After a very long delay we finally have a new review for you. Spec Ops: The Line was released on Tuesday and it is an interesting game to say the least. Gameplay and graphics-wise Spec Ops: The Line does not try to do anything out new or inventive. It is your standard current gen third person shooter built on the Unreal Engine. However, if you can stick through the average gameplay you're rewarded with a great story of rebellion, betrayal, and consequence.
Spec Ops opens up with a very intense on rails chopper sequence to get you into the setting and helps you to meet the characters of your squad. The environments look good, but there are a lot of times where textures fail to load, and I noticed a lot of pop in of textures and objects. From a distance the setting of a post sandstorm Dubai is gorgeous. The scenery does tend to get lost in the browns of the sand and the sandstorms though. Interiors were a stark contrast to what was seen outside, with much more color than the browns of sand and whites of buildings. Textures of glass statues, carpeted staircases, hallways and offices looked beautiful. Character models move fluidly, and a lot of detail went into facial movements. There were several times when I stopped to look around at the sights, or take in the horrors of the war.
The sound design does a good job helping with the mood as well. Dialogue between characters in between firefights help establish personalities of the squad. Orders get shouted out and enemy positions are called out during fights. There are some out of place moments where reloading while nothing is happening causes your character to yell "Cover me, I'm reloading" while all else is silent. There was even a spot where this happened and it actually alerted an enemy that I was behind him. Music in the beginning is a nice and heavy rock tone, but as the story progresses, it becomes very somber and helps to bring home the seriousness of the situation. There is an online multiplayer that has an adversarial mode where you fight the other team for the most kills. This mode allows for standard shooter multiplayer unlocks such as guns and cosmetics. There isn't any interaction with the environment here so yeah. There is another mode where you fight the other team and the environment takes center stage. This mode is actually kind of fun, but fairly limited by the options available. Multiplayer is not Spec Ops' strong point.
The gameplay is actually the part of the game that is the most disappointing. The third person mechanics are ripped right out of any other third person shooter on the market. Run, take cover, blind fire or take aim until your enemies are dead. Then move to the next spot and do the same thing again. There are some environmental factors that help the battle. Firing into the sun makes enemies hard to see due to the light. Sandstorms pop up randomly (Seriously, they are fairly random in both location and duration) and there are places you can shoot out windows or walls to release the built up sand to alter the battle field. These elements are welcomed in what is otherwise an average third person mechanic. The controls are a little laggy at times, and occasionally don't do what they are supposed to. There is a confusing button map where the melee button is the same as the vault over cover button. I spent several very inopportune times punching the air behind me when I wanted to jump over a wall to push forward. Also, sprinting towards cover does NOT always work, sometimes you slide in, other times, you stand at the wall or barrier and become a human target. Your enemies are not always the most intelligent. There were several times when the enemies would be in a nice entrenched position where I was having difficulty shooting them, and they decided to sprint out into the middle of the field. The partner AI was particularly deadly though, and saved my ass on more than one occasion.
(Story Spoilers Ahead! If you don't want spoilers, skip this paragraph and just accept that its a good story)
The story is the saving grace here. It is based on the Joseph Konrad novella "Heart of Darkness" and does a fairly good job of telling the story. You lead a squad of three into Dubai on a rescue mission after a disastrous sandstorm destroys the city. There is a squad of American soldiers there already, but they sent out a distress call so you go in to figure out what happened. There are a few spots where you have to make some very tough decisions and as you play through the campaign you see how what is happening is effecting your squad and character. There are even a couple moments where when I finished them I just sat there mouth half open going "Holy crap I just did that." The game focuses on what war does to the characters on your team on a mental level and that helps to make the characters more than a bullet sponge you get in other games on the market now. There are several very emotionally powerful moments that the game showcases very well.
All in all, Spec Ops: The Line shows how to give a military shooter some heart. The story is fantastic and the character moments are some of the best I've seen in a game in a while. But story alone, does not make a great game. Other than the story, the game is fairly average and I would call it two night rental at best. Give it a second playthrough after you beat it and really understand what is happening. Spec Ops: The Line earns itself 6.5/10. See You Online.
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