Andrew Newton reviews World of Warships: Legends…
World of Tanks has been a phenomenal success on consoles and gained millions of fans so it seems only natural that Wargaming’s World of Warships has also sailed onto the Xbox One and PS4. Naval combat games are in short supply and with a variety of different classes of ships from different nations World of Warships: Legends offers plenty to play through.
For those who don’t know, World of Warships: Legends (as it’s known on consoles) is a free to play naval warfare MMO based on the warships of various nations. At present there are only three nations represented, the United Kingdom, United States and Japan, but if World of Warships on PC is any indication there are plenty more nations to come.
There are three classes of ships at present – Destroyers, Cruisers and Battleships (unlike the PC version there are no aircraft carriers….yet) with these classes being split into a tiered system. As with real life, each class of warship has a function in battle; the Destroyers are swift and agile vessels that run circles around most other ships and are more effective with their torpedo attacks than their main battery, unfortunately their hulls appear to be made of tin foil and an unlucky salvo from a battleship will sink your ship in one fell swoop as I have found out on more than one occasion. Cruisers are good all rounders that offer a decent balance between maneuverability, armour and firepower. Finally, Battleships can cause the most damage with a single salvo and provide the best in armour but are very slow and take an age to turn. Each of the three classes will require very different strategies to play but on the whole are excellently balanced and compliment each other well in battle.
Weapons are, for the main part, pretty well balanced and Wargaming gains extra points for battleships having a secondary battery that is controlled by the AI. However, the torpedoes that players can fire from cruisers and destroyers seem a little overpowered…. although realistic in terms of damage done, it does get disheartening when your battleship is unfortunate enough to bear the brunt of 6 torpedoes and sinks without taking a shot from anyone else.
Prior to the battle, players can kit their ship out with a variety of boosters which can boost XP earned or money gained from battles, and camouflage patterns which will have a number of benefits including affecting enemy accuracy and detection distance. As XP is earned on the ships there are a variety of modifications that can be attached that will improve their combat proficiency, these include mods that increase firing distance, hull improvements and speed.
Every ship needs a commander and World of Warships: Legends provides several for each nation. These commanders provide a range of powerful skills that can be put to good use in battles.
When it comes to the visuals, Wargaming has done an excellent job. I always thought the attention to detail of the tanks in World of Tanks was impressive but World of Warships: Legends blows them out the water (pun intended). The ships look absolutely beautiful but when you go closer and see the rivets and decking it’s almost like a photo. It’s not just the ships that have been beautifully detailed but also the islands, these can often be easily overlooked in battle but have a closer look and you see little towns with harbours and ships. As for the sea, many games fail when it comes to animating the ocean but Wargaming has done such a great job in making the sea look and react realistically.
Battle sounds during each match also helps the immersion, the noises of the battery cannons reloading, the explosion as the shells are fired and the blasts as your ship is hit all add to the excitement of the battle.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that World of Warships: Legends is just the naval equivalent to World of Tanks, as there’s a whole new range of strategies to discover and use (battleships can’t hide behind a group of trees). Although, just like Tanks, it is very addictive and you will find yourself having just one more battle.
Wargaming has created World of Warships: Legends with lots of TLC, there’s already so much to enjoy about the game and with promises of more ships, nations, maps etc. on their way the game can only get better.
Pros:
- Addictive gameplay.
- Great satisfaction from destroying an enemy.
- Attention to detail.
- Good variety of vessels.
- Great sound and graphics.
Cons:
- Torpedoes are devastating.
- Flooding can do more damage than a salvo.
Rating: 9/10
Andrew Newton
