PixlBit

When the PS4 launched, there wasn't much games that I would have gotten excited for. Watchdogs, probably the most anticipated next generation game, was delayed until next year. Hell I even pre-ordered the game because I was that excited; imagine my heart breaking when hearing the news. So my only choices where Killzone: Shadowfall which had a cool looking story trailer and Battlefield 4 in which I have fond memories of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Two weeks later I finally decided to pick up a copy of Call of Duty: Ghosts. So lately I have been knee deep into three military first person shooters and here are my thoughts on these overly macho games.

Hannah, one of the main characters in Battlefield 4 who isn't a helicopter pilot that crashes or needs saving.

First off I'm going to focus on the single player aspect of all three games and which you say "nobody plays these FPS's for their single player", in which I reply, " I do". Shocking right? First off is Battlefield 4 because there was nasty save bug that would blank out your single player progress. For nearly two weeks this was a problem, I must have restarted three times only to find that the game didn't/couldn't save my progress. However when a patch was finally made available. I thought Battlefield 4 had the most humanity out of the three. It starts off with the song Total Eclipse of the Heart by Heart; you are stuck in a drowning car with your squad mates and one of them states that he doesn't want to die to this song. It's kind of odd way to start out the game but that what I like about the game; you kind of feel for the characters of the game. As for the story, it takes place 2020, as China is about to go to war with the United States over the apparent assassination of a beloved government official. Your apart of the team called Tombstone Actual, who are sent into China to secure a VIP before the whole country goes to war. There is some great voice acting by Michael K. Williams (Boardwalk Empire and The Wire) and cast; it was nice to see some minority characters in the game that don't die off early in the game. Although you do scarifice him and female character at the end of the game to save the remnants of the US Navy.

Call of Duty: Ghosts doesn't look as good it can be on the PS4.

As for Call of Duty: Ghosts, the characters in the game have this mythology feeling to all of them. However it kind of devoid of any sort of humanity or humor; both Stephen Lang (Avatar) and Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) give their mostly steely voice overs. Ghosts apparently takes place in a alternate timeline where the Middle East oil reserves have been destroyed. While the South America Nations calling themselves the Federation become the the world's leading providers of oil and decide to start conquring other parts of the world. Thus leading into the games events where the Federation decides to overtake the US's obital space station ODIN and launch missiles to Earth's surface. You and your brother Hesh (voiced by Brandon Routh) survive one of ODIN's devestating attacks and join the military inorder to defeat the Federation. Again you're still playing the role as burly white dude, shooting at foreigners; while the only black ghost you meet in the game, dies pretty early on. Way to be progressive, Call of Duty. At least you can finally pick female avatars in multiplayer.

Pretty....................pretty friggin boring too. Also space Nazis.

Then there is Killzone: Shadowfall, now here is an awfully heavy handed science fiction (without the science) military shooter. This game takes place thirty years after Killzone 3, which the planet Helghan was render uninhabitable following a experimental weapon that detonated on the planet. Afterwards, the survivors where taken to Vektan, the home world of the ISA (the good guys) and were given half the planet to live on. However a massive wall was built across the planet to keep both sides seperate due to lingering feelings of resentment towards each other. You play as Lucas Kellan, as a boy, you and your father attempt to reach the wall and avoid Helghan forces who are forcibly removing and killing Vektans from their homes as they attempt to colonize. By the end of the first level, Lucas's father is killed by Helghan soldiers and his growing resentment leads him to become a shadow marshal who act as special agents/spies in the killzone universe. Now that we go the plot out of the way, you never really feel interested in none of the characters. Echo, was probably the most interesting character while others feel one dimensional.

As for gameplay, Battlefield 4 has squad element to single player. You can spot and designate targets for squad members to attack and the game has large destructible environments. Killzone: Shadowfall has the OWL, a robotic fly drone that can act as a shield, hack devices, deloy repel line and attack enemies. There is also a scan devices that allows you see items or enemies through walls but overusing it will attract the enemy's attention. Call of Duty: Ghosts plays like Call of Duty but the shooting feels make better than Black Ops 2. Not the mention their signature set pieces that tend to keep you moving through the level at a brisk pace are amazing. Battlefield 4 is an improvement over previous Battlefield games in terms of set pieces but it could be better. Killzone: Shadowfall on the other hand is dragged down questionable design choices and really frustrating moments. There was one point in the game that made quit in frustration and ended in with a broken controller. After the game was patched last weekend due to player's reactions to the end of Chapter 7, I was finally able to complete the game. Out of all three shooters, Killzone: Shadowfall really dispointed in the pacing factor. This is coming froma  guy that really loved the single player campaign in Killzone 3.

Finally, we've reached the multiplayer aspect of all three games and I'm going to give the edge to Battlefield 4 despite all the glitches that I've encounter. Well when you first enter 64 player mode, Conquest; you're just in awe of all the chaos that is happening on screen. Buildings toppling over, helicopters falling from the sky in a burning mess. Not to mention the huge destructible environments that is both tacticle and amazing to look at. At its worst, it's buggy mess which you're a victim of lag, clipping issues and occisional game crashing bug (crashing is less frequent thanks to the latest patch). Ghosts plays like previous CoD games but levels are smaller and static compared to BF4's. Killzone: Shadowfall has no experience system thus every weapon is unlocked from the start. However to unlock scopes and skins, you'll need to complete challenges like killing a certain amount of players in a match or killing with a certain weapon. Plus controlling characters feels more heavier compared to the light on their feet soldiers of CoD and BF4. If only the multiplayer didn't have so much head bobbing while running, it really hurts my eyes.

I would love this game to bits if this bullshit didn't happen so often.

Military shooters are a dime a dozen these days, but I still enjoy them despite their lack of imagination. But when in comes due to sheer enjoyability factor this holiday season, I would prefer Battlefield 4 mature yet humane characters and story. The multiplayer is also a blast when your not being screwed over by bugs that tend to plague it. Plus the team aspect really comes through during the matches. I would defend it say that the Battlefield 4 was pretty ambitous in terms of the multiplayer and 64 players first on the PS4/Xbox One; not to mention that millions of players are playing it across five platforms. Call of Duty could be more self aware and Killzone: Shadow is a damn disappointing first party game from Sony. That being said, I really wish that Watchdogs wasn't delayed until next year. Sigh