By now, World of Tanks is a franchise all of us know, whether through playing, ads, or just looking at the many collaborations it has launched. And while many have dived into this tank shooter or its Blitz version, some might have stayed away due to how daunting and time-consuming it might feel. World of Tanks: HEAT might be a solution for that, as it brings a new take on this legendary franchise by adding hero-shooter elements with the iconic complexity we love from the main series, and the result is something highly enjoyable, addictive, and easy to play.
A Tank Shooter for All
Frankly, I am not an expert when it comes to World of Tanks, and I’ve only played it sporadically. Yet, one thing I always loved about this tank vs tank shooter is how well it does the tactical aspect of lining up the perfect shot to bring an enemy metal behemoth down. Now, I got the opportunity to try World of Tanks: HEAT during its closed beta, and as someone who prefers games on the fast-paced side, I must say that it is looking quite promising.
World of Tanks: HEAT feels, oddly enough, like a hero shooter, but with tanks. You start the game with several Agents, each belonging to different roles: Assault, Defender, or Marksman. All of them have abilities that run on cooldown, and an ultimate one that triggers once it is filled up. And of course, the cream of the warfaring crop is the tank lineup, which is quite large and has several options to tailor your next match.
While I tried almost all Agents in the closed beta, I stuck with Marksman because there’s just this particular dose of dopamine you can only get by landing that perfect shot at an enemy’s ammo reserves. In any case, I rolled with Hound and my trusty long-range LEO 1A6A1 and started blasting.
The one thing I loved about Hound is how his passive skill revealed weak points in enemy tanks after aiming at them for two seconds, which made taking down enemies much easier, especially from a long distance. In terms of his skills, he has one to trap enemies, one to put up to three decoys, and his ultimate, which brings a guided missile down on an opponent.
While I loved Agent skills and thought they added an extra layer of strategy to the mix, the truth is that I ended up focusing more on landing critical hits on enemies instead of spamming my skills. And while many might argue that is the wrong way of playing, I never felt the game was punishing me for not using those abilities. Of course, making a good habit of executing them will make any battle go smoother.
In terms of balance, and this might be too early to tell, as this was a closed beta only, I never felt outmatched or in a spot where one Agent was ruling the battlefield. Teamwork plays an important role in every encounter, and while you may not have the same strategic depth as the mainline series, communication and coordination are key to completing objectives or winning some battles.
Now, in terms of the tactical element that World of Tanks is known for, HEAT manages to bring it, albeit in a simpler way. You can still use cover to avoid enemy shots, and you’ll certainly need to find a good spot to shoot, especially if you’re running Marksman. I appreciated this, as it felt less daunting than rolling around in a tank in the mainline title and not knowing what to do or how to use the map to your advantage. World of Tanks: HEAT is all about learning how to control and use your tank quickly and just start blasting every enemy you spot—it is highly intuitive.
Lastly, in terms of progression systems, I really don’t have much to say about them, as some were not available yet, or at least not on the tanks I liked. Yet, by the looks of it, there will be a lot of depth when it comes to customizing tanks, and I like how unlocking new parts encourages you to level up the tank first before you can customize it. How grindy will it be? That remains to be seen once the game officially launches, but the gameplay loop is solid enough that I wouldn’t mind spending some hours to get those coveted firepower mods.
Bringing the Action and Tactics To a New Landscape
In the end, World of Tanks: HEAT does an excellent job at bringing that tactical part many of us love from the main series, but simplifies it in a way that is welcoming to new players, especially for those who prefer fast-paced encounters. And even if this was only a beta, HEAT is looking pretty promising with all its systems and customization options. But, like any other live service title, we’ll need to wait for it to officially launch. Yet, as first impressions go, it is one game that I have on my radar and can’t wait to play again.
