World Of Tanks Blitz Review (iOS)

World of Tanks Blitz is almost an exact replica of World of Tanks on the PC for iPhones and iPads and it’s good.

Thanks to the years of updates and refinements to the original PC version everything about the game works without a hitch. Once you’ve logged in using a Wargaming.net account you’re immediately greeted by a familiar looking garage complete with tanks, consumables, tank crew, teach tree, free experience, credit and gold totals. If you want spend your cash there’s gold, premium account upgrades, plus rare and premium tanks available in the store.

Blitz features exactly the same methods of leveling up found in every World of Tanks game by earning gold and XP from tank battles to spend on new tanks and upgrades.

The only major change from the PC original is that PvP battles are limited to 7 vs 7 tanks. This makes the battle shorter which is great for a mobile game. I found it was ideal for my short journey to work as I could pack in a few battles before getting to work. You can even team up with friends via the 2-player platoons option.

The initial roaster of vehicles and maps available is also much lower than in the PC version. In total there are 90 Soviet, American and German tanks and 8 maps to explore. I fully expect these numbers will increase with time but unfortunately, right now there is no British metal to take into battle. You also need iPhone 4S or iPad 2 to play and there is no Android version available as yet.

Control wise you have a left touch pad to drive your tank with the right side of the screen used to look around. Auto aiming is always switched on which puts the focus back on tank positioning and maneuvers rather than who’s the best targeting ninja. What surprised me was how quickly I got used to playing on my iPhone even with my giant sausage fingers. Even with the packed onscreen iPhone controls I didn’t have any trouble steering and shooting while controlling the camera.

One of the most impressive aspects of Blitz is its network code. It’s rock solid reliable and I’ve been playing on the 3 mobile’s 3G and 4G connections and even on free wifi on East Coast trains and the London Underground. The worst part of gaming on the Underground was watching all the tanks gradually stop moving as the tube train left the station and disappeared into a tunnel, severing the wifi connection. Once I reached the next stop I had to reconnect and start another match.

Overall, World of Tanks Blitz is great port of World of Tanks. The interface is responsive and well laid out for mobiles and most importantly, thanks to the solid network code you can play anywhere with a mobile or wifi signal.

World of Tanks Blitz is available now for free from the App Store.