This preview is based on gamescom code played before the recently running World of Warships closed tests.

One of the best things about the ‘World of’ franchise is the gameplay differentiation between individual titles. The not-so-long-ago release of World of Warplanes doesn’t play like World of Tanks in the skies, despite the similarities in the core gameplay mode. Where World of Tanks is a sprint to cover, followed by a 50-tonne game of cat and mouse, World of Warplanes is a continuous game of tag, with temporary cover only present in the form of clouds and the prospect of flirting with pancaking while slinging around a mountain.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Wargaming.net has once again mixed things up for World of Warplanes. Unless you’re hiding behind friendly ships or ducking around islands on the outskirts of the map, you’re perpetually exposed to incoming enemy shells and torpedoes in World of Warships. Such was my experience during a hands-off tutorial followed by a single round of hands-on time with Warships in a specially designed match with and against AI.



While the final product will ship with a firm focus on PvP combat, this was a great space to test the waters and take note of the differences. Art director Anton Oparin was at the helm for the tutorial section of my time with Warships, while PR & marketing manager Maxim Chuvalov was the captain of the ship, very particular about hitting ‘R’ to repair the ship when Anton’s Battleship took too much damage. Considering the fact that fire impacts your ability to shoot efficiently, this is definitely a good topic on which to be vigilant.

It’s worth noting that the game is still a work in progress, even after the recent open weekend hands-on event, but that doesn’t stop it from being rather pretty. Such is the detail, in fact, that Maxim stated a single turret on a ship has the same poly count of a tank in World of Tanks, with an entire ship weighing in at 100,000 polygons. Those with lower-end PCs shouldn’t be too cautious of this prettification, though, as Wargaming.net is still forging a product that scales well between low and high-end hardware configurations.

Much like its older brothers, World of Warships separates its fighting vehicles into categories. In this instance, players choose between Cruisers, Destroyers, Battleships and Aircraft Carriers, with the latter instance also acting as a VIP ship that should be destroyed if it’s flying opposing colours, or protected if it’s waving your team’s flag. The different classes also represent a pecking order and rock-paper-scissors-style gameplay mechanic where the lighter and faster classes are purpose built to take down their lumbering opponents in bigger boats.

For instance, it may be tempting to stab red pins in enemies by way of a Battleship, but you’ll have to be on the lookout for faster Destroyers that can, according to Maxim, cripple or even destroy a Battleship with a single torpedo salvo. Given the 15v15 composition of the core gameplay mode, you’ll need to have faith in your teammates to stop you from swimming with the fishes. While a head-on Destroyer charge at a Battleship may sound appealing, Destroyers are countered by even nimbler Cruisers. On top of this, Carriers are only available in limited numbers per team and offer an RTS-like overview for launching plane strikes against enemy targets. Carrier players will get to choose from a floating hangar of recon planes, fighters, torpedo planes and dive bombers.



Anti-air defences are, thankfully, automated, with the only real consideration being that sticking close to friendly ships increases the potential of picking bogies out of the sky. Naturally, bunching up also affords fantastic target practice for enemy ships, so while working together is advised, staying too close isn’t wise. On top of this, I spent a lot of time zoomed in on long-range targets, which put me dangerously close to ramming friendlies on more than one occasion.

As I only had time for one round, it was impossible to ignore the allure of playing in a Battleship, which meant I wasn’t worried by incoming rounds. These tubs may be slow, but what they lack in speed they more than make up for in terms of heavy armour, incredible firepower and long-range cannons. Maxim informed me that Battleships could technically engage targets from as far as 20km, which meant there was no need to get in close to engage opponents. Accuracy does suffer over greater distances, and you have to lead moving targets, but if your trigonometry is good, you’ll find it easy to land hits on ships that choose to move in predictable lines.

Much like World of Tanks, you have a choice of armour-piercing or explosive rounds, which have different degrees of effectiveness against specific target types. My Battleship also had the option to launch a scout plane for spotting distant enemies, which is the perfect complement for lone-wolf players that want to sit at the back of a map and take on an artillery role. It is advised to at least partially close the gap, though, as there are benefits for targeting specific parts of a ship.

For instance, Maxim explained that players can damage or even completely destroy turrets. “You can damage them,” said Maxim, “which will affect their accuracy. You can set them on fire. If you hit the rack of ammunition under the turret, it will explode.” Beyond this, given the reality that a Battleship has to turn away from a target to allow all of its cannons to offer a broadside opportunity, there are some key tactical considerations to take into account when hunting foes. Considering the long reload times for the Battleship main cannons and the reality that exposing your side to an enemy opens you up for an easier torpedo attack, the Battleship doesn’t immediately present itself as an easy-win class, even if it is better suited for soaking up rounds.



To keep your eyes on the prize and avoid embarrassing hull-benders with stationary islands, you can set waypoints on the mini-map so you can return to the important task of blasting boats. Of course, if you’re sneaky, you can use the islands as cover and fire over them in a parabolic arc to take down enemy ships with zero change of retaliation… that is, of course, unless they flank you, as hit-and-run tactics are heavily advised for Cruisers and Destroyers. That being said, I didn’t have any issues fighting off the AI and finished my round with three ships destroyed and 11 damaged; not bad for a first-timer, but I doubt such success will be as attainable first time when fighting other humans.

At launch, players can expect an array of ships from Japan and the USA, with plans to add Germany, the Soviet Union and “other nations”, according to Maxim. They’re not all World War II-age ships, either, with Wargaming.net once again embracing the ‘golden era’ mentality for its units. Boats will be chosen from a selection starting in World War I and up to the 1950s, with the inclusion of experimental ships, much like the previous ‘World of’ outings. Considering submarines weren’t historically part of ship battles, they’ve been left beneath the waves and you shouldn’t expect to see them in the game.

While eSports is a distant consideration for World of Warships, Maxim said it would only be supported with the relevant tools and features if Warships picks up a “critical mass of players”. It’s refreshing to see Wargaming.net isn’t trying to replicate the success of World of Tanks by pumping out sequels, and World of Warships sails true as an interesting and engaging take on the Tanks gameplay formula. Once World of Warships sails onto PCs free of charge in 2015, gamers will be one step closer to Wargaming.net moving toward the inevitability of creating a hybrid war game that includes tanks, planes and ships.

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Nathan Lawrence can be found fragging n00bs in a variety of digital battlefields, but most commonly the ones from the franchise with a capital ‘B’. He loves games with a strong narrative component, and believes in a gaming world where cutscenes are no longer necessary. In his lack of spare time, Nathan can be found working on a variety of wacky script ideas, and dreams of freeing cinemagoers from unnecessary sequels and pointless remakes by writing films with never-before-seen twists and turns. But mostly he’s all about the fragging of n00bs.

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