Activision and Infinity Ward finally lifted the mask on their highly anticipated Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer mode this morning and we have all the gooey details for you here.
Customization and Weapon Loadouts
Weapon customization is what Call of Duty has owned ever since Modern Warfare. Now they are adding player customization. With this new feature, players can customize up to 10 unique soldiers, changing everything from clothing and gear to colors and design. Players will have more than 20,000 unique load out possibilities! Female avatars will also be playable for the first time.
Weapon loadouts have also been upgraded. There are more than 30 new weapons, including a new gun tier bridging sniper and assault called the ‘marksman rifle class.’
The pick 10 system from Treyarch’s Black Ops II will be used in Ghosts. Players can customize up to 10 unique soldiers to use online, changing everything from appearance to guns and perks for each soldier.
Perks have also been overhauled. You now are allocated eight points that you can use however you like. Perks are valued between one and five points, however, you can increase your total points available to 11 if you decide to go into battle without a secondary weapon and grenades.
Squad Mode
Brand new to Call of Duty: Ghosts is Squad mode. This is a new tactical team based mode where you build out your AI avatars – up to 10 – to suit your gameplay style. You unlock soldier slots as you progress through the game and earn points. You can load-out one soldier as a sniper, another with a sub-machine gun, and another with an assault rifle; or go all snipers. It’s completely up to how you want to play.
When you have assembled your squad you take them into the battle arena in either solo, co-op, or competitively in four different modes: Squad vs. Squad, Wargame, Safeguard, and Squad Assault.
In Squad vs. Squad, it’s you and up to five of your AI soldiers against another player and their soldiers. In Wargame, you also go into the fight with up to five soldiers, but this time you are fighting all AI in any of the games core multiplayer modes. In Safeguard, you fight off waves of enemy AI, sort of like a survival mode. The there is Squad Assault; likely to be the most popular mode. In Squad Assault, you can fight with either AI teammates or your friends and you’re pitted against an AI controlled squad that was made by another player. These AI squads can be uploaded by anyone and can then be pitted against others in either online matchmaking or offline. And don’t fret, the XP you and your AI teammates earn in squad mode applies to your overall online progression.
Killstreaks
Staples of Modern Warfare 3; Assault, Support and Specialist Strike Packages return, but with less emphasis on air strikes and more on ground based combat. Instead of an air UAV you now must plant it on the ground, forcing you to be selective and strategic with your placement.
Deathstreaks are gone – thank you! A total of 20 new killstreaks have been added, including the guard dog. This is fundamentally different from the attack dogs streak in Blackops. Your guard dog will run in front of you as you move through the map, taking out enemies around corners. Your dog will even growl when an enemy is near.
Dynamic Maps
One of the biggest qualms with Call of Duty games has been the lack of destructibility. Battlefield has made its name on near-fully destructible environments so it’s about time Infinity Ward stepped up.
One example shown was a gas station that could be blown up, sending the structure crashing down on nearby players. Another was a wall that could be blown out with a grenade, revealing a new perch for sniping.
These events are triggered and not fully dynamic in the sense that a building can be blown apart like in Bad Company. However, it’s a step in the right direction and should add some new layers of strategy online.
Call of Duty: Ghosts’ multiplayer looks to be the most complex yet. Infinity Ward has clearly made strides aimed at their growing competition. With Battlefield 4 and Titanfall coming soon, they need to innovate if they want to remain on top.
Call of Duty: Ghosts will be released on current gen consoles and PC November 5 and on next-gen consoles sometime after that during Q4.