I used to live less than a mile away from one of the world's most popular theme parks. At first, I was excited - who wouldn't want to be able to go everyday and ride all the huge rides and see the shows? Then, something strange happened - these thrill rides that people lined up for hours to experience became mundane and though I could tell why people enjoyed them, I couldn't help but wish for something more. That theme park is the Call of Duty series and Ghosts is the roller coaster you've ridden countless times. It's a technically sound shooter but what that takes almost no risks and gives us almost nothing new from the game we spent $60 on less than a year ago, and what it does try just manages to complicate the game in obscene ways. You'll appreciate it but you can't help but wish for something new.

"...it never really tries to be anything other than a vehicle for war."

Ghosts starts off ambitious enough, with a opening scene that sees the start of the war through the eyes of a small town military family and then quickly take it up to a more grand scale. The story follows the story of someone, who does a thing and then that starts some other country to do a thing and then they all shoot at each other...or something. It really doesn't matter since much like previous years, the game often puts story to the side and uses it only as an excuse to give you guys to shoot. The story, for what it's worth is incredibly reminiscent of Modern Warfare 2 (and yes, it even basically copies that game's ending for an early scene) but even with that source material, it never really tries to be anything other than a vehicle for war.

The real disappointment of Ghost's single-player mode is just how much of a departure it is from last year's Black Ops 2. Last year's game featured a few different story paths and challenges to unlock - it tried to introduce different ideas but Ghosts is a decidedly linear adventure and there's no choice involved. Infinity Ward goes back to the well and makes a title that insists on dragging you through it's masked corridors regardless of what you say. It's a bit off putting since last year I spoke highly of the series and its possible future, but here we are less than a year later and Call of Duty has taken a major step backwards.

That's not to say that there's nothing to like in Ghosts. Call of Duty is such a mega-hit for a reason and that's well on display here. Controls are tight and guns are fun to fire, especially when they get to the explosive variety and you're taking out choppers. During my time with Ghosts I kept thinking how if this was the first time I'd ever played Call of Duty, I'd be floored and in love with what I've seen, but it's not and I'm not and as a result not only are these things not impressive, but I'm noticing the game's downfalls even more. I noticed how a lot of the game's enemies are programmed to run back and forth on bridges as if they're in a giant shooting gallery. They don't stop, they don't shoot…they just run. Enemy AI is an issue throughout the Ghosts experience, and the longer you play, the more you'll see.

"I actually found playing as Riley to be quite enjoyable..."

So let's talk about the dog. During Ghost's big reveal, Riley, a German Sheppard became an overnight Internet sensation and the star of countless memes. You'll essentially control Riley to sneak through sections and then strike viciously at unsuspecting enemies. For what it's worth, I actually found playing as Riley to be quite enjoyable, mainly because doing something other than shooting at something in a Call of Duty game is incredibly refreshing. That being said though, much like everything else in the Call of Duty series, the game take s a good thing and overdoes it to point where it becomes less of a feature and more of a burden.

Of course, this is a Call of Duty game and the single-player is almost pointless when compared to the multiplayer that's sure to draw people in for at leas the next year. Much of the multiplayer suite remains the same, but Infinity Ward has introduced a slew of new customization options that though they sound great manage to become too much and ultimately feel tacked on and unnecessary. The new Squad mode is a nice change but after while it starts to loose its appeal as well.

Ghosts is everything you expected it to be - a beefed up shooter that concerns itself with little else than shooting anything that looks slightly different from you because war. Infinity Ward did try to put some new features in, but they serve as mere distractions from the fact that this series hasn't changed much at all since it started going yearly. Call of Duty: Ghosts is a technically sound shooter but it suffers from a severe lack of creativity and life.