Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile Review

As someone who has been a part of mobile gaming since the Doodle Army 2: Mini Militia Era, I have been a fan of multiplayer gaming. Even more so since PUBG Mobile (now Battlegrounds Mobile India) took the scene by storm with its ‘battle royale’ formula. However, while I loved PUBG Mobile, I haven’t been able to say the same about all the other battle royale titles that have come out since.

While I will get into the why in a bit, I decided to give Activision’s latest mobile shooter – Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile – a shot to see what the new title brought to the table, and here’s my review.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile: Premise

Be it Call of Duty: Mobile with its airstrikes or Apex Legends Mobile, which added the ability to use powers in addition to weapons – somewhere in the post-PUBG era, battle royale titles started missing out on the key ability that made these mobile games enjoyable – simplicity.

Powers, abilities and other gimmicks started taking over the genre, over-complicating the basic premise of shooting everyone that’s not on your team. Unfortunately, Warzone Mobile also seems like one to fall in this basket.

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As someone who does not have the time to reconfigure my way through what felt like a hundred controls and settings before I even started entering matches, Warzone felt overly complicated to me, someone who is by no means a “pro”, but does pack years of PUBG/BGMI gameplay under their belt.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this may just be perfect for fans looking for the overkill experience Warzone’s PC counterpart is known (and highly praised) for. With many more weapons to choose from, a more dynamic map, more in-game elements to strategise around, and up to 120 players to fight against, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is packed with some intense shooting action.

However, to make the most of it, you need to know well what Warzone actually is about – and more importantly – how it’s different from simpler titles like PUBG/BGMI where you could install the game and literally start having fun the same day.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile: Gameplay and graphics

Where the game did work well for me was the actual gameplay. When playing the title on an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, elements like the new map earned Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile some brownie points. Once I got past the initial learning curve, I enjoyed the higher vantage points, the intricate insides of buildings and the ultra-urban landscape that provided a fresh experience.

Unlike BGMI, where most houses and settlements start to feel the same after a few matches, and a general variation in terrain beyond the odd hill is a rarity, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile felt new and had me more involved in the game. New elements like a reusable parachute that you can use to quickly scale down from a higher position to ground level also helped add a fresh touch.

The graphics is where Warzone peaks, as it offers much better-looking details in-game. The map of Verdansk feels more realistic and lifelike than Erangel or Miramar ever did.

A ‘Peak Graphics’ mode dials up the graphics even more on select iPhones (for now). The game also is a good example of how far mobile gaming has come, an important factor during an age where handheld consoles are making somewhat of a comeback.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile: Compatibility, optimisation and other issues

The visuals of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile are clearly a high point of the game. But the catch is that the higher graphics may make this game run not-so-well on lower-end devices. While I haven’t tried this yet, fans have taken to social media over the weekend to complain about everything from overheating and lag issues to just poor optimisation – especially on Android phones.

This puts multiple problems forward. A lack of a good gameplay experience on lower to mid-range Android phones means it’s only a matter of time before a large chunk of players simply give up and head back to other titles that their phones can run well. This also affects flagship users because a lower number of players mean either more bots in the lobby, or simply longer waiting times before matches actually begin.

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That’s not all. Players of Warzone Mobile have also complained of the game favouring iPad players and those using controllers by offering them a more refined aiming-assist feature. What’s worse is that the game will often put those with controllers and iPads in the same lobby as players playing from just their phones, offering some an unfair advantage over others.

Unless these issues are worked upon quickly, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile runs the risk of quickly being just another battle royale title on the App Store nobody really wants to play anymore.

Unboxed Take: Who should play Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile?

Despite all of its flaws in its first week, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is a promising battle royale title for serious gamers. If you have the time to adjust to a newer style of battle royale, and to soak yourself in the nitty gritty of the title, Warzone should offer some high-octane action packed with gorgeous graphics. Everything else, should get better with subsequent bug-fixing updates to the game.

If all you want is a simple multiplayer shooting game to enjoy with your friends after college or office though, the fuss of new settings and a sea of controller configurations may just be too much. As someone who doesn’t even change the team formation on FIFA, I certainly didn’t not feel motivated enough to go through a crash course of mastering Warzone Mobile’s controls.

Still on the fence about the game? Head over to the App Store or Play Store to give Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile a shot yourself. The free title will not cost you any money to try, and you can make up your mind about it after the first few games. Do keep in mind though, that the game is a huge download – over 9GB with the optional ‘Peak Graphics’ mode enabled.