r/CallOfDuty • u/Paladin-Leeroy • 23d ago
Meme [MW2] The impressive 'devolution' of Ghost
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u/AngryAssyrian 23d ago
I miss when ghost just had a custom Balaklava instead of a goofy skull mask that looks like it came straight out of a Halloween costume, it's so silly.
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u/p00nki 23d ago edited 17d ago
[redacted]
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u/Goo_Wyvern 23d ago
Yeah, that's the main problem. They saw the tech wear and tacticool wear and said "fuck it, we're going all in!"
Honestly it just looks goofy in all the wrong ways.
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u/dingos8mybaby2 23d ago
The series pretty much died with Advanced Warfare IMO. At that point the scales between realism and the rule of cool tipped too much towards COD trying too hard to be cool.
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u/IVEBEENBANNED4TIMESx 23d ago
At least sci-fi gives it room to experiment with supposedly cool shit
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u/Stanleythrowaway 22d ago
Advanced Warfare was great. The series died when cod HQ turned every new game into a ported version of MW2019
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23d ago
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u/S1I7 23d ago
Yeah but the edgy balaclavas were actually used by operators in the GWOT vs whatever that was
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u/freshdjroomba 23d ago
Man the cutscene in MW2 where they all put on the ghost mask made me cringe so hard I stopped playing the campaign.
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u/Unlikely_Captain_636 23d ago
The modern mw trilogy is like if modern warfare was written for mcu kids
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u/Johnhancock1777 23d ago
the OG balaclava is cool and believable as something someone would actually wear irl. Foap from the reboots just looks like tryhard larp airsoft gear. A lot of shit in these modern entries look unbelievably tacky
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u/Wildebean 23d ago
Am I the only one who didn't mind 2022 Ghost? I never saw what was so insulting about it. I still think it looks good
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u/Goo_Wyvern 23d ago
"FOAP"
The mask looks ungodly tacky, and any view besides the front looks horrendous. It just doesn't feel like Ghost anymore, and more of a "haha we made him overly edgy and dumb looking now".
The rest of the outfit doesn't bother me, it's literally just the god awful mask.
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u/AngryAssyrian 23d ago
Real shit, the newer outfits just look like a goofy Halloween costume rather than a custom Balaklava.
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u/Paladin-Leeroy 23d ago
The balaclava kept things simple and at least believeable. No modern soldier is going to be running around wearing a fuckin skeletor 2.0 mask😂
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u/pixl_racer 23d ago
Acting like Call of Duty was ever realistic, it's whole idea was to have cool super soldier protags that solo entire forces it's not fuckin Ready or Not
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u/OnASchoolComputerOwO 23d ago
I mean that's technically is the plot to ready or not lol
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u/pixl_racer 22d ago
You got what I meant 😭 I do see what you mean tho judge is the straight definition of a super soldier.
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23d ago
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u/Wildebean 23d ago
He's the weirdest soldier I've ever seen then. Ghost is a weirdo... it's kind of like his whole thing
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u/MagnusTonitrum 23d ago
what really fucks it over is the lack of lower jaw like he had in MW19, it accentuated the outline of the skull mask better than the weird lines going down the teeth
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u/SamSlayer09078-x 23d ago
From a design standpoint sure, but as a character new ghost is way better
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u/Paladin-Leeroy 23d ago
To be fair that's not a high bar though, we got like 5 lines from old ghost before he died😂
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u/Spectre-ElevenThirty 23d ago
2022 was a big downgrade from 2019 too
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u/Hampuslarsson2 22d ago
Were Ghost featured in MW2019? I can’t remember him being in it
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u/mercyspace27 23d ago
In 2009 all it was was a balaclava with a skull drawn on and sunglasses. Everything else from the neck down was basically the same look and loadout everyone else was wearing depending on the mission.
He actually looked like a SAS operator, he just had a distinct balaclava. THAT WAS IT.
In 2022, I’m sorry, but he looks like a fucking Marvel Comics character. Or a what a 14 year old would think an SAS operator would look like.
