War Thunder

War Thunder soars high, even with the weight of its bloated menus holding it down.

Smooth and exciting aerial and tank action is at the heart of War Thunder, a big and broad multiplayer excursion back to World War II.

War Thunder rules the air but the lack of polish hurts, as does the dull ground warfare.

War Thunder Xbox One works well to provide an authentic experience whether you're on the ground in a tank or in the air flying around as a plane.

War Thunder is a solid flying shooter that is a must for flying enthusiasts.

For all of its variation in gameplay, War Thunder just never really feels very engaging. The extremely tactical nature that makes its closest relative so addictive just doesn't exist, and while that's not the only way to make a war sim entertaining, Gaijin haven't offered a suitable alternative.

In the end, whether or not War Thunder is for you will depend on how interested you are multiplayer planes battles. Tank battles are fun but that's not where it shines on PlayStation 4. Yet. With no cost to download or play, you owe it to yourself to hop into the pilot seat at least once.

War Thunder surprised me. I am not very good at it, but I still have a lot of fun playing it. Because it is a free-to-play game, some players will download it on a whim and quit 20 minutes in due to the poor controls. Those that brave the steep learning curve will be rewarded with a realistic combat simulator that could be truly great one day.

War Thunder has some issues here and there, but it's a very competent flying and ground war game that doesn't let its microtransaction component get in the way. There's plenty of tanks and planes to try out and modify to your liking, and just enough visuals to enjoy along the way. It's not perfect, but it's a solid game.

War Thunder is a gorgeous-looking and extremely competent flight combat game, though the lack of some of the PC version's game modes means it has yet to reach its full potential.