Call of Duty: Ghosts PS4 Review

As a gamer I have in the past few years looked forward to November, as it brought about the release of a series of games I have loved since it’s first incarnation in 2003, Call of Duty.

I’m probably going to be taken out and shot for this one but I felt let down by the last Call of Duty outing “Black Ops 2”. It felt like it was just too much trying and not enough delivering. It’s predecessor Modern Warfare 3 was in every way it’s superior, and as such I have to say my expectations for Ghosts were held high.

In the past Call of Duty has always called out the big guns for voice duties, with the likes of Kiefer Sutherland, Idris Elba, William Fichtner, Timothy Olyphant, Clancy Brown and Michael Rooker all having previously loaned their unmistakable vocal skills to this immense gaming world it’s now the turn of Brandon Routh, Kevin Gage and Steven Lang to bring our playable Ghosts to life!

All I can say is wow, visually the game looks amazing utilizing what I can only assume is not the full power of the PS4. Truly this console is the game changer that I expected. Sound quality is above anything I have experienced in a game before.

As for the gameplay, I liked it. The game trots along at a nice pace, starting with a nice campfire story about the origin of the titular Ghosts, and then it’s straight into the gameplay to get you used to the control system on 2 completely different gaming arenas and from here on it  flash forwards 10 years and into a fluid story line, with only 1 flashback segment.  The game itself is also very linear, staying with your controllable character throughout all the missions, unlike it’s predecessors where you didn’t know what part of the globe you could end up in, or which player for that fact. There’s also 2 nicely put together vehicle levels to enjoy too.

There are some truly amazing levels that will tax you, and both the opposing force and home side AI is up to scratch and reactive to your input and decisions. The levels where you get to utilize “Riley” the dog are quite fun too and bring a new dimension to the gameplay, there’s a lot to be said for the low tech approach.

All this being said the game is NOT without it’s flaws.  There are certain points in the game where due to game conditions you will become disorientated and get lost trying to find the next section or your lost colleagues who have moved on whilst you tried to figure out were to go. Also the transition time between primary and secondary weapons is just a tad slow, maybe it’s just me expecting too much but I was left wanting, and dying. With regards to weapons, it’s quite evident that certain manufacturers may no longer wish to associate themselves with the gaming community because the weapons options in comparison to previous games are quite limited, and a vast majority of them have had their names changed and appearance altered slightly. (Copyrighted Intellectual Property Rights one would guess)

The big plus for me however was the new PS4 controller. Boy does it kick in your hands, it’s almost as though you can feel your characters heart rate rise and fall in your hands as you progress through the game.

As a whole I enjoyed the experience and will return to try my hand at the more difficult settings and will also partake in the online play too. With my minor gripes aside I can safely say that Call of Duty: Ghost has carried on the standard set by Modern Warfare 3, and in my opinion has actually surpassed it.  I’m sure the inevitable COD: Ghosts sequel is already in production by Infinity Ward, with a November 2015 launch date firmly in it’s sights.

4.5 out of 5 Ghosts