Call of Duty: Ghosts

Call of Duty: Ghosts' robust multiplayer suite and refreshingly varied campaign make it one of the best in the series.

With an outstanding new co-op mode and a campaign fueled by fierce combat, Call of Duty: Ghosts is another great addition to the blockbuster shooter franchise.

Ghosts, in and of itself, is a fine game. It ticks all the boxes and then blows the boxes up in glorious 1080p resolution (on PS4 at least). Those who only ever play COD will be more than happy with it, but those who have grown weary of the series will see more of their ambivalence justified this time around. Infinity Ward had a chance here to throw down the gauntlet for the next hardware generation, to set the new standard, to show that this hugely popular, much derided behemoth can dance to a different tune. It's chosen to play a Greatest Hits package instead.

The campaign is exciting but only passively entertaining, and the multiplayer tweaks the knobs of established Call of Duty games to little effect.

Ghosts is a cookie cutter game with a little touch of alien frosting on top. However, the well-designed multiplayer maps, soldier customization, and polished gameplay is more than enough to sink your teeth into.

Ghosts is polished and fun, but fails to push the series forward in any major ways

It'll make another billion dollars, and they're already making the next one that will be exactly the same, and the incredible potential will yet again consume its own fetid tail. The circlejerk of life.

The single player attempts to be bombastic, but will leave you feeling cold. The multiplayer is signature COD, but we're waiting until public servers are up to make a judgement.

Call of Duty is a series that's getting stagnant. This latest edition is a solid shooter, with highly tuned mechanics, an addictive multiplayer offering, and a plethora of content to play through – but it very much feels like a familiar game with a few minor adjustments. The new Extinction mode is particularly good, but it's the highlight in a title that's following a tired recipe. Fans of the series will enjoy Call of Duty: Ghosts regardless, but those of you looking for something new will have to dig out those night vision goggles and search elsewhere.

Call of Duty: Ghosts will be remembered for many things, but few in the ways that it had hoped. It's a rare stumble for one of gaming's most consistently entertaining franchises, showing a lack of focus and confidence in itself.