SINGAPORE — If you have not heard of it, World of Tanks (WoT) is a massively multiplayer online game developed by Belarusian company Wargaming.net. WoT has become one of the fastest growing free-to-play games available on PC since making its debut in 2012, and it is now finally available for the Xbox 360.

The objective of WoT is to win a battle by either completing an objective — usually capturing an enemy base — or destroying the opposing team with the help of your allies within fifteen minutes. But thanks to a no respawn policy, matches I took part in were usually completed within five minutes.

Despite the short matches, the pace of battles in WoT is much slower compared to the armoured duels seen in the Battlefield or Call of Duty franchise. Your chances of survival are much higher if you adopt a strategic approach — where positioning is key — instead of going turret-to-turret with a rival tank.

The game’s huge maps — which range from the deserts of North Africa to the snowy plains of Eastern Europe to the dense forests located in the mountains of France — also add to the unpredictability of combat as each map has its own vantage points that gamers have to find and exploit.

The short battles also give you more time to focus on customising and upgrading your tank ahead of the next battle.

Each enemy tank you destroy and hard-fought victory you earn will give you XP, which can be used to unlock new tanks, weapons and armour. Silver or gold currency — also earned during battles — can then be used to purchase those upgrades.

WoT’s transition from the PC to the Xbox 360 is a successful one thanks to the game’s high level of customisation, easy controls and expansive maps. The tank battles are not as intense or as fast-paced as those seen in popular first person shooter games, but the brainy instead of brawny approach to destruction does force gamers to rely on the terrain, their instincts, and their teammates instead of sheer firepower, and I found that very appealing.

Rating: 3.5/5