World of Battleships website launches

We like when developers try new things in the MMO-space, and Wargaming.net definitely does just that. With their last title, World of Tanks, they created a tactical shooter unlike any we’ve ever played, and found ways to cleverly adapt it to work as a free-to-play MMO. With their next game, World of Battleships (not to be confused with the upcoming Liam Neeson/Rihanna blockbuster Battleship film), they’re set to go even further away from the norm, letting players go head-to-head in 20th century warships. Confused? Don’t be: the developer has launched a website for the game with leagues of screenshots and information to get you up to speed on their exciting entry in the massively-multiplayer online naval action shooter genre (or MMONAS, as we’re going to start calling it).

The most interesting bit of news comes in the form of classes. World of Battleships will have three at launch, letting players approach the high-seas in several different ways. The first is using aircraft carriers, which provide not only naval, but air support as well. Battleships and heavy cruisers make up the second class, serving as the heavy powerhouses of the game. The third class is comprised of light destroyers, which make up for their lesser firepower with speed and agility. The website briefly explains how players can use teams of units to their advantage, detailing how a group of light destroyers can use maneuverability to their advantage, while the more powerful battleships rely on brute force to get the job done. Aircraft carriers, on the other hand, sound like the “support” class, using their superiority in the air to defend their allies.

They’ve done the ground and now they’re doing the sea. Slowly but surely, Wargaming.net is recreating World War II’s vehicular combat one unit at a time. Maybe next they’ll do World of Warplanes and merge the three games together, creating a World War II MMO that would put WW2 Online to shame.

Sep 13, 2011