Call of Duty: Ghosts isn't a reinvention of the franchise, but proves there's still room for innovation within its existing formula. Though at the risk of overcomplicating things at times, its robust multiplayer gameplay, surprisingly fun co-op modes, and lengthy, challenging, and varied campaign makes Ghosts one of the best Call of Duty games to date.
Mike Snider
For the first time, Call of Duty transports players into an extended underwater battle that brings an entirely new dimension to the shooting gallery aspect. The degree of difficulty is ramped up in dispatching underwater enemies and there's other predators around, too (think Jaws).
Another timely twist -- in light of the box office success of Gravity -- is a space mission at the game's outset and a full-fledged Moonraker melee on steroids later in the game. Space combat requires as much finesse as does underwater warfare.
As expected, players will have their passport stamped during the globe-trotting itinerary. After traversing the stark wasteland between San Diego and L.A., there are missions in the lush South American jungle and frigid Antarctica.
Ghosts may not surpass Call of Duty stories of the past, but it acquits itself admirably with a cliffhanger ending that suggests there's more story to tell.
Phil Iwaniuk
Call Of Duty enters the eighth console generation not by changing the rules, or even by seducing you with advanced visuals (more later), but by presenting you with a sort of COD greatest hits. Thermal-cam drone levels: in. Player freedom: out. Ill-fated oil rigs, slow-mo door breaches, multiple (expendable) protagonists and ‘you take the one on the left’ moments: but of course.
The world’s predictably war-torn in 2023, when the eponymous spectres’ exploits take place. San Diego’s been nuked, following the hijacking, by the united South American ‘Federation’, of an orbital space station-meets-Death Star known as Odin. With Uncle Sam nursing his wounds, the Federation emerges as the world’s chief superpower and marches in on US soil. The Yanks form an elite task force (spoiler: you) and much gadget-heavy warfare ensues. This is a war in which you can now ‘sync’ with a dog and use him as a remote-control throat-removing device.
Steven Burns
On the battlefield, play is more focused on gun-on-gun than aerial bombardment, and the game is better for it. Few of the maps seem conducive to sitting off and calling in strikes: players are funneled into buildings and tight corners with a regularity that makes one-on-one the focus. Sniping is possible: there's a new marksman rifle class, and Warhawk and Stonehaven in particular pay dividends to diligent distance players. But the frustration of being constantly blitzed from above is gone.
It puts the focus on your loadout and guns, and the new perk system is nicely organised. They're now broken down into specific categories (such as speed, equipment etc), with each assigned a 'cost' to equip, like with Pick 10. Perks - and their classes - seem flexible enough to accommodate most builds.
Edge
Edge
This is the sixth game of ‘follow the grizzled leader’ we’ve played since Modern Warfare. But as is traditional, there is a certain amount of change, too. As before, you’ll spend much of Ghosts in step behind the immaculate shoulders of a gruff marine or three, but you’ll also find yourself chasing after the lovingly textured ears of Riley the German Shepherd, on which so much pre-release attention was lavished.
Ghosts’ premier marketing device is no mere pup. Stand near it and hold the DualShock 4’s Square button and our protagonist pulls up a tablet, which enables you to not only see where Riley is heading but control the hound, too. As Riley, you can sneak through tall grass, with a tap of L1 performing an instant kill up close and a click of the left stick triggering a sprint attack that does the same for faraway foes. It’s also a recon drone, barking to get foes’ attention, with those in his line of sight tagged for another AI companion’s kill. Finally, it takes the place of the standard objective marker, picking up scents and haring off excitedly.
Call of Duty: Ghosts is a solid installment, but it lacks creativity and innovation. Its new engine already looks dated in the face of the competition, and it eschews many of the solid concepts seen in Black Ops 2. After Treyarch attempted to expand the established Call of Duty formula with risky campaign and multiplayer ideas, Infinity Ward and friends have ignored the franchise's innovative climb. Despite this, Ghosts still steals the show with more memorable missions than those found in Black Ops 2. And even with the loss of Pick 10, I still played the multiplayer for hours and had a good time.
Expanding on Treyarch's accomplishments could have elevated Call of Duty: Ghosts, but Infinity Ward largely returns to ideas it has been tweaking since the original Modern Warfare. Infinity Ward has always forged its own path, but its formulaic design document has become worn. It's a good book, but it's time to turn a new page.
Jeff Gerstmann
The basic core of fast-action multiplayer shooting is largely intact on all platforms, but Call of Duty: Ghosts tries new things that don't make the game better while omitting features and modes that players have come to expect from the franchise.
Call of Duty: Ghosts has the pleasure of being the first next-generation game I've played to completion as well as being the first game I've been able to play on both current and new consoles. The PlayStation 4 version of the game looks very sharp and feels very effects-laden, with a lot of good-looking lighting and reflections. It has a long draw distance, while the current consoles occasionally fog things up a bit to reduce the amount of geometry on-screen at a given time. The campaign has an early moment where you come up and see the state of the world by looking at a shot of the Hollywood Sign, which is way off in the distance. On the next-generation consoles, this sign is sharp and easily viewable. On current consoles, it's sort of a blocky mess.
Russ Frushtick
Call of Duty: Ghosts demonstrates an unwillingness to change much and presents a real shortage of new ideas. Ghosts is a step backwards from 2012's Black Ops 2 — and the weakest game in the series since 2009's Modern Warfare 2.
Multiplayer has long been Call of Duty's lynchpin. — took some innovative steps to reinvent the formula, especially on the character creation front. Call of Duty: Ghosts appears at first glance to take similar strides. It introduces the ability to fully customize the look of your multiplayer avatar, letting players pick from dozens of head and uniform options. It even introduces the ability to play as a female character for the first time in the franchise. But these customization options have zero impact on the gameplay. Instead, Call of Duty: Ghosts relies on a modified version of Black Ops 2's Pick 10 create-a-class system.
0 comments:
Post a Comment