Call of Duty: Ghosts, otherwise known as ‘Yep, it’s that time again’, is here.The best-selling first-person shooter series of all time, Activision’s Call of Duty is a video game blockbuster in every sense of the word, offering staggering production values, intense action and a Hollywood-style storyline. The franchise has enjoyed commercially-successful yearly updates for quite some time now, but with the next-generation looming and EA’s Battlefield 4 breathing down its neck, can it perform the same trick again this year? Suit up, solder – we’re going in.
The good
While EA’s Battlefield concerns itself with modern-era military actions, Call of Duty isn’t afraid to dip its toe into the future every now and then. Ghosts’ opening level sees you taking control of a soldier in space who has to defend an orbital laser cannon when it comes under attack by the villainous Federation (think Cold War Russia, but based in South America instead). This opening mission is pure Call of Duty; it’s epic, awe-inspiring and sets up the dramatic storyline perfectly.
From that point onwards, you’re very much the underdog. America is in ruins and it’s up to you to take the fight to the invading Federation. When your back is against the wall you’ll take any help you can get, and in Ghosts, that includes the four-legged variety. Much has been made of Riley – the first combat dog to feature in the series – and his addition does genuinely add to the gameplay. Although his involvement is largely scripted, it’s nevertheless enjoyable to see him leap onto an enemy during a gunfight and turn the tide in your favour.
Outside of the single-player campaign, Ghosts has the usual multiplayer options. It’s here that you’ll probably spend most of your time, thanks to the streamlined matchmaking services and large selection of maps. Activision smartly hasn’t tampered with the controls – it nailed them long ago.
The bad
Despite the bluster and massive explosions, this year’s Call of Duty outing has a tired feel to it. Perhaps it’s the strain of having to perform the same trick year-in, year-out, but Ghosts feels like it’s lacking in new ideas. The solo campaign – despite its promising opening and the introduction of Riley – is one of the most tepid the series has seen so far. Visually, the game suffers from the same issues which plagued Battlefield 4 – the engine is clearly built with the next-gen in mind, and as a result the current generation offerings end up looking a bit rough in places.
Multiplayer isn’t as captivating as we’d like, either – largely because we’ve recently experienced Battlefield 4, with its deformable maps and fleets of tanks and other vehicles. Online has always been Call of Duty’s jewel in the crown, but this year it feels decidedly tired and lifeless compared to the excitement of EA’s challenger.
The bottom line
Call of Duty had it coming – there’s no realistic way that Activision could maintain the same degree of quality with each yearly update. What we have here is a decent-looking game which gets the pulse racing occasionally and sometimes impresses with its storytelling, but for the vast majority of the game you’ll be wondering exactly what has changed for the better since last year. The answer is very little – in fact, Ghosts feels second-rate when compared to last year’s Black Ops 2. As the next generation looms over us, it’s time for franchises like Call of Duty to reinvent themselves, or they run the risk of becoming totally irrelevant.
