World of Tanks

 PC
User Score
3.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 2115 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 520 out of 2115
  2. Mixed: 247 out of 2115
  3. Negative: 1,348 out of 2115

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. vanzi
    Aug 18, 2013
    6
    I've decided to update my review, as some changes dramatically improved the game play over the past 2 years.

    First, the matchmaker spread was greatly reduced so the silly situations where you could not damage any part of enemy tank (including its rear) no longer happen for the most part. They improved the graphics and removed all pay to win advantages so that you can buy premium    I've decided to update my review, as some changes dramatically improved the game play over the past 2 years.

    First, the matchmaker spread was greatly reduced so the silly situations where you could not damage any part of enemy tank (including its rear) no longer happen for the most part. They improved the graphics and removed all pay to win advantages so that you can buy premium ammo/equipment with credits and all the premium tanks are much weaker than elited standard vehicles.

    At this point you can only speed up your grind with money. This applies mostly to credits, as you can only convert experience between tanks (with some limits) for money, you can't directly pay money to unlock a tank. Premium Account is a must if you are serious about the game, it's 10€ per month and it's the only thing you should buy.

    The major problem at this point is the player base. It's absolutely astonishing to watch this many braindead people playing this game, without grasping any concept of armor and cover whatsoever. It would literally take one day to implement a bot that would play smarter than at least 70% of players. This is mostly a problem because Wargaming refuses to implement any sort of skill-based match matching. Therefore, especially on weekends, the game turns into frustrating series of matches where you play 1 vs 29 simply because your team mates are retarded.

    And while this could be easily solved, it most likely won't ever be. I'm rating it 6 mostly because of the terrible experience this game brings at times. On the other hand there isn't any competition when it comes to tank shooters, so it's most certainly worth to at least give it a try.    … Expand
  2. mcmillan
    Jul 26, 2019
    5
    I am writing my first review on metacritics. (I use Google translator)
    What can I say about the game, I am a veteran of the game, I played around for 7 years and I can express what the game has serious disadvantages, and what to do with them.
    1. Arteleria or art. Arteleria was conceived as a class of support, but in the end everything did not go according to plan and now Arta can pull    I am writing my first review on metacritics. (I use Google translator)
    What can I say about the game, I am a veteran of the game, I played around for 7 years and I can express what the game has serious disadvantages, and what to do with them.
    1. Arteleria or art.
    Arteleria was conceived as a class of support, but in the end everything did not go according to plan and now Arta can pull out the lost game, especially at low levels (2-5).
    I propose to do the following, namely to reduce the damage and stun time, but to compensate for a better disguise.
    2. Pumping crew.
    A rather contradictory minus of the game is also why
    You will not have a light bulb then you lit up or not. In other games it is already from the beginning of the game, and in the same WoT Blitz there is a light bulb and you will not need to pump over the crew again or replant it. Also about the transfer of the crew, so that you do not swing the crew on the new tank again, then you have to transplant it, but in order to transplant it without loss you have to put a small amount of gold or put real money. I also forgot to say about the barracks, it’s still an extra charge for places so that your crew is somewhere.
    What I propose to do.
    I suggest that the developers make the crew system like in WoT Blitz it turned out to be more successful.    … Expand
  3. bgath37
    Jul 26, 2014
    5
    About 95% of your time spent in World of Tanks will be grinding away to unlock your next tank, unless you want to invest your life's savings into one of many premium options to achieve an edge over your opponents. In addition to this obvious pay-to-win game structure, the game play itself can be insanely frustrating if you aren't very experienced. I can safely say that the community is oneAbout 95% of your time spent in World of Tanks will be grinding away to unlock your next tank, unless you want to invest your life's savings into one of many premium options to achieve an edge over your opponents. In addition to this obvious pay-to-win game structure, the game play itself can be insanely frustrating if you aren't very experienced. I can safely say that the community is one of the worst I have ever run into, and that the developers don't really seem to care about the opinions of the players at all.
    Additionally, be prepared to be branded as a trashy player by your teammates, as some among them will have installed XVM, which allows them to view your average win ratio. It is not uncommon to see an XVM user abandon the match before it even starts due to his mod predicting a low chance of his winning the match.

    Yet despite all this, I have (on occasion) really enjoyed myself playing World of Tanks, and not necessarily when I'm winning. Certain aspects of the game can be very rewarding, and the in-game models and terrain are surprisingly pretty. Some of the tanks, especially the Russian ones (I wonder why...) are especially fun to play, even for new players.

    Despite it's many (obvious) negatives, I can tentatively recommend World of Tanks. Just don't waste any money on it; trust me when I say, it is NOT worth it.    … Expand
  4. Terreant
    Nov 28, 2012
    5
    After playing 4k battles I have to say, stay away from WoT. Once you grind/pay your way to the tier 9/10 tanks the game is ruined by tier 7/8 artillery. Higher tier.. the tactics consist of hiding behind any hard cover to avoid artillery.

    They completely dictate the outcome of any battle more then 3 per side are in. They splash damage of 600+ often, direct hits will be 1200+ to 2000+.    After playing 4k battles I have to say, stay away from WoT. Once you grind/pay your way to the tier 9/10 tanks the game is ruined by tier 7/8 artillery. Higher tier.. the tactics consist of hiding behind any hard cover to avoid artillery.

