Spec Ops: The Line

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I've shopped at Amazon for many years; I've never written a review. In fear that many would pass up this gem in favor of bigger budget, more highly publicized titles, I've decided to break that record.

If you're an "old school" gamer like myself, you may remember the Spec Ops series as (mostly) buggy and nearly unplayable budget titles dating back to the late nineties. Yager and 2K Games have changed all of that, and oh, it's sooooo for the better.

Spec Ops: The Line stars off with all of the ingredients of many third person shooters. There's a generous helping of rock music on the soundtrack, a sprinkling of one liners, etc. By now (if you play many action games) I'm sure you can recite the cliches in your sleep. Then the flavor starts to change. Spec Ops has been touted from the beginning as a story focused game. Yeah, yeah; I'd heard the same thing about Homefront. There's where the comparisons end; Spec Ops has an amazing story (which ends up being the main draw of the game).

STORY:

If you've seen the trailers, you know that Delta Force Captain Martin Walker (voiced by the always amazing Nolan North) and his squad (Lugo and Adams) are sent into a Dubai ravaged by sandstorms in order to recon the failed evacuation of the city (carried about by one U.S. Military Colonel John Konrad). What follows are a series of twists and turns that display all of the confusion, depravity, and destruction of war. You as the player even get to participate by making decisions; Who will you save, and who will you let die? But there's no morality meter here. KOTOR this is not. You'll quickly see that most decisions have negative outcomes, and instead of getting some alignment specific piece of gear for your choices, you're treated to something much more real: Walker and his squad actually react to those decisions. This is the brilliant part of the writing; you as the player are made to think about the abstract forces behind those decisions. You try to determine if an action is still evil if it could potentially save people. Would you sacrifice a civilian to save a critical resource that could potentially save more lives? What makes a person responsible for an action? How far would you go to be safe? Do you feel like a hero yet? All the way to one of the games four endings (multiple endings in an action game!) you'll see the characters grow, and struggle, and change. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that rarely does any art medium delve into such disturbing territory (and it is very disturbing at times) so successfully. It out-Conrads Conrad. Non of this would work if not for the presentation of it all; thankfully the pacing and detail of the experience are both stellar. Remember that rock music and those one liners? Those are soon gone, replaced by an atmospheric soundtrack and meaningful dialogue between characters. There are no throwaway lines; everything has purpose. Not only do the character models change to reflect battle damage as you progress, but the way the squad calls out enemies or responds to orders changes too (not to mention the change in the loading screen tips later on: "How many Americans have you killed today?"). They act like real people and not stock characters. I forgot I was playing a game in my living room. In short: Amazing.

Graphics:

This is the Unreal 3 engine, so expect texture pop in. Particle effects are also lacking. Everything else looks great; the character models are very detailed, and the environments look great. Speaking of the locations, there are a wide variety of environments to fight through. The outdoor wasteland (complete with great looking sand...no, seriously) looks bleak while the insides of hotels, malls, etc. are plucked right from the streets of Dubai. They're tacky in an opulent way (and very shiny). The refugee areas are unsettling while looking lived in. The weapon models aren't too shabby either.

Sound:

The experience could have fallen flat so easily if the acting would have done the same. It doesn't. Every actor captures each line note perfect with Nolan North doing a standout job. Is there anything this guy can't do? The soundtrack is suitably creepy or adrenaline pumping as needs be. It works well. The sound effects also get the job done, and it's nice to see even small bits of environmental detail provided with a sound effect in order to draw the player into the experience.

Gameplay:

This is a cover based third person shooter; it doesn't do anything revolutionary. Having said that, it is more than serviceable and very fun. You have a large arsenal of weapons and grenades available, a dedicated melee button, and the rest of the bells and whistles of the genre. Ammo is scarce though which enhances the experience. Oh, and the execution animations for downed enemies are brutal. You can also give limited orders to your squad (shoot this enemy, heal your mate, and/or throw a flash bang). It helps out during tough firefights (and there are several), but keep in mind this isn't a squad centered realistic shooter like Rainbow Six or SWAT. The multiplayer is average and pretty by the numbers in terms of modes.

This game was worth a sixty dollar purchase to this reviewer if only because it does something most games do not: it provides a detailed story unafraid to go to those dark places we all try to ignore. It is more than a novelty; it makes you think about what really matters and how we even know if it matters. Luckily, there's a fun third person shooter to experience along the way. The horror; the horror. (Couldn't resist)

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Spec Ops the Line on the surface appears to be like your typical cover based third person shooter. The main characters of this story like many in this genre are an elite group of soldiers. The player takes on the role of Captain Martin Walker the leader of a three man Delta Force team made up of 1st Lieutenant Alphanso Adams (a heavy gunner) and Staff Sergeant John Lugo (a marksman and translator whose fluent in six languages).

The three are sent on a reconnaissance mission in the United Arab Emirates specifically to the city of Dubai which was devastated 6 months prior by a sandstorm. The objective on the surface is familiar territory for anyone who's ever played a third person shooter. The three man delta team is sent into a foreign country to locate survivors, deal with insurgents, and to find out the fate of the 33rd Battalion of the United States army which went missing while evacuating the city of Dubai.

