Fun Free Games: World Of Tanks

Look at it. Look at the beautiful, history-offending tank fleet.

You may have seen an ad on television that looks similar to this for a game. With tanks. And explosions. Tanks and explosions are fun! And it’s free! What’s not to like?

Very little, actually. World of Tanks is the flagship game from Wargaming.net, a game company which hails from, of all places, Belarus. In it, you are in charge of a tank that hails from the 1930s to the 1960s. You and your 14 teammates line up against another 15-tank team. The last team standing wins. It’s simple in theory, but very, very complex in execution.

Whether because the majority of these tanks drove through their backyard, or the devs are simply that technically-minded, the simulation of these tanks is impressive. It’s not enough to connect a shot. Depending on where you’re hit, the shot might slide off of your tank’s armor. Or explode and do very little damage. Or knock off one of the treads, preventing you from moving.

Further, each of the 100-plus tanks has available several interchangeable guns and parts. While most of these are straight upgrades, some provide meaningful choices. Whether to make your tank a good sniper from the hill halfway across the map, or a brawler that slings shells the size of your arm is a choice you will have to make at least once.

The game is free to download, and free to play. I have played hundreds of hours in my tanks, and have not spent a single penny for the time. What your money gets you, in this game, is largely convenience and aesthetics. Customizing your tank with custom insignias or camouflage costs real money, as do some premium tanks. Real money also helps you more effectively manage skills and upgrades for your tanks.

Except for the premium tanks (which are occasionally available without money via in-game missions), everything that you can buy with real money can be acquired with enough time and effort in the game. And whether you sink money into the game or not, there will be a lot of time and effort put into this game.

Tanks are distributed into 10 tiers based on their relative power level. You start in each nation with a single free tier-one tank, which must accrue experience for you to research the tier-two tanks. After hundreds of hours without paying, I have gotten to tier eight. There is a serious grind-wall at midway along the tiers, which is where you will spend most of your time. On the one hand, this forces you to slow down and learn what you’re doing. On the other, 500 battles in one tank gets boring.

If you’re a war games fan, or enjoy vehicle-based deathmatches, this is an excellent game. You can power through the tutorials and the first few tiers in a weekend, and that’s probably enough experience for you to determine whether the game is for you. Give it a shot — it’s free.