Call of Duty: Ghosts doesn’t hit any new heights for the series
After playing Call of Duty: Ghosts, I was trying to piece together what made this latest entry of the annual series any different from past titles. Then it hit me, or maybe you could say it bit me. Dogs and aliens. A well-trained and brave canine pal, Riley, tags along through most of the campaign in Ghosts and is even playable, while dog companions are rewards in the multiplayer as well. Aliens are the threat in the new Extinction mode that replaces the popular zombies.
When churning out a franchise year after year, it needs to both keep that familiar feel we’ve grown to love, while offering something different to mix things up. While Ghosts still offers that fun Call of Duty fast food fix we’re all used to, it doesn’t light the world on fire.
What is on fire is the world in the campaign, as a major conflict rages between the United States and the Federation, a united South American super state that’s threatening to invade. Out to turn the tide of the war is the Ghosts special ops team led by Elias Walker and joined by his sons, Hesh and Logan. You assume the role of Logan for most of the campaign, as they chase after a former Ghost named Rorke who’s been brainwashed to fight for the other side. Being a game centred around an elite team of super soldiers named Ghosts, I expected a bit more in terms of stealth. Perhaps some new stealth elements integrated into the gameplay, like what was done in last year’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier with some high-tech gadgetry on your person. But your faithful pooch Riley is the only weapon in that regard, along with a few other handy gadgets like the remote sniper that pops up randomly in the campaign. You get to use what the story gives you, and unfortunately feel like any other soldier in any other Call of Duty game.
But hey, the real money is in the multiplayer, right? In true Call of Duty tradition, there’s a bevy of game types to play, both new and old. Squad points earned allow you to unlock whatever you want instead of having to gain 30 levels to get your hands on that threeround burst assault rifle you always wanted. I found many of the multiplayer maps — which there are a good selection of already on the disk — a bit too busy. I know the story is set in a war-torn world, but there had to be somewhere that wasn’t a destroyed town. Still, the locations were pretty interesting.
Added is the aforementioned Extinction, that works like the previous zombie modes in past games, but this time with aliens. Squads further adds to the already full package, with players and teams of computer-controlled bots teaming up in various mission types.
One thing that was surprising was the visuals. I received the Xbox 360 edition for review, and found the character models were very ordinary. Some environments, like jungle foliage and water, looked kind of rough at times. Not sure if that’s the case on the new generation of consoles. The music and sound effects are what you’d expect from the franchise, and keep pace with the action.
Call of Duty: Ghosts hits all the high points you’d expect from the series. But it does lean too much toward the familiar. I give it a 7.5 out of 10.
Mini recommendation of the week:
IOS owners should check out Blood-masque from SquareEnix. It’s part vampire hunting, part swipe action with role-playing game elements.