    They completely dictate the outcome of any battle more then 3 per side are in. They splash damage of 600+ often, direct hits will be 1200+ to 2000+.

    WG themselves simply DO NOT CARE even tho the forums are livid with complaints, US and EU. If you want to play and never spend a dime and stick with tier 1-7 then it can be fun.

    They should stop misleading people and rename the game World of Artillery (supported by various tanks)    … Expand
  5. Kazek7
    Mar 10, 2014
    5
    Though the game has been improved over the patches and updates, The game is still severely lacking. Unless you spend the time to grind experience for the over priced max level gun, your tank is complete trash. The infamous Stock tank grind can be over with quickly, or it can carry on for an eternity. Wargaming doesn't listen to community feedback, and never will unless it means they earnThough the game has been improved over the patches and updates, The game is still severely lacking. Unless you spend the time to grind experience for the over priced max level gun, your tank is complete trash. The infamous Stock tank grind can be over with quickly, or it can carry on for an eternity. Wargaming doesn't listen to community feedback, and never will unless it means they earn some money. Almost every single map in this game is unbalanced, with one side having more advantage then the other side, Such as in Mines, Sacred Valley, Hidden village, etc, and often the maps are designed for one specific type of tank, leaving either Artillery, Tank destroyers, or Heavy tanks in the dust, as they serve no purpose, (Artillery on Himmelsdorf) (Heavy tanks on Malinovka) (Tank destroyers on Sand river).
    The main Problem with World of Tanks however, is the player base. You get many types of undesirable players, which there is no shortage of. You get the Ragers, The whiners, the Statistic Elitists, the butthurts, the annoying little children,the Dead player who orders players around like Field Marshal Rommel, The Bots, The wallet warriors, and the weekend players. All these players in one form or another ruin the atmosphere of the game, and take away any form of enjoyment. Often players will charge one side of the map, and die, leaving the surviving players to defend against the enemies (which usually outnumber them). With almost 5k battles, I can say this game is addicting, But if you don't spend money on it, it is a dull grind fest. Also I note the Russian tanks seem to have a Bias to them. This game is far from being historically accurate and the majority of the tanks in the game are from blueprints. Its a mediocre free game, But its better then a lot of the other crap we get for free games. Be prepared for frustration if you are planning on playing WOT.    … Expand
  6. veter05111
    Nov 23, 2017
    5
    За последние несколько лет игру убили в дно. Например взять арту или ввод новых наций и убивание старых танков в том числе и прем танков
  7. fangekar
    Jan 8, 2021
    6
    The main thing about this game ist the maps are the same without any creativ things and after 3 Rounds on the same map the battle are in the same spots on the map
    The positive aspect is the visuals and shapes of the tanks on hitoric baesd pictures and blueprints
  8. dc42
    Dec 26, 2012
    5
    This is a weird game to play. In the beginning you love it and you want to keep playing to get that next tank. However, the higher you go the more you realize this game makes little sense. I've literally taken the same tank as my friend and we decided to shoot one another square on (in the same location). One deflected and the other destroyed the tank (Note: we targeted same location onThis is a weird game to play. In the beginning you love it and you want to keep playing to get that next tank. However, the higher you go the more you realize this game makes little sense. I've literally taken the same tank as my friend and we decided to shoot one another square on (in the same location). One deflected and the other destroyed the tank (Note: we targeted same location on each others tank [Hetzer]). Other issues are extremely poor matchmaking. You can't decide which game to join on your own but are forced to play depending on some random computer generated game. One team will have great players with amazing tanks and the other will have horrible tanks with bad players. On average one team with dominate the other. I also find that I was in plenty of battles where I was a teir 4 in a tier 8 battle. I can't understand why I would have been put in those battles. Overall, this game has fun points and I'm sure to keep playing but I think it's very lopsided and isn't far when it comes to tank battles.… Expand
  9. Bulldog6565
    Jun 11, 2011
    6
    I would consider it an okay game, good graphics, nice maps, and good tanks. The tanks are limited to WWII range or so and it mostly relies on money. If you happen to buy some gold and buy a special tank, you can blow up a newbie (me) with one direct shot near or direct. Not the best game because it relies on money but very fun experience!
  10. Not_Disclosed
    Apr 16, 2011
    5
    I was beta testing the game. Now it went life, with still some glitches that will be ironed out in the next few months. More goodies are promised such as new game modes and the endgame content.

    The game is advertised as free to play. This is true... but when you play for free it is one of the most frustrating games you may spend your time on. Even with the premium account, you will be    I was beta testing the game. Now it went life, with still some glitches that will be ironed out in the next few months. More goodies are promised such as new game modes and the endgame content.

