It has been a very long time since there was a game that managed to keep hardcore flight sim fans happy, and while Warplanes still has its’ casual-player roots established, there is no denying the fact that it delivers a gameplay with enough depth for purists to get immersed in. The dogfights are fast paced and engaging -even when playing at the lower tier rounds, the fights can get pretty hairy. And it goes without saying that the fights get all the more challenging and fun once you start gaining levels.
Visually, the game is a whole lot better than World of Tanks -not to say that fighter planes look cooler (though we do think they are), but basically, the game is able to put more resources on the details and textures of the planes. The ground is naturally not so well detailed, but that is hardly an issue since you will be too busy flying above it to notice. We do wish that the contrails were a little more visible (though purists would insist that most of the featured planes will not leave distinguishable contrails), since it makes the aftermath of the battles look a whole lot more magnificent.
Controls-wise, this game is easy to learn but difficult to master -and that is our favorite kind of controls. Naturally, anyone with previous experience in flight simulation games will have a bit of an advantage -the ability to easily navigate and determine your orientation is a big factor. Also, having a bit of know-how with regards to the basics of airborne maneuvers will allow you to spend more time on your opponent’s tail as opposed to keeping them off your back. That said, it is impressive how this game incorporates the use of various flight maneuvers letting you get an advantage in the middle of a fight (since pulling them off is not as easy as it sounds).
Team on team combat is a great idea since it allows you to focus on various objectives such as flanking, defending, attacking, and other various roles. Communication and teamwork are crucial if you want to win victories on the upper tiers of the game -expect to be dealing with small wings of well-coordinated players too, and before anyone cries foul, that is exactly what the developers of the game is trying to encourage: for players to make friends with one another and help each other out.
For a free to play game, World of Warplanes stands to offer a lot to players -both to those who play for completely free and for those who actually do spend in the game. As expected, there are certain advantages when you decide to shell out a bit of cash to buy a good plane; just remember to do so only when you have played the game long enough to actually know what kind of plane you would want to have. Because once you do know what kind of fighter role suits your play style the best, having the right aircraft for the job would completely make your gameplay experience much better.