War Thunder

 PlayStation 4
User Score
3.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 657 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 191 out of 657
  2. Mixed: 77 out of 657
  3. Negative: 389 out of 657

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  1. Daemonos
    Jan 27, 2016
    4
    Warthunder started out as a great game... but only in papers!

    While on PC version i would give a better score due to mouse/keyboard in PS4 version on the other hand its just too complicated! This game is too much cmplicated with so many controls even in arcade more that you will get frustrated in the first 5 minutes of playing! Lets sum up Pros: - Graphics - Models - Idea - Not    Warthunder started out as a great game... but only in papers!

    While on PC version i would give a better score due to mouse/keyboard in PS4 version on the other hand its just too complicated!
    This game is too much cmplicated with so many controls even in arcade more that you will get frustrated in the first 5 minutes of playing!
    Lets sum up

    Pros:
    - Graphics
    - Models
    - Idea
    - Not a P2W (Pay to Win)

    Cons:
    - Controls
    - NOT user friendly
    - Too much complicated Hangar screen.
    - Not a game for PS4    … Expand
  2. Arthurios
    May 11, 2014
    4
    Pretty boring. You have to fly like 2 minutess to get in battle then 30 seconds to find another enemy and chase him for 2 mins until 60 th hit brings him down.
  3. Potenz
    Dec 29, 2014
    4
    Basicly this is an insult to any WWII enthusiast, FM's and DM's are way too basic and biased towards russian side, graphics are nice but that's all, gameplay is quite chaotic with no clear objective, now the GF part is as unhistorical as the plane parts, with a totally nerfed German side, in every aspect, if you are looking for some realism totally avoid this game, and if you don't avoid it too.
  4. LandenWolf
    Jun 10, 2016
    4
    This is not a free to play game.Its a pay to play well game. Playing the game without paying for upgrades or golden eagles is a royal waste of time. It can take you literal months to get the plane you want, and that's if you play somewhat well. Hostile planes take entire belts of ammo to take down, Boom and Zoom planes with cannons (and about 1000 golden eagles dumped in) are veryThis is not a free to play game.Its a pay to play well game. Playing the game without paying for upgrades or golden eagles is a royal waste of time. It can take you literal months to get the plane you want, and that's if you play somewhat well. Hostile planes take entire belts of ammo to take down, Boom and Zoom planes with cannons (and about 1000 golden eagles dumped in) are very unbalanced. Very inconsistent damage models and an awful community to boot.… Expand
  5. zombiepenguin
    Dec 22, 2013
    3
    What seems to be a great game at first, soon falls short. There are way too many micro-transactions and gimmicks. The graphics are pretty, but that is about all it has. The gameplay is fun at first, but because of no variety in gameplay it becomes repetitive.
  6. LoliPoltergeist
    May 19, 2014
    3
    War Thunder, I've been around since before patch 1,25 and I came to learn more people (Alpha testers, Mods, devs, Gaming masters, users, historical consultants etc.) than most people in the game. Initially when I stumbled across War Thunder I instantly fell in love the with idea of an all-out combat 'simulator' and as such I signed up and was surprised by the small user base. I learnt whyWar Thunder, I've been around since before patch 1,25 and I came to learn more people (Alpha testers, Mods, devs, Gaming masters, users, historical consultants etc.) than most people in the game. Initially when I stumbled across War Thunder I instantly fell in love the with idea of an all-out combat 'simulator' and as such I signed up and was surprised by the small user base. I learnt why it had such a small user base really quickly; Gaijin's inability to tackle problems and find solutions in a sensible amount of time.
    Where should I start? Let me do it at with the current existing game modes (Patch 1,41), currently there are 3 game modes; Arcade Battles (AB), Realistic Battles (AB) and Simulator Battles (SB). Tanks have gone into OBT and now all are free to play them, however currently tanks are separated from planes (Why? In the CBT you could play both tanks and planes together) however both tanks and planes have the same type of game modes.
    Let me start with the positive sides of War Thunder, nice graphics (For both planes and tanks), detailed tank/plane models, mostly accurate tank/plane models, some real life based settings and the massively improved Custom Battles. However right here is where I have to stop, there are just too many negatives that plague this game as of late. Currently the Battle Rating (BR) system (The MatchMacker uses the BR to fill games) is completely messed up, a Meteor F3 has a BR of 6,7 whilst it's German counter-part the Me262 has to enjoy fighting Korean era Sabres. You can see this across all the tech trees of all nations, e.g. the F4U Corsair (Late war plane) is rated at a BR of 3,3 and it enjoys fighting early war planes, am I the only one that finds this ridiculously stupid? Then there are other things such as repair prices of planes (My God take a look at the N1K2 for Japan and it's BR whilst it's US adversarie the F6F enjoys a low repair cost and low BR) as well as the damage output of all cannons of all planes/jets. Things like these, the fundamental of the game are broken, they broke it with this patch, previously it worked half fine however now it's simply broken which is just sad considering how much time I invested into the game.
    Now there is another glaringly obvious problem (Not the rotten community) but the corrupted, underage and childish moderation team. One might ask, well how do you know that they are corrupted? Can you show us evidence of this? Go and ask some of the older players that stopped playing the game (Guys from A01 for example) and they can tell you all about the lovely PayPal payments that some moderators received (There are even YouTubes videos about it). The Mods and GMs ban based on the players they dislike that is always fun is it not?!