    The game is advertised as free to play. This is true... but when you play for free it is one of the most frustrating games you may spend your time on. Even with the premium account, you will be frustrated many times, but without you will really feel the pain. Bear in mind that amount of money you can spend on this game to get this extra bit of edge is nearly unlimited. Actually, when you spend *a lot* of money (say $10 for premium account and $0.05-0.5 for each battle (say you do 10 battles per hour, you spend less at the beginning) + possibly some additional $$ for experience transfers between tanks [can be substantial, depends on your style] and premium tanks), you will be in a very enjoyable game. Skill still matters, but without a premium account you will be *very* frustrated (as you will not earn enough in-game money to buy tanks you got the exp for, so you need to grind just for in-game money, you will not have spare money to put rather useful extras on your tank etc). As for the in-game money and leveling, without premium account things will take maybe two-three times as long. In the end, without premium ammo (which is significantly more powerful - often makes a difference between damaging enemy tank solidly and damaging it much, much less or not at all) you will be still frustrated from times to times, but, as relatively few players use premium ammo in normal battles, it is bearable.

    The game will also give you some great experiences from time to time, but - if you are inexperienced and play for free - those will be rare when compared to times you feel frustrated.

    Social play: first of all, you or your friend needs to have premium account to take part. Then, it can be great fun, even in the random battles (which are the majority of play). In a well coordinated platoon (up to 3 persons) you will have much higher chances of winning. Still, this is not common at the initial grind, and, realistically, if you don't play with friends you know before, you will have to join a clan (guild) to have a chance to play in platoons without too much troubles. There is no option in the game to easily group with other people (company battles may be, such an option, but at the moment you first need to grind to tanks high enough) - as such you need to be in a clan to realistically enjoy tactics and group play.

    As for the end-game content, well, it is not released at the moment in the US. It may be good, but your clan will have to be at the very very top and competitive to get anything out of it. I did not experienced it (as it was not in beta test and is not released), but it seems to be just for few players.

    I chose to not pay for the game and treat it extremely casually or quit completely. I would stay if everyone had exactly same chances for given price a month (sort of the system in beta, where we were getting same amount of gold [premium game currency] into the account as part of the test which was quite fair). As it is now, when everyone can buy as much gold as one wants for $$, the game is not fair anymore. Though, if you pay, you can enjoy it a lot... the more you pay, the more you will enjoy it... Note, however, that skill is still important and those who pay and have skill, and play in well coordinated platoons, will have no troubles to deal with players who are relatively skilled but not in platoons and thus not well coordinated. Not to mention those who are relatively unskilled, as you will be when you start playing [luckily early levels are a bit more forgiving, so you have chance to learn. Still, in beta, often it felt that, in fact, playing the lowest tier tanks is the most fun]. Hope it help.    … Expand
  11. FinDefaulted
    Jul 17, 2015
    7
    Lately I've gotten back to playing World of Tanks and I thought I'd share my thoughts about it.
    WoT is basically a very fun game to play. There are tons of ways to mod it more interesting (Arnold voice mod) and playing with friends makes it even better. The graphics are very good and the game physics work well. There are multiple different tank types to choose from and fun events    Lately I've gotten back to playing World of Tanks and I thought I'd share my thoughts about it.
    WoT is basically a very fun game to play. There are tons of ways to mod it more interesting (Arnold voice mod) and playing with friends makes it even better. The graphics are very good and the game physics work well. There are multiple different tank types to choose from and fun events happening from time to time.

    WoT has some big flaws though. It's one of those games where you need to grind. A lot. Buying premium will give you a boost in earned XP and money and isn't too expensive to consider when compared to other monthly subscription games, but it will still take forever to earn that XP for the next tank. Most of the times you either die really fast or don't do enough damage to the enemies to get any XP and that can be frustrating.

    There are also a lot of small annoying things, like only being able to sell x amount of tanks per day, changing your cannon will leave you with no ammo and while selling a tank you need to write down the price.

