Call of Duty®: Strike Team Review
- Publisher: Activision Publishing, Inc.
- Genre: Action
- Released: 5 Sep, 2013
- Size: 1.7 GB
- Price: $6.99
PROS
- Different perspectives offer tactical flexibility.
- Third-person mode is surprisingly enjoyable.
- Snap-to-aim feature is handy in FPS mode
CONS
- Neither mode feels fully fleshed-out.
- Limited weaponry.
- Lack of control customisation.
VERDICT
Call of Duty: Strike Team's unique blend of FPS and 3rd-person strategy makes it one of the most interesting entries in the franchise. It doesn't quite nail the balance, however, and probably won't completely satisfy fans of either genre.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
When is a first-person shooter not a first-person shooter? When it's also a tactical third-person RTS. In an apparent effort to give iOS gamers a Call of Duty game which harnesses the full potential of the touchscreen interface, UK developer The Blast Furnace has tried to capture the best of both worlds: a fully-fledged Call of Duty FPS which also let players command their squad from a drone's-eye view.
The result is a Call of Duty: Strike Team, a game which tugs you in two different directions, but never allows you to comfortably settle in either camp. You see, though you can switch between perspectives at almost any time, some sections of CoD: Strike Team's three stage campaign seem tailored for one view or the other.
For example, when you find yourself surrounded by enemies entrenched enemies or pinned down by turrets, the tactical perspective is generally the way forward. As well as altering the rules the game - you can tell your squaddies to take headshots, and flank while providing suppressing fire - the third-person mode is also the only way to perform group maneuvres like the assisted wall jump.
However, when enemies get all up in your grill, you're better off getting an eyeball behind those iron sights and moving down foes face-to-face. To combat the always iffy control which plague touchscreen FPS, CoD: Strike Team features an assisted-aiming toggle which lets you snap between enemies by tapping the sides of the screen. Though it is better than trying to move, aim, and fire using virtual sticks alone, it does feel like a bit of a cheat, and dulls the seratonin rush that usually accompanies a perfectly executed headshot.
This dumbing-down is also evident in the third-person setup. While you can issue several commands - walk, run, fire, hack - you can't choose when to crouch, or either of your team members into an overwatch state. Each mode of play has its strengths, though arguably the tactical flex of the drone's eye-view is more consistently useful. But in trying to develop two games in one, the developer hasn't fully fleshed out either one.
However, it's an admirable experiment, especially with traditionally a unadventurous property like Call of Duty. And between gunship attacks, infiltration missions, and the obligatory vehicle section, there's a reasonable variety of blasting to be done. If we're honest, though, we get the feeling Call of Duty: Strike Team will leave both strategy and FPS fans slightly unsatisfied.
Screenshots
$6.99
