Guide · Genre

Vehicle combat games explained

Vehicle combat games put players in control of aircraft, ground vehicles or ships rather than a character on foot. Some lean towards fast, forgiving action; others towards simulation, with detailed handling and long learning curves. This guide explains what the genre generally asks of a player, so you can judge whether it suits you before you register for any particular game.

What sets the genre apart

In most action games, the character you control behaves much the same from one match to the next. In vehicle combat games, the vehicle is the character, and vehicles can differ a great deal. An aircraft that turns tightly may be slow to climb; a heavily protected ground vehicle may be slow to move or turn its gun. Learning those trade-offs is a large part of the game, and it is why two players with the same reflexes can have very different results.

Many games in the genre are also built around historical or historically inspired vehicles. For players interested in military history, that is part of the appeal. For others, it means a long list of unfamiliar names and designations to learn. Neither reaction is wrong; it is simply worth knowing which one is yours.

Arcade, realistic and simulator play

Games in this genre often offer more than one way to play, ranging from forgiving to demanding. The names vary, but the spectrum looks roughly like this:

Arcade-style modes

Simplified handling, more on-screen assistance, such as markers showing where to aim, and faster pacing. A good place for new players to learn maps and basic tactics.

Realistic-style modes

Less assistance and more demanding handling. Spotting and identifying other vehicles becomes a skill of its own.

Simulator-style modes

Detailed controls, often from a cockpit or first-person view, with minimal on-screen help. These may reward specialist equipment such as a joystick, a flight stick or head tracking, and they take the longest to learn.

If a game offers a range like this, starting at the forgiving end is not a lesser way to play. It lets you learn the parts of the game that carry across all modes before adding the challenge of demanding controls.

Controls and equipment

Almost every PC game in the genre can be played with a keyboard and mouse, and many players never use anything else. Aircraft and helicopters can feel quite different from ground vehicles, though, and some players find a controller or a flight stick more comfortable for flying. Before buying any extra equipment, play long enough with what you have to know whether you will stay with the game.

Expect to spend time in the control settings. Default key bindings are a starting point, not a recommendation, and it is common to adjust mouse sensitivity, camera behaviour and the keys for less frequent actions.

The learning curve, honestly

The genre has a reputation for being hard on newcomers, and in many games that reputation is earned. There are usually several reasons:

• Many vehicles with different strengths. Knowing your own vehicle is not enough; you also need some idea of what you are facing.
• Large maps. Knowing where opponents tend to appear, and where cover is, takes many matches.
• Damage models. Some games model which part of a vehicle is hit, so where you aim matters as much as whether you hit.
• Team play. Matches are usually won by teams, and a single player's choices can be undone by poor coordination.

Tutorials help with controls and basic ideas, but they rarely capture the pace of real matches against other people. Treat the tutorial as a test of whether you enjoy the controls and the feel of the vehicles, and the first handful of ordinary matches as a test of whether you enjoy the game.

Progression and how it connects to spending

Many online vehicle combat games organize vehicles into progression paths that players unlock over time, often grouped by nation or era. That structure gives a long-term goal, but it is also where in-game stores commonly offer ways to move faster, through boosters, premium memberships or vehicles sold directly. Before you start, read what the game's store sells and decide how you feel about it. Our spending guide explains virtual currencies and random items, and how to set a limit.

Your first few sessions

A little structure makes the first sessions in any vehicle combat game less frustrating. Finish the tutorial, then stay with one type of vehicle for a while rather than switching between aircraft, ground vehicles and ships in the same evening; each has its own handling and its own way of being caught out. Play on the most forgiving mode available until the controls feel natural. Expect to lose often at first and pay attention to how you were defeated, since the reason is usually more instructive than the result. Keep sessions short to begin with, adjust graphics settings until the frame rate is steady, and look at the store only once you have played enough to know whether you plan to stay.

Common terms

The vocabulary below appears in many vehicle combat games. Each game uses its own names, so treat these as general descriptions rather than definitions from any specific title.

Matchmaking

The system that decides which players and vehicles end up in the same match, usually trying to group vehicles of similar strength.

Progression path or research tree

A sequence of vehicles or upgrades unlocked in order by playing.

Spawn

The point at which you enter a match, or re-enter it after losing a vehicle in modes that allow that.

Line-up

A set of vehicles chosen in advance that you can use during a match.

Repair cost

In some games, an in-game cost for repairing a vehicle that was damaged or destroyed, paid in a currency earned by playing.

Spotting

Detecting and identifying opponents, either by sight or through game mechanics that mark them for your team.

Squad

A small group of players who join matches together.

Hardware for large battles

Large matches with many vehicles, wide maps and long view distances can place heavy demands on the graphics card and processor. Check the recommended specification, not just the minimum, and plan to adjust settings during your first sessions. Our guide to reading system requirements explains how.

Content and age

Vehicle combat games depict warfare, even when the violence is mostly between machines. Ratings and content descriptors, explained in our families guide, are the right place to check what a particular game contains. For classification questions, refer to the rating shown on the game's store page and the ESRB ratings guide.

Trying a game in the genre

The game Coravend currently links to, War Thunder, is described by its publisher as a multiplayer war simulator with battles fought using planes, helicopters, tanks and ships. Our game profile explains what we can and cannot say about it, and lists the questions worth answering on the publisher's own site before you register.