Activision hasn’t skipped a beat with the launch of the
PlayStation 4.
Their flagship franchise looks better than it ever has on the new
console. Depending on where you sit with the additions and subtractions
to the modes, weapons, and maps in the annual shooter, Call of Duty:
Ghosts is yet again a solid outing from Infinty Ward. The native 1080p
action on the PS4 is an eye-opener as to what console players have been
missing out on for the last few years. While the visuals and effects
aren’t quite the leap that we’ve seen from games like Battlefield 4
and Killzone: Shadowfall on the new hardware, it’s a sharper more
colorful experience in both the single player campaign and online modes.
The small bouts of frame rate choppiness on the PlayStation 4 is
almost worthwhile considering how much better the game looks. Instantly
noticeable, visuals are sharper, the maps more colorful, and this
definitely improves all facets of the many game modes in Ghosts. But
the improvements to the game really are only cosmetic when it comes to
this version.
Those who have been playing Call of Duty on the PS3 over the years,
will get a nice lift from the better DualShock 4 Controller as well.
The new controller is just better suited for shooters, and Call of Duty
is a great showcase for reiterating this point. Without a doubt, it
makes the game more enjoyable right away. There are a couple of other
benefits to the next-gen version of Ghosts. Player counts are higher for
some of the game modes in the PlayStation 4 version of the game.
There’s the inclusion of the traditional Ground War playlist. But these
are things we’ve seen on the old consoles for years, it’s not exactly
ground breaking. While it’s pretty much a no-brainer for anyone who
picked up the PS3 version of the game and then later purchased a PS4
with the $10 upgrade path, Ghosts isn’t exactly the best showcase for
what’s possible on the new console from a technical standpoint.
Call of Duty: Ghosts across all platforms is something old, and
something new. While it’s easy to discern that this game is built on
core pillars of gameplay that haven’t changed much since 2008, there’s a
lot of welcome changes into the many game modes in this shooter.
