Multiplayer on the go should have been the reason for Declassified to exist, but it stumbles at almost every turn. First, the good: the menus look like the console Call of Duty titles, and I dig how Declassified manages to bring slightly less feature rich takes on custom classes and other multiplayer staples to the Vita. Things swiftly fall apart after you get into a match, though, with bugs that include players appearing mid-air and terrible spawn issues that make you start right in front of enemies. A small number of maps can work if they’re great, but all of Declassified’s feel tiny even with 8 players.
The few included modes would be enough for me if Declassified’s multiplayer was fun, but the poor controls make just getting through a match a lesson in patience. It’s one thing to lose because you’re outclassed by your competition, but another to fail because you accidentally slash the air when trying to call in a Killstreak, or you swing your weapon past your intended target because the aiming just doesn’t feel right. Sure, you could spend hours leveling up and unlocking stuff in Declassified’s multiplayer, but when it’s this bad why would you bother?
