Is it possible for a Ghost to come back from the dead? That’s the question everybody is asking of the new game, “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.”

After last year’s less than stellar “Call of Duty: Ghosts,” gamers weren’t too thrilled for another installment in the series. Many thought that “Call of Duty” hit its peak years ago and now is slowly fading away.

They couldn’t be more wrong.

“Advanced Warfare” is a breath of fresh air for the series, bringing about a multitude of changes that dramatically affect the tried-and-true game play.

The biggest change comes in the form of the “Exoskeleton,” “Exo” for short. This robotic suit allows the soldiers in the game to jump higher, run faster, and have futuristic abilities like cloaking and the ability to go completely silent. The “Exo” is the biggest change in the series since “Call of Duty 4” brought the series out of World War II.

With the upgraded movement of the “Exo” comes a drastic change in the “Call of Duty” multiplayer formula. Since the “Exo” can launch you into the air, rooftops become a major addition to multiplayer maps. Battles are now not only tied to the ground; now they take place in the air and on rooftops.

Having the ability to go anywhere on the map (and having enemies who can do the same) makes for much tenser and faster-paced matches than in any previous “Call of Duty.” Multiplayer matches become a violent ballet, with each jump or slide a player does contributing to the hectic display.

Not content with just making the multiplayer better, Sledgehammer Games also improved the single player experience. In order to make the game more cinematic, they hired Kevin Spacey for the voice and likeness of character Jonathon Irons, the leader of the massive private military company, Atlas Corp. Spacey absolutely electrifies the screen, which makes for a story much more cinematic than any other “Call of Duty” game before.

While the game is very good, it still does have its faults. The co-operative survival mode in the game seems half-baked at best, and doesn’t have enough content to really keep people coming back to it like the multiplayer has. Also, despite the new gameplay mechanics of the “Exo,” the game is still very similar to the previous “Call of Duty” games. Because of this, the learning curve is much higher for new players, which may turn them off to the game entirely.

Despite the problems the game may have, “Advanced Warfare” is still a huge success. It manages to reinvigorate the aging franchise while simultaneously staying true to tradition. The game may not pull in any new “Call of Duty” fans, but it will satisfy long-time fans. After a rough 2013 for the series, “Advanced Warfare” comes out swinging and signals a new, exciting era for the franchise.