Land, Sea, and to some extent… Air? | Full Review - War Thunder Mobile

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War Thunder Mobile, an extension of the popular War Thunder franchise, brings the adrenaline-pumping world of vehicular combat to the palm of your hands. Developed by Gaijin, this mobile adaptation offers a condensed yet authentic War Thunder experience, focusing on ground and naval warfare while introducing streamlined mechanics tailored for mobile gameplay.

🟩Pros +Smooth Gameplay Performance +AAA Graphics +Intuitive Touch Controls +Streamlined Progression System +Familiar maps, but modified for faster-paced battles with increased spawn points and closer starting positions. 🟥Cons -No dedicated aircraft warfare mode -Intrusive self-promoting ads for premium content

War Thunder Mobile easily stands out for its amazing console-like graphics. The game successfully maintains the signature War Thunder aesthetic, delivering remarkable graphics that hold up even on the limited hardware of mobile devices. The attention to detail in both tank and ship models, as well as the environments, is very impressive.

The art direction aligns seamlessly with the mobile platform's constraints. The user interface strikes a balance between functionality and aesthetics, providing essential information without overwhelming the player. The maps, while scaled down to suit the mobile playstyle, retain the essence of larger-scale battles found in the main game. This approach keeps battles engaging and fast-paced, fostering intense close-quarters combat and calculated strategic maneuvers.

War Thunder Mobile introduces novel gameplay mechanics to cater to the mobile gaming landscape. The controls are intentionally simplified yet intuitive, ensuring that players can dive into battle without the need for an extensive learning curve. Control schemes vary between the tanks and ships modes: tanks require constant touch and hold input for control, effectively translating the experience of maneuvering these massive war machines to touchscreens, while ships offer more of a command control system. Ships only require setting the target's forward or backward speed, with steering being the primary manipulation required.

The aiming mechanics in War Thunder Mobile offer a level of precision that players of the franchise will find familiar. With both drop and aim indicators, hitting your target requires strategy and skill. The game allows for adjustable zoom levels, ranging from no zoom to maximum. When at maximum zoom, the camera zooms in to match the size of the enemy unit, irrespective of distance, there is also a bit of auto-aiming / tracking involved so the camera follows the unit you are currently aiming at.

Death cams and enemy hit cams also exist, which provides a useful insight into what happened and what parts of the unit were hit, it even comes with cool animations.

While War Thunder Mobile only has ground (Tank) and naval (Ship) warfare for now, it still has aircraft integration. While the game doesn't offer dedicated aircraft warfare, players can summon them for temporary support and even take control, introducing a strategic element to battles.

The aircraft controls are already implemented effectively, and it wouldn't be surprising if the developers eventually decide to expand and include them as a third option in the future.

The progression system in War Thunder Mobile deviates from its main counterpart, introducing a unique way of unlocking vehicles and upgrading them. This system, based on "Platoons," rewards players for their gameplay efforts by unlocking new groups of vehicles across the board and enhancing existing ones.

The traditional research tree, individual vehicle or nation grinding, part system, from the main game is gone, and instead replaced by a linear unlock system, as well as an attribute system that all contributes to a much more streamlined experience.

The maps in War Thunder Mobile are very slightly modified versions of the classic maps from the main game. With three spawn points instead of the usual two and spawns positioned closer to the middle, battles tend to be more action-packed and more bite-sized, fitting for a mobile-centric on-the-go experience, with the battles usually lasting around five to ten minutes each. Bots are pretty much common in the early matches, but slowly gets filled with real people as you play more.

In terms of free-to-play monetization, War Thunder Mobile features a familiar strategy: the game is brim filled with self advertisements promoting premium content. These ads can serve as a gateway for players to explore and potentially invest in premium tanks and ships, enhancing their in-game experience. While this strategy may divide opinions among players, it's important to note that such practices are a standard part of free-to-play mobile games.

In my Snapdragon 888 device, the performance is actually satisfactory. I was able to achieve a locked 60fps on medium settings, with the option to increase the limit to 120fps. However, my phone wasn't able to maintain a locked 120fps performance. The overall performance feels polished and smooth, with no crashes or stutters.

Conclusion:

War Thunder Mobile proves to be a noteworthy addition to the mobile gaming battlescape. Its high-quality graphics and smooth performance are very impressive. The attention to detail in both vehicle models and environments is an immersive experience that is on par with the quality of the main game. Additionally, the streamlined mobile gameplay mechanics, which still remain authentic to the War Thunder experience, hit the mark perfectly. The absence of a dedicated aircraft warfare mode is disappointing, but here’s hoping that it will be added in future patches.