Read videogame news or ask someone who is knowledgeable on the subject, they will both tell you that developing a video game isn’t an easy task, especially on a yearly basis. This makes what Activision has been able to do with Call of Duty seem extremely impressive. However, there is a growing tension as people wait for Activision to slip up and release a game worse than the last, but is this that year?

Ghosts’ campaign mode is little more than a chore. The plot is a mess, but that deserves little mention since Call of Duty games aren’t known for having gripping or worthwhile stories. That’s not the point or the goal of them, but more importantly the game does control as smoothly as one would expect. The gunplay and movement feel both natural and smooth. Unfortunately, that is not enough to make the bombastic set pieces enjoyable to play through. During these more explosive moments it often seems that the players actions cause only minimal reactions in the environment, especially in relation to all the scripted explosions on screen. During the quieter moments, when the consequences on the environment are more tangible, the gameplay really shines, but far too much time is spent trying to show the biggest explosion of the year. This issue is so rampant that it’s difficult to squeeze enjoyment out of the campaign, thankfully, other modes fare better.

For years the main attraction to COD has been its ultra-addictive, fast paced online play. The multiplayer here is largely intact from previous iterations and similarly fun. In Ghosts, a new load out editor has been implemented, but it will be immediately familiar to those who have played Black Ops 2. The load outs are so customizable that a certain combination of guns and perks exists for every play style. The customization can seem daunting at first due to the ridiculous number of options, but editing your load out proves to be rather enjoyable. Ghosts also introduces a few new multiplayer modes, but they tend to be hit or miss. While Cranked (which requires a player to get a kill every 30 seconds or die) stands out as the best addition to competitive multiplayer, the other modes aren’t as well refined. Little true innovation plagues the otherwise worthwhile competitive multiplayer of Ghosts.

The new alien based survival mode named Extinction is also worth mentioning, but doesn’t deserve too much praise. While it’s a fine substitute for the now missing Zombies mode, it’s not as mentally stimulating or as varied as its predecessor. The continued addition of a cooperative option is welcome, especially in a world with less collaborative gaming experiences, but extinction fails to be a worthy successor to Zombies.

A string of issues holds Ghosts back. Alone, these issues can be excused, but combined they create a painful single player and a fairly by the books multiplayer mode that refuses to truly innovate. Ghosts isn’t a bad game, but it’s not a better game.  B-