    I'd recommend downloading WoT as that game that you might play an hour or two every week when bored. More when playing with friends.    … Expand
  12. gamerzx
    Feb 26, 2012
    7
    Its hard to rate this game. For a casual player it is good. Action packed. For mmo veterans, it can be a massive timesink and an exercise in frustration. The endgame is split between high tier random battles and Clan Wars. The random battles at high tiers is very flawed, but the clan wars system is fun and challenging. Very hardcore.
  13. marcoso
    May 26, 2011
    5
    I want to say the truth about this game. World of Tanks is awesome game! It has very nice graphics, easy controls a it is very realistic. The best WW2 game I´ve ever played. A big positive is no lags and bugs, developers are really taking care of this game and we can see the result of their work. :-)
    And now the Clan Wars came! Another very good part of the game. I    I want to say the truth about this game. World of Tanks is awesome game! It has very nice graphics, easy controls a it is very realistic. The best WW2 game I´ve ever played. A big positive is no lags and bugs, developers are really taking care of this game and we can see the result of their work. :-)
    And now the Clan Wars came! Another very good part of the game. I can´t write everything here...it is a very long list of all advantages. I just love this game and it´s only one I have installed on my PC. :-)    … Expand
  14. disintegration
    Mar 4, 2012
    5
    All you need to know about about World of Tanks is that it will NEVER be more fun than the first 5-8 hours you put into it; in fact, you will end up chasing the novelty and fun of those first few days for the remainder of the time you remain committed to World of Tanks. Because after you have tiered up and onto battlefields where Tier V+ tanks are present, the game just begins thisAll you need to know about about World of Tanks is that it will NEVER be more fun than the first 5-8 hours you put into it; in fact, you will end up chasing the novelty and fun of those first few days for the remainder of the time you remain committed to World of Tanks. Because after you have tiered up and onto battlefields where Tier V+ tanks are present, the game just begins this stifling exponential decay curve regarding fun. If you have managed to only invest time in your tanks and not any $$$ up to this point (which *is* possible if you are the glutton for punishment type) you will nearly immediately find yourself compelled not only to upgrade to a premium account but also to purchase large chunks of gold at $20-$30 at a time just to eke out a little more fun and novelty. And if you decide to rage against this machine that wargaming.net has constructed for you (not advisable), you will be rewarded with a smoldering, charred metal corpse of a tank just about every time you play. Don't be fooled, this game is eventually p2p and the reality is that by the time you are "encouraged" to pay. . . it's just not all that worth it any more. Enjoy, but be advised.… Expand
  15. Magnethead
    Jan 1, 2015
    6
    Well, last I reviewed this game, I gave it a 9. Unfortunately things have changed for me since then. The game has fun mechanics and the tanks really feel like they should much of the time. However, you reach the top tiers and it just grinds to a halt. It takes forever to get the next tank and several of the high tier models you need to play through are annoying. That may well mean that youWell, last I reviewed this game, I gave it a 9. Unfortunately things have changed for me since then. The game has fun mechanics and the tanks really feel like they should much of the time. However, you reach the top tiers and it just grinds to a halt. It takes forever to get the next tank and several of the high tier models you need to play through are annoying. That may well mean that you need to spend fifty hours of gameplay working a tank you hate just to get to the next one and that's not ok. You can pay your way out of it but on high tiers that easily means paying 50€ if not more to convert the XP you need. For one tank.

    When I drive my favourite tanks, I have fun, but getting on with the game from there isn't something I have the time or money to actually bother doing.    … Expand
  16. Legato
    Jan 8, 2014
    7
    World of Tanks has much problems which need to be solved to become a really good game. Such problems as balance in matchmaking, graphics and server optimization, some gameplay moments. When all this problems will be solved, World of Tanks can become a perfect online game, not earlier.
  17. Kelu
    Mar 28, 2012
    5
    Having played the game for just over four months, the only thin I can say is: unless you're ready to dish out serious amount of cash, this "free 2 play" online shooter is not worth it. Don't get me wrong, the game is tremendous fun until you get to about tier 4. Then you start being thrown into fights with tanks that can effortlessly one-shot you, while you can't even do any damage toHaving played the game for just over four months, the only thin I can say is: unless you're ready to dish out serious amount of cash, this "free 2 play" online shooter is not worth it. Don't get me wrong, the game is tremendous fun until you get to about tier 4. Then you start being thrown into fights with tanks that can effortlessly one-shot you, while you can't even do any damage to them. This is where the fun stops, and you start a grim grind, getting ever higher tier tanks, thinking the next one will not suck so badly. But it does. And when you're up at tier 7-8 you will start losing money on battles, even if you play on a premium account. And higher tier tanks don't get any cheaper, so to keep your cash balance positive, to got to either play lower tier tanks again, or buy a money-making premium tank for 45 euro. Imagine, say, in WoW having to play several 40-50 level characters for the sole purpose of paying for the upkeep of your 85 level main character. That's a bad design right there, and the game is not fun at all when you get to that point. Sooner or later, it will become as a chore, playing just to get the daily experience bonus. I understand the company wants to make money off their game, but disguising World of Tanks as free to play just seems cheap to me.… Expand
  18. MagSun
    Feb 12, 2013
    6
    So many reviewers complain about the fact that this game (like most games these days) uses "experience" to "unlock" equipment not to get an advantage over other players, but become even. True: You have to spend much more time IF you are not willing to spend real money on "Premium Tanks" and you have to play harder more carefully without "Premium Ammo", as you cannot penetrate an enemySo many reviewers complain about the fact that this game (like most games these days) uses "experience" to "unlock" equipment not to get an advantage over other players, but become even. True: You have to spend much more time IF you are not willing to spend real money on "Premium Tanks" and you have to play harder more carefully without "Premium Ammo", as you cannot penetrate an enemy with each not so well aimed shot. But it is exactly the same with Battlefield 3, where you can lay AT mines right from the start, but a "more experienced" player with more unlocks on a tank can just see them highlighted like Christmas tree with no skill at all, making AT mines redundant (but no one complains about that, right?). This game has an awesome game mechanic and decent controls, allowing you to play it like a true arcade game, while ballistics and vehicle behavior work like a true simulator. The only point really to hate about this game is the "Tier System", unlocking bigger tanks with more hit points and guns, able to deal more damage (so the balance remains WITHIN a Tier). The matchmaking, placing you above or below other players, kills that balance BAD! Nevertheless you can be a useful addition to any group, if it is scouting, flanking, drawing attention to you, etc. I'd like to see some more effort in team play development or more specialized scenarios, as random battles become very boring. PLUS better friend integration. What's the point of a filled friend list, if you can only join a battle with on friend (or two, if you have a Premium Account)?… Expand
  19. Heffay
    Sep 18, 2013
    7
    The gameplay is fun, the grind is... long. Very, very long. But since the gameplay is fun, as long as you're not grinding out a crappy tank, you can enjoy the time you do it!
  20. Daniel_Rocha
    Dec 29, 2013
    7
    Honestly I think this is one of the best F2P game out there. Good graphics, detailed tanks and very fun to play!
    Having said that I must add that it does not come without its problems. No game is perfect and WOT has a serious problem that comes from being F2P! The biggest problem the F2P format is the incredible amount of "noobs" playing. I play WOT for 3 years now and is not the painfull    Honestly I think this is one of the best F2P game out there. Good graphics, detailed tanks and very fun to play!
    Having said that I must add that it does not come without its problems. No game is perfect and WOT has a serious problem that comes from being F2P! The biggest problem the F2P format is the incredible amount of "noobs" playing. I play WOT for 3 years now and is not the painfull XP/Moeny gathering, the artillery, OP tanks or the MM that often seems to be on crack that bothers me.

