Review: Call of Duty:Ghosts

The Call of Duty (CoD) series has become one of the most popular FPS (first person shooter) franchises of all time. It has come a long way from its WWII roots and now pushes the envelope of what modern warfare is like.

Some of the greatest criticisms of any first person shooter is that, by its nature, it is putting the player behind a gun. A gun that is pointed towards other virtual humans, aliens, animals, zombies, or mutants and then fired. This is coupled with changes of video game controllers in the past 15 years. The N64 was the first to feature a trigger that, when held from the center, had the feel of holding a gun.

The gun in video games is nothing new, I shot plenty of ducks with my NES Zapper, but it is the increasing realism of these games, the improvement in graphics and violence that concerns parents.

CoD: Ghosts is no different than it's previous iterations on this current generation of consoles. The story line may be different, there are different guns and maps, but ultimately it is all the same.

I say that, because if you've purchased a CoD game for your teenager before, there is no significant difference between this one and the others. The CoD franchise has become much like the Madden football franchise. Every year it is the same game, different content.

However, if you're new to the CoD franchise, here is a little bit about the game pulled from Wikipedia:

The game's main protagonists are the Ghosts, a force of U.S. Special Operations personnel trained to conduct clandestine missions behind enemy lines. The unit is led by retired U.S. Army Captain Elias Walker (Stephen Lang). He is joined by his sons Logan and David "Hesh" Walker (Brandon Routh), along with a trained German Shepherd named Riley, Captain Thomas A. Merrick (Jeffrey Pierce), and Sergeant Keegan P. Russ (Brian Bloom).^[7]Call of Duty: Ghosts is set in an alternate timeline that follows the nuclear destruction of the Middle East. The oil-producing nations of South America form "the Federation" in response to the ensuing global economic crisis and quickly grow into a global superpower, swiftly invading and conquering Central America and the Caribbean. The game's main antagonist is Gabriel Rorke (Kevin Gage), the former leader of the Ghosts, who was turned by the Federation after being captured and brainwashed with torture and hallucinogens, and now works for the Federation.

 Sounds exciting! Ultimately all of this is pointless. There are very few people that purchase Call of Duty games for the single player campaign. Like all the other CoDs, Ghosts is about the online multiplayer. That is why teens play it, adults play it, and that is how Activision makes their money.

When it comes to multiplayer Ghosts really shines. It has several creative maps and fast paced gameplay. If you're a fan of multiplayer first person shooters on consoles, I believe this is the best option.

But the question for this site is "how does this game fit in a gospel centered lifestyle?" and also, for parents and teenagers, is this a good game for young people to play?

The answer is complicated. The single player gameplay is violent, bloody, and contains strong language. It should be treated like a rated-R movie. However the multiplayer is a completely different experience. It focuses on competition, does not feature bloody violence, and in many ways plays out like war simulation rather than trying to create a virtual war experience. I would consider multiplayer games of CoD like going out and playing paintball. If you have a problem allowing your teenager to hold a pretend gun and shoot at friends, then this is not the game for your teenager.

Personally, I have great online experiences with my friends. We laugh, we talk about our days, we play a game. I think it can be a fun activity for a group of friends. However, I would not recommend playing online and participate in the global community of the game. There is no control over the content that comes out of the mouths of every other gamer online. Other CoD players are often profane, vulgar, and abusive with their talk. The goal of many people is to hide behind their microphones and hurl insults. All this does is incite rage in the player, which of course will cause one to loose sight of the game and fall into sin.

My recommendation:

Single player - Not recommended, little eternal significance. Only for 17 and up, mature adults who are able to handle the violence and extreme language without being influenced to sin. Plus, the single player story line isn't worth your time.

Multiplayer - Slightly recommend, some eternal significance possible. Cautiously allow for mature teenagers not likely to allow video games to frustrate them easily. If played online, should be with a private group of friends to build relationships and to avoid destructive content from global players.


Call of Duty: Ghosts is rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB for Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language