Another year, another COD, right? It is the one thing you can always count on to terrify publishers from releasing on the same date which makes the week’s purchasing decision a pretty easy one. You’re either getting Call of Duty or you’re not. There aren’t other games to even consider. But with this being the umpteenth release of the blockbuster franchise, how does it live up to previous years and even more importantly, how does it compare to the hype?

The Long

With their being three developers in the rotation now for the Call of Duty franchise, Sledgehammer enters the fray with a new IP with the Advanced Warfare story. A drastically different tone than either Black Ops 2 or Ghost, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare follows the world of the privatized military which are effectively government sanctioned mercenaries. As seen by all of the marketing materials, this corporation known as Atlas is headed up by the one and only Kevin Spacey and the role he takes as the player’s surrogate father after his own son is killed in combat.

Without giving too much information about the story, it follows pretty much every one of the expected beats. It’s not that it’s bad, but it is not going to surprise anyone either. It’s like going into a summer blockbuster that has no need for plot twists. It has a ton of polish and explosions that prevent you from having to think too hard.

Yesterday, Activision gave the first detailed glimpse at Onslaught, the first DLC pack for Call of Duty: Ghosts. As has become the standard, the pack will include four regular multiplayer maps, one new weapon and one survival map, this time for the Extinction game mode. As you’ll see in the trailer after the break, the multiplayer levels are more goal oriented than ever before with a “reward” system that looks to really change the dynamic of each individual match.

The most exciting new map has to be Fog. A dark and spooky backwoods map with cabins and a barn, the real excitement comes from the completed field order which turns a player into Michael Meyers. Yes, from Halloween. When you’re Michael, you get armed with an axe… and his signature theme music. When you get close, your victim knows it’s coming and hear it before you take them out.

There’s no doubt the Call of Duty gaming franchise is one of the most popular and most successful in history. Since the original Call of Duty launched for the PC in 2003, there’s been a succession of sequels and spin-offs that have helped define what a “next generation” game title can be while breaking sales records in the process.

It may not come as a surprise that some Call of Duty players take the game very seriously. So seriously, in fact, there’s a championship tournament played throughout the world to see just who the best is. And that tournament is coming up soon.

But before that, we’ve got a trailer. After the break, of course. Look for all the details on the tournament right here.

One billion dollars in merchandise shipped to retailers on day one. Quite the ambitious feat and though Grand Theft Auto V set the record for the fastest entertainment property to hit a billion dollars in actual sales in three days, Call of Duty: Ghosts is in a unique position in how they will reach it. This is the first Call of Duty since Call of Duty 2 to be released on a crossover year with a new console launch.

Not all gamers who are planning on purchasing the PlayStation 4 later this week or the XBox One next week are going to be able to afford a double purchase and considering what we’ve seen with the next gen graphics, it is certainly splitting the sales. And considering it is also a yearly franchise, there isn’t that same gigantic level of hype for a new Call of Duty the way there is for a new Grand Theft Auto. That said, Call of Duty: Ghosts is a game you are going to want to play.

The Long

Call of Duty: Ghosts is the first entry into the Call of Duty franchise from Infinity Ward since the conclusion of the Modern Warfare trilogy two years ago. They not only needed to introduce an entirely new set of characters but a new status quo as well. Set in a world similar to that of Modern Warfare and Black Ops, this version has a group of allied forces fending off an attack from the Federation.

See what we did there? Okay. We didn’t do it. I found it on a meme Facebook page but at least I made the effort to post it. Considering in about twenty four hours I am going to disappear for a week after Activision shoots Call of Duty: Ghosts my way and I “mysteriously” am not found in the office from an “unknown illness”.

In all seriousness, I won’t be able to wait until the XBox One comes out later this month for the next gen version of Call of Duty: Ghosts. This is an instant gratification nation and I want the game inspired by one of the best supporting characters never seen on my screen now.

And what would a Call of Duty launch be without a live action trailer. We’ve had the Replacers. We’ve had FPS Russia and Robert Downey Jr. This time, we get Megan Fox… You know what? I’ll take it.

Anything to keep her away from the Transformers franchise because at the end of the day, she isn’t going to be IN Call of Duty: Ghosts. Below you’ll check out the full live action trailer from director James Mangold on a trip with four buddies in Vegas that is way more epic than the Hangover.

If there’s one thing you can say about most of us here at The Flickcast, it’s that we love a good shoot ’em up. And that’s just what the Call of Duty franchise has been delivering for years.

