I tentatively recommend this.
Dead On Duty is a mobile game ported to PC, and it plays like one. The graphics are not impressive and the PC customization is extremely limited. In particular, basic controls like switching weapons, which button fires and aims down sight, an ADS toggle or hold option, are not rebindable or an option to choose from. Basic key rebinding for all control inputs is not optional in modern releases, in my opinion.
Further, the game's mouse input feels less like a proper mouse input and more like a touch input translated to a mouse input. There is an acceleration and deceleration that is fundementally different to a standard mouse input in other first person shooters. This is something I adopted to within minutes, but others may view this, combined with the lack of key rebinding, as a deal breaker.
Thirdly, there is no jump button. This is not an issue, it just threw me off, because every Call of Duty Zombies game on PC has a jump button. I kept mashing the space bar thinking I would jump. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
There is also almost no video settings. Luckily, I have a high end PC (Ryzen 9 7950x, RX 7900 XTX, 64GB DDR5) so it is not an issue for me, but this could more significantly impact others. The game is quite dark and there is no brightness settings either
With all of that said, however, this is a good game. The gameplay loop of killing zombies to earn points to buy stuff to kill more zombies is just as fun as it was in World at War, and the maps the game has range from simple to complex. A major difference is the increase to 8 perks rather than only 4 and this allows for significantly varied playthroughs and decision making throuighout the game, without modern COD zombies change of increasing Perk prices as you buy more perks so you may buy all perks on the map. There is no perk machines. Instead we have a COD Black Ops Cold War Wonder Fizz style machine that allows the player to buy all of the perks in a single place.
Yes, this is a mobile game, ported to PC, but I did not judge this game based on it original platform. The gameplay loop is very fun. The aesthetic of the game is fantastic. The vibe of killing zombies that Call of Duty games lost with the post COD Black Ops Cold War games is strong and well realized in this game.
If you have already played through the Call of Duty Zombies franchise, and already tried homebrew like NZportable on PC, this game is a fun addition to your library. Dead on Duty is a return to the classic round based zombies formula and it does a good job of living up to its inspiration.
Edit: Within two weeks of me making this review, the dev updated the game with more video options and bug fixes. Having played a little more, the guns feel good to shoot, the graphics and shadows are nicer, and the animations work well. Each map is unique, and the map easter eggs and layouts work well, with a good mix of enemies offered map to map.
