Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - 5 mobile alternatives
There are plenty of BLOPtions
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launched this week. Your console and PC-gaming friends have probably been going on about it incessantly.
You're not jealous though. Ah, who are we kidding? We'd love to be playing the latest fast-paced multiplayer shooter on our mobiles. But that's not going to happen any time soon.
So what's a smartphone gamer to do in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launch week? You could do worse than play these mobile alternatives.
Each game nails a certain element of Treyarch's latest, whether it's fast-paced multiplayer blasting or battle royale brilliance.
1
PUBG Mobile
The big new addition to CoD this year is Blackout, a massive mode that pitches 80 players into a single huge map. It's essentially a take on the battle royale genre popularised by PUBG.
Fortunately, we have a version of PUBG on mobile - and it plays surprisingly well. It's not going to win any beauty contests, and the controls are a little fiddly, but PUBG Mobile is an absolute hoot to play.
Plus, its inventory management system is way better than Blackout's. Yes, even on a tiny mobile screen.
2
Guns of Boom
CoD BLOPs 4 might have gone full battle royale this year, but at the heart of the experience remains a pacy, close-quarters death match experience.
No game on mobile does that sort of thing better than Guns of Boom. It's a brilliantly streamlined and inviting shooter with quick match-making and moreish action.
The maps are compact, the weapons satisfying, and the progression system keeps you coming back for more. Rather like the best CoD games, actually.
3
Fortnite Battle Royale
Back to BLOPs 4's new BR mode for a second. If PUBG set the terms for the battle royale revolution, then it's Fortnite that has led the charge.
This is the massively multiplayer game that even little kids play, and that top class footballers incorporate into their goal celebrations (shudder).
It's also a right lark on mobile, with the game's colourful aesthetic working well on smaller displays. Provided you've got a decent phone, this one's a must-play.
4
Modern Combat Versus
Black Ops 4 has take a bunch of cues from the rest of the multiplayer shooter scene, and not just with its BR mode. It's got some of Overwatch's hero-based team action too.
On mobile, Gameloft's Modern Combat series has taken a similar journey. Modern Combat Versus still has a strong CoD flavour to its slick gunplay, but there's a little Overwatch in there too.
Each battle takes place between two teams of four, with the goal of capturing and defending a central point. Distinct character classes let you help your team in a very particular way.
5
Shadowgun Legends
One thing Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has been criticised for is the omission of a campaign mode. It's the first CoD to do so.
Shadowgun Legends shows how its done, melding tight multiplayer action with entertaining single player missions in a pretty seamless fashion.
Yes, you could say it's more Destiny than CoD. But the fast-paced blasting is so entertaining, we don't really mind either way.
