Four (technical but simplified) ways Call Of Duty: Ghosts will be better than ever on PS4 and Xbox One
Displacement Mapping
Load up a current generation game then look at a surface that should have sharp nooks and crannies like the rocks by the side of a river. It's probably never bothered you before, but the surface will be mostly flat, possibly gently undulating, with the depth created by shading and your imagination. "Displacement mapping" is the next-gen process that makes textures look as they do in reality. When you've experienced it, the flat-ness of your PS3 and Xbox 360 games is only too apparent. Once you've had displacement mapping, you'll never go back.
Sub D
Pick up a gun (in a game only, please) then aim down the sight. Notice how, despite being mostly round, there are jagged edges? That's because of the limited polygon count. Sub D is a technique that's been used in Hollywood for a while that the extra power of the new consoles finally allows games to use in real-time. It means the polygon count is increased exponentially. But it also means that its doesn't matter how close you get to objects - the polygons will continue to divide and get smaller so no jagged edges will appear. Ever.
HDR Geometric Lighting
If Sub D wasn't quite a sexy enough name for you, get a load of HDR Geometric Lighting - how could you resist reading about this. Think about being in a dark room then suddenly going outside into bright sunshine - it'll take your eyes a while to adjust. That now happens in Call Of Duty: Ghosts. Which, yes, means you're more likely to be blindsided by unexpected enemies, but it's also an added level of realism to your supposedly realistic military shooter. Another one you didn't even realise you needed. Until now.
Draw Distance
A new level that was only shown in behind-the-scenes demonstrations at E3 in Los Angeles last week was Federation Day. In it, you infiltrate a skyscraper by rappelling down the side and cutting through the glass, then proceed to shoot some bad guys before making your escape. There's some amazing-looking vertical gameplay. But what's truly impressive was one moment when you're moving down the outside of the building and you shoot two enemies on a balcony below. One fell over the edge and you could see him as he fell countless storeys to the floor below. All the way. It just wouldn't happen on your current console.
You can pre-order Call of Duty: Ghosts here.
(Images: Activision)
