Everything you need to know about Call of Duty: Mobile
Ever since it first launched in 2003, Call of Duty has set the standard for any FPS (First-Person Shooter) games that followed. While the initial games were set in World War II, later games have focused on more modern times and even taken place in the future. A majority of titles were made for PC and consoles but what if you didn’t have a PC or console to play the game on? Well, that’s where Call of Duty: Mobile comes into well…. Answer the call of duty.
Boasting almost 100 million downloads in its launch week, the game is developed by TiMi Studios ( a subsidiary of Tencent Games) and published by Activision. Available for both Android and iOS, we took the game for a spin to see what it had to offer. Quite frankly, we liked it.
So what does the game offer?
Well, for starters, there’s a multitude of game modes. If you have played Call of Duty on PC or console, then you’ll be familiar with game types such as Free For All (FFA), Team DeathMatch (TDM) and Search and Destroy. In addition to these, Call of Duty: Mobile also has a battle royale mode. Akin to PUBG, Fortnite and Cyber Hunter, the battle royale mode pits 100 players against each other either in groups of 4,3 or as individuals. We’ll talk a bit more about that later on.
Among the regular game modes is Frontline. As the name suggests, you’re thrust quite literally into the frontlines of battle. Two teams comprising 5 members each, battle it out to be the first team to score 50 kills. The first thing we noticed about the game mode were the maps. The maps in Frontline are from various maps from the entire Call of Duty franchise. If you’re a veteran at the game, you’ll immediately notice maps such as Killhouse, Nuketown and Crash. As with all Call of Duty multiplayer modes, you get a killstreak after you have eliminated a certain number of enemies in a row without you being eliminated. The killstreaks range from a UAV drone that shows the enemy location, to a Hunter drone that will latch on to the closest enemy and eliminate them to a predator missile that you can launch remotely onto the battlefield. If you’re incredibly lucky, you can unlock a nuclear bomb with a 20-player killstreak. This quite literally drops a nuclear bomb onto the map and destroys all enemies within range.
Choosing your weapon
In terms of weapons, there are a lot to choose from. Drawing inspiration from the original games, each weapon can be customized with various equipment. These range from scopes to extended ammo magazines, and even FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) ammo which penetrates surfaces better.
Much like the Modern Warfare and Black Ops series, you also get a list of perks to apply to your character. While there are cosmetic items such as camos and personnel types, perks offer more tangible benefits. For example, if you’re running low on ammo, you can just walk by an enemy that you eliminated and you will take ammo equal to the amount that your weapon can hold. This means you’re never caught off guard without ammo.
A special ultimate ability of sorts is also available after a certain amount of time. Depending on what you picked, the choices range from a Gatling gun to an automatic grenade launcher and even a sentry turret that will shoot anything that comes too close. Perfect to keep your enemies at bay.
Variety is the spice of life
In addition to the regular modes, we just spoke of, Call of Duty: Mobile also has a number of other game modes as well. These change within a certain time period and are helpful if you want to try out something new.In terms of controls, they’re pretty much the same as any other mobile shooter would be. All controls are on screen and can be customized and/or resized depending on your preference. You can also invest in a bluetooth controller or Trigger Switch which can give you an edge in the game if you’re skilled enough to use it. At the end of each match, you are awarded XP. This helps you level up and unlock additional perks. In addition, you also get weapon XP cards. These cards are used to level up your weapon of choice to unlock additional attachments such as scopes, and extended ammo magazines.
Battle it out, Royally
The Battle Royale mode is also quite engaging. It does take more time compared to a regular TDM or Frontline match. But you also get more XP out of it. The game mechanics are simple -100 players landing on an island either as single, duo or 4-person squads. The last person or squad to survive wins. In addition to the massive collection of weapons that Call of Duty has been known to have, there are also a number of other tactical advantages.
There are a number of classes to choose from to suit your playing style. Looking for a stealthy approach? Choose the Ninja class that leaves no trace of your footprints. If you’re a support role, you can choose the Medic class and heal yourself and your team mates with a portable floating medikit. You can build a wall to block enemy fire or send zombies after your enemies. Your tactical skills can be upgraded at Upgrade terminals located across the map.
While upgrading, also keep a look out for Supply crates that have valuable items such as Armor vests,the elusive Arctic .50 Sniper Rifle with Enemy detection scope as well as Adrenaline injections that boost your max HP by 50 points. Oh, and make sure to stock up on Ammo as well. The graphics are impressive. I was able to get a constant 60fps on my phone with everything turned up to the max. If you have a lower end phone, you might have to play around with the settings a bit to get smooth gameplay. But even then, the game looks really good.
(The author is senior tech writer for ReadMe a leading tech news provider. For more information log onto readme.lk)