Call of Duty is one of the most commercially successful games of all time. It has earned hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in just the first day of sales each year. It has become a cultural phenomenon that only a handful of games have even come close to – most recently being Grand Theft Auto V.
To truly determine if the quality goes along with the numbers it was put through its paces in terms of story, multiplayer functionality and graphical fidelity.
The storyline for Call of Duty Ghosts was a mixed bag. The story introduced the concept of the Ghost squad very well through the telling of a story from the main character’s father. Although as the story progressed the air of mystery and wonderment slowly faded and all you were left with was a basic story with lots of shooting sequences which is no doubt Infinity Ward’s, developer of the title, bread and butter.
The action sequences are good but nothing really stands out when referenced to the previous entries to the series. The game feels uniform with the big set pieces and generic cut scenes. There is not enough time to develop a connection with the characters before they are tossed into the fray. Although the end was definitely an unexpected twist, there wasn’t enough substance to have it resonate as deeply as it could have.
The multiplayer is a very different beast. The class system you have come to expect from the series is present but in a unique way. You are given currency to unlock the guns, perks, and equipment in the order you want to instead of having to level up to get to it which is a welcome change.
Although the perks, different skills that give you an edge like faster reloading, are still earned from leveling up there is still an option to buy them. Like in previous installments the battles are fought in a variety of maps in a very fast paced run-and-gun type setting but keep in mind this is not without its disadvantages.
If you are a newcomer to the series the multiplayer is not for the faint of heart. It is fast paced and brutal to new adopters of the series.
In terms of graphics, at least on the Playstation 4, they are the best in the series with an output of 1080p at 60 frames per second it makes for a crystal clear, silky smooth experience unparalleled by the previous iterations of the game. However, the full 1080p resolution is only available on the Playstation 4, so the iterations of this game on other consoles may lack in quality comparatively. For instance the X-Box One version only runs at 720p as of right now, which means that the images won’t be as clear but to the average consumer this shouldn’t be a problem.
If you’re a fan of the Call of Duty series in general and want more of what you have come to know and love, then this is game is for you. The multiplayer alone is worth the price of admission. If you’re looking for something with a deep, engaging story, that keeps you hooked to the very end, I would look elsewhere.
In terms of polish Infinity Ward, one of the main developers of the series, has had 6 years to perfect the graphics engine and push what it can do graphically and still maintain smooth game play. If asked if there were enough changes to justify upgrading from Black Ops 2 to this title on Playstation 3 I would say no way but the graphics mixed with the refreshed multiplayer system make it a worthy purchase for any Playstation 4 owner.
