In 2003, virtual warfare changed forever. When Activision released Call of Duty, a record-breaking first-person shooter series was born. It’s since gone on to recruit hundreds of millions of armchair soldiers.

While Call of Duty first mobilised the troops in World War II, subsequent games (notably 2007’s landmark fourth instalment, Modern Warfare) have taken the fight to more contemporary settings – even outer space.

The series’ successful blend of detailed battlefields, extreme playability and an impressive range of gameplay modes has made it one of the most successful franchises of all time. It’s also started to give back to the military that inspired it, with a Call of Duty Endowment that helps veterans find work after they leave the forces.

How does it play? Well, for those who don’t already know the drill, you’re a soldier in a war zone, controlling the action through their eyes as you try to survive a series of intense shoot-outs. It sounds straightforward, but there’s plenty of variation here.

Decide what to arm yourself with: do you go for something that can make a super-accurate shot from a great distance? Or do you use stealth as a weapon, eliminating enemy combatants before they even know you’re there?

Onscreen controls allow you to crawl, jump and sprint your way around battlefields – or you can commandeer motor vehicles if you want to reach your objective more quickly. You also have the option to Voice Chat with teammates when you want to coordinate your strategy.

You need to be nimble with your tactics too, because Call of Duty: Mobile adds new themed Seasons every month. Missions can involve winter combat, futuristic weaponry and more – with new maps, unlockable weapons and fresh modes to explore.

There’s a reason this series has been so popular for so many years. Call of Duty: Mobile is as slick and as comprehensive as virtual warfare gets – and it’s constantly evolving.