Call of Duty Mobile arrived in closed beta to India earlier last week, looking to emulate the mind-boggling success of PUBG Mobile. Though the beta commenced solely with the multi-player mode enabled, giving users a chance to relive the nostalgia of the Modern Warfare days, the battle royale mode became available a couple of days ago.
Before I review the gameplay and how the title performs, let me first take you on a brief ride through the different game modes, the map, and how Call of Duty Mobile is planning to differentiate itself from the renowned battle royale title, PUBG Mobile.
Starting off, once you select the Battle Royale mode in Call of Duty Mobile, you will see a screen similar to the one shown below. This is where you can do a number of things such as applying skins to your weapons, parachute, and more prior to jumping in a match with 100 other players. Yeah, the primary concept of battle royale is the same here as well but we’ll talk more about it when we explore the gameplay.
It isn’t really the biggest battle royale and features multiple different terrains, making it possible for users to have different play styles. While some may prefer the foliage in the farm section, others may like the rocky terrain and mountains in the desert area.
Another key area where the battle royale mode in Call of Duty Mobile differs from the PC variant is the introduction of tactical abilities. It is similar to what we’ve seen in another popular battle royale title, Apex Legends, which lets you choose characters with different abilities before jumping onto the map and getting on with your killing spree.
Mechanic: You get the ability to deploy an EMP drone to run continuous interference against hostiles, while also being able to add augmented sight to vehicles, hostile traps, and other equipment.
Clown: You’re the friend of zombies and a master of distraction. Throwing a toy bomb that’s in your arsenal summons zombies that only attack your enemies near them. You’re also safe from any random zombie attacks.
Though I might say that picking the right class is essential, don’t be afraid to test out the abilities of each class and then stick to the one you find the most suited to your playstyle. I’ve been playing each Battle Royale game as the medic as I tend to stay a little far away from the action, on the back lines, and can give support to teammates in need of medical attention.
Now that we’ve discussed the basics of the battle royale mode in Call of Duty mobile, let’s talk about the gameplay and see how it differs from popular titles such as PUBG Mobile or Fortnite that’ve been available on mobile for around a year. We’ll also explore whether the said game offers an enhanced gameplay experience than these titles.
Talking about a really important thing – gun mechanics, well, your PUBG experience isn’t really going to help you out here as they’re pretty different here. And a good different at that. I found the recoil, rate of fire (which can be upgraded), bullet drop and the scoping mechanism are closer to real-life in Call of Duty Mobile as compared to PUBG Mobile.
Delving a bit into the nitty gritties here, Tencent has mastered the chat and voice controls in mobile multi-players and they’re exactly the same as PUBG Mobile here. You also have the option to mark objects, enemies, and more in Call of Duty Mobile just like we’ve seen with Apex Legends and other games.
