‘COD: Ghosts’ Review Roundup: 'Call Of Duty: Ghosts' First Day Reactions And Complaints

One thing that was lost amid all the talk surrounding the “Call of Duty: Ghosts” resolution disparity on the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 was the quality of the game itself. The first reviews and reactions from gamers are in and it seems like “COD: Ghosts” is a pretty game that is on autopilot.

The biggest criticism of “COD: Ghosts” is its reliance on successful features and aspects of previous games in the franchise but with improved graphics. Destructoid had the harshest review of the game, giving it a score of 50 out of 100, noting the lackluster single-player campaign.

While many gamers will buy “COD: Ghosts” for the multiplayer experience, the solo campaigns should at least be something of a fun diversion, but Destructoid says the gameplay is tedious following a “paint-by-numbers” formula and offering the same set pieces, such as an aircraft sequence or frantic escape scenario, that have become standard for first-person shooters.

Reviews from Joystiq, Gamespot, Eurogamer, Polygon and Kotaku were more favorable in their scores, Gamespot gave “COD: Ghosts” an 8 out of 10 while other reviews hover around the 7 or 70 mark, but had similar complaints. Joystiq described the game as a “solid installment, but it lacks creativity and innovation” and says the latest installment in the “Call of Duty” franchise feels like a step backward from the changes that were seen in “Call of Duty: Black Ops II,” a sentiment that was echoed by other reviewers.

Kotaku also addresses another concern that will face any gamer that will be looking to purchase "COD: Ghosts," competition on next-gen consoles. "COD: Ghosts" was released on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U and will also be released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. On the PS4, the game is being released alongside shooters such as "Killzone: Shadow Fall" and "Battlefield 4," and alongside "BF4" on the Xbox One, but there are other titles, as well as the consoles themselves, that are vying for attention and sales.

Despite the lackluster innovation seen in other parts of the game, "COD: Ghosts" delivers in the muliplayer realm. There are small improvements, including a revamped avatar-modification mode, 15 maps and 11 different modes to choose from. Kotaku describes the multiplayer maps as "fast-paced" with areas and arenas that are well-designed to create plenty of action and engagement.

Based on the reviews, any changes in the multiplayer, as with the solo campaign, are minor and "COD: Ghosts" may not offer a lot in terms of a new experience but remains a solid game for fans. The next-gen versions are yet to be released and the reviews were filed prior to the public servers being online, which could affect the value of "COD: Ghosts," as evidenced by first-day bugs that affected "BF4" or the disaster that was the "SimCity" launch.