8Bit/Digi

The More Things Change

For long time fans of the series; Call of Duty: Mobile is the game they have wanted, a free to play title. This may look like a downgrade but fans have wanted this as an alternative to the yearly release cycle.

Call of Duty was once a gaming juggernaut that set the tone for the shooter genre for several console generations. However the series peaked with Black Ops II and it hasn’t been able to garner the same success. Meanwhile long time fans have been getting tired with the yearly releases.

Enter Call of Duty: Mobile as the solution to both of these problems. Hopefully the first step to breaking the yearly release cycle and adopting the free to play model. So far it has done everything right while also packing the game with so much fan service.

Death From Above

Call of Duty: Mobile takes the multiplayer of the series and redesigns it around the free to play model for the mobile device. Despite some minor changes or tweaks, it’s still the same game as experienced on the PC and console (I say this as a positive). Players create several loadouts based on their preference while new gear could be earned through progression.

Looking at it as a mobile game, one could appreciate the level of effort that was put into Call of Duty: Mobile. Players can customize the controls to better suit their style while the world is well detailed. It’s obvious by the work that Activision and Tencent have a long term plan with this game.

The game choices are the standard multiplayer (with a verity of selections) along with a Battle Royale. Standard multiplayer includes all the standard mode (such as Team Deathmatch) that are set in classic maps such as Nuke Town. Battle Royale is the standard 100 players battling it out on a map. I have to commend the game for making one of the best Battle Royale setups as they are fun but also well paced (as opposed to the hour long matches with PUBG mobile).

Suffer With Me

Since this is a free to play game, it has to push the microtransactions and season passes (which is very annoying). To their credit, they are not being pushy or obnoxious about it.

Yet, my biggest issue I have are the stupidity of the bots. There are bots in matches when there isn’t enough players. It’s not a real issue when there are a few but it’s obvious when they dominate the match. Sure players are guaranteed a win but it won’t feel like a real victory.

Gamers should also be aware that Call of Duty: Mobile will push the hardware of their phones to the limit. I say this because there are a few performance issues like lag and rendering glitches.

S.S.D.D.

Call of Duty: Mobile attempts to be a mobile title along with a Call of Duty experience and it succeeds at doing both. Regardless of ones system of choice, this has been the game fans have wanted and it truly is a better alternative to the yearly release system.

Disclaimer: This is a free to play mobile game and received no perks from the publisher.

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Call of Duty: Mobile (iOs)

9

Excellent

9.0/10

Pros

• It's a real Call of Duty game for the mobile device.
• Easy to learn and fun to play.
• Many classic maps are included.
• Customizable controls

Cons

• Bots are incredibly dumb.
• Too many performance issues.