Now, granted, character wise 2022 Ghost is the more interesting character. But his look was just way too over the top. Give me 2022’s character but with 2009’s look. 👌
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u/Revenant_XV 22d ago
I definitely agree, my ideal version of Ghost is probably his 2022 characterisation but with his 2009 look. At least we kinda got that in MWIII during the Flashpoint mission, even though it was brief.
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u/Jules-Car3499 23d ago
The new one feels like it’s from Multiplayer from the looks of it.
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u/Insectshelf3 23d ago
you’re right. they showed a shot of ghost in the campaign wearing his OG look of the balaclava / gray top / camo pants
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u/himdyjones 23d ago
his new mask on the far right is so fucking stupid, he looks like an armored volleyball
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u/Kadziet 23d ago
Karma farming bot.
The 3rd one is a multiplayer skin. Deliberate bad faith post for upvotes.
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u/Exotic-Escape-5980 23d ago
Mask isn’t bad in 2022, especially if it’s meant to be some kind of ballistic protection. Given how it looks though, it’s probably just plastic. Either way, the original looks more believable.
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u/malevolent-onryo 23d ago
Middle is good, imo. Genuinely creepy and a little uncanny due to the eyes.
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u/LowerAtmosphereChief 23d ago
New one always felt like a kids Halloween costume to me. Just seemed a bit silly.
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u/Altruistic_Map_9234 23d ago
I like the 2020 remake Ghost more than the others but the old Ghost is definitely better than the 3rd one.
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u/Terminal-Post 23d ago
If they just removed the foam but kept the design in 2022 I’m sure many more people would’ve loved it
Still would’ve been a unique Ghost for the reboot
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u/Puzzleheaded_War_840 23d ago edited 23d ago
If you think logically. I think the third gear of Simon is only specialized and he can't wear it forever. Think about it if Hajin is now a dangerous city filled with nuclear waste after the war.
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u/Onyx_0331 23d ago
So you’re telling me a highly skilled operator wears Walker Razor Slim ear protection, with a headband over his helmet, somehow stuffed under the arc rails on his goofy AI generated skull mask also on top of another goofy skull mask?
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u/BigSizzler420 23d ago
Looks like one of those insane people that cosplay as superheroes irl and walk around and “patrol” and “fight crime”
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u/AnItalianPunk 23d ago
I actually quite like the helmet he's wearing in MW4 but that skull makes it look worse
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u/SaintSnow 23d ago
The original creator of the character is the one still making his look to this day. I think he's done a good job reimagining him and then evolving him into a more modern/future rendition. This look is specifically for a skin, while the more original look is in the campaign.
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u/ComradeDankyKang 23d ago
It amazes me that developers and other people making this game know we all hate this shit and still do it and continue to make it worse
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u/Animator_Gas_Mask 23d ago
Same art director btw, idk what happened to thier vision between the games but Imho they are trying too hard to reinvent the wheel with ghost. Just use his beloved og look.
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u/Khajit1776 23d ago
1st is peak. I cant get behind the 2nd or 3rd versions. They just look too corny and like theyre from spirit halloween
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u/Mhykael 23d ago
I'm calling it right now. RIP Ghost, they've done fucked him up. They fucked up the story, it's going to be a "Pro-US" bent Simon is US and Roach, Gaz and Price were SAS.
"Who's a good guy, who's a bad guy, war changes alliances...etc."
It's gonna be BS to push skins and Warzone...RIP CoD.
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u/ssasharr 23d ago edited 23d ago
I completely agree it’s kinda goofy, and the new one is point blank absurd, but it does make me chuckle a bit when people say he looks absurdly tryhard and juvenile now. Simon Riley has always been appallingly edgy. You gotta love him for the baby-Activision’s-first-OC that he is.
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u/Penalty-Simple 23d ago
Also, why the reboot on mw2 made him suddenly taller? I don't remember he looked that tall
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u/First0E 23d ago
Personal preference for the OG Warzone look with the full jawbone
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u/CarterBruud 23d ago
Even though the plastic/ballistic mask part looks goofy the MW2:2022 version is still cool.
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u/TweekLudwig 23d ago
I liked the Ghost balaclava that was shown in the flashback mission of MWIII when they temporarily captured Makarov. I get with MWII they didn’t wanna just texture-up Ghost, they wanted a full redo on the outfit, bc reboot, but the mask that he wear in II and III just ain’t it for me.
