Call of Duty: Ghosts

Before I begin, let me just point out that Infinity Ward IS the creator of the "Call of Duty" franchise. Before they created their masterpiece "Modern Warfare" for game consoles, the developers had made the very first "Call of Duty" in 2003 strictly for the PC. An acclaimed WW II FPS, COD was an alternative to its PC brethren "Battlefield" and "Medal of Honor". Infinity Ward made a sequel in 2005 which was also released on the XBOX 360 to great acclaim. When MW was released in 2007, the series experienced a "re-birth" of sorts due to the revolutionary multiplayer and the modern setting of the campaign. Infinity Ward's president Jason West and CEO Vince Campella headed development on the acclaimed sequel "Modern Warfare 2" before being dismissed by Activision. As a result, the remaining members of Infinity Ward had to create MW 3 with the assistance of developer Sledgehammer Games. "Modern Warfare 3", the last of a trilogy, was not as acclaimed as the first two games in the series. And now "Call of Duty: Ghosts", the first original creation of the "reconstructed" Infinity Ward, has been released to solid, not spectacular reviews.

I've played "Ghosts" for many hours and I can say that it is the least innovative of the series. This is disappointing, but not quite surprising since the promotional ads never displayed anything special. Last year, however, Treyarch (once known as COD's 'B-team') hit a high note with "Black Ops II" which helped evolutionize the series with branching story paths, a future scenario and tower defense levels. It was the best COD they ever made. "Ghosts", on the other hand, plays it safe with linear story line chapters with the occasional Hollywood action moment (there are homages to the James Bond pics "Moonraker" and "Thunderball"). But if the "Modern Warfare" games were the equivalent of Jerry Bruckheimer/Michael Bay movies, then "Ghosts" is from the Tom Clancy school. The story is like a futuristic take on "Red Dawn" with the South Americans standing in for the Communists. The apocalyptic world is decently realized, but the storytelling is devoid of any emotion or character. The scripted events of the campaign are solid, but unsurprising. And it's telling when the biggest addition to the campaign is Riley, an attack dog you control a few times during simple stealth segments.

But while the story mode adds nothing new, the multiplayer portion does get a few new additions in "Ghosts". Besides the traditional multiplayer experience, "Ghosts" introduces "Squads" and "Extinction" along with new customization options. "Squads" is basically a multiplayer simulator that allows you to earn Squad Points and level up your soldier. It is composed of modes in which you're teamed with five other players (or bots) to battle other bots or a human player with their own squad. The standout "Squads" mode is called "Safeguard", a four-player version of MW 3's "Survival". It's not as involving, but it does provide decent arcade-style thrills. The new multiplayer games include "Cranked" in which you gain speed, points and abilities after each kill, but must chain them in order to survive. "Blitz" is basically a "football" mode in which you must enter your oppenents' scoring area in order to get ahead. "Infected" is like the infected mode from "Halo", where you must be the last human standing (by evading "zombified" players). And in "Hunted", you start out with a handgun and must find airdrops to gain heavier artillery. There's also "Extinction" which is Infinity Ward's answer to Zombies. It is a four player co-op mode that plays like a cross between "Borderlands" and Overrun from "Gears of War: Judgment". In it, you must defend a nest-killing nest from being destroyed by fast-moving aliens. In "Extinction", you can choose from different classes, level up your character and use skill points to upgrade your abilities. It's fun, but teamwork is needed in order to get to the latter rounds.

Overall, "Call of Duty: Ghosts" is a fun COD game, but it represents Infinity Ward's least creative effort. The new additions aren't innovative, the core gameplay is the same as before and the storytelling isn't very strong. Ironically, Infinity Ward now feels like the 'b'-team of the franchise with Treyarch leading the way. Without Infinity Ward founders Jason West or Vince Campella (who left to create Respawn Entertainment), the team hasn't been able to create the great shooters they once had. That's not to say "Ghosts" is bad, it isn't. Just don't expect a masterpiece.