Call of Duty Ghosts (PS3)

Status:

Complete and Play Tested

For more games visit us on: https://www.bobshop.co.za/seller/4692286/Just_Press_Play_ZA

----------------------------------

Call of Duty: Ghosts (PS3) Review

Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Genre: First-person shooter
Release: 2013

Call of Duty: Ghosts takes the series in a slightly different direction with a near-future military story, a new cast of characters, and a strong focus on stealth, squad-based combat, and large-scale set pieces. While it retains the familiar Call of Duty formula, it also introduces several new ideas, including the popular Extinction mode and the Riley combat dog. The PS3 version delivers a solid overall experience, although its technical presentation is showing its age.

Gameplay & Mechanics

The core gunplay remains familiar to Call of Duty players. Weapons are responsive, aiming is precise, and firefights are generally fast-paced.

The campaign introduces several new gameplay situations, including stealth sections, underwater combat, vehicle sequences and missions involving Riley, the player's trained military dog. These sections provide some welcome variety compared with simply moving from one firefight to another.

The multiplayer uses the traditional class-based structure but introduces the Create-a-Soldier system, allowing considerably more freedom when building a character. Players can select different perks and equipment to create specialised loadouts.

A new Squads system also allows players to create and customise a squad of soldiers.

Strengths

• Responsive and satisfying gunplay

• Varied campaign missions

• Flexible class customization

• Good selection of weapons

• New gameplay mechanics add variety

• Strong multiplayer progression

Weaknesses

• Core gameplay remains familiar

• Some campaign sections feel heavily scripted

• Multiplayer can be hectic

• Certain perks and weapons can feel unbalanced

Multiplayer & Maps

Multiplayer is one of the game's main attractions, offering traditional modes such as Team Deathmatch, Domination, Search and Destroy and Kill Confirmed.

The maps are generally larger than those found in some previous Call of Duty games. This allows for more room to manoeuvre and makes long-range weapons more useful.

Dynamic map features are also introduced. Certain maps contain environmental events that can alter portions of the battlefield, creating new routes or changing how an area can be approached.

The Squads system adds another layer to the multiplayer experience. Players can create a team of customised soldiers and use them in several different modes.

The main drawback is that the larger maps do not always suit the fast-paced Call of Duty formula. Some matches can involve considerably more searching for opponents than players might expect from the series.

Story & Structure

The campaign follows Logan Walker, his brother Hesh and their father Elias as they become involved with the elite Ghosts unit.

The story takes place in a future where a powerful enemy known as the Federation threatens the United States. The campaign moves across several locations and gradually reveals the history behind the Ghosts.

The narrative attempts to create a more personal military story than some previous entries, particularly through the relationship between Logan and Hesh.

There are plenty of cinematic moments and large-scale battles, although the plot relies on familiar military-shooter themes. The campaign also contains several memorable twists and cliffhanger moments.

Riley is a particularly memorable addition, although his role is more limited than the marketing surrounding the game might suggest.

Graphics & Presentation

Call of Duty: Ghosts was designed as a cross-generation title, and the PS3 version shows the limitations of older hardware.

Character models, environments and effects can still look good, particularly during the campaign's larger set pieces. Lighting and explosions are also effective.

However, textures can appear relatively low-resolution and some environments lack the detail found in the game's PS4 and Xbox One versions.

The game still maintains the polished cinematic presentation expected from the franchise, but technically it is less impressive than the best-looking PS3 shooters.

Strengths

• Strong cinematic presentation

• Detailed weapon models

• Good lighting and effects

• Varied environments

• Impressive set pieces

Weaknesses

• Noticeable technical limitations

• Some low-resolution textures

• Occasional visual pop-in

• Less impressive than the next-generation versions

Sound & Music

The sound design is generally excellent. Weapons have distinctive firing sounds, explosions carry plenty of impact, and environmental audio helps create a convincing battlefield atmosphere.

Voice acting is also solid, with the main characters providing believable performances throughout the campaign.

The soundtrack supports the action effectively, particularly during the game's larger cinematic sequences.

Riley also adds another dimension to the sound design, with his barking and movement helping make his presence noticeable during missions.

Pros

• Responsive gunplay

• Varied campaign missions

• Strong multiplayer progression

• Create-a-Soldier customization

• Extinction is an excellent alternative to Zombies

• Good selection of multiplayer modes

• Riley adds variety to the campaign

• Strong sound design

Cons

• Campaign story is fairly conventional

• PS3 version looks dated

• Larger multiplayer maps aren't always successful

• Some multiplayer balancing issues

• Campaign is relatively short

• Does not innovate as much as some other entries

Final Verdict

Call of Duty: Ghosts is a solid entry in the long-running franchise that combines familiar Call of Duty gunplay with several interesting additions. The campaign provides a reasonable amount of variety, while the multiplayer offers extensive customization and progression. Extinction is arguably the game's most successful new feature and provides a welcome cooperative alternative to the series' traditional modes.

The PS3 version inevitably feels limited compared with the newer-generation release, and the campaign and multiplayer do not radically reinvent the formula. Nevertheless, the responsive shooting, large amount of multiplayer content, flexible customization and enjoyable Extinction mode make Call of Duty: Ghosts a worthwhile military shooter on PS3.

Score: 7.5/10