
In fact, some of my favorite moments stem from times where I've been able to hear an approaching aircraft and pinpoint its location just by the sound as it buzzes from ear to ear. The planes sound terrific as their engines rumble to life on the airstrip, and the the sound of gunfire is deep and satisfying as bullets rain from the skies and bombs crash into fortified emplacements. Helping lift War Thunder even higher is the audio. I found War Thunder’s flow and pacing to be at its best here, but two other modes exist for the more hardcore enthusiasts: Realism mode increases the difficulty by adding limited ammo and harsher damage penalties, while Simulation takes it to the extreme, where a single mistake can spell doom, and you’re given no extra planes to respawn with.

Most of my time was spent in the action-packed Arcade mode, where vehicle damage isn’t as severe and you have unlimited ammo and multiple respawns. Proper team communication, like calling for allies to shoot a fighter off my tail, is essential for success – especially true when playing in one of the harder modes. Often times I would fly my Boston Mk1 bomber during Domination maps to lay waste to NPCs on the ground with hefty 500lb bombs, while my allies in more agile fighter planes handled base capture. Game types range from Domination to Ground Attack, and each has multiple objectives for different roles to complete, so you aren’t stuck doing the same thing repeatedly. Creeping across the vibrant landscapes in a tank was great but my favorite moments would occur as I crested a mountain and rays of light would wash over my aircraft. Whether in the sky or on the ground, the 16v16 matches are filled with beautiful vehicle models that bring these classic machines to life. While flying you’re bombing NPC tanks, so there’s no opportunity to coordinate between ground and air forces – somewhat disappointing for a game that offers both. To be clear, there is no interplay between the tank and plane combat. Astonishing graphics, authentic sound effects and beautiful music creating an atmosphere to fully immerse yourself in.You’re given the choice to fly through the skies in classic aircraft or stick to land and drive hulking tanks across large battlefields, though I found the air-to-air combat much better paced and fun. Regular content updates including new vehicles, maps, missions and nations. Rich PvE content including dynamic historical campaigns and solo missions. Intense PvP experiences in full-scale combat missions at various difficulty settings for all play styles and degrees of experience. 100 maps representing the main historical battle theaters. Over 2,000 highly detailed aircraft, helicopters, tanks, warships and other combat vehicles crafted carefully from historical documents and surviving sources. You can find yourself blasting your pursuers from a bomber turret, defending your teammates on the ground from an air raid with anti-aircraft guns, shooting down enemy planes with a firestorm from multiple rocket launchers, or trying to sink an enemy warship with a torpedo from a fast attack boat.

You can choose from over 1,900 vehicles and an extensive variety of combat situations many of which are exclusive.

In War Thunder, aircraft, attack helicopters, ground forces and naval ships collaborate in realistic competitive battles. Join now and take part in major battles on land, in the air, and at sea, fighting with millions of players from all over the world in an ever-evolving environment. War Thunder is the most comprehensive free-to-play, cross-platform, MMO military game dedicated to aviation, armoured vehicles, from the early 20th century to the most advanced modern combat units.
