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This MMO has you piloting numerous varieties of aircraft in military dogfights across the globe

This MMO has you piloting numerous varieties of aircraft in military dogfights across the globe

Vote: (108 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Gaijin Entertainment, LLP

Version: 2.11.0.116

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(108 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Gaijin Entertainment, LLP

2.11.0.116

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Fun combat
  • Active development
  • Large community
  • Balanced between historical and fun

Cons

  • Not yet finished
  • Controls take a while to learn

War Thunder is a free online war simulator game. It is large in scope, actively developed and has a strong online following. The game at first only featured air combat, but land and sea combat is being phased into the game as well.

The game features large teams of 15 or more players on each side, who fight to complete objectives and down each other's planes. The combat strikes a great balance between the realism of World War II-era vehicle combat and some arcade-style additions to make things a little more fast-paced and fun. War Thunder is a direct rival to games like World of Tanks and World of War Planes. The base game is free to play. There is a premium version available for money that grants players some minor bonuses and chances for later progress.

Players progress through the game by winning battles and completing objectives, which also brings in money and experience. These funds can be spent to upgrade old vehicles or unlock new ones. There is a wide array of historically accurate planes available. The game is still in active development, so not all planned features have yet been added, but the developers patch the game often to rebalance and add new content. The online community is large, which has led to the development of clans and other organizations. Due to its large scale, the big community helps to reinforce the feeling that the player is participating in a large war.

The graphics are good for a free game, and they scale well on a variety of systems. The controls take some getting used to because they are meant to mimic the historical abilities of the aircraft on World War II, although the developers know when to draw the line. The game is an excellent download for anyone who likes World War II simulations, the "World Of..." series or big combat games. It is a lot of fun to play and the progression system is very rewarding. The paid transactions do not detract from play too much by giving a large advantage to the team with the most paying players.

Pros

  • Fun combat
  • Active development
  • Large community
  • Balanced between historical and fun

Cons

  • Not yet finished
  • Controls take a while to learn