    So how do we conclude? Well it's rather simple, don't touch the game until its major fundamental flaws have been ironed out and the moderation team has been subbed out for a more mature one.    … Expand
  7. Carolusrex
    Jun 17, 2018
    3
    Nice graphics...but that's it. Actual gameplay is usually horrible. War Thunder has serious balancing issues. In most cases the average player will find himself in a clearly disadvantageous position, facing much tougher tanks and is forced to "play" the role of a sitting duck, not capable of influencing anything. A really frustrating waste of time, no fun at all.
  8. MayallRob
    Jul 15, 2020
    3
    Great attention to detail and good physics engine, but ultimately let down by a woeful user interface, complete lack of training, no decent single-player mode, and an unlock tree that would take a lifetime to unlock if you're not willing to pay. A shame, because this would have been the best WW2 aviation game, but as it is it's just not fun to play.
  9. Mihail_
    Jul 23, 2020
    3
    Игра говно, все что вам нужно про нее знать .
  10. GridlYYY
    Sep 8, 2022
    3
    Absolutely unbalanced games. Specially Americans tanks tree. On their rangs they absolutely useless
  11. werwolf5170
    Jan 21, 2019
    2
    Graphics are awesome, but when it comes to the game it totally blows. Tier 2-3 tanks against mid to late WWII or even better Cold War tanks against tier 2-3 tanks ? how is this fair ? The whole spin "reward" is a crock of crap and predictable which just gets you to buy into the scam crap their trying to sell .. Its honestly not worth your time.
  12. goodpoints
    Oct 5, 2014
    2
    Just absolute garbage. There is no way this should be considered a finished game. Start with the atrocious UI, discover that tank combat is broken and virtually nonexistent, and then that literally NO ONE plays on realistic or simulator mode and you've got a formula for a guaranteed waste of time. Oh, and apparently there's no requirement that the times fly aircraft of the proper factionJust absolute garbage. There is no way this should be considered a finished game. Start with the atrocious UI, discover that tank combat is broken and virtually nonexistent, and then that literally NO ONE plays on realistic or simulator mode and you've got a formula for a guaranteed waste of time. Oh, and apparently there's no requirement that the times fly aircraft of the proper faction or even time period. After spending about 5 minutes flying into the actual fight in my I-153 Seagull only to be promptly shot down by an F-86 Sabre with Japanese markings (purposely this was in Stalingrad), I decided it was time to stop.… Expand
  13. Moradin
    Jan 31, 2017
    2
    I started playing in August 2014 and while the graphics are quite nice, the playability (very firm pay2win formula) runs very much against the title. Forget about the official message of tier based fighting to make things more fair, the more you pay for the in-game various boosters: (vehicles, or 'in-game currency') the more you win, it's very simple. Play it on a rainy day with yourI started playing in August 2014 and while the graphics are quite nice, the playability (very firm pay2win formula) runs very much against the title. Forget about the official message of tier based fighting to make things more fair, the more you pay for the in-game various boosters: (vehicles, or 'in-game currency') the more you win, it's very simple. Play it on a rainy day with your mates, but don't expect anything other than the other pay2win titles out there.… Expand
  14. strangecat
    Mar 16, 2017
    2
    더러운 소뽕게임이라 밸런스 초토화다 지네나라 만 이긴줄아나 무기대여법아니였으면 지네나라 뭐고간에 없어졌을텐데 하여간 역사왜곡놈들이라 게임개발못하게해야한다 게다가 러시아 빨갱이새끼들은 운석쳐맞고 사라지길빈다
  15. Stasolo
    Sep 18, 2017
    2
    Хотите расшатать себе нервы и слить побольше денег - Вар Тандер Ваш выбор!
    Вас будут кидать на 1-2 уровня больше, которые будут убивать вас с одного выстрела.
    Да, это не игра в танчики, это дуэль на коробках, кто первый выстрелит тот и выиграл. Углы, рикошеты, не пробитие - это все не сюда.    Хотите расшатать себе нервы и слить побольше денег - Вар Тандер Ваш выбор!
    Вас будут кидать на 1-2 уровня больше, которые будут убивать вас с одного выстрела.
    Да, это не игра в танчики, это дуэль на коробках, кто первый выстрелит тот и выиграл. Углы, рикошеты, не пробитие - это все не сюда.
  16. yizran
    Jan 3, 2019
    2
    Played for the past four days, aircraft. Was fun at first, although there are so few players that bots are necessary to make teams, usually 2 players on each side, with 8-12 bots on each side. Bots are incredibly stupid and inept.
    Graphics are interesting, with aircraft paint schemes taken from coffee table books about aircraft. The game is ahistorical, with 1932 biplanes fighting    Played for the past four days, aircraft. Was fun at first, although there are so few players that bots are necessary to make teams, usually 2 players on each side, with 8-12 bots on each side. Bots are incredibly stupid and inept.
    Graphics are interesting, with aircraft paint schemes taken from coffee table books about aircraft. The game is ahistorical, with 1932 biplanes fighting Russian fighters from 1943, for example. Damage is unrealistic.
    Matchmaking is horrible, and is probably the worst thing about the game. Planes are rated based on powerfulness with 'Battle Rating'. A biplane, for example, will have BR 1.0. An F4U Corsair has battle rating 2.7. And so on, with jets at BR 7.0 and beyond.
    Difference in BR is huge, reflecting how fast airplanes fly, how maneuverable they are, and especially how lethal the weaponry is. A difference of 1.0 in BR is huge, and anything above 1.0 difference rapidly will become a turkey shoot.
    Matches consistently put players up against other players with aircraft 1.6 to 2.0 BR higher, making them no contest affairs.
    Advancing through the game is very tedious, requiring 'grinding' out battle after battle on the same maps, over and over again, in order to gain points to unlock new aircraft and crew abilities.
    Pay to play accelerates advancement to warp speed, which is the main incentive for spending money on the game.
    The second incentive would be the 'premium aircraft' (in other words aircraft that are only available through purchase). These are 'pay to win' aircraft, superior to normal aircraft at their same BR.