    My biggest problem with this game is that inexperienced players flood the servers making the game virtually unplayable. To be successful in this game is indispensable a platoon of at least two very experienced players.

    Play alone and get ready for 15 painful minutes of pathetic performace of players with less than 3k matches parading in their useless premium tanks, not doing anything to help the team and dying with only a few enemy shots.

    It's a fun game, but I must warn to not play fot a long time each day if you are a playing alone.

    Make friends and play in a platoon and try to have fun...which is very hard to do in this game!    … Expand
  21. XelNecra
    Oct 15, 2013
    6
    I had a very mixed feeling when i first touched this game. I was never really into tanks, and i doubted that this game would fit me thematically, but high praise of a friend brought me to give it a try nontheless.

    World of Tanks is a third- and first person shooter with tanks. If you have shooter experience already: imagine this game just like any other shooter, with the twist that    I had a very mixed feeling when i first touched this game. I was never really into tanks, and i doubted that this game would fit me thematically, but high praise of a friend brought me to give it a try nontheless.

    World of Tanks is a third- and first person shooter with tanks. If you have shooter experience already: imagine this game just like any other shooter, with the twist that everything is somehow slower (this is an over-simplification, but it gives you a basic idea if you never played this game). This does not make the game boring, it rather makes it highly tactical: positioning, and being at the right spot in the right time wins or looses you your games.

    The game features several nations (such as Germany, UDSSR and USA). The game devs are actively adding more nations, and add new tanks to existing nations. You do not have to decide for a nation, and can have tanks of all nations if you want to. Most nations feature a wide array of vehicles, most of them are pretty distinctive from each other.

    You start out with tier 1 vehicles. By playing the game, each vehicle individually gathers experience, which you can use to improve your vehicle through researching better guns and other upgrades. Once you unlocked specific upgrades and gathered enough experience, you can unlock tanks of the next tier. The starting vehicles feel very similar to each other, but as early as you reach Tier 2 (which is a matter of 1-2 hours of even less) you can already feel huge differences between the individual vehicles. The highest tier is 10, and takes lots of time to get to.

    The game features 5 tank "classes".
    -Self Propelled Guns (Artillery, their task is to bombard key enemy vehicles)
    -Light Tanks (their task is to reveal enemies and hunt for Self Propelled Guns)
    -Medium Tanks (varying tasks, good allrounders)
    -Heavey Tanks (heavily armoured, heavily armed vehicle with very low maneuverability)
    -Tank Destroyers (destroying priority targets with their ability to pierce through thick armor)

    Each tank has Crew members. These crew members gather experience in battle, which increases their performance. Once their performance reaches a peak, they can start to learn additional skills or perks, such as faster repair of damaged tank modules, increased camouflage, or better tank maneuverability.

    The matchmaking is very balanced overall. Vehicles that feature roughly the same tier are put together in a match, and all classes are distributed among both teems in an equally balanced fashion. Some games can be frustrating if you happen to be the tank with the lowest tier in the match, but as often you can be top of the tier. Overall, the matchmaking is good and fun most of the time.

    World of Tanks is free to play. By playing normal games, you earn "Credits". These Credits are used to buy new tanks or tank upgrades that have been researched. It is also used to repair damaged tanks, refill ammunition, and to buy certain "Modules" that allow you to further customize your tanks (such as camouflage-nets to hide more easily, or tank gun rammers that decrease your reload time). You can invest real money in order to purchase "Gold". Gold unlocks premium memberships (these increase your income and experience), certain Premium Tanks (which are not stronger than other tanks, but have the advantage to earn more credits) and garage slots for more tanks. Everything else can also be bought with Credits.

    Even though this should result in a low buying-pressure, the opposit thing is the case. The more you play, the higher the buying pressure becomes. Unlocking more tank slots is essential if you want some variety in your played tanks. On higher tiers (tier 7 and up), the repair cost get horrendous, and it becomes really hard to earn credits without Premium Membership or Premium Tanks, while the prices of the tanks get higher and higher. This gets frustrating after some time. The prices for Premium Memberships, however, are fair and not over-the-top. Even Premium-Tanks with a high price-tag pay out due to their vast credit-earning ability.