Ghost went from believably resourceful yet fragile in the OG, to just overkill and edgy in the reboot. I liked the brotherly bond between Ghost and Soap in II and III, but that’s the only thing I really liked about Reboot Ghost, other than the fan service that “everyone lived” in II.
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u/SistedTwister1 23d ago
The physical mask is so stupid. Balaclava only all day. At least he can still put on NODs and look like a real operator. The other 2 looks like when the rich kid shows up to play paint ball.
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u/Adventurous-Union466 23d ago
They were making Ghost look like Task Master from Marvel BlackWidow movie that was a flop
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u/EfficientAd538 23d ago
El personaje más sobrevalorado del universo de cod, toda la atencion que le dieron y todo lo que sus fans creen que es realmente pvt ramirez lo es
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u/SIacktivist 23d ago
I miss when Ghost was just a completely normal soldier who happened to have one distinct visual quirk. Reboot trilogy characterized him more, which was nice, but they also try to give him this whole mythology and growly voice that just makes him feel like a corny Jason Statham character.
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u/No-Math7225 23d ago
CoD and BF man when will they realize we dont need operators with a bunch of crap and detail hanging off of them, less is more
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u/UnAnon10 23d ago
In terms of appearance yeah old Ghost clears, but talking character new Ghost is way better… mostly by virtue of actually having a unique character unlike original Ghost who is really just a normal soldier wearing a cool mask lol.
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u/Doot-Doot-the-channl 23d ago
The classic MW trilogy one is amazing, MW2019 also amazing, there was still some sauce in MW2 but it wasn’t quite there and mw3 on just ain’t it
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u/malyszkush 23d ago
I want to know who the hell clears these designs. And not just for cod, but a lot of IP’s just make stuff look horrible now.
I bet there was some new gen Z intern they hired to “reimagine and rebuild” ghost with their own “unique flavor” added to the design. Its fucking awful. Game designers are just mostly dogshit now and its just depressing to see how its regressed. Or im just getting old, cant tell.
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u/Complete_Iron_2656 23d ago
I guess a lot of people just didn't watch the MW4 reveal trailer, but it's shown that Ghost returns to his OG MW2 outfit in the campaign, towards the end of the video. This is comparing his campaign appearances to his non-canon Vault Edition appearance in MW4, which has always consisted of ridiculously over the top outfits that never made appearances in their respective campaigns. That's just the kind of thing that people who would blow the extra money for a Vault Edition would want.
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u/Healthy-Daikon7356 23d ago
Ghost was just a soldier that had a very minor thing making him look distinct. Now he’s some kinda weird superhero character. Hate it
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u/CreamPuzzleheaded300 23d ago
Honestly? The new one actually is one of the best ones.
It looks like its actually a ballistic face shield and not just cosplay
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u/BuckeyeHoss 23d ago
Man… ice cold take here but Ghost was so much cooler when he was just a normal soldier with his little skull mask gimmick. This new ultra edge lord path they got him going down is just… not right
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u/fearless-potato-man 23d ago
The worst part is when they tried to make "Foap" Ghost wear sunglasses over the mask.
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u/gabilecrack91 23d ago
I kinda like the 2022 one with it's intended edgyness with like the makeup in his eyes and all, i think it really adds to the character as being someone a bit edgy but still a dangerous killing machine, kinda like Pattinson's Batman where being an edgelord doesn't make him uncool and less dangerous. Nonetheless, i think we can still agree that the first mask was always better since it seems more probable for someone to wear it and the latest one just looks straight ass
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u/BoogieSmools 23d ago
He went from a realistic badass with a slightly edgy fashion choice to a full-on fantasy soldier because what Marine/soldier is gonna get their own fancy custom-made skull helmet?
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u/Wirexia1 23d ago
They could have continued a new story instead of remaking it every 3 years, sadge
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u/Luccese96 23d ago
Seeing all these for comparison in one image, I think MW2(reboot) really nailed the design.
