World of WarshipsReview by Paul Fiander
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Game developed and published by Wargaming
You can find out more and download the game here |
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First it was land in World of Tanks, then Wargaming decided to take to the sky in World of Warplanes now though it's the oceans that have drawn in the World War 2 vehicle specialists. I will happily about this was the game that most intrigued me, I can not fly (seriously I'm woeful at in game flight) and although I love World of Tanks I have always been a water baby. So World of Warships should be the best of the bunch, the question though is it?
On balance I will say it is the best game for me, the mix between action and the RTS mechanics of the Carriers give it a level of depth that the other titles lack. Admittedly if you have no desire for RTS gameplay then this will not be a consideration in your decision. Even without this feature World of Warships is still a fascinating game to play in terms of tactics and mechanics. It really is a game where fast twitch means less than pre planning and strategy as you try to learn and adapt to the world of Maritime combat. |
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To kick things off though we need to look at the Free to Play aspect of the game. We received a press account for this game while it was in Beta and this allowed us access to the vast array of ships the game contains. However I tried to play the game as if I was just a normal punter and to be honest it was a grind. This is a title that rewards dedication once you have learnt the way to play the XP will come but the first few games can be rough. My piece of advice here is to look out for Double XP weekends where you can get your foot in the door at an early stage.
On the payment front Wargaming do have a Premium service where you get a lot more for money as listed below; A premium account provides the following bonuses: 50% more experience per battle 50% more commander experience per battle 50% more credits earned per battle, as well as a cleaner, nicer-looking port. |
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The increases are valuable and so it's an idea to look at dropping some money in order to rank up. This however works well as you can purchase the Premium account for a day (at around 80 pence) all the way up to a year (around the £60 mark). This flexibility allows you to play the game in the best way you see fit. This is a nice perk of Wargaming, however be careful about extending yourself too far as you will have to pay to repair your ships and this can be a drain on your ingame currency. The more expensive the ship the more repair costs will be. My advice be sensible with your purchases and rank up methodically.
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To the game; there are four main classes of ships each separated in a number of tiers. This serves two purposes to allow the player to play the game in their own style and to give the game a balanced matchmaking system. You will generally find that you are matched opposite a ship of the same type or at least tier. This makes each match feel winnable as you will see a random collection of Ships from high level Carriers to low level Cruisers. This can cause issues if you find yourself up against a higher level boat but them's the breaks. However if you learn the capabilities of your boat then you can beat the odds by playing smart. The biggest learning curve is the way the firing mechanics work, firstly there is shell (bullet) drop that feels realistic to say the least. Unless you are at point blank range you have to allow for this or you will be basically just creating waves. The learning doesn't stop there as each gun on a ship has a different position and this means the shells may come from a higher position than the last and that again will influence the trajectory of the shell. The HUD is your main ally here as you can see which gun will fire and slightly adjust your aim to compensate. |
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I spoke above about the Aircraft carrier class and these are my personal favorite. The Carriers themselves lack any type of weaponry except automatically controlled anti-aircraft guns (these can be bought and ranked up depending on the ship in question) they instead are a mobile platform for the player to launch aerial assault on the opposition. You get three classes of plane Fighter, Bomber and Torpedo, each are easy to learn to use and you will find especially with the torpedos an actual real world use for Trigonometry as you drop your arms at angles to intercept the ship in question. The same is true when firing weapons from the ships.
Visually the game looks stunning as the waves lap and the smoke piles out of the canons. The best piece of animation however is the sinking of vessles a sight you will get to view from both angles again and again. The sound quality also adds to the experience as the boom of a firing gun along with the time lapse in projectile impact can be one of the most nerve racking experiences in gaming. |
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From everything I have said above you may feel that I have pointed out more than a few difficulties with this game and to a point I have but I want players to come in knowing what to expect this is a technical game that will challenge you. If you accept this then the rewards of the game are great, the first time you sink a superior foe by out maneuvering them will make you feel like Lord Nelson and Sir Francis Drake rolled into one. This is my favourite Wargaming experience and I look forward to seeing you on the high seas in the months to come.
Images and review account provided by publisher
