Wargaming.net has been on a roll in the past few years, bringing its portfolio of action-packed games to every platform possible. From World of Tanks to World of Warships, these free-to-play games have been played by millions, known for their thrilling gameplay and visual style, as well as minimizing the need for microtransactions. This is most especially true for Stack-Up Dot Org, which forged Operation Lifeboat with Wargaming.net and World of Warships earlier this year. Coming fresh off the Nintendo Direct mini, Wargaming.net and Nintendo have entered the heavy metal combat arena with the release of World of Tanks: Blitz the Nintendo Switch. After some time with it, this is one of the best free-to-play games on NIntendo Switch, next to Brawlhalla.
World of Tanks: Blitz is a more mobile interpretation of the original World of Tanks, designed for mobile and smart devices. In World of Tanks: Blitz, Players fight in 7v7 battles, buying, researching, and upgrading a large collection of tanks. This collection of tanks are organized into various tiers. The lower the number, the smaller and more agile a tank is. The higher the tank, the larger and deadlier a tank becomes. Each round is a 7v7 battle of Search and Destroy. To win a match, players either secure the headquarters by holding the spot, or eliminate the entire enemy team.
World of Tanks: Blitz invites players to learn the basics of movement and combat. Two important tips involve the rotation of the tank, and the placement of shots. Players move faster than the turret turns. To increase the chances at victory, players factor in the speed of moving the camera, and the slow speed of the gun turret catching up. Where players fire and hit their target matters the most. A common rule is to shoot an enemy where they are least armored. The front of the tank is always the most armored. The weakest part of each tank is its side. A successful shot on the side can temporarily disable an enemy tank, or cause immense damage. The chosen tank, and its cannon, matter greatly in successfully destroying an enemy tank. Following this brief tutorial, players are hurled onto the battlefield.
World of Tanks: Blitz is excellent to play on Nintendo Switch, with virtually no technical problems or compromises, save for a few visual blemishes. World of Tanks: Blitz has a large player population, meaning that there are battles constantly happening at a all times. Hopping into a match and getting thrust into a battle takes very little time, encouraging those on the go to grab a quick round or two. The sensations and feeling of movement and combat are appropriate, polished, and responsive.
As mentioned before, each tank handles differently, which includes different armaments and capabilities. This also includes speed, reloading, and what type of round is loaded into the barrel. Lighter tanks are more agile but tend to have weaker cannons for penetrating armor. These lighter tanks can be effective in identifying enemy tanks and working with other tanks to eliminate and destroy a single opponent in a combined assault. The heavier tanks lack speed but can more than makeup for it in firepower, with stronger cannons that can cause immense damage to lighter tanks. A keen tanker can easily pick off a tank from long-distance, especially if worn down by other tanks. Higher tier tanks become more modern, and therefore, feature deadlier armaments, such as TOW missiles that cause immense damage to opposing tanks.
Each round of World of Tanks: Blitz is incredibly intense and gripping. Every moment is fraught with danger, and victory is often attained by the skin of teeth. There are moments of intense shootouts, trading shots and blows and counting on the speed to which the tank reloads ammunition. There are additional moments where a well-coordinated team massacres players and their team, but also thrilling moments where a smaller tank obliterates a large tank in a true David and Goliath moment. This keeps each experience fresh and exciting, especially when trying different tanks. For the platform, World of Tanks: Blitz works well both in docked and handheld mode, and no technical problems were experienced.
As someone that hasn't played a World of Tanks game before, I found myself excited and delighted upon the accessibility of the game. I didn't have difficulties learning combat or mechanics. The game's menu was easy to navigate and understand, especially when acquiring new tanks, ammunition, crews, and items for battle. World of Tanks: Blitz is excellent, regardless if you are a grizzled tanker or a greenhorn.
World of Tanks: Blitz is a smaller and more refined version of World of Tanks, but it is absolutely not a "diet" version of the original game. Instead, World of Tanks: Blitz is a much more direct experience. The combat is great and the intuitive interface is strong as well. It'll be interesting to see what happens next.
A press key was generously supplied to Stack Up Dot Org by Tara Bruno PR for use on the Nintendo Switch
Comments