14 DAY TRIAL // Many big and hyped up games have appeared in the last 12 months and, as always, not all of them lived up to expectations or promises, despite looking relatively good on paper.
Among them, the biggest for me was Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Both publisher Activision and developer Infinity Ward revealed the game with a great spectacle, touting the next evolution of the first-person shooter series, with a brand new story, a brand new graphics engine, and all sorts of new mechanics, like Riley the dog.
In the end, the game disappointed in most of these areas and failed to signal any sort of evolution for the series.
First up, the story, while trying to explore new ground, was filled with clichés and the Ghosts, which were supposed to be a team of highly skilled soldiers, did nothing different than other video game protagonists seen in previous shooters.
Secondly, the brand new visuals and graphics engine also disappointed, especially since Infinity Ward quickly confirmed that the game was powered by the same old engine used by the series many times before, albeit with some new improvements.
These flourishes weren't enough to make the game stand out as there were still quite a few glitches, low-res textures, and unimpressive visual effects.
Last but not least, the actual gameplay didn't introduce that many new things, particularly when it comes to Riley, who acts more like a drone than an actual attack dog. What's more, he's used in just a few missions, while the rest are your traditional "follow your squad mates" assignments.
Even the vehicle sections are dull and linear, as you can't even control the elevation of your helicopter, for example.
The multiplayer tried to introduce some new elements, like the cooperative Extinction mode, but even that loses its charm after several matches, especially if you run into unexperienced players.
Overall, while Call of Duty: Ghosts promised many things, it failed in most regards.