Is Ghosts Really As Bad As Everyone Says?

[swappingspit]

The campaign as a decent story, but all it consists of is you walking down a hallway filled with enemies over and over.

I got 9 days of time played into the game before something clicked in my head and I went: "Oh wait, I actually hate this game." I do like most of the on disc maps, which is the reason I bought the game.

I like Extinction a lot, but I can't bring myself to buy DLC just for that.

[83457]

Campaign: I liked this campaign, it had a variety of missions, the story was pretty good, but I kinda hate its ending (don't want to spoil it for you).

 

Multiplayer: Never cared about the multiplayer part of CoD (or the term is PvP, I think), but I find that Squads is the multiplayer experience I've been looking for. Players teaming up against AI bots. Safeguard is pretty much a race to get Sleight of Hand, Faster Health Regen, Sentry Guns, and Vultures. It's fun, but without teamwork, it's hard to complete. We also get offline multiplayer again, which is always a plus. I would rather fight bots then fight kids and childish people who tell me how they slept with my mom last night or something, since I suck at playing against other people. (Tip: Stormfront is the easiest place to beat Safeguard in my opinion)

 

Extinction: I enjoy it, since it usually requires strategies with both the maps and the loadouts in order to complete it. It is about as replayable as Zombies, although it depends on how much you really like Extinction. I enjoy killing aliens, except Rhinos. It will require as much teamwork to completing the Extinction map as completing a Zombies easter egg, at least to me whenever I play with random people.

 

DLC: Standard 4 multiplayer maps and a new Extinction map, although the Ripper looks like a sweet weapon, being able to be a sub-machine gun and an assault rifle in one weapon. Again, replayability depends on how interested you are in Ghosts. Oh, and so far, they've been adding multiplayer guns, just like how Black Ops 2's first DLC came with that one submachine gun, I forgot its name...

 

I would recommend this to you, since the campaign is good, there is offline multiplayer, and Extinction is pretty fun, but again, it's about how interested you are in Ghosts overall. I submitted to my inner CoD fanboy in me and got it, and I haven't been disappointed in it.

Nicely posted.

I play 2 man games of Safeguard, we just beat Stormfront last night for the first time by camping the sw corner by the tractor trailer spawn. Where did you hold out that you thought made it the easiest map? I would opine Warhawk or Freight, but have been trying a more 'out in the open' approach that has been successful so far.

On squads/bots; i do play online mp (i turn down voice volume, for the reasons that you stated), but i also love bots and the squad mode. Playing squad mode is unique in that you care about your team. Online, your team is fodder, meant to die for you or act as a decoy. In squads, it's all my soldiers, i find that i care about them and want the team to win (online, i assume that my team will lose, i play for my own fun/kdr). It's also fun trying out new group themes to see what perk/gun combos work best.

Examples: smaller maps with the ripper on each soldier, large maps with assault rifles, or taking Stonehaven and giving my bots lmg's so that they camp in corners in a really annoying fashion.

Anyway, nice post, just wanted to comment. I really get a lot out of my money on this game.

[way2g00d]

I am yet to play safeguard, for some reason I didn't enjoy this game mode as much. But reading some of your posts here makes me want to play it. Can you play this on new maps as well. I just don't like the fact that you have to run after the crates all the way and not even sure if you will make it back alive to your camp spot in time. I liked the MW3 survival system better where you can buy what you want from a stationary crate box.

[83457]

I am yet to play safeguard, for some reason I didn't enjoy this game mode as much. But reading some of your posts here makes me want to play it. Can you play this on new maps as well. I just don't like the fact that you have to run after the crates all the way and not even sure if you will make it back alive to your camp spot in time. I liked the MW3 survival system better where you can buy what you want from a stationary crate box.

Like many good games, it grows on you. The issues like running for loot items simply get easier with experience, no different than dealing with the 'unbeatable' trials of zombies that are now no longer an issue due to familiarity.

Get a friend that you like to play with, spend an evening getting to know it and it will grow on you.

That being said, we tend to play it a couple nights a week, otherwise we bore of it. But then, suddenly it comes back like an addiction: MUST PLAY SAFEGUARD.

