Like countless player across the world, I was less than thrilled about the multiplay aspects of Call of Duty: Ghosts. Unlike many others, I did not bash the series and I found the solo play mode of Ghosts to be one of the most engaging and entertaining of the recent games.
That being said, the multiplay for me was loaded with issues.
From the oversized maps that made camping far to frequent and resulted in enduring countless spawn camp kills, to the issues with graphical optimization and a hit detection system that was beyond frustrating.
I have lost count with how many times I would empty ½ to ¾ a clip into an enemy who either stood there and took it, or even worse, was able to run at me while being shot and either knife or one shot kill me.
While some would dismiss this as another hacker who frequent the PC version of the game, I saw this happen far to often to be explained away as the result of a hacker.
For me, the multiplay became so frustrating and unsatisfying, that I stopped playing online around level 25 instead of my usual routine of marathon playing until I get to the max level and then waiting for new DLC.
A week ago I went online to play in anticipation of the new DLC and found all of my previous frustrations were still a problem and now the verbal assault of other players had grown even worse.
I loaded up Onslaught and entered into my first match curious to see the new maps in action. You can imagine my surprise when I did not get the usual lag that often follows new maps and a great gaming experience.
Bayview
is a whimsical and fun map set in a California Coastal town. It is great for close quarters and run and gun gamers like myself, but has plenty of tactical spots for those that like ranged attacks. The great thing about the map is that it is lots of fun to play.
Running through gift shops, restaurants, the aquarium, and other tourists locales made this a very fun and engaging map. The action is intense and you can even take a ride on the trolley car that roams the boardwalk. One inspired gamer but his Sentry Gun on the car and watched as it road up and down the map picking off enemies that dared get near the tram.
I loved seeing the naval units off on the horizon in a pitched battle which made me think of the action in Modern Warfare 3.
Containment
This is a battle in an abandoned Mexican village after a truck has crashed and spilled nuclear material. The combat is on two levels on two sides of the town with a No Mans Land in the middle in the guise of a partially destroyed bridge.
From a bar, a church, and the streets, the action is intense in both ranged and close-quarter combat and the map offers plenty of charm and diversity.
Ignition
Set in an abandoned launch facility I had to dodge firing rockets, sniper fire, and all manner of nooks and hiding spaces for enemy units to attack me from. This is a large map that is spread out but there are some great areas for players to get results with a little planning.
Setting off either of the two engines will result in some great things happening to the enemy units.
Fog
This is a creepy and quirky map that is set in a swamp like area complete with caves, fog, shacks, and uneven terrain. At first I did not like it as although nice to look at, it seemed to encourage camping and sniping. My thoughts on the map changed the next time through thanks to the run and gun style of play that was going on. Suddenly I heard the familiar music from “Halloween”, and Michael Myers himself appeared and dispatched me and several of my team with an axe.
If a player completes a certain Field Order, they become Myers and the music will let everyone know to prepare.
For fans of Extinction, there is a new episode called Nightfall which introduces two new alien threats as well as a new weapon and challenges for players to survive as it is a highly enjoyable adventure. This content actually builds on the whole experience and to me seemed like a vital and necessary part rather than a simple bonus map.
I can honestly say that this is the most fun I have had with any of the DLC for Call of Duty as while I have enjoyed maps in the past, I have not had a collection where I enjoyed playing all the maps as much as I have this one and what is a bigger surprise to me is how much it has restored the fun and enjoyment that was missing in Ghosts for me as for the first time since Black Ops 2, I am eager to get back to the fight and level up my character.
The pressure is on for the next DLC, as Onslaught has set some very high standards but for me at least it has redeemed the online play of Ghosts for now.
