TechSmart 121, October 2013 TechSmart 123, December 2013 | Page 46

Call of Duty: Ghosts certainly knows how to make a dramatic entrance, but this time, it also begs the question:
Is this the best Call of Duty to date?

T

he Call of Duty franchise has never shied away from offering huge
dollops of blockbuster-type action on a Michael Bay scale, and in this
regard, Ghosts certainly delivers as anticipated. Setting the stage for
the game’s somewhat convoluted story, players both witness from above the
Earth, and experience on ground level, a devastating attack on the US, as
South America has united as one force called The Federation, with America
in its crosshairs.

We wished more than once that we could
stop and take our time drinking in the
ruined environs.

Fast forward ten years and you find yourself, along with your brother, and
the much mentioned dog, Riley, a handsome German shepherd, fighting a
protracted and defensive war alongside the titular Ghosts using guerilla tactics.

Life of Riley
While many of the combat mechanics are familiar to previous entries,
Riley isn’t, serving as both an able companion in scouting areas and
stealthily attacking enemies, as well as helping forge an emotional
connection. Unfortunately, these sections are few and far apart, and only
available at scripted points during the game. Nonetheless, it still makes
Ghosts feel seems less bogged down by geo-political complexity (at
least for the most part) than its predecessors, and more relatable thanks
to the fact that you are fighting alongside your family.

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Granted, you do still follow a linear and at times heavily scripted path in
the game, although this does occur at a brisk pace. On one hand, this
lends the game an urgency often found in blockbuster action movies, on
the other we wished more than once that we could stop and take our time
drinking in the ruined environs and the ramifications of a broken America.
Nonetheless, Ghosts is still a highly engaging, and well paced game,
that quickly hooked our attention. Graphics on the Xbox 360 version are
good, if not outstanding, and although production values are a little by
the numbers for the franchise, they are still high. Add in an extensive
multiplayer component (which brings bug-like aliens to the mix), and
Ghosts delivers much that we, and millions of fans, have come to expect
from the franchise.

Fans will be pleased
If there was any criticism of the title, it would
be that Ghosts doesn’t depart too much
from the Modern Warfare formula, unlike
Black Ops, with Activision seeming to opt
for a ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ approach.
Nonetheless, Ghosts is still a spectaclefilled shooter that will no doubt satiate FPS
fans, and it does so with enough compelling
firefights and jaw-dropping sequences
through a variety of terrains to keep you
coming back for more. R700. [RN]
December 2013 | TechSmart