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Spec Ops The Line Review

An interesting story and unique setting do just enough to elevate this otherwise unremarkable shooter

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The Spec Ops franchise dates way back to late 90’s and early 2000’s, when the series saw the release of a number of titles, though none went on to become either critical or financial successes as much as the publishers have liked. With 2012’s Spec Ops: The Line, the franchise seeks to reinvent itself with a completely new direction and developer. Even so, the game went through a lengthy and troubled cycle after being announced in 2009, but has now finally seen the light of day. You can expect plenty of shootouts and a unique setting, mixed with an intriguing storyline and dark thematic elements. In a rare case, The Line is competent shooter you’ll remember for its plot rather than the decidedly average action.

Spec Ops: The Line game

The Line has little to do with the previous titles, so there are no plot elements to hold new players back. You arrive in the fictional version of Dubai, like its real-world counterpart, an extravagant and prosperous city in the United Arab Emirates. But things aren’t how they used to be. Due to reasons unknown, the worst series of sandstorms in recorded history began around the city, eventually devastating it and leaving a thick wall of sand between it and the rest of the world. This natural barrier prevents any communications with the outside world, thus leaving our arriving trio of soldiers on their own.

The team, consisting of player-controlled Martin Walker and his two squad members, are sent to Dubai in order to confirm the statuses of Colonel John Konrad and 33rd regiment, who were originally sent to the city in order to evacuate civilians. They haven’t been heard from for weeks, until a recent transmission stating that the evacuation failed and the regiment was lost. Upon discovering the source of the transmission to be a fake, the team sets out deeper into the city. There are a number of side characters you’ll come across, all with their secret agendas, though it all seems to be a bit over-complicated and confusing with too many double-crosses to count and some big holes in the plot. The game even throws in a few choices, but sadly these have little effect beyond how the next scene plays out. In fact, some scenes have so much impact that players may expect to be given a choice, but in reality it is a linear sequence used to advance the plot.

Perhaps most interesting element of the campaign is the ending – it’s something we’ve seen before in a certain cult favorite movie and a recent video game. To say any more would be to spoil the concept, however it does make for a memorable conclusion and it’s the best execution of this plot mechanic yet seen in the medium, thanks to steady buildup and well-written dialogue. It also makes for an intriguing second playthrough once you know the twist, adding a new layer of uncertainty to the story.

Spec Ops: The Line game

Through their journey, the team’s mental strength will be tested a number of times with gruesome discoveries and disturbing revelations. They begin questioning each other and the mission itself, while their surroundings become ever more desperate. That’s not to say the game is trying to be “edgy” as has been the popular trend recently – no, this is real despair and the horrors of war. Unfortunately, some of that dramatic self-reflection loses credibility when you start blasting away waves of enemies.

While the plot may be the most intriguing element of this Spec Ops, gameplay is anything but. A very standard and by the book cover-based third person shooter, The Line takes no risks and barely dabbles in squad control mechanics. To the game’s credit, the world contains very natural cover – you won’t find artificial chest- high walls around the linear levels, instead hiding behind what remains of the city and its infrastructure, with some of it even destructible. Walker can carry up to two weapons at a time, and with ammo being scarce, you’ll often be swapping between rifles in the heat of battle and roam looking for ammo. The game’s sticky cover system works well, though the aiming sometimes feels a bit off and imprecise. As mentioned, your squad will be with you through most of the game, but they only have a few simple actions (target specific enemy, throw a flashbang), nothing fancy like flanking or issuing other complex orders. The AI is comparatively average, either pointlessly running cover to cover or simply running straight at you with shotguns.

Gunplay doesn’t really evolve beyond the basics, with increasingly powerful enemy types and larger numbers being matched by your evolving arsenal options. The game settles into a bit of a repetitive rhythm of spawning enemy waves in enclosed areas, and only letting you move on afterwards. Some of the action can be broken up by cool events such as a sandstorm or blowing up structures to cause partial collapse, making sand sweep away your enemies. But these moments of unique excitement are far too few in a game that was seemingly made to take advantage of the environment.

