Take to the skies with your trusty 1900s-era warplane, shoot down your enemies, and become the esteemed ace!

Get inside your tank, charge forward, and fire your main guns and machine guns to obliterate your opponents.

Choose a country, go with their flags and machines, and fight your way to victory!

Gaijin’s War Thunder, rocks, and that’s an understatement. This free-to-play warplane and tank simulation game is all you need to sate your appetite for WWII ground and air warfare. With astonishing graphics and almost-realistic gameplay, it will feel as if you’re actually in the battlefields of East Asia, the islands in the Pacific, or the forests of eastern Europe.

There are two ways to play War Thunder, and both are equally amazing. You can take to the skies and fly iconic planes like the American P51 Mustang, Japanese A6M Zero, or the German Messerschmitt Bf 109. If you prefer to remain grounded, tanks like the Sherman, Tiger, and Panzer IV are available for selection. Whether you play via a warplane or an armored behemoth, there are numerous game modes to choose from, each able to give you hours of countless fun, action, and entertainment.

That being said, you can choose to play realistic or simulation/arcade. Basically, in the realistic mode, you get to play in realistic battles, and the planes play like how they were back in the day. Meanwhile, simulation/arcade prioritizes fun over everything else, perfect for the average gamer who just wants to shoot other planes down. The same concept applies when it comes to tank battles.

Anyway, the main draw of War Thunder is the 16v16 gameplay. Basically, you’re placed in a battlefield with 31 other players and you duke it out with them and at the same time, perform specific objectives. In tank battles you will be required to capture bases and packages, while in air battles, you will be bombing ground targets (others are moving) and at the same time, try to shoot down enemy aircraft. The maps range from deserts, European grasslands, and Pacific islands, all beautifully-made.

The aerial battles are tantalizing and nothing short of breathtaking. You can choose to play as a fighter plane, a fighter-bomber, or a huge, hulking bomber. Each type of aircraft has its own specific strengths and weaknesses, as well as roles. For example, fighters are speedy and easy to maneuver, making them ideal for plane vs plane warfare. Meanwhile, fighter-bombers can carry a large bombing payload, rockets, and have decent air to air fighting capabilities. Bombers meanwhile, are slow, but when used correctly, they can devastate ground targets with deadly efficiency. There are also times wherein you will be asked to land your aircraft, release the landing mechanisms, and use its different parts like its air brake, and flaps, adding to its realism.

As for tank warfare, you will be required to capture different waypoints in the map while shooting your enemies down. Though tanks can be classified as light, medium, and heavy, War Thunder changes the entire mechanic by introducing other types of vehicles, like machine gun trucks (which can destroy tanks) and those fitted with large cannons, which were actually used in war.

Apart from the main guns, you can also use the secondary weapons of various tanks. For example, the M3 Lee has a few machine guns, and two cannons: a 37mm one and a more powerful 75mm. You can fire both at the same time, making it deadly in frontal assaults. Furthermore, the battles are as realistic as they can get - one well-placed shot from an enemy can destroy your tank or kill your entire crew.

Controlling the tanks and planes may come as a headache for new players, but the tutorial stages teach you everything you need to know. In planes, you will be taught how to pilot it, drop bombs and fire rockets more accurately. In tanks, you’ll be taught how to fire your main gun, protect yourself, and capture various objectives.

Overall, War Thunder is an epic game, and you will be missing out if you don’t download it right now. The game does have its gripes, especially the confusing user interface and absurd upgrade system, but nevertheless, it’s arguably one of the best games of the generation!