    For new players: DONT BOTHER with War Thunder. It is fun for a day or two, and then unless you want to spend money to advance, you will be in uneven match after uneven match. It is not a flight simulator, so there is no realism to draw you in. It is just an ahistorical grindfest, quickly becoming a boring drain of time, and if you are not careful, your money.    … Expand
  17. Rafael033
    Dec 7, 2021
    2
    This game is unplayable for 5 reasons:
    1-you mostly found in situations were you can't do nothing and the only thing you can do is Just cry for you mommy.
    2-the Premium Tanks are in the most Very more powerfull than the normal tanks. 3-the grind in this game is Very slow and painfull. 4-This game is basically pay to play when you passes rank 2. and 5-this games is the most painfull thing    This game is unplayable for 5 reasons:
    1-you mostly found in situations were you can't do nothing and the only thing you can do is Just cry for you mommy.
    2-the Premium Tanks are in the most Very more powerfull than the normal tanks.
    3-the grind in this game is Very slow and painfull.
    4-This game is basically pay to play when you passes rank 2.
    and 5-this games is the most painfull thing in the world.
    The only good thing is the graphics, which is what most people say that is good in this cash grabber game.    … Expand
  18. Toreno17
    May 22, 2023
    2
    War Thunder itself is a very fun game, allowing players to unlock and use numerous air, land and naval vehicles from the interwar period all the way to the modern period!