Ha. Each to their own, but i find it a worthy addition.

And yes, you can play on any map. 'Credited' maps, where you get on leaderboards, are some of the original in-game maps or the dlc maps (currently devastation maps), but you can play on any map. Private match> game mode> safeguard and just pick a map.

Be sure to read my thread full of info on it.

Edited April 23, 2014 by 83457

[The Clay Bird]

One point of concern for me, that i'd like to see if anyone else has experienced:  Shortly after Ghosts came out, I was really loving the online MP, as my connection seemed to always be pretty good, and rarely would I ever see any lag/glitchiness from myself or any other players.  Then I kinda tired of the maps and the boring/campy nature of most of the HC TDM games, so went back to BO2.  Then after the first DLC, went back and started playing again, and started experiencing some more lag/bad connections.  Then after dlc 2 i hopped on again, and my god it was unplayable.  Even switched to core, to get  a wider pool of players to choose hosts from, and its just unplayable.

 

So i ask 1) has anybody else noticed this decrease in connection quality? and 2) what do you think might be the cause?

 

I did switch internet providers in February, but haven't seen any difference in any other games, just Ghosts, in fact most other games connection quaity has increased

[83457]

I find the connections in all cods to vary.

This one has had some terrible moments.

Recently, it seems that my area was added to the dedicated servers. It was about 3 days of horrid connections before they began to address the issues.

Now it's been fine again.

If it sucks, i switch to bots, squads, safeguard, or even Extinction.

[way2g00d]

I generally don't have any connection/lag issues. But 4 out of 5 deaths makes me wonder, how did the enemy player kill me in half a second of me just noticing he is there. I think most of it is the game. You die so soon. But I kind of like that, I have some really good reaction times compared to players so it runs in my favor as long as I rush in small maps like freight.

 

However the new dlc's where people simply camp with aiming down the site, I sometimes have around 1 kill to 20 deaths may be because I am new to the map. This is the first cod game  where I max prestige once, got reset recently due to an error, and on my way to second max prestige. And I actually love almost all the CORE maps.

[The Clay Bird]

I generally don't have any connection/lag issues. But 4 out of 5 deaths makes me wonder, how did the enemy player kill me in half a second of me just noticing he is there. I think most of it is the game. You die so soon. But I kind of like that, I have some really good reaction times compared to players so it runs in my favor as long as I rush in small maps like freight.

 

However the new dlc's where people simply camp with aiming down the site, I sometimes have around 1 kill to 20 deaths may be because I am new to the map. This is the first cod game  where I max prestige once, got reset recently due to an error, and on my way to second max prestige. And I actually love almost all the CORE maps.

 

 

Yeah that's why i mentioned I play Hardcore, because it generally involves seeing someone first and shooting accurately the first time, which if you're delayed half a second is the diffence most of the time.  I was still able to post positive K/D's in core barely, but my K/D is usually much higher in HC.

 

Its just weird because it was actually really good shortly after release and has gotten worse.

 

and I just can't do the safeguard/survival stuff.  just no excitement for me.  Much more satisfying to kill someone that another humand being is controlling. and extinction is just... about 10 minutes and i'm bored to tears.

 

in the mean time, i'm sticking to bo2 for multiplayer, I've had really good experiences connection wise the whole time since it's been released.

 

 

p.s. why on earth did they take away the connection bars on the back screen for ghosts??  at least that way i can tell if i'm the problem or if it is someone else

[vinnievu115]

 

 

I play 2 man games of Safeguard, we just beat Stormfront last night for the first time by camping the sw corner by the tractor trailer spawn. Where did you hold out that you thought made it the easiest map? I would opine Warhawk or Freight, but have been trying a more 'out in the open' approach that has been successful so far.

 

I camped in the building near the Federation spawn, since there were only two ways for the enemies to get in (OK, probably it was easy because my other teammates distracted all of the other enemies and I basically acted like a support medic, which was reviving allies and supporting teammates a little bit before returning to my camping spot).

 

 

 

 '>

[83457]

And why didn't it show the team scores after tdm?

