Mobile gaming has often been regarded as just a casual alternative when you can’t access your console or PC, but times have changed. Gone are the days of pixelated gameplay and choppy graphics because the new wave of mobile games, especially ones that fall in the action genre, bring everything from stunning visuals and smooth gameplay to impressive mechanics and a rich storyline to the table. If you are looking for some adrenaline-pumping action games for your Android smartphone, here’s a list of the 12 best mobile titles that’ll provide you a thrilling experience and will keep you engaged for quite some time in 2020.

1. PUBG Mobile

Games like PUBG Mobile have changed the way people used ot think about mobile gaming. It is definitely one of the best action games available out there, and you should definitely check it out.

While the campaign mode in Mortal Kombat X is excellent, the game offers a bunch of other game modes as well, including a Quest Mode where you can send your collection of Mortal Kombat fighters on epic quests to gain rewards. You can also check out ‘Shao Kahn’s Tower’ where you’ll have to fight to the top to earn talent points and spirit fragments. Plus, if you want, you can play against real players in the Faction Wars as well.

Just like PUBG Mobile, Fortnite also has a season pass called ‘Battle Pass’ which unlocks weekly missions and cosmetic rewards including emotes, skins, gliders, and a host of other stuff that you can use in the game. Plus, if you don’t want to pay for the Battle Pass, there’s a free variant that’s available to everyone with a lower number of missions and rewards, but almost all of the fun.

The game starts off with a rather fun intro video which you can skip, but I’d totally recommend watching, and after that you can get right into the action. Shadowgun Legends has some elements of an RPG, and while you’re on the base planet (which is where you get your missions from, buy weapons, and even participate in tournaments), you can interact with other real players that are also playing the game. It definitely adds a very realistic feeling to the entire set-up of the game.

If you have played Call of Duty before, then you are going to love this game on your smartphone. You can play in 5 vs 5 game modes against other people from around the world and coordinate your strikes via voice chat with your teammates to win the battles. The game requires a lot of quick reflexes and skill if you want to see your name at top of the leaderboard. The graphics are stunning, the combat environment is realistic and the overall experience is simply one of the best you’ll get from a mobile game.

The story-driven single player mode is excellent, but the real fun lies in the multiplayer mode which has two formats and is played on four different maps. But that’s not all. You can upgrade your weapon’s characteristics such as fire rate, reload time or straight up choose another one which rains high caliber bullets or even shoots an electric blast. You can embark on different missions which range from direct assault to sniping and stealth targets, with some special time-limited events also thrown in the mix. The game also has a kill-zoom camera that shows off some of the most impressive kills with adrenaline-pumping zoom and effects. What’s more, the game employs a bunch of additional features to make the gameplay even more realistic — while the graphics are definitely awesome, the game uses highly detailed environments (both indoors and outdoors) and even has weather variations to make missions seem even more true-to-life than what they were with Brothers in Arms 2.

Dragon Ball Legends is one of the few games based on an anime series which accurately depicts the characters’ distinctive fighting styles and powers. The game interestingly runs in portrait mode and employs a swipe and tap-based system for moving and executing basic attacks while power cards of different level are available for heavy assaults and special attacks. The controls are easy to master, but what sets Dragon Ball Legends apart from other fighting games are the excellent graphics and animations which are mirrored with utmost accuracy in the game.

The game uses a top-down view into the various levels you’ll be playing in, and while the controls are easy, they are certainly different from what you’d expect in a shooter game. For one, you can’t just aim and then shoot in Xenowerk. As soon as you tap the aiming reticule, your character starts spraying bullets in that direction and you can move the aiming-joystick around to adjust aim while shooting. Weapons don’t have limited ammo here, which is great because you’ll end up wasting a lot of ammo; however, there is a heating aspect involved with the weapons, and you’ll have to keep an eye on the heat meter or else your gun will overheat and stop shooting until it cools down.

The smooth gameplay experience is further enhanced by the cool background music and the sound of different weapons with occasional voiceover also thrown into the mix. The best part is that the game is not resource-intensive and doesn’t hogs a lot of internal storage, which means it can be played even on low-end Android smartphones without a hitch. The levels get tougher as you progress, but you can always count on the easy controls and assistance from a robotic gun, rocket strike, etc. to rescue you once or twice. But be warned, the game is quite addictive and you’ll have to endure a ton of ads too.

Download Into the Dead 2 (Free, in-app purchases)

If an action-packed first-person shooter is what on the top of your mind, you shouldn’t fail to give a shot to Zombie Frontier 3. In this zombie apocalypse, you are up against dreading zombie attacks that can test both your skill and temperament to the acid test. Featuring more than 120 action levels, your role as a sniper hunter has a lot at stake. Not just that, the game has also got 60 sniper special forces missions designed to get the most out of you as a player. But don’t worry, Zombie Frontier will reward you with a ton of goodies and also offer you a chance to rule the leaderboard as the most decorated zombie hunter provided you take the attack to the rivals and win every battle convincingly.

12. Iron Blade: Medieval Legends RPG

If you are itching for an epic battle where you can showcase your heroics as a charismatic warrior, Iron Balde is exactly what you should go after. Set in medieval Europe, the game is lashed with endless war and magic. Not just that, this exciting action RPG game for Android is primed to tickle your fantasy with gripping gameplay and console-quality graphics. As for the combat system, it requires a bit of a learning curve. But once you have gone after that initial phase of mastering all the tricks, you will never want to stop.

For the folks looking for nerve-wracking superhero battles, Marvel Contest of Champions promises to be a top bet. Yeah, you got that right! With this one of the most exciting action-adventure games for Android, you get a chance to set Captain America vs. Iron Man, Hulk vs. Wolverine, Spider-Man vs. Deadpool! Well, the story just doesn’t stop there as you can play the role of the kingpin to unravel epic battles in Marvel history.