World of Warships is a free to play naval MMO developed by Wargaming that focuses primarily on PvP combat. Having been released for a little over a year now, there’s much more content for newcomers and veterans alike to enjoy.
There are currently 5 different playable countries (non-premium) whose vessels include destroyers, cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers. Which ship-line you progress through is entirely up to you. (Much like World of Tanks.) Each ship type has its role in the grand scheme of the battle and each country has its own “perks”, if you will, in naval warfare. Some players will be drawn to the stealthy destroyers that launch torpedoes in hopes of dealing mass amounts of damage while others will enjoy the more difficult, chess-like game play of aircraft carriers.
The mighty German battleship, Gneisenau, unleashing fury on a poor French baguette.
The first match I played had me hooked. I didn’t last long by any means, but the game play was rewarding. Seeing the damage I had done directly aid my team and the instant satisfaction of knowing I contributed compelled me to play more. I sat rubbing my hands together, chuckling when “Victory!” covered my screen, despite my ship being a mangled mess that my crew was now playing underwater poker in. World of Warships is definitely a game anyone can jump right into and instantly start having fun with. The matches aren’t very long, 20 minutes max, and the controls are pretty easy to pick up on. Though as you climb up in the tiers, you’ll definitely want to check out some videos for tips and tricks.
German battleship Friedrich der Große in all of her might.
After playing a few months I began noticing how active Wargaming is with updating the game. There’s always new missions, campaigns, ships, and much more being released. Wargaming has also been better than most about communicating with their community. (So far as to address historical inaccuracies brought up by users and to correct those that didn’t interfere with game play.) This is an aspect that shouldn’t go unnoticed, especially in an age where developers tend to become distant with their player base.
The American battleship, USS Iowa, ready to spread freedom with her 16 inch shells.
Overall, World of Warships is an enjoyable experience. I recommend it to anyone that’s infatuated with games such as World of Tanks, War Thunder, and the likes. It’s newbie friendly, highly addictive, and best of all-it’s free!