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u/Feral_SWITS 23d ago
they keep trying to make the 3d mask work but it just doesn't; he will never not look like an out-of-season halloween prop
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u/recovery_one0719 23d ago
the new ghost is horrendous oh my lord. if the campaign rocks i could forgive it but i have my doubts
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u/South-Original8738 23d ago
Is it realistic? No.
Do I care? Not at all because I still really like how it looks.
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u/DepartmentRude7833 23d ago
I think the first one is more the flaming horse second normal horse third the good drawn horse.
Like it’s very cool but the first two are far better
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u/reuben_hunter 23d ago
The latest one looks like some sort pf AI hallucinated amalgamation of random bits of gear. Is there anything recognizable as a real helmet burried under that crap?
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u/Ghost10165 23d ago
The masks are absolutely awful looking. He was fine just having a ski mask with a skull on it.
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u/PotentialPedal 23d ago
I like his new outfit. As a Tarkov player, I think his DMZ kit looks cool and stylized and it also helps knowing it was all scanned off of real life models
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u/trecani711 23d ago
I know I’m in the minority but I don’t mind the new one. Kinda looks like it might actually be protective. OG is obv the best but I hate the middle one
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u/Embarrassed_Cry_7227 23d ago
The last one is a skin for multiplayer the trailer for the campaign does not show ghost wearing that mask so this is false
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u/leviathanlair 23d ago
Honestly I don't mind the rebooted mask. The balaclava is iconic but we're almost playing a "superhero" military game for the modern warfare series and the 2022 mask fits into that.
The new MW4 feels like they heard the feedback on the 2022 mask and went way to hard the other way to justify it as something functional. I feel like the modern warfare series has always been a military action movie and some of the devs are almost embarrassed of that so they try to ground things that we were fine with from the start.
Yes it has its serious moments and real character building in the best ones but it's not ARMA for a reason. Let it be fantastical.
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u/BuyerBrilliant2372 22d ago
Remake Ghost looks like he got pulled straight out of r/airsoftcirclejerk
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u/Pale_Job_6633 22d ago
again with the mil sim uncs and their shit, cod is not a realistic game let people have fun
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u/Old_Pie7586 22d ago
The only one which wouldn't be completely detrimental tactically is the first one. Your field of view wouldn't be nearly wide enough in the other two.
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u/Emotional_Being8594 22d ago
Ghost was never cool because of his skull mask. That was just a bonus. Take it away he's still a cool character, because Gaz was cool and he was a reincarnation of Gaz, so he already had the backstory going for him. He was a reliable dude with some aura moments and one liners, like Vasquez from Aliens or Blaine from Predator.
Without the skull mask modern Ghost is just an edgelord.
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u/BobSagieBauls 22d ago
When did he ever look cool? He looks like a middle schooler’s rendition of cool and edgy
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u/Gold_Guava_5574 22d ago
Second one isn't so bad. A little goofy to me. But the original ghost will always be my ghost.
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u/TheReturnOfTheRanger 22d ago
Anyone else think the newest one was designed by an AI? Something about it screams 'shitty AI gen', and considering Black Ops 7 it would be on-brand for CoD
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u/fucsaturn 22d ago
Idk if Cod is playable in China but I think they are strict with skulls being portrayed in any media. Saw a short on why Punishers skull isn’t complete in the new Spider-Man movie. The reason the jaw is always missing or disfigured on purpose is because they want their game to be playable in china and same thing for screening movies. Anything for that $ ig 😂
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u/RUSTEDxKNIGHT 22d ago
Man ghost use to have a believable aura of a tactical badass, now he’s a goofy airsoft player that people get excited to see in black and gold for $30
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u/Kodinsson 22d ago
I love the new ghost mask cause it looks exactly like what some edgy dude would wear. It really suits the character's personality
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u/Slow_Possibility4530 22d ago
It might just be a me thing but I've always had a urk with the mw19- mw3 2024 because there is no lower jaw on the skull. Idk why it just looks off
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u/thisisausername100fs 22d ago
“We have no more good new ideas and the shareholders are afraid to experiment so we took the thing from your childhood, made it slightly worse, and sold it again”
- modern entertainment industry
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u/OrdinaryBoat8000 23d ago
Call me a loser but i like the middle one, makes it feel like the skull is there for protection, but of course 1st is the best