The game ends, if you don't know the score, it won't tell you again. The end screen should list the overall game score as well as the individual players kills/deaths.

There are definitely some issues...

On the killing speed: it looks good when you kill, looks bad when you're watching a killcam of your death.

This is due to a programming change. In bo2 (and others), you shoot me, your xbox tells the host, which tells my xbox, they all agree, the host tells you that you killed me, then the killcam shows some weird stuff that isn't too far off from either of us.

Now, in ghosts, you shoot me, your xbox tells host, host tells you and i that I'm dead without checking with me first and comparing/synchronizing results.

So, it takes longer to kill in bo2, but looks similar from both ends.

Ghosts, if you kill, it works fast.

If you die, it seems rather far off and laggy.

Once you acclimate to the perceived lag of killcams, it is actually nicer on the killing end as it goes faster, more realistic.

Now, throw in a laggy day, bo2 gets a little worse, ghosts gets 'unplayable'.

So when it works well, yea! When it doesn't, boo!

Edited April 23, 2014 by 83457

[83457]

I play 2 man games of Safeguard, we just beat Stormfront last night for the first time by camping the sw corner by the tractor trailer spawn. Where did you hold out that you thought made it the easiest map? I would opine Warhawk or Freight, but have been trying a more 'out in the open' approach that has been successful so far.

I camped in the building near the Federation spawn, since there were only two ways for the enemies to get in (OK, probably it was easy because my other teammates distracted all of the other enemies and I basically acted like a support medic, which was reviving allies and supporting teammates a little bit before returning to my camping spot).

' alt='' class='ipsImage' > Ah. Interesting. We tried at the top of the escalators, and we did fairly well in the room in the west; from the Fed sw spawn, go north into the western building, go left up the steps. Watch the steps and back stairs. But we found it best if we watch the same way, so we held the Fed spawn.

Thanks for the feedback.

Edited April 23, 2014 by 83457

[Matuzz]

Got my Season Pass gift from Atvi, I will check out the other maps soon.

[The Clay Bird]

wow.  DLC pack 3 just announced today, releasing on this coming Tuesday June 3rd.  no trailer yet. no formal announcement. no hype.  They have completely put the brakes on Ghosts spending, and it is quite obvious these DLC's are only happening because of contractual obligations. There's actually quite a bit of pressure on Advanced Warfare I think. If it doesn't do well, I'm really worried for our 2015 COD and the future of zombies

 

:edit:  LOL one of the MP maps is Favela from MW2. Not a re-imagining, or redesign, not a re-skinned version. Just the same map. Just plain old map recycling.  What a joke. IW should seriously be just straight up removed from the CoD franchise.

[83457]

wow.  DLC pack 3 just announced today, releasing on this coming Tuesday June 3rd.  no trailer yet. no formal announcement. no hype.  They have completely put the brakes on Ghosts spending, and it is quite obvious these DLC's are only happening because of contractual obligations. There's actually quite a bit of pressure on Advanced Warfare I think. If it doesn't do well, I'm really worried for our 2015 COD and the future of zombies

 

:edit:  LOL one of the MP maps is Favela from MW2. Not a re-imagining, or redesign, not a re-skinned version. Just the same map. Just plain old map recycling.  What a joke. IW should seriously be just straight up removed from the CoD franchise.

Favela!

Maybe they read my thread about not printing till maps like bootleg and Hardhat... Ha. I'd take a non reskinned favela over one of those redone!

I'm actually happy to see that map. The other stuff is so corny, hopefully it will play well.

Honestly, cod sucks. That said, this cod, as unpopular as it is, plays very well. I recently put bo2 back in, and while it clearly is the best cod mp by Trollus, it sucks when compared to ghosts.

Extinction is no zombies, but what can you do? If iw made zombies, at least we would see a lot less glitches/programming errors than we get from 3a, obvs.

[way2g00d]

Favela!

Maybe they read my thread about not printing till maps like bootleg and Hardhat... Ha. I'd take a non reskinned favela over one of those redone!

I'm actually happy to see that map. The other stuff is so corny, hopefully it will play well.

