Spec Ops: The Line Review
Spec Ops: The Line is a third person action shooter developed by Yager and published by 2K. Yager developed the title as they wanted to criticise what they viewed as a romanticising of war in the media. And so they consulted Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and the film Apocalypse Now and set out to create a narrative experience that would make people think more about the actions they take in videogames. But how well did they pull of their narrative? Is it the story to end all stories or is there room for improvement? I'll be finding out in this review.
Spec Op's story takes place in a devastated Dubai, after a massive sandstorm has wiped out the city. You play as Captain Martin Walker, a Delta operative leading a team on a scouting mission. Your objective is to scout out the city and find survivors. On contact you are to return to waiting US forces outside of the 'Storm wall'. However the situation is quickly complicated when you hear a distress signal from US forces in the area and from then on things quickly escalate out of control.
The actual character arcs are done extremely well, they're consistent and really help add weight to the situation our characters find themselves in. One thing I will criticise, is that Walker's descent into madness seems to happen a little quickly. The big event that throws the game from light hearted action romp to traumatising war also drives Walker's character mad. Pretty much immediately after the event, Walker is having audio and visual hallucinations. It took me out of the experience somewhat, but not enough to really harm my enjoyment of the game. Aside from the rocky start, the rest of the game is superb in how it develops its characters.
The gameplay on the other hand, isn't quite as interesting. There are a few interesting turns, like fighting hallucinations or getting berated by loading screens. But otherwise it's your fairly run of the mill third person shooter with cover mechanics. They do try to show the characters mental state during combat, which is interesting. As the game progresses Walker's orders become increasingly violent as do the executions. Speaking of executions, it's an interesting mechanic in the game. Ammo is scarce in Dubai, so by executing enemies you can get more ammo, though the executions are always quite violent. You can also order your squad around, though it's quite limited. Generally you just get them to prioritise enemies to kill or shoot environmental hazards. There's also a sandstorm system in the game, where visibility is dropped to near zero and you have to locate enemies based on the muzzle flashes from their guns. The segments are quite impressive however it's a shame that these sections are all very scripted, as I would have liked to see a more natural weather system to better incorporate these mechanics.
Spec Ops also has a multiplayer. This is comprised of a few separate game-modes and some Co-Op missions. It supposedly gives insight into the Civil war that broke out between the American soldiers stationed in Dubai during the storms. Unfortunately this multiplayer feels tacked on to the game and while fun, completely undermines the narrative in the campaign, as while the campaign is all about the horrors of war, the multiplayer is all about the fun aspect, supporting the hero fantasy that the campaign tries so hard to decry. The Co-Op gameplay isn't too bad, however it's rather repetitive in terms of what you do. Generally you just have to kill the enemies in front of you and get to the end of the level.
In conclusion, Spec Ops the Line is a solid action game. The story is fantastic, with well defined characters and intense set pieces. It's a little on the short side in my opinion, being only 15 missions long. But it uses the time it has well. The multiplayer on the other hand, goes directly against the message presented in the campaign and doesn't do much to set itself apart from other shooters. However, I don't think its downfalls take away from the game too much in the end. Spec Ops is still a fantastic title and I would recommend everyone give it a try.
If you would like to buy a copy of Spec Ops: The Line, then follow the link below:
Spec Ops: The Line - Xbox 360
Spec Op's story takes place in a devastated Dubai, after a massive sandstorm has wiped out the city. You play as Captain Martin Walker, a Delta operative leading a team on a scouting mission. Your objective is to scout out the city and find survivors. On contact you are to return to waiting US forces outside of the 'Storm wall'. However the situation is quickly complicated when you hear a distress signal from US forces in the area and from then on things quickly escalate out of control.
The actual character arcs are done extremely well, they're consistent and really help add weight to the situation our characters find themselves in. One thing I will criticise, is that Walker's descent into madness seems to happen a little quickly. The big event that throws the game from light hearted action romp to traumatising war also drives Walker's character mad. Pretty much immediately after the event, Walker is having audio and visual hallucinations. It took me out of the experience somewhat, but not enough to really harm my enjoyment of the game. Aside from the rocky start, the rest of the game is superb in how it develops its characters.
The gameplay on the other hand, isn't quite as interesting. There are a few interesting turns, like fighting hallucinations or getting berated by loading screens. But otherwise it's your fairly run of the mill third person shooter with cover mechanics. They do try to show the characters mental state during combat, which is interesting. As the game progresses Walker's orders become increasingly violent as do the executions. Speaking of executions, it's an interesting mechanic in the game. Ammo is scarce in Dubai, so by executing enemies you can get more ammo, though the executions are always quite violent. You can also order your squad around, though it's quite limited. Generally you just get them to prioritise enemies to kill or shoot environmental hazards. There's also a sandstorm system in the game, where visibility is dropped to near zero and you have to locate enemies based on the muzzle flashes from their guns. The segments are quite impressive however it's a shame that these sections are all very scripted, as I would have liked to see a more natural weather system to better incorporate these mechanics.
Spec Ops also has a multiplayer. This is comprised of a few separate game-modes and some Co-Op missions. It supposedly gives insight into the Civil war that broke out between the American soldiers stationed in Dubai during the storms. Unfortunately this multiplayer feels tacked on to the game and while fun, completely undermines the narrative in the campaign, as while the campaign is all about the horrors of war, the multiplayer is all about the fun aspect, supporting the hero fantasy that the campaign tries so hard to decry. The Co-Op gameplay isn't too bad, however it's rather repetitive in terms of what you do. Generally you just have to kill the enemies in front of you and get to the end of the level.
In conclusion, Spec Ops the Line is a solid action game. The story is fantastic, with well defined characters and intense set pieces. It's a little on the short side in my opinion, being only 15 missions long. But it uses the time it has well. The multiplayer on the other hand, goes directly against the message presented in the campaign and doesn't do much to set itself apart from other shooters. However, I don't think its downfalls take away from the game too much in the end. Spec Ops is still a fantastic title and I would recommend everyone give it a try.
If you would like to buy a copy of Spec Ops: The Line, then follow the link below:
Spec Ops: The Line - Xbox 360
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