That trend definitely looks to continue with the latest installment, Call of Duty: Ghosts, arrives. But don’t take our word for it, you only need gaze at the new launch trailer for the game to know it’s gonna be one hell of a ride. Here’s what the folks at Activision are saying about the game:

Outnumbered and outgunned, but not outmatched. Call of Duty: Ghosts takes players to a world altered by a devastating mass event. Following an elite squad of soldiers known as the “Ghosts,” lead the fight back against a newly emerged global power.

Um, yes, count us in. Take a look at the launch trailer after the break.

Look for Call of Duty: Ghosts to arrive November 5, 2013.

As we get close to the release of Call of Duty: Ghosts, the next installment in the hugely successful franchise, we’re getting more and more info about the game pretty much every day. This time said info comes in the form of a new “Squads” trailer.

What is this “Squads” thing you may wonder? Well, read on.

Squads introduces a whole new level of competition to Call of Duty: Ghosts. Combining the unrivaled Multiplayer experience with cutting edge AI, Squads lets you play a variety of new game modes with your customized squad-mates. Play solo against another player and their squad, or cooperatively with friends, competing versus an AI-controlled squad. Best of all, the XP earned in Squads is directly connected to your Multiplayer progress!

Got it? Good. Look for Call of Duty: Ghosts to arrive on November 5. Check out the new trailer after the break.

Yesterday, we revealed the Call of Duty: Ghosts preorder bonus tied to the upcoming Marshal Mathers 2 LP from Eminem but today we have the big reveal. Yesterday, Activision graced us all with the first look at the Call of Duty: Ghosts single player campaign. While it’d be easy to go to the joke that all the meme creating trolls online made about there being such a focus on the dog in the reveal trailer, it’s hard to not take a look at this campaign trailer and not think the whole thing looks pretty bad @$$.

Honestly, if you haven’t seen the trailer yet. I don’t want to spoil it for you before you take a look at it below. It isn’t because there is some critical plot point or a trailer like you’d see for a movie where they reveal the whole thing but because there are some moments that are just damn impressive in it. And yes, you see the dogs too.

Since Call of Duty: Black Ops, Eminem has found himself drawn into the Call of Duty series. As some of you may remember, our own Christ Ulrich got to see Eminem live on stage at the Activision event before E3 just a few years ago to go along with his song that was tied to the game. Three years later, Eminem has a new album coming out coincidentally on the same day that the new Call of Duty: Ghosts is releasing and that left the door for a collaboration between the two media powerhouses. Anyone who preorders Call of Duty: Ghosts from GameStop will receive a code to get Eminem’s The Marshal Mathers LP 2 at a reduced price of $8.99 along with an exclusive track as well.

In August, Eminem revealed Survival at a Call of Duty: Ghosts event and later this month (don’t worry, we will post it) there is going to be a Call of Duty: Ghosts remix trailer featuring the song. “The energy and intensity of ‘Survival’ really matches Call of Duty: Ghosts,” commented Eminem. “I’m excited to continue to be a part of the franchise.”

Since we already told you the important facts about the XBox One yesterday, I thought I would take time to let it sink in and then give my reaction to what was announced. Any of you follow me on Twitter saw my initial reactions yesterday, but I wanted to be fair and take a step back before voicing my actual thoughts instead of just hoping for retweets. This isn’t about being a fanboy or ranting, but just my honest reactions to the announcements.

First off, the name has to be addressed. I like the fact that Microsoft didn’t go with calling the console just “XBox” again and at least the “One” differentiates it. I call my current console the “360” in conversation and I don’t doubt that I’ll end up calling the XBox One just the “XBox,” but it was at least better than Apple’s iPad, iPad 2 and then “new iPad.” And let’s be honest, the name isn’t what sells a system as the Wii proved since every gamer ripped that name to shreds.

Also, thank you to Microsoft for showing the system. They needed to do something to separate themselves from Sony and the PlayStation 4 and rather than continue the pissing contest that is going to reach E3, they just showed what it looked like. Much like the name, the overall look of the system isn’t going to make or break the sale of a console (again take a look at the Wii). I was happy to see most of the design on the controller remained and was happy to see the D-Pad had been changed as it is especially reviled by fighting gamers.

Hooray for Blu-Ray. Although that means my HD-DVD is now officially in the same category as Betamax and Laserdisc.

I appreciate Skype being on the XBox One and integrated with the “Snap” feature, but I feel like I’ll never use it. The last thing I want when watching TV or a movie is to have someone talking to me. Maybe if I was a sports guy and wanted to talk trash during a game with my friend across the country during a basketball game, I’d be down. But if I am watching The Walking Dead, don’t you dare try calling me during the show.