    However I have had the benefit of playing this game since 2013. Since that time the ability to progress and purchase new vehicles has rapidly diminished due to various changes to the ingame economy and research gains,    War Thunder itself is a very fun game, allowing players to unlock and use numerous air, land and naval vehicles from the interwar period all the way to the modern period!

    However I have had the benefit of playing this game since 2013. Since that time the ability to progress and purchase new vehicles has rapidly diminished due to various changes to the ingame economy and research gains, making the game extremely hard for newer players to get into unless they purchase premium accounts or vehicles, something that should never be mandatory for a game but too often is when playing War Thunder.

    I believe War Thunder can have a very bright future if Gaijin reverses the changes it has made to the games economy in recent years, but I fear that if they do not that the game has a high chance of a very bleak future indeed, one I hope does not come to pass.

    From a gameplay perspective this should be an easy 9/10, but taking into account the above issues I have to leave my score very low for the time being, though of course this can be changed if steps are taken to rectify those issues.    … Expand
  19. GhostCoffee
    May 24, 2023
    2
    The game itself has promise, and this promise is what keeps people playing, there are wonderful information and historically (somewhat) accurate veichles, BUT the game is a cash-grab, the developers keep raising the price for "Premium subscription" which is the only way you will get any enjoyment in the long run, the game is HEAVILY focused on grinding, you need to do well to even stand aThe game itself has promise, and this promise is what keeps people playing, there are wonderful information and historically (somewhat) accurate veichles, BUT the game is a cash-grab, the developers keep raising the price for "Premium subscription" which is the only way you will get any enjoyment in the long run, the game is HEAVILY focused on grinding, you need to do well to even stand a chance at progressing to better veichles, and even when paying insane ammounts compared to other subscription based games, you will still be grinding for ages.
    Developers keep making it harder to earn currency to progress, and keep the price for paid content unreasonably high, and have for years ignored the playerbase and their requests.
    At this state i cant give it anything higher than a 2, or even reccomend it to anyone expect machocists    … Expand
  20. Deathum
    Jul 25, 2015
    1
    Warthunder started out as a great game, but it is the perfect example of an amazing idea, horribly executed.

    The developers no longer listen to feedback, partly because the forums are run by a bunch if elitist fanboys, who ban any critics, interupting the flow of information between player and developer, and partly because Gaijin would rather increase their profits as much as possible,    Warthunder started out as a great game, but it is the perfect example of an amazing idea, horribly executed.

    The developers no longer listen to feedback, partly because the forums are run by a bunch if elitist fanboys, who ban any critics, interupting the flow of information between player and developer, and partly because Gaijin would rather increase their profits as much as possible, rather than focus on making the game better, or more enjoyable. I have spent over 100$ trying to make the grind bearable, but finally gave up due to a combination of every new patch taking the game further and further in the wrong direction, and the amount of horrible players ingame who do nothing but hinder their teammates.

    I used to have alot of fun playing warthunder, but now i find myself closing the game down after a round or two because all it does, is make me angry because i feel every second spent playing is a huge waste of time. You WILL NEVER want to play again once the "new game euphoria" wears off.

    If you feel like spending 300+ hours(with a premium account) trying to grind out a single tier 5 vehicle, then this is the game for you. If you have even the tiniest shred of self respect, do not spend a single cent on this game.