This. I love the old maps as is. I started my COD journey from MW2 and I would love the same exact maps versus them f*cking up Dome and other good maps. Seriously just copy paste it and make the graphics seem nicer. Older Assault kill streaks in care packages are added bonus.

[Electric Jesus]

Ghosts is very... Different.

Every year, with every franchise out there, the community is divided. There are people who want the same old game and ones that want a new one. Looking at the transition from MW2 to MW3, the half that was conplaining was the half that wanted something new. This time around, it's the other half.

Just remember this.A large portion of the community is always going to be wrong. Game developers that give in to the demands of their fans end up breaking their games. Remember a few instances in which cod developers went on psychotic Nerf / Buff spree for every weapon. They feel obligated to fix everything that the community complains about, even though the community is usually bitching about something that is not a real problem.

Having said that, here's my honest opinion.

Campaing: Decent, not spectacular, but surprisingly short. 6 or 7 / 10.

Extinction: I personally can't get into it, but it's good chaotic fun. It's like permanent deluxe dog rounds. 6 or 7 / 10.

MP: Pretty great TBH. Sure there are issues with lag, but if you get a good connection there's just so much you can do. Most people take MP too seriously, and they forget that it's a game. Designed for entertainment. So in ghosts adding silly stuff like the michael myers killstreak and pirate ghosts adds to the entertainment value. It all feels less straightforward, which is nice. Some good examples are the SAT COM system and field orders. It mixes stuff up. Overall, maybe an 8-9 out of 10.

overall completely objectively, 8/10. They're working hard to mix things up.

another thing is that in order to objectively look at the game and judge it, you have to forget everything you know about call of duty. If you assume "BoI : BoII :: Mw3 : Ghosts" then you will most likely be disappointed. It didn't revolutionize scorestreaks and creare a class like BOII did. However it still brought lots new to the table and for that it's a great game.

The thing that determines whether a game is good is how much fun yoy have playing it. Most people only have as much fun as they let themselves have. If you start up a game of ghosts like "grumble grumble I'm just gonna lag and run over a million IEDs" then you arent going to have a good time. Just stop being overly critical and have some goddamn fun.

[Naitrax]

I for one was very surprised to see that they were releasing the DLC within a week of announcing it.

Ghosts has probably cost them 3x as much as they've made from it, and as Clay said, they are probably only going through with these DLCs because of the "contractual agreement". 

What's the bet that absolutely everything new in the DLC was shown in the trailer? 

I also noticed the lack of a weapon DLC. They've probably hit their limits on data in the game. Too much Snoop Dogg and 420 camo.

 

If Ghosts was supposed to be the saviour of the franchise, IW should quit now, because their game is dead.

[Electric Jesus]

BOII only had 2 DLC weapons. Ghosts already has 3. just saiyan.

IDK why you act like micro transactions are a bad thing. If it adds to entertainment value, then it contributes to the quality of the game. What makes it less beneficial than the ones in BOII?

[The Clay Bird]

BOII only had 2 DLC weapons. Ghosts already has 3. just saiyan.

IDK why you act like micro transactions are a bad thing. If it adds to entertainment value, then it contributes to the quality of the game. What makes it less beneficial than the ones in BOII?

 

Yeah, nothing wrong with Micro transactions, but all signs are pointing to IW being in money saving mode.  At this point it's the right thing to do from a business standpoint.  Havent played the new extinction map yet, but the first 3 have been exactly the same from my point of view.  ive played them multiple times too, and it just all feels the same to me, which is something i've never had happen from zombies.

[Hells Warrrior]

In my humble opinion, yes.

 

I played extinction for the first time this week (Point of Contact) and it was awful, it's just pointless. I even did the lol easter egg and I was like, seriously? Thankfully I never paid for the game, well I did, the boy bought it and when I realised he had spent £60/$100 of my money I went nuts at him and Microsoft kindly refunded the game and another purchase he had made.

 

Still have the full game as well which is a bonus, wasn't overly impressed with multiplayer and as for extinction, I have just one question, Why?

