Unleashing the Forgotten Gem: The Unexplored Call of Duty: Ghosts Feature that Deserves Redemption

Highlights

The release of Call of Duty: Ghosts was met with disappointment as its campaign failed to impress, game modes were limited, and the multiplayer experience felt regressive. Despite these drawbacks, the game did showcase intriguing mechanics.

Call of Duty: Ghosts revolutionized the gameplay with the introduction of the K.E.M. (Kinetic Energy Missile) Killstreak. With its destructive power, the missile was capable of obliterating the terrain on designated maps, resulting in significant visual transformations.

It would be advantageous for future CoD games to incorporate the concept of dynamic maps that undergo drastic changes upon the detonation of a devastating Nuke. Hopefully, this thrilling and distinctive feature will make a comeback in the future.

The Call of Duty series, being around for two decades now, has experienced both great successes and major disappointments. While the popular Modern Warfare and Black Ops games have consistently exceeded expectations, the games in between have often failed to measure up. This was particularly true for Call of Duty: Ghosts in 2013. Marketed as a significant advancement for the franchise, Ghosts fell short with its lackluster campaign, limited game modes, unimpressive visuals, and a multiplayer component that felt like a step back rather than a leap forward. However, amidst its flaws, Ghosts did introduce a promising feature that should make a comeback in future releases: the ability for maps to be altered by Nukes.

Call of Duty: Ghosts' K.E.M. Strike Destruction Should Make a Return

Killstreaks, also known as Pointstreaks in some entries, have always been a significant selling point of the Call of Duty franchise. They set the multiplayer mode apart from its competitors and provide consistent rewards to players throughout a match. Introduced in 2007's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Killstreaks incentivize players to give their best effort in every fight. They also add a risk/reward element to the Call of Duty experience, offering satisfying abilities to skilled players who take the risk of opting for more expensive options and meeting stringent requirements. The ultimate example of this is the nuke Killstreak in Call of Duty.

The nuke Killstreak was first introduced in 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and has taken various forms over the years, all of which are incredibly rewarding to use. In MW2, it was called the Tactical Nuke and instantly killed everyone in the lobby, ending the game early and granting an instant win to the user and their team, regardless of the score. In 2011's Modern Warfare 3, a version called the M.O.A.B. was introduced. While it did not end the game, it still wiped out the entire lobby, destroyed all remaining gadgets and Killstreaks on the map, and prevented the enemy team from using their Killstreaks for 60 seconds.

Call of Duty: Ghosts took it a step further with the K.E.M. (Kinetic Energy Missile) Killstreak. Similar to the M.O.A.B., this iconic feature had a unique twist on two maps. When activated on Ignition or Strikezone, players would respawn in a completely devastated map with new terrain, destroyed structures, and noticeable visual changes like kicked-up dust.

It would be incredible to have this feature in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 or the next game in the series. Doubling the number of maps solely for a rare Killstreak that most players may never encounter would be challenging. However, having one or two maps affected by the nuke Killstreak would be a special addition.

Call of Duty: Ghosts is available for PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.