'Call of Duty: Ghosts': The Digital Trends FAQ

Ghosts_Through_the_Smoke — Image used with permission by copyright holder

With Call of Duty: Ghosts now out on store shelves, you no doubt have plenty of questions. We address some of the bigger, more obvious ones here, but we want to answer your questions as well. If there is something specific you’re curious about, let us know in the comments and we will get back to you as quickly as we can. Even if you have already picked up the game and started in on it, if there is something on you mind, let us know and we’ll do our best to reply.

We also answer several questions about Call of Duty: Ghosts in our review, so be sure to check that out as well.

This post will be updated frequently, and we have added a few answers based on your questions, so feel free to keep them coming.

New game modes

There are several new game modes in Ghosts, six in all.

Blitz: Each team has a “base” they need to defend, designated by a glowing circle. The objective is to reach the opposing circle and run into it to score; that player then teleports back to their side of the map. The scored-upon circle then begins a 10-second countdown during which no one can run in, but after that it is in play.

Cranked: Although similar to team deathmatch in that the winning team is the one with the most kills, Cranked offers a twist. Once you kill an opponent, you then have 30 seconds to score another kill. If you do, the counter resets to 30 and begins again. If you don’t, you die.

Grind: Strangely, Grind is not available in the main playlists, but may be added later. It is available in custom and squad play though. Grind is a play on Kill Confirmed. You collect fallen enemy dogtags in order to score, and the team with the most tags collected wins. In order to register those tags though, you need to go to one of two “banks,” designated circles where you unload all the tags you have collected in order to add them to your team score.

Hunted: Players start each match with only a handgun and knife. Weapons are then dropped into the map via a care package, with 5 random weapons available per crate. When you die, you restart with the pistol.

Infected: Infected originally began as a private match mode before being promoted to the general rotation, so while technically not a new mode, it is the first time it has been released with a COD game at launch. One player begins the game “infected,” and has a melee knife, a throwing knife, and super speed. The other players all begin with shotguns, and must defend against infected. When an infected dies, they drop scavenger packs and respawn; when an uninfected dies, they become infected. The Infected win by making everyone into teammates, while the uninfected must survive until the clock runs out – and more time is added every time a new infected is made.

Search and Rescue: Like Search and Destroy, there are two targets and one bomb, and one team attacks while the other defends. Once you are killed there is no respawn, but unlike S&D, you can now be saved. When you die you drop your dog tags. If a teammate picks it up, you are back in the game. If an enemy grabs it, you are spectating until the next round.

Absent game modes

Along with the new game modes, Ghosts brings back Free-for-all, Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Kill Confirmed. Search and Destroy, like Grind, is only available in custom matches. Long time game modes Headquarters, Capture the Flag, and Demolition are gone from public playlists, along with recent addition Hardpoint from Black Ops 2.

Hardcore mode returns as well, but it’s now limited to Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, and Search and Rescue.

The next-gen differences

Ghosts is a current and next-gen title, but beyond the graphics and the abilities unique to the hardware (like sharing video with a button press), the games are essentially the same. The sound effects are also improved, with better echo effects, and a deeper since of distance to determine how far away shots and explosions are.

Dolphin Dive

One of the signature differences in gameplay mechanics between the two Call of Duty developers, Treyarch and Infinity Ward, is the “dolphin dive,” or lack thereof. It is a mechanic unique to Treyarch games where you sprint and dive to your stomach by pressing and holding the crouch button, and it has been replaced in Ghosts with an exceedingly handy knee slide. While sprinting, simply hold down the crouch button and your character will slide into a crouched position. It’s an excellent way to quickly get into cover.

Dedicated servers

Ghosts also introduces a first for the series: dedicated servers on all platforms. This helps get rid of a good deal of lag, and it eliminates the slight player-host advantage that exists now. How these work out in a public setting remains to be seen.

Update: The dedicated servers are not online yet, which may be causing some odd issues. Ghosts is designed with these servers in mind. Switching to a player-hosted format may be the reason people are having problems finding games to join. No word on when dedicated servers go live.

E-Sports

Ghosts doesn’t integrate eSports to the same capacity that Black Ops 2 did with its livestreaming capabilities and Theater Mode, but it does have a nod to the professional gaming community. Ghosts currently features a playlist that offers 4v4 play in a mix of matches and objectives that are familiar to eSports fans, but at the moment League play is not an option.

PC requirements

The requirements for the PC version of Ghosts aren’t anything too unusual, but you will need a lot of free space on your hard drive.

Minimum System Requirements

OS: Windows 7 64-Bit / Windows 8 64-Bit
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 2.66 GHZ / AMD Phenom X3 8750 2.4 GHZ or better
RAM: 6 GB RAM
HDD: 40 GB HD space
Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 / ATI Radeon HD 5870 or better
Sound: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
DirectX: 11
Internet: Broadband Internet connection and Steam and Online Multiplayer

Recommended System Requirements

OS: Windows 7 64-Bit / Windows 8 64-Bit
CPU: Intel Core i5 – 680 @ 3.6GHz
RAM: 8 GB RAM
HDD : 40 GB HD space
Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 @ 4GB
Sound: DirectX compatible sound card
DirectX: DirectX 11
Internet: Broadband connection and service required for Multiplayer Connectivity. Internet connection required for activation.

Multiple players per console

Keeping the tradition alive, two players can jump on the same console and go online. You will appear under the primary Xbox user’s name, and their name with a “(1)” after it, as usual. You and a buddy can also play the other modes locally offline.

What other questions would you like answered? Sound off in the comments below!

Update: This article has been updated to reflect that the dedicated servers are a first for all platforms.

‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’: We answer your questions