“If something works, don’t try to fix it” is a brilliant life motto most of the time. It’s something I think of when I’m about to run a software or application update for a device or application that I’m using, especially if I had no issues whatsoever with the device or application before the update! A new iteration or version of whatever is already working may have its own flaws that could ruin the experience. However, when it comes to games, sometimes this rule just doesn’t work. Re-hashing a tried, tested, well proven idea with fresh graphics and sound is a sure-fire way to make me feel like tapping the Uninstall button, but this appears to be what Call of Duty: Heroes is. Activision, the developer, have taken the ideas and gameplay behind Clash of Clans, thrown in guns, tanks and helicopter gunships, given it a fresh coat of paint and sent it packing into the Google Play Store.
Alright; I admit that this is a slight exaggeration. There’s much to like about Call of Duty: Heroes in isolation; it’s the standard base-building, tower defense, base assault kind of game that’s actually enjoyable in either short bursts or for longer periods of time. It’s dressed up in the Call of Dury franchise uniform and the Heroes part of the name comes from using the leading characters from previous games, as we’ve seen before. The unique feature added to Heroes is the “Killstreak,” which allows you to unleash super-attacks on the battlefield such as airstrikes or that helicopter gunship’s mini-gun.
Worse, Call of Duty is a “fremium” game. It’s free to play but progress is painfully slow. You can speed up things if you’re prepared to buy stuff in the game, where you can pay up to $99.99 for an upgrade. The game has a focus on the multiplayer side of things, which you would expect because it’s here that your paid-for upgrades have the most effect. Still, it’s pretty and fun to play in isolation; the formula wasn’t broken, just getting a little tired. The Killstreaks idea doesn’t add enough to the title for me, but if you’re interested you can pick it up here on the Google Play Store.