Call of Duty: Ghosts
(Activision)
PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC, PS4, Xbox One
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Another year, another Call of Duty, another 400-odd dirhams. For pretty much a decade, this has been the standard routine for gamers, and to not follow its now well-trodden path is rather like asking about the vegetarian options in a steakhouse. And there has been good reason: the titles have mostly been absolutely superb, setting the benchmark for first-person shooters and being the main reference points whenever video gaming is compared to Hollywood.
But the trouble with continued blockbuster success is that it can stifle the urge to get creative. Sure, the old paradigm “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” might be fine for, say, a car, but with games, you’d probably prefer that each instalment brought something new to the table. And it’s this that is perhaps the greatest let-down of Call of Duty: Ghosts. Whereas franchises such as Assassin’s Creed have managed to totally revamp the gameplay in their old(ish) age – the latest and sixth game being a perfect example with its greater emphasis on naval warfare – with Ghosts, it’s largely the same tried-and-tested format.
Naturally, it’s a high-octane familiarity from the offset. In the main single-player campaign, you engage in a zero-gravity shoot-out on a space station, survive an earth-shattering missile attack on San Diego and partake in some convert operations in dystopian Los Angeles in the hands of a shadowy South American organisation called The Federation.
These big-set pieces are CoD’s mainstay and are as impressive as anything we’ve seen from the series. But, oh, to be a first-time player. Anyone who has been religiously buying a new copy each November is – sadly – likely to feel that “CoD fatigue”, with the niggling sensation that you’ve been here before.
The story, too, is arguably the game’s weakest to date, once again pitting the US against a world of international terrorists and criminals. Last year’s CoD Black Ops 2 managed to take on the use of drones and turn them against America, hinting at the dangers of such remote-controlled military. But with this, it seems like plain ol’ Us vs Them territory.
Of course, with CoD there are countless souls out there who couldn’t care less about the single-player options. Alongside the usual classics for multiplayer, Ghosts gives us four new competitive modes. With Hunted, ill-equipped players fight for control of zones to win better weapons. Search & Rescue sees you re-spawn fallen allies by collecting their dog tags. Cranked turns things up a notch, blowing players up if they don’t kill within 30 seconds of their last takedown. Finally, Blitz is a rugby-with-guns style game where points are scored by entering the enemy team’s zone.
Ghosts still is the king of shoot-em-up multiplayers and is likely to be the main source of lost man-hours for the next 12 months.
For those who simply want a good first-person actioner to keep you entertained for a few weekends, there really is nothing wrong with Ghosts. It’s intense, offers edge-of-the-seat action and is gloriously entertaining. You’d just hope they mix things up a bit next time. But what does it matter what we say? You’ve probably already bought it.
artslife@thenational.ae
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Company profile
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Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
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Business Insights
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
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Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
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Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
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Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
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Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
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Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
