Get Your Espionage On As Different Secret Agents In Silent Ops
Silent Ops ($6.99) by Gameloft is a third person shooter (TPS) in which you're a secret agent who is hired to protect the world from multiple threats.
This is similar to 9mm in gameplay and graphics, though I think the graphics in Silent Ops are a bit better and the game seems to run more smoothly overall.
At the beginning, there is a brief cinematic intro — Gameloft iOS games are famous for these — that explains what is actually happening. Luckily, you can skip it if you're impatient like me. You're then thrown into a campaign where you follow another agent around, trying to succeed on your mission.
You can play as one of three different agents, each specializing in different weapons and skills. John Oaks is the master of close combat and espionage, Yuri Sokolov is an elite sniper, and Nicole Loiseau is a vehicle and IT specialist.
As with every shooter I review, I found the controls rather awkward. It's hard to move, aim, and shoot all simultaneously (which is what you must do to play a shooting game well). Personally, although I love shooters, most iOS shooter controls are too difficult to master. However, some may not have an issue with this.
You can toggle your objectives on and off on the left side of your screen. The arrows on the top left of the screen point towards enemies and show their location. Follow the arrows and snipe some enemy agents or sneak up on them and enjoy a bit of fisticuffs.
There are seven different levels that take you on missions to many places around the world. Though I haven't completed it in full myself yet, this seems like it would be rather short to complete. However, there's always multiplayer if you enjoy that.
You can play multiplayer online and locally with up to 12 players. Multiplayer in any Gameloft iOS shooter is terrible, in my opinion. First of all, the controls are pretty frustrating to manage; and secondly, you get camped too easily, which is no fun. Unless you're doing the camping, I guess, if you're into that sort of thing.
Silent Ops is in the App Store for $6.99 as a universal app. Gameloft games are always a bit pricey, making it hard for me to recommend because I am the type to wait for a sale (read: cheapskate). But if you're rolling in money, pick it up — you can even make in-app purchases for upgraded weapons, speed boosts, and health packs.
I enjoyed this game more than 9mm, but less than BackStab. But if you enjoy Gameloft's iOS games, especially of the shooter genre, then try to pick this up on sale. For the major price tag, though, I don't think it's worth it.
