Parent's Guide: World of Warships - Age rating, mature content and difficulty

What is World of Warships?

World of Warships is a free-to-play multiplayer game that lets you put a number of WW2 warships through their paces, as you join up with a team of other players to take on either a team of computer opponents, or a flotilla of real players.

What do you do in World of Warships?

Getting the blend between historical accuracy and accessibility just about right, World of Warships is actually surprisingly easy to pick up and start playing. All you really have to do is use the W,A,S,D keys to steer your ship, and use your mouse cursor to aim your guns. With no need to set your guns' elevation, or anything complex like that, all you need to do is point and shoot - but there's a little bit more to it below the surface. Far from being nimble and responsive, your ships feel exactly as they should - heavy, bulky and a little bit slow to react - as nothing at sea happens in an instant. Instead, you have to plan your moves in advance, keeping an eye on enemy positions so you can steer in plenty of time to avoid their shots, and even take into account how long your guns will take to rotate into position. It's not enough to just point at an enemy ship - you have to wait for your guns to converge on your cursor before you fire - and you'll need to lead your opponent, too, firing slightly in front of them to take into account the fact they're moving.

How complex is World of Warships?

While it may sound complex on paper, World of Warships is actually pretty easy to pick up and play - especially as the game starts you off in battles against computer controlled opponents, rather than human foes, making it much less intimidating for youngsters. That said, this isn't quite an arcade simulation, and adjusting to the fact that ships don't turn instantly, and your guns can't fire straight away can take a bit of getting used to, while the sheer amount of forward planning involved may make this a little bit too complex for some younger players. In the midst of battle, there's a lot going on, and a lot to look out for, with enemies shooting at you, torpedoes coursing through the water towards you, and even islands to try and avoid, which could be overwhelming. Those with an interest in WW2, though, will more than likely get the hang of this if they put the effort in.

As this is a free to play game, it's worth mentioning how the game makes its money. When you download World of Warships (free of charge), you can play against other players, play against computer opponents, form teams with your friends and research your way towards better ships and upgrades. Everything there is to do in the game, you can do for free. If you want to jump ahead to get a better ship, or buy a new upgrade, you can choose to spend real money to do so, but it doesn't get you anything you couldn't get through simply playing the game. There are, however, a few premium ships available, which can only be bought. The only other premium items are slots to store your ships in (usually, when you buy a new ship, you have to sell your old one - buying a new slot lets you keep your old faithful ship too), and a premium subscription, which gets you 50% more rewards from battles, and offers a few other perks too. As an added bonus, if you buy a premium subscription, it works across all World of ... games.

With nothing in the way of violence, bad language or sex, there's nothing in the way of mature content in World of Warships

Age Ratings

Format Reviewed: PC