[Electric Jesus]

The main reason why ghosts didn't do as well economically as BOII is that it was on the no-man's land between console generations. People were hesitant to buy it for the old system during the transitional period for fear of it becoming obsolete, and some never bought next gen consoles at all. It just came out at a very awkward time. Sure, extinction doesn't compare to zombies, but overall it is not a bad game.

[83457]

Yeah, regularly there is only 50k+ to 70k+ players in ghosts 360, not sure how many on the one side. I'm not bashing it, i actually quite like ghosts, I'm just thinking along the lines ej was on.

I just wanted to point out that technically, ghosts has 4 dlc weapons, 5 if you count both versions of the maverick separate. (edit; i was basically responding to what ej said about dlc weapons, but his post was before Invasion released, so 'duh' on my part for wondering why he was ignoring the newest weapons).

Maverick

Maverick a2

Ripper

Gold knife p5

Gold pdw p10

All of which are decent. Though i wish they made the knife better than simply removing the grab and push animation. Like having it recover faster between stabs, or maybe give it a better than 60% chance of connecting on a player that it was perfectly aimed at. I feel that, if you aim at them and stab, it should connect 100%.

Edited June 12, 2014 by 83457

[The Clay Bird]

Yeah, regularly there is only 50k+ to 70k+ players in ghosts 360, not sure how many on the one side. I'm not bashing it, i actually quite like ghosts, I'm just thinking along the lines ej was on.

I just wanted to point out that technically, ghosts has 4 dlc weapons, 5 if you count both versions of the maverick separate. (edit; i was basically responding to what ej said about dlc weapons, but his post was before Invasion released, so 'duh' on my part for wondering why he was ignoring the newest weapons).

Maverick

Maverick a2

Ripper

Gold knife p5

Gold pdw p10

All of which are decent. Though i wish they made the knife better than simply removing the grab and push animation. Like having it recover faster between stabs, or maybe give it a better than 60% chance of connecting on a player that it was perfectly aimed at. I feel that, if you aim at them and stab, it should connect 100%.

 

 

Im not familiar with those gold weapons.  when did they come out? micro transactions?

 

Although there may be some creedence to the hesitancy in buying a next gen console or a game designed for next gen on previous gen console, if that was the case why is there still so much traffic on black ops 2? i know Cod is popular but after 18+ months id think that most would have moved on to either ghosts, or if not ghosts a different game altogether.  I think its a combination of the two,

 

Sure i've been pretty hard on Ghosts, and its probably a little better than I've given it credit for, but once Treyarch set the bar with Black ops (on the order of having 3 distinct modes of game play) I guess i've had these unreasonable expectations because of how good zombies was in black ops and how good multiplayer was in black ops 2.  And as far as those bars being set, ghosts does fall short on both accounts.

 

Extinction is a nice try i guess i would say?  and seems many of you here love it, which is great, but it does nothing for me.  Hell's Warriors comments on extinction pretty much mirror my sentiments towards it.  Maybe I'm missing something, idk, but it gives me no pleasure, unlike zombies which is just instant fun for me.

 

All that being said, Ghosts MP really isn't that bad at all. I just still prefer BO2 MP over it

[way2g00d]

Gold weapons were recently added to the game, I believe you get golden knife for reaching Prestige 5 and pdw for prestige 10.

[83457]

They were included in Invasion dlc.

Gold knife must be prestige 5 to use (or private match/local). Just like the original, but no grab and push animation, just a goofy looking swing.

Gold pdw; must be prestige 10, but it is a decent automatic secondary.

Again, i feel that cod, for at least the previous 3 titles, catered to the 'spawn in a box' crowd.

I feel that folk like me who enjoy the larger maps and more strategic movements, have mostly left cod because of this.

I like then both myself, but I was really glad to see ghosts.

I get bored with extinction too easily, i wish that that wasn't true.

I think Safeguard grabbed my attention because a friend and i would camp versus bots and with the removal of tactical insertion, it it's much harder to camp together like a team. So when i play Safeguard, it is close to what we used to do versus bots in bo1/2, plus it is winnable and you can adjust it to 40 or 100 rounds.

Sadly, there isn't much weapon variety; I am normally someone who will play with every weapon and constantly change up my classes. This can't be done in Safeguard.