When it comes to the world of first-person multiplayer shooter games, the field is not only crowded but jam-packed with quality titles. This makes it a tough road to forge for a newcomer but Critical Ops has managed to carve out a healthy community in an otherwise competitive niche. Published and developed by Critical Force and released for the PC, Google Android, and Apple iOS operating systems, the PC iteration has since discontinued service but both the Android and iOS versions of the shooter are thriving with over 34 million downloads of the game reported by the publisher as of January 2018, an impressive number to be sure.
How to Download Critical Ops
To enjoy this mobile shooter download it from App Store or Google Play Store. To start, click on the Download button. It can be found at the end of this review.
The Game Review
Initially released for the Google Play Store back in September 2015 the game has been in beta mode since that date and is expected to complete a full release in summer 2018. The game has found particular popularity on the smartphone and tablet platforms with widespread availability in most major apps stores including Amazon’s app store.
Like other games in the first-person multiplayer shooter genre, Critical Ops utilizes an objective-based gameplay formula that mirrors longtime and iconic PC series Counter-Strike, however, adapted for optimum use on the small form factor of the smartphone and tablet.
Offered in both single-player and multiplayer modes, the game also mirrors Counter-Strike PC setup in that there is plenty to do in both modes but the real focus here is the multiplayer mode, the lifeblood of the game. Divided into two opposing teams, the Counter-terrorists, and the Terrorists, Critical Ops uses the traditional first-person multiplayer shooter tropes to good effect in terms of its variety of game modes and objectives. While some players would argue the quality of any multiplayer session is in the skills of the players you are paired with online, this FPS goes out of its way to make itself accessible to newcomers but also still challenging for veterans.
This balance helps the community grow and keeps the game from becoming too esoteric or daunting for a tyro. Critical Ops features three main game modes and these are Defuse, Deathmatch, and Gun Game. Defuse involves a team attempting to plant a bomb and the other team attempting to defuse it with all the mayhem that occurs in between.
Deathmatch, as the name implies, is the traditional first-person shooter DOOM-style deathmatch in which it is a free-for-all brawl to kill your opponents. Gun game is a unique mode that involves specific weapon sets and is a particularly addictive feature to Critical Ops.
The game will be coming to smartphones in South Korea with development of the Republic of Korea version of the title being funded by NHN Entertainment Corporation. Critical Ops maintains a massive competitive scene and the addition of South Korean players to this mix should only intensify this aspect of the community. The first game tournament was held in 2016 and it is expected that this kind of massive event will greet the game’s arrival in South Korea when it drops.
