We’re often dealing with the question of what games deserve to be called MMOs and what games don’t deserve to be listed on our site. In this particular case, that of World of Tanks, we’re looking squarely at a title that probably shouldn’t be listed on our site. For while it’s a fun death-match style game all about tanks and the havoc they can be a part of, it’s not really anything more than that. Let’s give you a brief little synopsis on what WoT is all about:
Essentially what Wargaming.net is making is the ultimate tank-lover’s combat game. If you ever played and loved the N64 cult classic “BattleTanx: Global Assault” chances are you’ll be right at home in World of Tanks. With over 500 vehicles from light tanks to self-propelled artillery in the game, WoT is all about big damn war machines, big battles, and big explosions. The battles themselves can be randomly match-made, or consist of premade teams or clans.
But you should know right now that there’s no world to roam about, no persistent control points on massive maps to take and hold (yet) and the crux of the game at launch will be pretty much all about death-matches with a slant on gaining new vehicles and upgrades for your own personal garage. It does have promise a “Clan Wars” campaign that sounds similar to the AVA found in Global Agenda, but I was unable to partake in this feature at the time of this writing. So while Wargaming.net wants to expand on the premise and include control points and the like in their system, the base of the game will be built entirely around the death-match system players have come to know and love in titles such as Battlefield and Call of Duty. This is the same reason we struggled for so long with Global Agenda’s categorization, but as that game grew in scope and size, we were able to find reason to keep it listed on the site. World of Tanks would likely need the same sort development.
However, despite its tendency toward more of a “shooter” than an MMO, WoT is not a bad game. In fact, as stated previously, if you were a fan as I was of BattleTanx you’ll probably really enjoy yourself with WoT. It’s free to download and play, with microtransactions driving the revenue for the developer. You’ll presumably be able to buy different tanks, upgrades, and other such additions to your garage. There are however some RPG-like elements to the game. Your crew gains experience through battle, and as they gain levels they’ll gain skills that will help you repair your tank or increase your accuracy in combat.
It’s also worth noting that World of Tanks is very light on system requirements and will probably run well on just about anything. If you’re in the mood for some quick combat with a slant on heavy weaponry that spans the entire history of War, you can’t go wrong with WoT. It’s just not quite an MMO, and instead finds itself more in line with titles such as TF2, Call of Duty, and Battlefield. And I’m guessing that if you like and already play plenty of those titles, you might not have much reason to stray and give World of Tanks a try.
*Editor’s Note: As a result of Bill’s assessment, we will likely be removing the game from our list within the next few days.
