World of Warplanes 10/08/2020

Flight games on the mouse and keyboard were never a particularly good fit, especially if they were focused on dogfighting that required precise turns and maneuvers, both of which are difficult to pull off without the precision of a joystick. When you pair that with free online games, which thrives on accessibility and a wide player base, and you'll be forgiven for thinking such a game would crash and burn. World of Warplanes proves that's not true.

To install the game, make sure you have Steam installed and go to this link to install the game.

As the intro implies, World of Warplanes somehow manages to feel completely natural with mouse and keyboard controls. It's at its absolute best in the early stages, where you're playing with old biplanes that came from the 20s and 30s, and you can evolve them all the way up to modern advanced jet fighters.

However, the free part of the game really starts getting in the way of your enjoyment. There are a ton of gaps in the tech tree, and there's a giant slog in the middle as you're working up to variations of the same plane over and over. It wants you to spend money to keep going, and it shows. Moreover, it's a fairly simple game, with each mode not needing teamwork to truly excel.

All in all, if you're just expecting a simple, casual dogfighting game, then there's no harm in trying out World of Warplanes. Just don't expect anything amazing.