Call of Duty Ghosts

With the Modern Warfare trilogy laid to rest, Call of Duty: Ghosts marks a new chapter for the world’s favourite first-person shooter. It certainly talks a good game - promising further refinements to the series’ winning multiplayer action, including maps with destructible environments, whizzy new game modes and more customization options for your virtual soldiers. But are these promises mere apparitions?


OLD FAVORITES
Let’s cut to the chase. Regardless of the rhetoric, Call of Duty is not about pushing back the frontiers of game design. It’s the Status Quo of games - unadventurous and predictable yet entertaining all the same. So it’s no surprise that Ghosts’ multiplayer relies on the familiar favourites, with the Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Free-for-All and Infected modes all making (welcome) returns.

There is more freedom to personalize soldiers, though, including the long-overdue option to play as a woman. There’s enhanced movement, too, so you can now leap over obstacles like a Parkour master and lean out of cover. These are minor upgrades in the grand scheme of things, but they're welcome all the same.


NEW MODES
Alongside the classics, Ghosts has four new competitive multiplayer modes. Hunted has ill-equipped players fighting for control of zones to win better weapons. Search & Rescue is a Search & Destroy remix in which you respawn fallen allies by collecting their dog tags.

Things step up a gear with the Kamikaze action of Cranked, where players explode if they don’t follow up a kill with another within 30 seconds. Blitz is another goodie - a contest to score by entering the enemy team’s zone. It’s like rugby. With guns. And it's pretty awesome.






SQUADS AND EXTINCTION
Beyond the competitive arena are two more new multiplayer modes, the first of which - Squads - is baffling. It lets you create squads of automaton soldiers that you then lead into battle against teams created by other players. There’s some good A.I. on show but we can’t see the point when matches with real people are just a couple of button presses away.

The other mode is Extinction, a co-operative campaign that takes Left 4 Dead, swaps the zombies for alien hordes and then strips out all the personality. It’s serviceable but very forgettable.





BIGGER MAPS
Ghosts introduces the concept of ‘dynamic maps’ to the series. These allow players to lay traps, shoot open gates, destroy walls and interact with the environment. But alas, it’s more liberating on paper than in practice. What can and can’t be done is tightly controlled so the novelty quickly fades as you get to know the maps.

On the plus side the maps are larger and less constricted than in previous Call of Dutys - a shift that favours team work over lone mavericks and makes for slightly slower battles. We like it, but more frenetic Call of Duty fans might be disappointed.


ACTION MOVIES
Finally, there’s the solo campaign. It’s a tale of orbital death rays, a remote-controlled dog and a Venezuela-led invasion of the USA - an improbable feat for a country currently struggling with a national toilet roll shortage.

It’s very silly but makes up for it with loud bangs, big explosions and outlandish moments ripped out of the 1980s action movie playbook - think space station gun battles and escapes from collapsing skyscrapers. While it re-treads well-worn ground, it rattles along at such a pace that it’s easy to get sucked in, even if none of it will stay with you for longer than a few minutes.


VERDICT

By the skin of its teeth Ghosts is another enjoyable dose of Call of Duty. The new competitive multiplayer modes, the refreshed movement and larger maps are welcome developments but the Squads and Extinction modes fail to impress and, as ever, it’s the tried and tested Team Deathmatch and Kill Confirmed options that really thrill. It’s good enough, but there’s little here to make Ghosts an essential purchase.




Photo Credits : http://www.superbwallpapers.com/call-of-duty-ghosts/

http://www.videogamer.com/xboxone/call_of_duty_ghosts/features/article/xbox_one_review_call_of

_duty_ghosts_and_battlefield_4.html

http://www.edge-online.com/review/call-of-duty-ghosts-review/

TOP 5 FALL 2014 GAMES

Rarely has the fall season looked so intimidating for video game players . Fall 2014 is crowded with its slate of high-profile titles. It’s always disappointing when a game you’re looking forward to gets delayed. While you won’t be playing “Batman: Arkham Knight,” “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” “The Order: 1886” or “Dying Light,” among others, in 2014, here’s what you can look forward to this fall:

“Destiny” (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3) — Sept. 9

 In Destiny (from the creators of Halo) you are a Guardian of the last city on Earth. You are able to wield incredible power. Explore the ancient ruins of our solar system, from the vast dunes of Mars to the lush jungles of Venus. Defeat Earth’s enemies. Reclaim all that we have lost. Become legend. Embark on an epic action adventure with rich cinematic storytelling where you unravel the mysteries of our universe and reclaim what we lost at the fall of our Golden Age. The next evolution of the first-person action genre that promises to provide an unprecedented combination of storytelling, cooperative, competitive, and public gameplay, and personal activities that are all woven into an expansive, persistent online world. Venture out alone or join up with friends. The choice is yours. Personalize and upgrade every aspect of how you look and fight with a nearly limitless combination of armor, weapons, and visual customizations. Take your upgraded character into every mode, including campaign, cooperative, social, public, and competitive multiplayer

“Hyrule Warriors” (Wii U) — Sept. 26

The delicate balance of the Triforce has been disrupted, and Hyrule Kingdom is once again being torn apart by a dark power, this time lead by Sorceress Cia. Now its up to the legendary hero Link to face hordes of enemies and find the missing Princess Zelda. Advance the story to unlock new playable characters with unique moves and weapon types. Collect Rupees and other useful items to upgrade weapons and craft badges, which you can use to bolster each warriors abilities. Then unleash the full power of your attacks with intense combos to clear wave after wave of Bokoblin hordes. Youll have to get your gloves dirty to save Hyrule this time.

* Play as fan-favorite characters like Link and Impa for the first time in the series!* Battle the fiercest Legend of Zelda enemies across Hyrules most famous locales.

* Lay waste to your opponents with brutally efficient attacks and intense combos
* Think tactically and complete missions in the most efficient way possible

“Super Smash Bros.”(3DS) — Oct. 3

Return to a world of exciting battles with Super Smash Bros. as you fight your way through a host of fan-favorite opponents. Make your way through memorable stages inspired by the most notorious classic Nintendo games. Challenge a myriad of familiar faces to battle, including Mario, Link, Samus and Pikachu, or take on new contenders, such as Mega Man, Little Mac and Palutena, the Goddess of Light from the Kid Icarus games. Leap into battle as your own personalized Mii characters. Dive into a thrilling new mode, exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS, Smash Run. Fight solo through a battlefield of enemies, and snatch up their dropped powerups before the clock runs out — and the real battle begins. Customize your fighter for when you're playing locally or online. Experience all the stunning beauty of the Super Smash Bros. world rendered in immersive 3D. Challenge family and friends locally or online, or seek out new competition from around the globe in online For Fun or For Glory matches

“FIFA 15” (3DS, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360,Xbox One, PlayStation  4) —Sep, 23

New to this year's installment, players have memories and will show emotion based on the context of the match. With over 600 new emotional reactions, players now respond to pivotal moments on the pitch – bad tackles, missed chances, epic goals - as they would in real life. Refined commentary highlights unique fan reactions, while chants and behaviors will be relevant to country or even your club. New bench reactions, side line character animations, 10-man goal celebrations, and more will strive to keep you engaged in the story of the match. Your teammates and opponents now recognize what’s happening in the match and will adjust their tactics just like real players.

“Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments” (PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360,Xbox One) —Sep,9 

 It is now your turn to truly become Sherlock Holmes and lead your own investigation--actually, your investigations, as 8 captivating cases await you in Crimes & Punishments! Murders, disappearances, spectacular thefts, and other investigations will bring you to the cutting edge of the detective written in the pure tradition of Conan Doyle's novels. Each case offers real freedom to players, who will have to make important moral choices instead of simply enforcing justice by the book. All decisions have an influence in the game, so bear the weight of your choices