Delta Force review – the only mobile FPS worth your time

Initially, I dismissed Delta Force after seeing the shooter’s Summer Game Fest preview last year. However, after getting hands-on with Team Jade’s FPS offering at Gamescom and spending quality time with the mobile iteration, I’ve never been happier to eat my own words. Even in such a saturated space, Delta Force Mobile proves that smartphone shooters can still keep skirmishes fresh.

If the Delta Force name sounds familiar, then you may remember the series’ time on PC and PlayStation 2, giving us cult classics such as Delta Force: Urban Warfare and the highly lauded Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. With a focus on realism and tactics that pleased players early on, Delta Force games dwindled into obscurity in 2009, right at the start of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 boom. The FPS game landscape has never been the same since Modern Warfare 2 redefined multiplayer games. So, where does a brand-new Delta Force reboot fit into that landscape these days?

The answer is with a rousing combination of Call of Duty’s casual appeal and a dash of Battlefield’s vision of teamwork. Delta Force in 2025 is sleek and near-futuristic, but it’s still a boots-on-the-ground effort. It echoes the aesthetics of Battlefield 2042, while knocking on the doors of genre rivals like The Finals with heaps of dazzling cosmetics. But while it may be easy to see Delta Force as merely an imitation of Battlefield, especially at first glance, Team Jade shows it can carve out space for itself alongside it.

Delta Force’s gameplay unfolds across two modes: Warfare and Operations. Warfare is your bread and butter slice of all-out chaos, pitting two teams of 24 players against each other across large maps. It’s a tall order to emulate this kind of frenetic fun on scaled-down hardware, yet Team Jade doesn’t let smartphone restrictions hold it back. To get ready for action, building a loadout and the right operator for the job is the first port of call.

Since the PC version launched in December, a huge arsenal of Delta Force weapons is already available to dive into. I’ve seen console shooters with fewer weapons ready to go at launch, so this is a big treat for players looking to stay versatile.

There are no pay-to-win aspects present, either. Purchased bundles are cosmetic-based, veering away from offering unfair advantages. Team Jade made it clear to me before launch that this is an important element for it to uphold, and it remains intact here. Warfare is all about capturing designed points on the map, and holding back your opponents in the process. Victory can be claimed by wiping out all their reserves, effectively limiting the enemy’s chances of respawning. Or you can assume a massive points lead by keeping those points fortified. Out of the two modes, Warfare is the easiest place to become caught up in its blockbuster-level firefights.

When I spoke to Team Jade last month, the developer reiterated the strengths of Delta Force’s ability to play on your “own terms.” It’s easy to dismiss this statement as nothing more than buzz-worthy pre-release hype. The good news is that Delta Force keeps that promise. I can approach gunfights in the usual way, but using a helicopter as a makeshift battering ram to capture a point is far more fun. I’m not the best pilot in the skies, but the game’s approachable control scheme makes up for this.

The Battlefield games are notorious for their difficult vehicle controls, reserved mostly for dedicated players willing to master unruly control layouts. I’m in awe of those who can ‘Rendezook’ enemy aircraft with ease. For some players, myself included, the absence of Delta Force controller support is a big caveat. I usually use mobile controllers like the Backbone Xbox Edition. However, given the developer’s experience on helping craft Call of Duty: Mobile, it’s no surprise that Delta Force feels effortless to pick up, even without the use of a controller. Where the game truly knocked me for six is on the visual front.

I’ve spent most of my time with Delta Force on the Android build, but the game performs just as smoothly on iPhone. Delta Force is a genuinely impressive feat visually, outputting what I believe to be the best FPS graphics on mobile right now.  It easily outranks Call of Duty: Mobile and its beefed-up battle royale game cousin, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, when it comes to fidelity. Shining brightest on gaming phones like the RedMagic 10 Pro, my tried and tested iPhone 15 Pro also barely flinched with Delta Force’s settings cranked to the max.

Textures are pleasingly rich, whether that’s dirty and worn metal from my assault rifle, or traversing across muddy hilltops. Character models are particularly great, and set the graphical benchmark as soon as the game loads up. There are some instances where Delta Force’s maps could benefit from improved lighting and reflections, but they’re infrequent enough that it doesn’t massively detract from the overall experience.

When developers port a game like this to smartphones, concerns always arise about what might be sacrificed from its full-sized counterpart. Luckily, Delta Force is mostly making the right decisions here, favoring a solid gameplay loop and foundation to build on, rather than throwing everything at the wall to hope it sticks.

Operations mode gives Arena Breakout a worthy extraction shooter competitor, and is ideal for players looking for a risk/reward experience. However, additions like the Black Hawk Down campaign and brand-new mode Operation Blackout are sadly missing. The game currently features a tab for the Black Hawk Down expansion, though. It directs players to seek out the PC iteration, but I’m hopeful Team Jade is attempting to bring it to the free mobile game.

Delta Force Mobile is a triumphant shooter, replicating its PC counterpart’s scale with ease. Welcoming to both casual players and seasoned experts alike, it’s the closest thing to a fully fledged console FPS offering on the go right now. If it can receive the same sterling support the PC version has had since launch, it can only get better from here.

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