When Call of Duty Mobile launched in 2019, it quickly became one of the largest mobile game launches ever, boasting over 270 million downloads in that first year alone. Back then, I tried the game a few times, but as a die-hard PUBG Mobile player at the time, I did not really enjoy the gameplay as much. For the most part, the game felt sluggish in comparison, especially when running around trying to take down your opponents. The game did have many more modes, though, including various multiplayer modes, a dedicated Zombies Mode, and Battle Royale. Of course, this game was an instant hit among casual and competitive gamers.
Fast-forward six years, and Activision brings us Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, a brand-new game built on the same engine as Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. The IW engine was developed specifically for the Call of Duty games on PC and console and has been around since 2005.
With the game engines aligned, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile feels a lot more like a premium game you’d expect to see on a PC or console. The graphic textures look great, and the environment feels very close to those you would have played on other platforms.
Another benefit of using the same game engine as the other games in the series is cross-progression; this means you can level up shared weapons and operators, earn shared Battle Pass XP, and progress, all synchronised across Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Warzone 2.0. So for gamers who already play these games, this is a nice little add-on.
There are various game modes to play in Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile. Of course, my go-to mode, the Battle Royale, is always popular among squads, but I’ve grown a strong liking for Mosh Pit, a mode featuring a rotation of Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, and Kill Confirmed. They’ve also introduced a mode called Mobile Royale, which is a quicker version of Battle Royale with better loot and more missions.
You can also play other multiplayer modes, Rebirth Resurgence Rush and Plunder. Each offers a really action-packed game experience that is best shared with a group of friends.
Impressively, in the main Battle Royale mode, the map could be filled with up to 120 people playing squads, and things can get intense when the servers are full. Before you even ask, yes, there are bots in some lobbies, but they’re great target practice and distract your enemies while you take them out. Depending on what time you play, you’ll also encounter numerous South Africans on these maps with call signs and accents to boot.
Since the game launched, I’ve racked up about 23 hours in the various Royale modes in this game, and I can confidently say that it is the most immersive shooter I’ve played on mobile yet. The action feels very fast, the graphics look great, and the sound effects are super crisp. It took me a while to get my onscreen controls to a point where I could comfortably press and slide without focusing too much on where my fingers landed.
What I find equally impressive about the game is that movement feels really solid, from jumping through windows to sliding into a hanger to surprise your enemy.
Weapon management can be as involved or as basic as you’d like it to be, and sometimes, I find it easier to steal my enemies’ ranked-up weapons than to manage my own loadout.
Other fan-favourite features, like the Gulag, are also available in-game, giving you a second lease on life if you take down your opponent.
Apart from playing the game, there are a few other things around the game to explore, including loadouts and customisations. There’s also a store where you can spend your hard-earned cash on operators (skins) and Blueprints (skins) for weapons. There’s also an arsenal store and an event store where you can spend some points you earn for free during events. To top it all off, you can also subscribe to the Battle Pass, a monthly event in which you can unlock various in-game items as you rank up through the season.
When I find myself really immersed in a free game for a long period of time, I don’t mind spending a few rands to unlock some cool items for me to enjoy, but things have gotten pretty out of hand in the mobile space. The average price for an operator is R359 (2400 COD Points), while you can get others for R210 (1400 COD Points) and increments in between. I just could not justify it. After a few days of playing, a Starter Bundle popped up in my shop that features a decent-looking operator for R18 (one eight). I knew they wanted to lure me in, but after a few days, I decided that was the one I wanted. Not a bad price considering that the flashier skins you buy in the store aren’t always the best for staying concealed.
It’s been nearly a month since this game launched, and even with numerous updates since, I am sad to say that this game still struggles on many devices. I am playing this game on the beautifully high-end Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the game runs smoothly with maximum frame rate and graphic settings. My older Android devices all seem to struggle, even with the lower graphic settings enabled. Even our Random Sales Guy’s new Samsung Galaxy S24 seems to struggle with this game which does not leave much hope for gamers who have older smartphones. iPhone users seem to be less affected with iPhones from the iPhone 8+ and newer seemingly running this game well.
Activision recommends Android devices with at least 6GB of RAM and an Adreno 618 chipset or better for best results in playing this game. I’d really like to see further tweaks for performance in mid-range devices, but this is the downside of a graphically intensive game.
If your phone really struggles with this title, Call of Duty Mobile still has a strong local community – it’s not ideal, but it’s the best solution for now. Even PUBG Mobile is still a great title to play on lower-end devices.
It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a mobile game this intensely; in fact, I may enter a few Mettlesate Casual Cups when they go live. If you are a fan of mobile games or want to try your hand, this is a great example of what mobile games can deliver… if your phone can run it, that is.