Focusing on a mobile multiplayer online experience Critical Ops takes plenty of inspiration from the popular Counter Strike franchise and brings it to the mobile arena (iOS and Android). With the increasing rise in mobile gaming over recent years players on this platform can now enjoy the high quality and balanced experience of titles that have long been confined to the PC space.
With over 50 million downloads across the iOS and Android app stores Critical Ops also has a large community that both ensures the game is regularly updated and that there is a competitor for you at all levels of play. Critical Ops does not play around when it comes to honing in your focus on finding a game either and getting into the action as soon as practically possible which is ideal for the mobile audience that is likely on a timeframe begin with. With the slimmed down main page and simplistic menu design there isn’t much to stop you from stepping into a game once you’ve completed your basic training tutorial.
Said tutorial will take you through the basics of shooting your weapons, moving around the game world and interacting with the bomb (planting and defusing) which is within the core game mode that Critical Ops offers. The control scheme is similar to all the other FPS games on the mobile market with players having a mixture of joystick and touch controls although the setup is more fluid than most comparable mobile experiences.
With the controls mastered stepping into one of the game modes is done with only a few fingers taps as noted above. While only three game modes are offered in Critical Ops, the forever classic death math (teams), an elimination mode with a single life and defuse which any Counter Strike fan will be familiar with this ensures you won’t suffer from long queues time or analysis paralysis as you split your attention between different metas.
While both of these game modes support up to 16 players you’ve only got nearly two dozen maps to experience in total that provides you more than enough variety. Across all of these options you’ve also got the options of a quick play mode, ranked play and a custom game mode that gives all player types a place to call home in this multiplayer shooter.
To keep you playing matches Critical Ops uses a currency system which is handed out for matches or completing one of your daily missions that challenge you to defeat a number of enemies, play particular game types or use certain weapons. In turn this currency can be spent on random loot crates which unlocks a random skin for one of the available weapons to show off in game.
This also serves as the only in app purchases present in the app which allow a chosen skin to be unlocked for your favourite gun rather than relying on random loot. With the no fuss gameplay that is free from power boosting in app purchases Critical Ops is one of the clear leaders in the mobile shooting arena.
Summary:
- Play team death match, elimination and defuse game modes across different multiplayer difficulties (quick and ranked)
- Nearly two dozen different maps designs to battle on with their own unique themes.
- 19 different weapons with their own unique skins to collect.
- Limited in app purchases keep the game fair for all mobile platforms.
- Large community and regular updates ensure the game is constantly evolving and stays fresh.
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Review Platform: iOS