By Joseph Luster

If World of Tanks isn’t action-packed enough for you, Wargaming now has World of Tanks: HEAT. It’s a standalone game with a more arcadey, hero-based feel. It became free-to-play back in May, so take this one for a spin if you’re curious.

Breaking off from the strict confines of a World War II setting, World of Tanks: HEAT moves on in an alternate timeline following the events of WWII. Dynamic tactical team play is the beating heart of HEAT, pairing tightly with the various agents from which players can choose. Eight agents were made available at launch across three battlefield roles, including Defender, Assault, and Marksman, each with a two-vehicle roster tailored to their specific combat roles.

Just like World of Tanks, vehicles are the main component with 15 in HEAT so far. Players can rumble them across eight maps and four player-v.-player modes, from Hardpoint to Conquest.

With hero shooters still de rigueur, it’s no surprise to see Wargaming hopping on the trend. It works well within the context of World of Tanks, and should serve as something of a refresher for those who have been playing for ages, or just newcomers wanting a quick-and-easy entry point into the series. It’s also nice to see this as more than a simple addition to the well-established core game, with the devs instead opting to build this one from the ground up on a new proprietary engine.

Like all online games of its ilk, World of Tanks: HEAT will live or die based on how well it’s supported. This is Wargaming’s core mission, so it’s likely there will be aggressive updates and new content to come. As long as an audience finds it and sticks with it, HEAT should be able to keep bringing its namesake for the foreseeable future.

Publisher: Wargaming
Genre: Action
System: PC
Available: Now

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