    Here have some more Pros and Cons to playing World of Tanks.

    + Controls in this game are good and responsive, providing a satisfying skill-to-power ratio
    + Huge variety of distinctive tanks
    + Varying events on a regular base (at least once a week) keep the daily playing experience fresh
    + Games last only 3-15 minutes
    + Certain "Missions" are available at all time which are completed during normal gameplay, feels very rewarding

    - Buying Pressure ruins fun after some time
    - Some tanks are balanced in a very disappointing way (way too strong way too weak)
    - Playing with more than 2 other friends at a time gets complicated due to restrictions, except you play with 15 people (one team's size), then it is easy again.
    - Graphics are a little outdated.

    I recommend giving this game a shot. It is pretty fun, and it takes quite a while before the buying-pressure in this otherwise free-to-play-game kicks in.    … Expand
  22. Daematune
    Aug 19, 2011
    7
    Theres seriously nothing like World of Tanks. It starts out slow, and starts to chime in about after an hour or two of gameplay. Overall, it's a very remarkable game. You start out with no cash, and no real tutorial and a bunch of simple controls, nothing complicated or special. The tank controls itself are nice, it remains smooth and customizable through the 'upgrade' system-- there are aTheres seriously nothing like World of Tanks. It starts out slow, and starts to chime in about after an hour or two of gameplay. Overall, it's a very remarkable game. You start out with no cash, and no real tutorial and a bunch of simple controls, nothing complicated or special. The tank controls itself are nice, it remains smooth and customizable through the 'upgrade' system-- there are a bunch of combinations too for several gameplay styles or preferences. Balance wise, the game tends to be too rewarding to people who buy 'gold'. Everything from slightly better tanks, more powerful ammo and the ability to host a platoon (group/party) with more than one friend (Yeah.. seriously) costs gold. However, the in-game cash system is exceptionally fair, the amount of cash you can obtain per game tends to be a lot, there are also very helpful 'power ups' that are near priceless when in combat, these do not cost gold, but are very expensive. The game itself is very, very team dependent, 90% of games I've played I either hear people whining or not developing any form of strategy, it's very quiet and tends to be awkward. Overall, I would give it a try it's free, theres nothing to lose. If you love strategy games or just want to try something new try out World Of Tanks.… Expand
  23. Kawflin
    Oct 16, 2011
    5
    The lack of diversity in multiplayer gaming modes makes the game more boring the longer you play. As tanks get heavier and heaver the fun is mostly removed from the game. Tanks seem unbalanced based on damage and reload for the same tiers. Once new game modes are added the game will likely be more enjoyable.
  24. davido
    Nov 23, 2011
    5
    I've been playing this for almost a year now, since Open Beta and have about 7000 battles in total. The current version is 0.67. I'm an absolute nut for WW2 armor, and I naturally liked the concept of WW2 armor FPS. The game is fun to play at first, and you can really pass time on the battlefields. But after a while I find that it has a couple of flaws. It lacks depth because in everyI've been playing this for almost a year now, since Open Beta and have about 7000 battles in total. The current version is 0.67. I'm an absolute nut for WW2 armor, and I naturally liked the concept of WW2 armor FPS. The game is fun to play at first, and you can really pass time on the battlefields. But after a while I find that it has a couple of flaws. It lacks depth because in every battle, you get a random team. So sometimes you get a good team, and at other times complete noobs - and that really affects the outcome of your battle. There's no character or team development at all. You can't practice your tactics or improve your team, because your team mates keep changing. I find that battle after battle, it just becomes meaningless fragging. Although the game is free to play, but there are many disadvantages. Such as once you get to the higher tiers, you can't really play without a premium account. The number of battles it takes to reach tier 8 SPG, or tier 8 tanks is just ridiculous unless you have premium account. Plus, without premium account, you'd go bankrupt when playing tier 8, 9, 10 tanks because they are designed to earn you very little credits and cost expensive repairs, so that you have no choice but to use premium tanks that make a lot of credits to make up for the losses. While I don't mind that its a paid game, but just be aware that nothing is for free. The match maker also does a bad job. Sometimes you get 5 high tier arties on each team, and they are put into a pointless map for arties (Ensk). Other times you get 5 T59s stacked on one team, and you already know who has the advantage for that battle. Of course sometimes it does a decent job too. The plus side is, nicely rendered and realistic tanks/graphics. Nice battle mechanics, good strategy mix such as tank destroyer, scout, medium tank tactics, etc which are all different. Each one requires different tactics to play. I'd give this a 5 because there are good and also bad.… Expand
  25. Lionhearted
    Mar 17, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amended review ~ Where to start with this one... I still play occasionally I have 15k+ games played, and a guild that can rub shoulders with the big boys but doesn't more often than not. Basics ~ 15 on 15 pvp matches Everyone plays a tank,spg,td or scout. Matches are near instant you click your tank ready you usually pay in 1 minute. Constant gratification It's kinda has a weird shaped enjoyment curve .. it's starts out great and then you start to get abused at tier 5-6. If you slog past this to tier 9/10 for simple love of the game and the genre you will continue to play. If not you will find better things to do with your time. It's a Russian game, which has it's pluses and minuses. Their original intent was to make WoW and they ended up with WoT. No clue how. So the bad first #1 The match maker is purposely trying to defeat you, you can change your fate through skill, teamwork and intuition, improvisation. But you will find that no one will win more than 60-65% of their matches because the match maker doesn't consider accurately the