First-person shooters (FPS) mobile games are often centered around the player experience. Basically, it comes down to how satisfying running and gunning measure up in each title. Clunky gameplay, poor performance, and frustrating controls just don’t cut it. Plus, plenty of mobile FPS games include compatibility with your favorite Android gaming controllers, which is handy for those looking to get the most out of their shooters. So we’ve taken it upon ourselves to analyze and evaluate which FPS games on Android are worth your time. Let’s dive in!
Doom
One of the best controller-supported Android games, and thankfully the touch controls are no slouch either. Doom is clearly a classic, and it can be seen as the father of FPS games. Essentially, it’s the game that defined and revolutionized the entire genre. So if you’re into retro gaming and want to experience a famous classic on your Android device, the first Doom game is by far one of the best choices on the platform. The 25th-anniversary rerelease (Play Store version) includes “The Flesh Consumed” expansion, and high framerates are supported for a smooth-as-silk experience.
Call of Duty Mobile
You can’t argue that Call of Duty Mobile is leading the pack as one of the best FPS games on Android; it has reached over 500 million downloads since its release in 2019. The game is already a few years old, but it’s still going strong. In general, FPS games tend to age poorly as they tend to evolve with newer hardware, and your expectations for games begin to heighten; why dish out hundreds of dollars for a new phone for your games to play on the same graphics and have the same performance as your old phone? Call of Duty Mobile never suffered from this issue. It was already ahead of its time and has developed a massive following; you can fully expect a full-course meal for all the game modes found in Call of Duty Mobile, from zombies to battle royale, along with other modes that made it from the previous games, like team deathmatch with a ton of classic maps. It’s an all-in-one package deal, and it’s great.
Apex Legends Mobile
To finally see Apex Legends reach mobile was super exciting; Apex Legends has always been known to provide a solid battle royale experience, from the constant addition of legends bringing more depth and strategy to the usual run, gun, and loot battle royale gameplay. Your legends offer traits and special abilities that provide an edge in a fight, but nothing too crazy that’ll skew the balance for the entire match. The movement and gameplay feel exceptionally smooth, which inherently doesn’t look too different from what you’d see on console and PC, making this a viable port to Android. Newcomers looking to get started will enjoy Apex Legends Mobile exclusives, like playing as mobile-exclusive legends you can’t find on the other versions.
PUBG Mobile
We can’t talk about PUBG Mobile and not mention the sister game, PUBG: New State. Comparatively, PUBG: New State is just as good and, in some ways, more optimized for mobile. But age and content separate PUBG Mobile from New State. New State is much newer than PUBG Mobile and still has the potential to overtake the spot that PUBG Mobile currently holds; PUBG Mobile is the veteran battle royale between the two and has a more extensive player base. PUBG is known for bringing in an intricate weapon upgrading system (New State also has weapon customization). Once New State catches up to PUBG Mobile, it’ll be even more challenging to see which game deserves the spotlight. Until then, PUBG Mobile is where most are currently playing.
Standoff 2
Closer to CS: GO style of FPS than Call of Duty. It is what CS: GO would be on mobile (unofficially). You can collect weapon skins, play single-player and multiplayer (including ranked), join clans and sell your skins in the marketplace. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, considering how CS: GO gameplay is much slower-paced than the standard arcade-style FPS, requiring a lot of patience while traversing small maps to take out your opponents. Going in full force without a plan is the fastest way to forfeit the match, which means practice is very much key to tackling Standoff 2 long term.
Dead Effect 2
Dead Effect 2 is primarily a single-player zombie FPS game that is quite faithful to the genre, resembles a bit of Dead Space, and is certainly not afraid to show blood and gore to set up the chilling atmosphere where players attempt to survive a zombie apocalypse. The storyline is decent (though not for the faint of heart) and offers enough polish to sometimes feel like a console title. You can jump straight into Dead Effect 2 without playing the first Dead Effect game, which you’ll probably want to do since it’s a sizeable upgrade from the first game.
