Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 (Played), PS4, PC and Wii U
Developer: Infinity Ward, Raven Software and Neversoft
Publisher: Activision
Released: Nov. 5 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360; Nov. 15 for PS4 and Nov. 22 for Xbox One
Grade: C+
Like the grizzled war veteran Captain Elias Walker - the father of the game's protagonist, Logan, and his brother, Hesh - Call of Duty has become a series that has seen far too much action and not enough invigoration in recent years.
When Infinity Ward launched Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2007, it released to widespread critical acclaim and changed the face of multiplayer games, and the series, forever.
The game captured the feeling of being a modern soldier in battle with its stunning campaign, crisp controls and outstanding combat while injecting new life into multiplayer with create-a-class' perks and weapon customization.
Fast forward six years to the release of Call of Duty: Ghosts - the sixth major title release since the original Modern Warfare - and not a lot has changed.
In this game, Infinity Ward has ventured away from its Modern Warfare trilogy to start a new series with Ghosts, bringing Call of Duty into the next generation.
This time, the high octane, globe-trotting, action-packed story follows the "Ghosts," an elite squad of American military operatives who are trying to save America from being conquered by the Federation - a South American super power - after a missile strike cripples the United States.
Ghosts' story is at its best when it does things that are new or less familiar to the series, like the missions in space or the outstanding underwater level, which represent the best of the game's experiences and visuals.
These brief moments cast a shadow over the rest of the campaign, which quickly falls back to tropes from previous titles in the series and is further undermined by a plethora of predictable and clich?(c) moments.
More than any other game in the series, Ghosts has the pervasive sense of having seen or done everything that the campaign has offered in the past. This makes the story feel underwhelming and uninspired, especially since the story feels like an escalation of Modern Warfare 2 and lacks the variety of Black Ops II.
As series veterans and newcomers alike know, the main draw to the game isn't its single-player campaign, but its cooperative and multiplayer modes. On this note, Ghosts delivers.
Co-op in Ghosts comes in the form of "Extinction," a horde, survivalesque mode that pits players against increasingly difficult waves of aliens as they complete objectives and challenges, all of which gain the player money and experience that can be spent on class upgrades, kill streaks and the assorted weapons scattered throughout the map.
The game mode is fun, and the level progression, character classes and unlock system are reasons to keep playing, but the availability of only one map makes the game mode feel limited and underdeveloped.
It's a good start, and with developer Treyarch's extremely popular zombie mode in mind, Extinction will definitely see massive improvement over the coming months in downloadable content releases and future Infinity Ward titles.
Multiplayer is where past games have truly shined, and Ghosts is no exception.
Ghosts adapts Black Ops II's 'pick-10' system by equating items in the inventory with perks - buffs that grant increased movement speed, faster aim, etc.
A pistol or grenade, for instance, are worth one perk point, forcing players to choose between these highly valuable buffs and other valuable assets that could provide a tactical advantage in a gunfight.
The problem with this system is that unlike in Black Ops II, in which players are allowed to choose their class based on their preferred play style, Ghosts' system feels like it forces players to choose out of necessity.
With 35 perks to choose from, there's no shortage of reasons to take off a flash bang or claymore and put on another perk.
As veterans of the series have come to expect, multiplayer is packed with weapons, kill streaks and equipment to try out, which are now easier to access with "squad points."
Squad points are unlocked from completing challenges, field orders and leveling up. These points take the prestige tokens from Blacks Ops II to a whole new level by allowing players to unlock whatever they want, so long as they have enough points.
Gone are the days of spending hours to reach a level that unlocks the best assault rifle or a high-level perk - a welcomed change to the multiplayer formula.
The best addition over previous Call of Duty titles comes in the form of the new game modes like "Cranked," "Blitz" and "Search and Rescue." These new game modes are massive alterations to some of Call of Duty's iconic game modes and offer a welcomed new pace from the series' previous staples.
Unfortunately, these modes replace many fan favorites like "Demolition" and "Ground War," which may disappoint some players.
Though the multiplayer may only provide a few tweaks over past games, the game remains an absolute blast to play, even for seasoned veterans of the series. Gunplay within the game never feels tedious or tiresome, and the hit detection on enemies feels like the best it has been in years. Weapon balance, however, remains a prevalent problem.
Call of Duty: Ghosts is yet another solid entry into the series, but lacks the invigoration that the series so desperately needs and feels disappointing following Treyarch's Black Ops II. Nonetheless, the series' tried-and-true formula will keep players entertained for months to come.
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