ability of various tanks, skill of the players (in and out of 3 man cell groups called platoons). And at this point with what over 100 tanks to choose from the problem is exacerbated and un-fixable, without a completely different game play design . #2 Micro-transactions ~ There isn't a less trustworthy way to to employ micro-transactions than selling power but that's EXACTLY what they do. They sell everything, it's like they read a game developers paper on what to do and what not to do and did everything anyways just because. Well a lot of games sell power, every pvp game does it, but none in the universe charge you as much as WoT will. You pay for tanks that grind experience faster, you pay to transfer experience from 1 tank to the other, you pay for bullets that will penetrate better and are more accurate, you pay to boost your tanks crew experience, you pay to paint your tank ~ everything in game has a very real dollar cost. There are a lot of givens and you don't have to pay a cent many do this ~ but you will never compete or progress at a reasonable rate unless you do. Those issues are bad enough to never ever return to a game. They are classic what not to do when making your video game mistakes of severe magnitude. #3 browser game that takes more time than a full time job, and just as involved in planning. Want and 8 hours a day job, manage a team in WoT and try to keep property. If you don't show up EVERY night of the week including holidays, and play as hard as you would and at any real life sports you'll get booted off the game map or never even make it on. That's minimum 15 players with reserves. But~ WoT is also relatable, when you play your tanks for the first time you really feel like your in a real tank. No game has delivered this ever, and for the market to completely overlook this until a Russian developer finally made a decent tank game is a shameful proof of what inbred circle proof marketing benefits the world. WoT has actually strategy, bouncing around like bugs bunny in other pvp games doesn't exist here. You THINK where you need to go you coordinate and you move tactically. Actual strategy, actual. Do you understand how completely foreign this is to video games these days that spoon feed everything to you? WoT is realistic, and you are constantly gratified. No waiting an hour for a group or even 10 minutes, jump in and play until it hurts. WoT gives you real choice, you get to decide what you want to play and how. Hundreds of tanks, hundreds of guns. Finally ~ I give WoT a 5, the gameplay is well above a 9 probably a 9.5 but the match maker and miserable micro transanction system ruin what could have been a benchmark industry changing game.… Expand
  26. lorienwarden
    Aug 8, 2011
    6
    Game is very fun in low-tier battles, but as you progress it becomes more and more static and boring. You are not allowed to make any mistakes, almost every attempt to play a hero and roll into action on full speed will be severely punished. Combat model isn't any good either, it's relies strongly on the RNG (for example, the penetration capacity of AP shells can vary from 170 to 280 mm ofGame is very fun in low-tier battles, but as you progress it becomes more and more static and boring. You are not allowed to make any mistakes, almost every attempt to play a hero and roll into action on full speed will be severely punished. Combat model isn't any good either, it's relies strongly on the RNG (for example, the penetration capacity of AP shells can vary from 170 to 280 mm of armor, so one shot can penetrate a very armored AFV and another will bounce from some mid-tier AFV).
    You can actually have fun in this game, but i wouldn't recommend go further than 3-4 levels.    … Expand
  27. RunicCaster
    May 20, 2013
    5
    For a Free to play MMO, World of tanks offers quite the package. Tanks are very well balanced and the combat script provides strategic and action paced play. While paying for Gold (the games in-game currency) does provide an advantage as well as purchasing the Premium Account boosts a players income and experience boost, as well as damage it isn't a required to enjoy the game, standardFor a Free to play MMO, World of tanks offers quite the package. Tanks are very well balanced and the combat script provides strategic and action paced play. While paying for Gold (the games in-game currency) does provide an advantage as well as purchasing the Premium Account boosts a players income and experience boost, as well as damage it isn't a required to enjoy the game, standard players are very well balanced. How ever some frustration can happen when a tank two tiers below can one shot a tank in one hit, leading to the term "cheaters ammo" any one can buy this ammo now though. the game does lack, there is no offline practice or a shooting gallery, except for the brief tutorial level provided. The game not a pay to win, but skill does take over in this world, I would recommend taking it to at-least a tier three game before rendering your own judgement and have fun!… Expand
  28. phdr_vrba
    May 19, 2013
    7
    World of Tanks is a great free2play title for several reasons:
    - Production values are great the graphics are very nice, gameplay is solid, quick reflexes are welcome bonus, yet far from necessity and you'd have to really suck at games in general not to get the hang of it during the first few matches. And you don't have to pay a dime for it.
    - You don't need to pay to win. Throwing money    World of Tanks is a great free2play title for several reasons:
    - Production values are great the graphics are very nice, gameplay is solid, quick reflexes are welcome bonus, yet far from necessity and you'd have to really suck at games in general not to get the hang of it during the first few matches. And you don't have to pay a dime for it.
    - You don't need to pay to win. Throwing money at the game will get you faster progress, less grinding. You won't get any significant advantages in combat. Only very few items that can be bought for gold (acquired for real money) cannot also be bought in some form for credits you make by playing the game. Only extra garage slots and premium tanks come to mind.
    - You are likely to throw some money at it anyway, simply because it feels like a full retail game experience that deserves to be paid for. (I may have spent around 150$ on the game over some 4 months, as far as I am concerned it was worth it. I don't really like grinding... or selling tanks I like, so, yeah a lot of garage slots were bought.)