Combat Master Mobile
Excellent gameplay, smooth movement, and satisfying gunplay are all ingredients that make up a high-quality FPS game. Unfortunately, Combat Master Mobile lacks on the content side, but the core gameplay still holds up really well. The game offers a few multiplayer modes like battle royale, quick play, and team deathmatch. Overall, this title resembles Call of Duty Mobile, a decent standard to meet if you’re looking for something a little smaller and less stressful.
Critical Ops
Another great unofficial CS: GO clone for mobile. Updated seasonally, including a critical pass, thematic mini modes, limited edition skins, and frequent updates. Outside of seasonal content, there are plenty of weapon skins to earn, custom game modes, team deathmatch, and ranked. The game has already reached over 96 million downloads. You can tell that there’s a lot of care put into Critical Ops; you’ll see the developers releasing updates to the game through their social media channels (such as Youtube and Reddit) and are always looking at ways to improve anti-cheating, fix bugs, and improve stability. After all, trust between the developers and the community is what keeps games alive, and this one is thriving.
Modern Combat 5: mobile FPS
Your first stop for a highly customizable FPS experience. Modern Combat 5: mobile FPS allows you to choose between 10 classes, including styles like sniper, assault, and maurader. You can play through the campaign or jump right into pub matches. Scratching your itch with online play and PvE, events are cycled in regularly, including a battle royale mode, team deathmatch, and capture the flag. The game also has native voice chat support, giving you the option to take team play next to the level. The popularity of Modern Combat 5 means you don’t have to worry about not having enough players to keep your matchmaking feeling fresh. It also incentivizes the developers to keep up to date with this game. The quickest way for any FPS mobile game to die is when both the developers and players abandon the game, which is far from the case in Modern Combat 5: mobile FPS.
Into the Dead 2
Are you feeling a bit burnt out from the standard pub stomping PvP gameplay that other titles tend to lean towards? Into the Dead 2 focuses on the zombie apocalypse theme on a personal level; do what it takes to survive and save your family. It’s up to you to take your FPS zombie-killer skills and see if that’s enough to avoid a bad ending. Into the Dead 2 brings new story chapters, daily and special event modes, loyal canine companions that fight alongside you, and multiple endings. The best part is that you can play this game entirely offline. Access is free, with some in-game items available for purchase; it is up to you how you’ll unfold this story — will you live to see another day?
Shadowgun Legends
Shadowgun Legends is a solid game all around; it has sharp visuals, sci-fi flavoring, and plenty of PvP and PvE content. There’s something in this game for everyone, whether you’re looking for a looter shooter, co-op campaign missions, or enjoy setting up multiplayer lobbies to go up against your friends in a heated competitive match. It’s also comes with controller support, so you no longer have to opt into touch controls to get your FPS fix, either. Shadowgun Legends was clearly inspired by big hitters like Gears of War, Destiny, and Halo, which makes the game all the more appealing if you’re seeking FPS titles that stray away from the likes of Call of Duty and PUBG (in setting and gameplay).
Hitman Sniper
Now we’re headed towards the sniping mini-game territory, so if you find popping heads off to be quite satisfying — you’re going to love Hitman Sniper. It’s not the typical FPS game when it comes to pacing; you’re essentially playing a puzzle game to complete contracts, putting your tactical shooting and target prioritization to the test. And if you need to change it up, Square Enix offers a post-launch mode for zombie defense that adds another layer to the game. Hitman Sniper is currently the best entry for the sniping format, but you’ll have to pay close to a dollar to purchase the full game.
Exploring Android’s gaming gems
Playing mobile games offers its ups and downs, where you’ll encounter aggressive monetization practices, poorly optimized ports, and a lack of invested developers. But this doesn’t mean we don’t have any gaming gems on Android to experience. It just indicates we have to take a closer inspection at which titles thrive on this platform and how well these games offer a strong player-driven experience to keep the service alive and kicking. This is why we’ve given a head-start for players to see which FPS games are the top dogs on Android. And if it so happens that you find battle royales are your preferred FPS games, we also have a list of the best battle royales on Android to check out.