To achieve these goals the player will be able to engage in standard cover based third person shooter game mechanics. This means that the player will be able to use high tech weapons and vehicles. The player will also be able to use team based strategies to overcome enemies and a cover system to safely advance forward in situations where there's heavy fire.

There are some very important things that set this game apart from others in its genre. The first one I'll discuss is this game's unconventional take on war. War in most third person shooters is treated as something fun, manly, and entertaining. Also the enemies aren't portrayed as much more than an effective way to test out different types of guns, knives, and bombs. This consistent static portrayal of enemies makes it easy to go through countless games in this genre without a second thought about torturing/killing enemies. This is not the case in spec ops. War is portrayed in a much more realistic and mature manner especially since the enemy is no longer a bunch of unimportant goons. In this game the enemy is portrayed as other human beings with thoughts, feelings, loved ones, whose life also has value.

Another thing that sets this game apart from other third person shooters is the gripping storyline. It is filled with enough twists, turns, and moral dilemmas to keep even the most jaded gamer interested from the beginning to the end. Nothing is as simple as it first appears to be. In fact this story and the way it is presented is so effective you will have no choice but to turn on your brain and emotions and question if what you're doing is really the right thing or the wrong thing to do as you realize your actions as the leader has far reaching consequences for your character, his team, and the people around them. This deep-emotional storytelling also makes it possible for this game to have 4 possible endings.

Also this game effectively uses weather and the terrain to provide both obstacles and a new way to engage enemies which adds a lot of flavor to the combat.

I highly recommend this game. It is a breath of fresh air in an over-crowded genre that's becoming increasingly generic. This game is also visually stunning, with exceptional voice acting, and sound. It is definitely worth the money and the effort to play the game from the beginning to the end.

Buy Spec Ops: The Line Now

I have been waiting for this game for a long time.

Pros:

I really liked the setting in Dubai.The randomness of the sandstorms and the ability to use sand as a weapon make the combat very enjoyable.

The story of this game is one of the best I have played in a long time.Everything you do effects the game and your AI squad.There is no right or wrong in this game.The creepy DJ was a great part of the game as was the intel found throughout the levels of the game.This game really does portray the horrors of war and the human suffering.There are many twist to this game.That motivated me to play until I finished the game.

Music was great in this game some old some new.Most of the songs really got me into the level I was playing.

Voice acting was top notch with Nolan North great as always.I liked that one had to conserve ammo in Dubai.

Not to worry there is plenty to pick up from defeated enemies.I liked doing executions on enemies in hand to hand combat.I really liked when you threw a grenade it would make a dust cloud to blind enemies.

Cons:

Graphics were very dated but good.Frame rates were smooth and no glitches.

The backgrounds were done well and looked great.But enemies all looked the same and not much detail in them.

The cut scene graphics looked good.

AI could have been better.Don't get me wrong one had to take cover or else.Enemies had the habit of running in the open.And squad mates would do the same at times.

Sound was ok,the music sounded great but sometimes the voice acting was very faint.I had to turn up the TV to hear stuff.Then turn it down for combat.Explosions were very dull.The cover system was spotty my advice go into cover on your own.It took me 12 hrs to beat the game on hard the campaign could have been longer IMHO.

Online:I have very poor service in my area so I could not play online.

Overall/Final thoughts

Even with dated graphics and spotty sound this is a good solid 3rd person shooter with a great soundtrack.

It is worth getting this game for the story and multiple endings.With hidden intel items and the choices you have to make.This game has a High replay value for me.

Even with the short campaign it was a intense experience for me.It was nice to see a game show how in war there is a fine line and a breaking point in all people.How a split second choice can effect you and others.

As a Iraq combat Vet I know how that feels.

I recommend this game highly for the story and action.It has it's faults but was worth it to me.

If you don't want to spend the money rent it or buy it used.I think all gamers will enjoy this game.

And learn what the mental toll can be on a Soldier.

Final grade 4 stars.

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Make no mistake, you are not the hero of this game. You'll start out feeling that way, but by the end of the game you're thinking that all of those people would have been better off if you'd never arrived. It's like the way you felt in Shadow of the Colossus, when you realised what a jerk you were for killing all of those previously-peaceful creatures.

The game does have a few control issues and can get frustrating in some battles, but it is standard 3rd-person shooter gameplay. The difference here is the environment, story and tone. It also has 4 possible endings, determined by what you do in the final minutes. You can try for the other 3 endings quickly via the chapter-select menu after completing the game once, there's no need to play the entire game multiple times to see them. For the price it's currently being offered for, this is a worthwhile purchase.

Want Spec Ops: The Line Discount?

Great game they really have a great story. I have been really disappointed it modern war games campaign but spec ops the line has a better campaign then its multiplayer. I think multiplayer will improve over time. I love what Yager and 2k are doing as far as s free dlc pack in August to me that shows they really care and want there fans to be happy with the game. To me the game is a great game the multiplayer could use some work. I would pay 60 bucks for this again.