    Eventualy though, somewhere around tier 7 vehicles (out of 10) your tanks will start to make less credits than the costs of repairs and ammo refills, so you will have to either grind credits with lower tiered tanks, or pay for premium account, which gives you +50% credits/xp. So far I have just one tier 7 tank (Porshe Tiger) and unless I do at least average damage in a match, I lose credits on it.

    Personally although I somewhat enjoy playing the Porshe Tiger, most of my favourite tanks are in fact tier 3 vehicles (most favourite being 38t). And you can get to tier 3 within a few hours.

    What pisses me the most about WoT (besides scouting) is... the players..uhm.. expressing their discomfort with abilities of their teammates. Matchmaking if fairly random, so outside high tier battles most your team will be bad regardless of what you end up with, so stop whining about it. And then there are czechs and to some extent polish people spamming chat with their crap. (And I am czech, so I know.) That in particular however won't be a problem unless you are from europe.

    Well, World of Tanks is still pretty enjoyable in the long term even if you are not into online stuff, random battles means random maps/enemies/game modes and there is always a lot of strategies you may want to try out with current setup. Various medals are attained for exceptional perfromance and usually you feel well rewarded for your efforts. It can be annoying when you end up being the worst tank in the roster, or when someone one-shots you at the first clash, or when you can't hit a thing with the artillery, but in most cases the game is still fun, you just need to find yourself the tanks you enjoy playing.

    Oh and by the way I got to World of Tanks through Girls und Panzer anime. I'd reccomend to everyone getting a GuP music pack, personally I find it way more appropriate and more enjoyble than the original music. Fans may also consider using some of the voice packs (I used to use Hippo team, now I roll with the Turtle) or some other GuP related mods.

    Panzer vor!    … Expand
  29. Glaice
    Dec 29, 2012
    7
    Fun free to play casual game if you want to blast tanks away in 15 vs 15 battles, but like its upsides it has its downsides, such as tedious grinding past tier 6 without a premium account, unbalanced premium paid tanks, a mixed game community where you got decent folks and complete assclowns and a downright TERRIBLE forum community. I would equate the moderators on the forum to SovietFun free to play casual game if you want to blast tanks away in 15 vs 15 battles, but like its upsides it has its downsides, such as tedious grinding past tier 6 without a premium account, unbalanced premium paid tanks, a mixed game community where you got decent folks and complete assclowns and a downright TERRIBLE forum community. I would equate the moderators on the forum to Soviet style authorities back in the USSR days, giving infractions for minor things.

    If you liked WW2 and the armored warfare or just want to blow **** up, give it a try but avoid the forums at all cost. They are a nightmare!    … Expand
  30. quaketorres
    Apr 9, 2012
    6
    Not a pure FPS, but combined with strategy.The game is free to play, and spending money doesnt make you better than a free player, just ur progression is fast.
    The only advantage cash gives you against free palyers is "Gold ammo", but almost never used in random battles where u use to play, but clan battles where the reward is gold is where this kind of ammo takes use.
    You have classes as    Not a pure FPS, but combined with strategy.The game is free to play, and spending money doesnt make you better than a free player, just ur progression is fast.
    The only advantage cash gives you against free palyers is "Gold ammo", but almost never used in random battles where u use to play, but clan battles where the reward is gold is where this kind of ammo takes use.

    You have classes as many FPS and making your role properly is mandatory for a succesful win.
    In this game doesnt win the one with better ping, the one who shoots first or the one who knows the map.
    You need to know the strengths/weaknesses of your tank and focus in your targets wisely.If you are a big tank with a BIG gun, you must focus in big tanks, medium flankers and heavy defenders.
    If you are a weak(but fast) tanks, you must report enemy tanks location to bigger gun mates for sucess.
    Also you must know where to aim and the consecuences, here's where a huge part of the strategy takes part.Should I detrack a tank? direct damage? destroy its cannon?

    Overall a good game.

    The only true con i see is the matchmaking system.Playing vs +/- x lvls tanks sometimes makes you have no chance against the enemy or 1shot all the entire enemy army.    … Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Best PC Game of 2011
12
#12 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
8
#8 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. Games Master UK
    Dec 18, 2012
    80
    Bucketloads of depth and surprisingly simple to jump into. It's free, too! [Jan 2013, p.84]
  2. Gamereactor Sweden
    Dec 12, 2012
    80
    World of Tanks is the ultimate tank battle game, and with a price tag of 0 whatever your currency is - there really isn't anything major to complain about.
    Read full review
  3. GamingTrend
    Apr 10, 2012
    88
    It combines aspects of great RPG games and first person shooters, wraps them into a package that will appeal to the historian, and tosses in a dash of addiction to combine into one great final product.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »