or exhilarating. The game does not appeal to me at all, the enjoyment when playing the game, and the looking forward to playing with friends online, on a Friday night, is non-existent. These are the key areas that battlefield strives in. Honestly, not worth the play, however is still in Beta. Give it a try when the Beta's closed, things might get a bit more exciting.… Expand
  20. HawkerHulk
    Aug 19, 2013
    6
    Great visuals, sound and the feel of planes. Battles are cinematic, intense, full of flak fire, planes burning and bomb explosions.Also the game is very well optimised so it runs great on lower end machines with reduced settings. Mouse controls are just excellent, although some players complain that they're too good and make joysticks redundant in Arcade mode.

    Three realism modes    Great visuals, sound and the feel of planes. Battles are cinematic, intense, full of flak fire, planes burning and bomb explosions.Also the game is very well optimised so it runs great on lower end machines with reduced settings. Mouse controls are just excellent, although some players complain that they're too good and make joysticks redundant in Arcade mode.

    Three realism modes Arcade, Historical, and Full Realism will appeal to a very broad range of players. There are also single missions and campaigns (some of which you have to pay extra for..which is fine) but they net meagre rewards and are not worthwhile at the moment. And if you want to progress in War Thunder you really need to be earning those XP points...which brings me to the downsides.

    What stops me from giving it a positive score is what happens outside of battles, namely the progression and economy models. Although at first leveling up is a pretty quick affair, with each level it becomes more and more time consuming. It gets pretty bad, to the point where without paying for the game reaching maximum level in one nation will take you half a year. Some can live with that...but then there's the crew level problem. You can buy crew levels with real cash, all the way to the top, skipping that part of the grind entirely which is borderline pay to win.

    Other aspects of the progression model are equally strange. Crew skills and their effect on plane performance are undocumented. You have 5-6 crews and each can qualify for a dozen planes on different levels which leads to heaps of confusion. You take a hangar of 5-6 planes into each battle, usualy they are at different tiers and some players tend to exploit this to get better matchmaking. Ah, yes, matchmaking....it doesn't work very well, mainly because it has to balance players bringing their tier 1 and tier 10 plane into the same battle.

    On top of everything else although the game just went on Steam and has all the aspects of an almost finished commercial product, the developer makes huge changes to the economy on the fly. You can sink a lot of money into the game and you never really know what you're getting, since the economy model can get dramatically overhauled at any time.

    I would strongly suggest giving it a try, the visuals and spectacular gameplay are things you really should experience. But don't stay too long or you may start to feel unwelcome. And think twice...no, think THRICE before opening your wallet.

    Fly safe!    … Expand
  21. Synd
    Dec 19, 2013
    6
    It was a good game, but think twice before spending money on it. It seems Gaijin became more greedy, no surprise if you follow their other game, Star conflict.

    With the1.37, Gaijin implemented a MatchMaking very punitive for the low tiers. It's sad, because this new MM reminds me World of Tanks. Oh, and more level grinding, too. You should take a look at the official forum and see how    It was a good game, but think twice before spending money on it. It seems Gaijin became more greedy, no surprise if you follow their other game, Star conflict.

    With the1.37, Gaijin implemented a MatchMaking very punitive for the low tiers. It's sad, because this new MM reminds me World of Tanks. Oh, and more level grinding, too. You should take a look at the official forum and see how this patch is disastrous.    … Expand
  22. william63
    Dec 25, 2013
    6
    The game could be great, but the grind is so bad it's being called Grindthunder(tm). Playing for free isn't an option if you want to ever fly a jet, so it's not really beta.This another Russian-made MMO money grab. Also the forum is heavily CENSORED.
  23. Goofy_Canuck
    Jul 2, 2014
    6
    I initially heard about War Thunder from my adult son who plays it on PS4. I have found the PC version very enthralling. The graphics are amazing, and as I am not a very skilled gamer ( I mean, I can't even successfully complete the take off tutorial. I can only imagine how much I would suck at the landing one), I found the arcade realm to my liking.

    Parts of the game play are    I initially heard about War Thunder from my adult son who plays it on PS4. I have found the PC version very enthralling. The graphics are amazing, and as I am not a very skilled gamer ( I mean, I can't even successfully complete the take off tutorial. I can only imagine how much I would suck at the landing one), I found the arcade realm to my liking.

    Parts of the game play are entertaining for me as a mature game player. I enjoy bombing, but unfortunately, chose the Germans, and find that I continually get shot down. It's to the point that I basically just want to crash my plane if someone attacks me as there is no way I can shake off any plane that starts shooting at me. So much for my "ace" gunners. Sometimes it's fun to see how long I can last being chased and shot at, but at other times it's very frustrating.

    Each game starts with me having to wait to get into an arcade game. The waits are generally less than a minute. No complaints in that respect. Once the scenario is presented, I choose the plane I want to use. Then I take a break. I go get a refreshment or go to the bathroom, check my email, etc. The plane flies on its own, basically on auto pilot. After a while, I check back in, aim my plane for a target, and hope I get a chance to unload my bombs before the advanced players on my side have already eliminated the target or that someone on the opposing team decides to attack me.

    One thing I find frustrating in the arcade play is that there is no teamwork. Everyone does their own thing. There is a chat feature that is useless as I have no idea who the other players are. There's always some bossy player telling the team to "Shoot down so and so" which is totally meaningless as I have no idea where that player is in the environment, nor do I have the ability to shoot them down. It would be nice as a bomber in the game to have an fighter escort, but that will never happen. I just do my own thing and assume that everyone else does the same. If you're looking for team player interaction, then this game isn't for you. There is something about squads, but that must been in the other game types. As for me, I'm OK with that. I just want to bomb targets. I don't want to have to answer to the clan.

    I think I will enjoy the game as something I can do once in a while. I made the mistake of investing about $250 into the game...I know...I'm stupid. I put the money into upgrading my planes and crews...and It turns out it was all pointless. It was totally compulsive purchasing. Please don't tell my wife. I just justify it as part of my "entertainment budget". I think though, that I will have to lock my credit card away whenever I play because it is just so tempting to want to spend some gold to unlock the next wonder plane rather than wait for it.

    In reading the reviews, I didn't realize the bias towards Russian planes. I was getting suspicious about this as I could not believe how many times I've had one of my wings blown off by a single shot. Or as I mentioned, how crappy my German planes seem to perform compared to lower level Russian and American aircraft. It's all starting to sink in now, though.

    I have nothing to comment on about the customer service or forums as I haven't had any involvement in those aspects of the game. I don't get why people would complain about an F2P game in the first place. If you don't like it, find a different game to play. Gaijin isn't obligated to make your free gaming dreams come true. There is no F2P player rights manifesto or good practice guide. Play any game at your own risk.

    Overall, I think I will continue to play from time to time, but I definitely won't be spending any more money. on it. I can see how duped I was to lay that kind of cash down on a game that will be perpetually Beta. I don't think it is fair to call the game P2W, as investing money doesn't seem to guarantee that you will be any more skilled at playing or any more likely to win. I am living proof of that.

    I think people have to realize that there is no truly F2P online games. Gaming companies have to make money, and in-app purchases are part of the business. Obviously, the better companies are skilled at getting players motivated to buy features or gold or whatever. Take Candy Crush for example. So, I think Gaijin offers enough F2P gameplay in War Thunder. I don't think that my investment did any more for my in game advantage other than giving me the feeling that I had suped up my planes and my crews. I've played other games where P2W is a definite factor.

    Regarding game performance, I have not encountered any bugs that others have mentioned. The game runs smoothly. It hasn't crashed yet. I still enjoy the challenges of playing and when I get frustrated by constantly being shot down, I exit, remembering that it's just a game.

    So, my advice is play for free. Enjoy it for what it is Don't expect to have an elite gaming experience. Don't spend money on it ever. It's a total waste    … Expand
  24. rolly4119
    Nov 19, 2014
    6
    In comparison to World of Warplanes, War Thunder is certainly well and far apart from the arcade action of World of Warplanes. It is a really beautiful game and the most endearing feature is the fact that all around the graphics are gorgeous and the sound is terrific. There certainly is a good sense of immersion in the game and the game has multiple modes and more realistic modes such asIn comparison to World of Warplanes, War Thunder is certainly well and far apart from the arcade action of World of Warplanes. It is a really beautiful game and the most endearing feature is the fact that all around the graphics are gorgeous and the sound is terrific. There certainly is a good sense of immersion in the game and the game has multiple modes and more realistic modes such as campaign, Realistic and Simulation. However...

    What this game doesn't tell you is that there are certain things just are just huge turn offs and you don't readily find this until once you've played a bit. The biggest detractor is that as a Russian developer, there is an easily noticeable bias towards Russian planes. This game is flight sim-ish in its approach however you'll quickly start to realize that that for some reason Russian planes seem to have physics defying flight models similar to UFO's and that it takes a lot more to effort, work and firepower to shoot down a Russian (even a slow moving Russian bomber or outdated bi-plane) than it is for you to get shot down by them.

    The other major detractor is the bias towards mouse based flight controls. Joystick users are left to fiddle with a complex array of attributes to get their own joystick working, where as mouse users have an easier time executing maneuvers. Whats more, every patch you'll need to rework and find what flight models of planes that were working fine, no longer flying right.
    It still is a great game and I do recommend playing it. However if you are a hardcore flight sim enthusiast with a love of historical accuracy you'll be disappointed after the initial marvel wears thin.    … Expand
  25. Legsikcz
    Jul 21, 2015
    6
    War Thunder is a one of the best Free2Play games with the awesome graphical representation and models of tanks , planes and ships. Great visuals, awesome sound design and amazing soundtrack. There are 3 types of battles: Arcade , Realistic(Historical) and Simulator. You can play Multiplayer , Singleplayer or CO-OP. This game is not pay2win game , you can buy premium account and premiumWar Thunder is a one of the best Free2Play games with the awesome graphical representation and models of tanks , planes and ships. Great visuals, awesome sound design and amazing soundtrack. There are 3 types of battles: Arcade , Realistic(Historical) and Simulator. You can play Multiplayer , Singleplayer or CO-OP. This game is not pay2win game , you can buy premium account and premium planes , tanks and speed up research of planes and tanks or decals... But now this game is really unbalanced and broken. Russian planes and tanks are unrealistic and op in all types of battles, Britain planes are underpowered and American tanks are easily penetrable by other tanks. In last update(1.49) was add new penetration model which is broken and surprisingly made Russin tanks op.… Expand
  26. Joe319
    Apr 18, 2016
    6
    I gave this a 6. I'd of given it a 10 but War Thunder is a game that so many players and myself, have noticed an obvious Russian bias. Take a Russian T-34 as an example. You'll have a heavy tank using your best armor piercing ammo and and so many times, you'll hit them and it'll just bounce off or do little damage and even the times you are lucky and do critical damage, they'll still beI gave this a 6. I'd of given it a 10 but War Thunder is a game that so many players and myself, have noticed an obvious Russian bias. Take a Russian T-34 as an example. You'll have a heavy tank using your best armor piercing ammo and and so many times, you'll hit them and it'll just bounce off or do little damage and even the times you are lucky and do critical damage, they'll still be able to fire at you, meanwhile they'll hit you with a direct shot to your front armor with 1 round and either blow you apart, or disable you where you can't fire back until you repair. Even hitting them with a side shot gets the same results. It wasn't until yesterday that I learned that Gaijin is a Russian company so that explained it all and why their admins are very touchy whenever you bring this or any other criticisms up.

    It's a great game to play, I just wish it was on a level playing field. I do get the feedback that there's a favoritism from the German Tiger tanks but I haven't seen it. Although I have been using American tanks mainly for the past several months, when I do use the Tiger or even the Tiger II with the 105 mm cannon, I get the same results. Obvious from Gaijin that if you pitted a T-54 against an M1 Abrams, we'd probably get the same results. And how about their ZSU-57 anti-aircraft gun. I've used heavy armored tanks and blown up by them with ease. If the Russians would've gotten the same results in real life, seems to me their whole armored divisions would be made up of nothing but ZSU-57's!

    For those starting out, choose the Russian tanks. You'll be happier!    … Expand
  27. SaydaNeen
    Jul 9, 2018
    6
    Love this game, except that i "have" to turn auto repair off on my heavy tanks and let them repair over time so I don't go in the hole..
  28. mkbobbert
    Oct 18, 2021
    6
    The game is decently fun with good graphics (DLSS seems not to work very well, though). The grind to upgrade vehicles and equipment is way too hard.
  29. Kuntakinte
    May 14, 2018
    6
    Could be much better.. Visuals, sounds are top but, the game is turning fast more and more to pay to win/unlock. Grind is way to long (over 1000 hours with premium account and vehicles and not even 30% unlocked). And the matchmaking..
  30. Hayter
    Nov 10, 2019
    6
    В целом, это уникальная игра, я играл в неё с самого её старта и помню, когда в ней были только самолёты, тогда она мне нравилась гораздо больше и сейчас, мне грустно смотреть на то, во что она превратилась.
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Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Best PC Game of 2013
10
#10 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
18
#18 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jan 25, 2017
    87
    One of the cornerstones of War Thunder is that player’s skill is more important than his wallet. Premium vehicles offer no combat advantages, there is no “microtransaction-only” ammo or consumables, so no amount of cash will buy you a spot on the top of the food chain. [Issue#216, p.56]
  2. GRYOnline.pl
    Jan 13, 2017
    75
    The official launch of War Thunder reminded me why I like this game so much. It's adorably chaotic - in contrast to the reliably designed World of Tanks. That's why it can be really fun and frustrating at the same time. There's tons of great vehicles (and the planes are superb!) and a difficult simulation mode, but there are also balance and technical issues.
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  3. CalmDownTom
    Aug 14, 2014
    90
    Overall the War Thunder tank battles are great even at this early stage.
    Read full review
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