    The only reason i have given this a one, and not a zero, is because of Air Simulation battles. (Ironically the least developed game mode)    … Expand
  21. SpartaCommand
    Jun 12, 2014
    1
    I think it is bad when I am playing a game and all I am thinking about is playing another. That is what was going on here. I spent the entire time thinking 'this was better on World of Tanks, or World of Warplanes. And when I thought that for like the 5th or 6th time I just closed War Thunder and went to play those.
  22. ice05
    May 21, 2023
    1
    The economy, grind, and pay to win has gotten so rampant it's nearly unplayable. Horrible greedy company who ruined a once great game.
  23. Ticonderoga
    Feb 12, 2016
    1
    What a disappointment. Unstable flight parameters which sees you flying through clear blue skies in one frame and lying in a burning heap in the next. Change your viewer while approaching target will cause your aircraft to suddenly going in a whole new direction. twenty-one awarded hits on an aircraft, one of which was critical, and it still is not destroyed. Yet one shot on your ownWhat a disappointment. Unstable flight parameters which sees you flying through clear blue skies in one frame and lying in a burning heap in the next. Change your viewer while approaching target will cause your aircraft to suddenly going in a whole new direction. twenty-one awarded hits on an aircraft, one of which was critical, and it still is not destroyed. Yet one shot on your own aircraft shears the wing off completely. All together this game is worth the nothing I paid to play it. And yet War Thunder has the potential to be a great game, should the programmers ever wake up.… Expand
  24. Emacs25
    Dec 16, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. List of major problems with this game:

    1) Devs are not looking for feedback
    2) Devs are not playing their game
    3) Some really serious balancing issues. Devs make this intentionally (and admitted it directly). So, playing for your favorite nation may turn into a pain.
    4) Maps suck big time. Unrealistic, built with mandatory building somewhere at the center so forget about long range fights.
    5) Grinding is painful.
    6) Unrealistic physics, both in flight and ground vehicles.    … Expand
  25. ZaharLatyshev
    Sep 5, 2019
    1
    I didn't like this game, I tried to play for a week and quit this. Very poor graphics and gameplay, in battle people do what they want and only few people are interested in victory. In addition a lot of cheaters. Also for me there is little atmosphere in the game, everything is sparse. Even small problems in the game don't corrected quickly. There are games much better.
  26. Pagaille21
    May 21, 2023
    1
    The game has simple gameplay modes - same ones we’ve been doing for 20 years. The UI is impossible on ps, need a keyboard The sound design is incredible due to recent updates. Damage modules of the tanks isn’t consistent. Get used to hearing your teammates whining. It takes a part of your brain. It’s not worth it. Avoid. The recent economy changes made this game not worth it
  27. Norragami
    May 23, 2023
    1
    Well.....since all the above have been about a bad, greedy, unresponsive, developer that had a good product and destroyed it. I can't think of anything else to add..... except that they do a disservice to good developers with this gaming turd they laid.
  28. Zanos
    May 20, 2023
    1
    Look somewhere else the game is run by a company worse than EA. From how predatory the game is to how much they gaslight the players to wanting to blame them look elsewhere
  29. Crysman
    May 21, 2023
    1
    Developer made game economy so bad in recent updates and years, that is hard to earn any game currency or xp for new vehicle
  30. Armaeger
    May 21, 2023
    1
    The economy sucks ass, and the developers are the worst people I have ever seen.
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Awards & Rankings

56
#56 Best PS4 Game of 2014
18
#18 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014
19
#19 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. GameSpot
    Jul 9, 2014
    80
    While the initial learning curve is daunting, this is one of those games that opens up dramatically the more that you play it, so the time commitment is worthwhile whether you're a laidback dogfighter or a hardcore simmer.
    Read full review
  2. IGN Italia
    Jul 6, 2014
    87
    The Ground Forces expansion makes War Thunder even bigger than it was already, an MMO F2P that lets you choose the war you want: simulation or arcade, air or ground, challenging or relaxing, competitive or cooperative, free or with fee, PC or PS4.
    Read full review
  3. IGN
    Jun 20, 2014
    72
    It’s mostly the moments in between battles that bring the whole experience down, as a lack of information and poor menus tarnish this flying ace.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »