Call of Duty: Ghosts

Call of Duty: Ghosts is a 2013 first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the tenth major installment in the Call of Duty series and the sixth developed by Infinity Ward. It was released for PlayStation 3, Wii U, Windows, and Xbox 360, on November 5, 2013, and served as the final entry for Nintendo platforms. The game was released with the launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The game acts as a standalone installment in the wider Call of Duty franchise in lieu of the World War II, Black Ops and Modern Warfare series that preceded it. Ghosts inherits much of the core gameplay and structure of previous titles, with a mission-based campaign and an open-ended multiplayer, but introduces a near-future setting to the series as well as an increased focus on tactical gameplay, including the addition of new "Squads" modes and orbital strike superweapons to the multiplayer. Ghosts also features an alternative co-operative shooter mode titled Extinction, acting as a spiritual successor to the Zombies co-operative PvE gamemodes introduced to the franchise in Call of Duty: World at War. The science fiction elements of the game's campaign and setting would go on to be further explored in Advanced Warfare and Infinite Warfare.

Ghosts received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its multiplayer gameplay and for the introduction of Extinction and criticism for its single-player campaign, rehashing of familiar concepts, and general lack of innovation. As a result of its reception, as well as the release of the game coinciding with the launch of the eighth generation consoles, it failed to meet Activision’s expectations.

In Call of Duty: Ghosts, the story is mostly told through the eyes of Logan Walker, with several other playable characters, including an astronaut specialist named Baker; Sergeant Thompson; Elias Walker, member of Ghosts and Logan's father; and the newer option to play as a German Shepherd, Riley, the first non-human playable character in the franchise.

The multiplayer mode in Call of Duty: Ghosts features changes from previous Call of Duty games as some new mechanics have been added to it. Maps now have areas that can be altered or destroyed. There is a nuke-like kill streak reward, the KEM Strike. The player can get the ODIN kill streak by either getting a certain amount of kills or by killing the top player on the other team and then completing various challenges after picking up a blue briefcase that is dropped. The sniper rifle scopes also have new "dual render technology" allowing the player to see around the outside of the scope (although blurred) when zoomed in. On October 3, a new multiplayer type was revealed, called Squads. This features a squad that the player can build and the player can face other squads around the world. The player's squad can be leveled up and will act like a true individual. "Octane", "Prison Break", "Tremor", "Freight", "Stormfront", "Siege", "Warhawk", "Sovereign", "Overlord", "Flooded", "Strikezone", "Whiteout", "Stonehaven" and "Chasm" are the maps that are in Call of Duty: Ghosts so far. The dynamic map, "Free Fall", was a pre-order bonus. The game now features playable female soldiers.

Call of Duty: Ghosts introduces a new game type called Squads. This mode can be played either solo or with other players including friends. A squad consists of ten different customizable characters. Squads can be utilized in unique gamemodes involving AI controlled enemies and AI controlled squad mates. The gamemodes include Squad Assault, Safeguard, Safeguard Infinite, Squad vs Squad, and Wargame. All of these modes can be played while online or offline.

Call of Duty: Ghosts features several staple multiplayer game modes, while introducing several new game types, including:

Extinction is a 4-player co-op mode, which pits the player(s) against various types of aliens (known altogether as Cryptids) in a base-defending survival style map. The main goal is usually to destroy all of the Cryptid hives scattered across the map (with the exception of Awakening and Exodus; the former requires players scanning for obelisks in an area which need to be destroyed, while Exodus features generators which the players have to activate). Players choose from four different class types, with unique traits and customizable loadouts. The player(s) can level up their classes, unlocking more weapons and equipment for their loadouts. This mode is unlocked by finishing the first level of the Campaign.