Is Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013), Worth Playing?
Despite the Call of Duty fandom crying out for more unique entries in the series, it seems every time Activision tries something new, the fandom reacts poorly, of which Call of Duty: Ghosts is a perfect example.

The Lowdown.

Product Details
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Price: $49.99
Release Date: 5 November 2013
Supported Modes:

No Sequel.

Call of Duty: Ghosts campaign remains one of the shortest and most generic in the history of the franchise, and because of this and Call of Duty: Ghost’s generally lukewarm reception, it has yet to receive a sequel, despite rumours circulating for at least five years that Sledgehammer games have been pitching to assume control of the dormant series, something which Sledgehammer themselves have hinted at being untrue, despite several insiders claiming to have seen proof to the contrary.

Call of Duty: Ghosts campaign ended on a cliffhanger, indicating that a sequel was originally planned, and was axed in favour of Infinite Warfare, which ironically also failed to win over the Call of Duty fanbase, leaving its narrative without a definitive conclusion.

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Time to Kill.

If you asked people why they hated gunplay in Call of Duty: Ghosts, most players would say it is because they die so much quicker than in previous Call of Duty titles, which is untrue.

Now hear me out: while the average weapon in Call of Duty: Ghosts kills 7% faster than in previous Call of Duty titles due to performance issues and animations used for aiming down sight, the time to kill Call of Duty: Ghosts is 12% slower than previously Call of Duty titles, which gives the impression of combat being sluggish, and at times unresponsive.

Unfortunately, Call of Duty: Ghosts was not the last game in the franchise to suffer from this issue. Call of Duty: Black Ops III would also launch with this issue before being silently patched towards the end of its lifespan.

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Uninspiring Maps.

Call of Duty: Ghosts launched with a  selection of unremarkable three-lane maps that were likely intended for bigger encounters, and when coupled with performance issues, sluggish gunplay, and weapons which melted players in only two or three shots, it is easy to see why Call of Duty: Ghosts, is often looked back upon as having some of the worst maps in the history of the franchise, with the base game maps, in particular, being reviled by the community, and only the DLC receiving some measure of praise from even its most diehard defenders.

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Extinction Mode.

Despite being one of the most underwhelming Call of Duty titles in the history of the franchise, there was one thing that Call of Duty: Ghosts did right, and that was Extinction mode, which saw players work together to progress through objective focus maps, clearing out alien infestations.

While this was essentially Call of Duty Zombies with aliens instead of zombies, it remains popular with the remaining community. It is believed to be more popular than the traditional 6v6 multiplayer mode on most platforms.

Call of Duty: Ghosts FAQ

Call of Duty: Ghosts is a first person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, it was released on 5 November 2013 and retails for $49.99.

Platform Availability.

Call of Duty: Ghosts is available on the following platforms: PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Are The Developers Active?

Call of Duty: Ghosts is no longer in active development, and the developers have moved on to other projects.

How Many People Play Call of Duty: Ghosts?

As of November 2023, around 28,000 people play Call of Duty: Ghosts on a fairly regular basis.

How Active Is The Call of Duty: Ghosts Playerbase?

Call of Duty: Ghosts suffers from low activity, meaning that while off-peak matchmaking is possible in populated regions, finding full lobbies in less populated regions is unlikely outside of peak playtimes.

While we don’t know how many people play Call of Duty: Ghosts on console, the PC community hovers over 50 active players for much of the day and sees peaks of around 150 players during peak NA/EU playtime, which, while enough to fill a few TDM lobbies cannot be classified as healthy by any means.

Thankfully, for those playing via Xbox or PlayStation consoles, things are a little less bleak, and matchmaking for popular modes is viable for most of the day.

Is Cross-Platform Multiplayer Supported?

Call of Duty: Ghosts supports:

  • Cross-Generational Multiplayer.
  • Cross-Generational Parties.

Is There Group Finding/Matchmaking Support?

Call of Duty: Ghosts offers the following matchmaking options:

  • Region-Based Matchmaking
  • Solo Matchmaking
  • Group Matchmaking

What Peripherals Are Supported?

The following peripherals are officially supported:

  • Console - Controller.
  • PC - Controller.
  • PC - Mouse and Keyboard.

Is There Any Mature Content?

Call of Duty: Ghosts is rated PEGI 18+ and contains the following:

  • Bad Language
  • Gore
  • Mature Themes
  • Violence

Final Verdict.

Call of Duty: Ghosts is a decent but ultimately underwhelming chapter in the history of Call of Duty and one that I would not recommend wasting time or money on, especially with so many better and far more active Call of Duty titles currently available.

As of March 2023, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020), Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021), and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) remain very active on all platforms due to robust crossplay and cross-progression support, and these serve as a much better option for those looking to enjoy all that Call of Duty has to offer.

Is Call of Duty: Ghosts Worth Playing In 2024?

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Honest Video Game Reviews has given "Call of Duty: Ghosts" a rating of 6/10, which means, while it is mediocre/average, and has its fair share of issues, the average gamer would not regret playing it.

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