Spec Ops: The Line
Reviewed By Tristan Tancredi
Psychological warfare is the central theme for 2K Games, Spec Ops: The Line in what is a pretty sharp Third Person Shooter.
Set in the decaying ruins of the once great city of Dubai, Captain Martin Walker leads a team of elite Delta Force Operatives on a mission to evacuate any survivors of the sandstorm affected city.
As gamers advance throughout the game, the story of the demise of Dubai slowly unravels. Basically the business and oil hub of the UAE was hit with catastrophic sandstorms that caused a mass exodus by politicians and the wealthy alike, leaving the citizens of Dubai to scrounge for survival.
Enter the 33rd Batallion led by Colonel John Konrad on a relief mission to the people of Dubai. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, the 33rd Batallion suffers a major blow when an extreme sandstorm cuts off communication to the outside world and the 33rd Batallion struggles to maintain order in a city with limited resources.
This is where the gamer takes control of Captain Martin Walker on a reconnaissance mission. Walker is a soldier with a "shady" relationship with Colonel Konrad, he is a soldier with a foggy conscience and clear moral and ethical issues. War, war, what is it good for?
Lead writer Walt Williams states that, "the premise is inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness". The primary focus of Spec Ops: The Line is the mental battles encountered by soldiers through their actions and their choices in the warzone and the darkness that follows. There is no glory in war.
In between blowing away soldiers with your Desert Eagle (Amongst other weapons) gamers encounter a number of moral dilemmas whereby the gamer can decide which path to take. For instance, the option to shoot someone, or let them suffer and burn to death.
Ultimately (and quite disappointingly) these decisions do not alter the course of the game. As the story is set in stone every decision you make throughout the game merges back into the main storyline. The four different endings available are all only achieved via certain decisions right at the conclusion of the game. So the decisions made on your journey through downtown Dubai make no impact on the endings.
Despite never deviating from the linear story arc, Spec Ops: The Line has enough layers to the storyline to always keep it interesting and engaging. The character development is well crafted, and the relationships that often teeter on the edge of chaos between Captain Martin Walker and his two soldiers Adams and Lugo is entertaining to say the least.
The 15 campaign levels totals about 6-8 hours of gaming and there is enough variety to always keep the gamer on edge. Sure, most of the game is Third Person Shooting, however there are elements of strategy to keep the brain from trailing off into lalaland.
We had no dramas with the gameplay, it's responsive, easy to learn and above all else, really, really entertaining. Combine this with a finely detailed backdrop of a decaying Dubai and state of the art graphics, Spec Ops: The Line is a well presented, polished product developed by Yager Development.
Despite utilising the Spec Ops name, in no way does it link back to any of the previous titles under the franchise.
The multiplayer aspect developed by Darkside Game Studios is similar to any Third Person Shooter you may have experienced perviously. Join a faction, rank up and participate in various game modes and online challenges. Sound familiar? Of course it does, but hey, Spec Ops: The Line Multiplayer is quite fun, yet it's the campaign that steals the show.
Spec Ops: The Line delves into the effect of war on the spirit and the mind. It effectively delivers a storyline worthy of praise, yet we are left with a nagging thought for some strange reason, that the game could have been so much bigger. Nontheless, it is still a worthy purchase for any Third Person Shooter fan.
Rating: 80%
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Game: Spec Ops: The Line
System: PS3
Developer/Co-Developer: Yager Development / Darkside Game Studios
Publisher: 2K Games
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