Spec Ops: The Line game

The city of Dubai is well realized, creating both a unique and noteworthy setting. Its collapsed buildings provide a glimpse into the glamour that once was, now lying in ruin. And while the indoor environments are detailed enough, they do become a bit repetitive. Highlights include finding water in the most luxurious and unexpected places, or traversing collapsed structures only to forget which way is up. The game only sometimes lets the player outside, and it’s unclear why – the breathtaking peaks of skyscrapers across the sand dunes provide a much grander exposition than yet another destroyed hotel or museum. Unlike many other shooters, The Line features a high contrast visual palette, making colors and lighting really stand out. The audio design is similarly well done, with good voice acting and specifically hearing Nolan North curse and push himself even makes you forget it’s Nathan Drake in the sand dunes again.

On the multiplayer side, The Line pulls out all the stops but nothing really stands out. A game that was seemingly made with coop in mind lacks said feature, though it’s promised to be added as free DLC in the future. Online is your typical cover-based multiplayer shooter, with an unlock system for both aesthetic and weapon upgrades. Two factions to go war with multiple classes that have varying abilities, inside maps that are inspired by the single player campaign. But these are filled with cover and large in size, while only offering 8 vs 8 matches. Sand plays into online competition as well, with elements of environmental destruction and storms similar to the campaign.

Alongside deathmatch modes you get Rally Point, where teams must take and hold map locations and earn points, until the location changes. A unique mode is called Buried, where your job is to destroy key structural points in an enemy base, while your enemies try to do the same to your base. While it all works well and offers some variety, it’s still a case of “let’s throw in multiplayer” and the player base is likely to dwindle with time.

Spec Ops: The Line game

With Spec Ops: The Line, it all comes down to the setting and the plot. Both are standout features of this otherwise unremarkable package, and if that’s enough for you to make the game worth checking out, then you likely won’t be disappointed. However if the plot and surrounding environments come secondary to action and gameplay, The Line doesn’t have much to offer than you haven’t already seen done better elsewhere. Multiplayer is full featured but, once again, lacks any overly engaging draws to hook you in. This is a competent third person shooter, but it won’t exactly turn the genre on its head.

Our ratings for Spec Ops: The Line on PC out of 100 (Ratings FAQ)
Presentation
78
A vivid visual style and solid voice acting, though on the technical level there isn't much here to impress.
Gameplay
72
Standard cover-based third person shooter with minimalistic squad control mechanics. It works, though not without small quirks.
Single Player
83
The story is well above average for a title in this genre, and offers some replayability. Twist ending is very well done and warrants to be experienced.
Multiplayer
77
One or two unique modes can't help the fact that maps feel overly large for a small player count. A robust offering, but one that isn't likely to awe anyone for too long/
Performance
(Show PC Specs)
CPU: Intel Core i7 CPU 930 @ 2.80GHz
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X 1GB
RAM: 6GB DDR3
OS: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
PC Specs

84
Some small stuttering and sluggish controls, but otherwise runs steadily.
Overall
76
Spec Ops The Line survived a lengthy development cycle to deliver an interesting campaign and setting. It's too bad the rest of what it offers is as average as it gets.
Comments
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line box art Platform:
PC
Our Review of Spec Ops: The Line
76%
Good
The Verdict:
Game Ranking
Spec Ops: The Line is ranked #735 out of 1957 total reviewed games. It is ranked #68 out of 145 games reviewed in 2012.
734. Singularity
PC
735. Spec Ops: The Line
736. DeathSpank
PlayStation 3
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Platform: PC
Released: September 2019
Developer: Yager Development
Screenshots

Spec Ops: The Line
24 images added Jul 10, 2012 01:07
Videos
Spec Ops: The Line - Journey Trailer
Posted: Nov 22, 2011 23:36
Spec Ops: The Line - Gameplay Trailer
Posted: Mar 13, 2012 01:54
Spec Ops: The Line - Narrative Trailer
Posted: Apr 8, 2012 16:46
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