Call of Duty: Strike Team Review – Redefining the FPS experience on iOS

Our rating:

By: Activision

Version #: 1.0.0

Date Released: 2013-09-05

Developer: Activision

Price: $6.99

User Rating:

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It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a legit Call of Duty title on iOS and the app world was shocked this Thursday, to see Strike Team from Activision jumping in without any rumors, press releases or previews. This game redefines the way we’ve played action games on iOS and is not just a mere port of the console game.

I have had to cut myself out of 3 hours of continuous Call of Duty: Strike Team to write this review and I guess, that says it all! This CoD title is an awesome combination of ‘FPS and eagle-eye gameplay‘ or rather of ‘action and strategy gameplay‘.

A tap on the icon brings up some stunning cut-scenes, adventurous bgm and JARVIS like interface. Select a Map from the globe to enter the list of available missions. These can be Survival missions which are endless or Career mode where you complete missions along the flow of the story. All these might sound very familiar but not those coming below.

The gameplay is the most unique aspect of Call of Duty: Strike Team. Initially, we’re introduced to the routine FPS stuff with stunning graphics and stick controls. Stealth kills, Target locking, Switching between soldiers and simple icon positioning make the experience pleasing. We do get a tinge of the Modern Combat series here and there, but not too evident.

Soon, the scenario changes and an Air drone comes to our help. The gameplay shifts to birds-view and a strategic approach comes to light. Dragging players and tapping for attacks are boring at first but as soon as we find two-man climbs, coordinated take downs and attacks, the adrenaline gushes out. Here, we’re reminded of the classic Commandos and the latest XCOM: Enemy Unknown games.

At first, I had an impression of the Eagle-eye mode being a cheeky way to cut costs, but realized soon enough that you can switch between the two modes anytime you want. I started exploring and found out how revolutionary this setup was. You can gaze around, spot enemies and plan your attacks by hovering over while close combats or change of plans can make use of the FPS part. A little into the game, you’ll find yourself switching between these quite frequently and it strikes that you’re having more fun than with any other similar game in the past.

So far so good. But execution-wise Call of Duty: Strike Team badly needs a few bug fixes. Though the overall graphics is satisfactory, I am experiencing frequent dropped frames on my iPad Mini. I know it is not the most powerful device out there but I have played heavier games without such issues. The voice over, both during mission briefing and midst levels, is mind blowing and really keeps us in the heat of things. Also, this game sports one of the worst multitasking setup ever. Lock your device, switch between apps, tap on notifications or even take a screenshot, and you’ll loose all your game progress and the game restarts. This is clearly unacceptable for all you multitaskers out there. Plus, the game crashes often. Hence though minor ones, there are a few fixes which I would really want to see in their next update.

Selecting soldiers, upgrading them, buying new utilities etc. also finds their way into the game but the presence of in-app purchases to get coins is really unfair. After paying 7 bucks for the game, I would like to unlock maps, guns and perks via game progress than with more money.

To conclude, with never-before gameplay Call of Duty: Strike Team is undoubtedly a must buy, if they fix those bugs. But if you’re interested only in the FPS mode, I would rather go for Modern Combat 4 which has better graphics and controls with lesser bugs and money drain.

Now, to some tips for all fellow players out there:

• Use drones for stealth attack and FPS mode for action.
• Try to use knife for stealth and hide the body.
• While moving in Drone view, blue lines show that you’re hidden while red shows you can be heard or seen.
• In FPS mode, take out groups quickly and in the right order and prevent anybody from raising the alarm.
• Beretta 23 has unlimited ammo.
• Spot snipers with their lasers, seen as white lines from building tops.
• Choosing perks wisely at the beginning of the level can be decisive when the game gets harder

Also read: Best FPS games for iPhone and iPad