"Call of Duty: Ghosts" has shipped over $1 billion at retail stores since its official release date of Nov 5, proving that a long-time franchise can still have a following after the installments that it has released.

"Call of Duty is by far the largest console franchise of this generation," said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision, in a statement quoted by VG 24/7. "Although it is too early to assess sell-through for Call of Duty: Ghosts, it's launching at a time when the franchise has never been more popular."

But putting aside the fanatic nature of followers and looking at the game itself, just how great is this year's Call of Duty franchise?

The Good and Bad: All Rolled in One Game

Perhaps the most common jab at any franchise that has been running and followed up on for quite a while is that it gets repetitive--and to a degree, this is understandable. More so with first-person shooter games, since you can only make stories and shooting novel for so many times before you subscribe to a particular formula.

According to IGN, the good thing about "Call of Duty: Ghosts" is that, while it doesn't deviate too much from what has already been established for its gameplay, it does present a few good changes that gamers would appreciate.

Even when it borrows a character from a previous installment, you have a fresh view of the universe, if only for the different enemies you'll encounter. Still, Polygon does comment that the change does not merit any major significance, even though it was supposed to follow after the footsteps of "Black Ops 2" when it comes to areas such as character customisation.

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The Very Good: Multiplayer at its Finest

If there was one thing that "Call of Duty: Ghosts" shares with "Battlefield 4," it's probably going to be the stronger multiplayer compared to the single-player experience. A lot Web sites have pointed it out, with Forbes adding that, since it is the heart of the game, the changes and additions are very noticeable and much appreciated.

The perk system has been reported before to feature new mechanics, and it allows you to customise your soldiers even more. Female soldiers also add dimension to your gameplay, and this part may be the one appreciated if only for the expansion of the game's reach.

Add the destructible environment that makes the battle even more engaging and realistic aside from the graphics, then you really feel that it's a fight that's more in your control. The different modes of the game also add in a little more octane to your fuel, just so you have more challenges to face and get some more change in pace.

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Issues: Next-Gen Frame Rate Issues and a Familiar Opening Sequence

With "Call of Duty: Ghosts" expected to battle another one of the bigger first-person shooter games, "Battlefield 4," a lot of people had high hopes for the installment in all ways and means.

But it seems that, there is already two major issues before even playing the game. For once, Videogamer has spotted a very familiar opening sequence, one that is reminiscent of a previous game, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2." The link above includes a video showing the similarity. In the video, it's an unmistakable 18 seconds of the game having seemingly been reskinned and reused for the new one.

A shout-out for the old franchise isn't bad, but to make use of old footage, but to have it be familiar--or rather, the same to this extent--may be pushing it.

Another issue that has been found was the frame rate problems for the next-gen PS4 and Xbox One versions of "Call of Duty: Ghosts." According to Cinema Blend, the 1,080 p quality of the game has featured a worrisome frame rate problem.

And this isn't isolated with the PS4, as footage from the Xbox One, as seen in this post, has reflected frame stutter and frame drops, which happen during quick movements in the game.

One possible scenario pointed here could be that the video has been shown in YouTube, which may not exactly do justice to the graphics of the game. But this may not entirely be the reason for the stutters.

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