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Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line allows you to step into the combat boots of Captain Martin Walker as he and two other squad members are sent to Dubai. Instead of being the "Jewel of the Middle East" as it is today, in the Spec Ops universe Dubai has been decimated by the most extreme dust storms ever witnessed. Your squad's mission is to follow up a mysterious looped radio signal transmitted by Colonel John Konrad, who along with the 33rd battalion volunteered to evacuate the city. It is supposed to be a routine mission but what is waiting for you in the half buried city is far from routine.
At first glance, The Line appears to be just another military themed third person shooter. The gameplay is all cover based so it has a very "Gears Of War" feel to it. This means you'll be doing a lot of sprinting and sliding into cover as well as shooting insurgents in the face. It is entertaining enough but nothing that hasn't been done to death before. The unique location will draw you in however and soon you will begin to notice that things are not exactly turning out the way that you might have expected. It's no secret that the novella "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad had a big influence on the story. Kudos to Yagar Development for not shying away from controversial themes and imagery. The Line makes a point of showing you the consequences of your actions and while other games might punctuate a hectic battle with whoops and high-fives from your team, in this game you are forced to watch the devastation and suffering that you have unleashed. To make matters worse, you do not have any clear-cut enemies but instead must defend yourself from Farsi speaking insurgents as well as US soldiers. Add in some CIA elements and moral choices that will have a profound impact on your character's mental wellbeing and it becomes clear that the game does not pull any punches. Your squad starts out disciplined and ordered but as the game progresses things quickly spiral out of control. This is reflected not only in their appearance which becomes more haggard and bloody over time but by their attitude as well. One of your fellow operatives, Lugo is constantly cracking jokes and "keeping things light" as he calls it at the start of the game but midway through all his humor has dried up and he even comes to blows with his squad members. The same goes for the battle cries which start off as "Tango Down" and degenerates into phrases such as "Stay the F*** down" as the battle wears on. The voice of Walker is provided by Nolan North who delivers another strong performance. The rest of the voice acting is pretty good as well and the constant conversations between your squad members keeps you updated on their mood and opinions of your surroundings. You will also hear frequent broadcasts from the "Radioman" blaring out over the makeshift PA system strung up all over the city. During intense firefights music will blast out from nearby speakers adding to the chaotic battles without detracting from the realism. The visuals in The Line are good but not spectacular. The highlight is definitely the city itself with its majestic buildings covered in sand. It makes for an interesting change to take cover behind expensive vehicles in the streets or to see the lavish interiors of luxury hotels reduced to ruins. Disturbing elements like dead soldiers and civilians littering the streets or hanging from lamp posts are also a frequent sight. Some parts of the environment are destructible but the use of sand in battle is sadly restricted to a few scripted sections. Shooting out windows to bury enemies under a cascade of sand is cool but can only be done where the game allows it. The sand storms that spring up reducing visibility is similarly scripted but interesting none the less. You are restricted to only two weapons at a time but during a heated battle there is usually enough guns lying around. You also have a melee attack and can execute enemies on the ground that is still alive. You can designate enemies for your squad to attack or order them to blind the opposition with flash bangs but for the rest they mostly do their own thing. They can handle themselves but occasionally you will have to jump in and revive them if they get into trouble. Occasionally you'll be on your own as well if the story separates you from your squad. There is also the obligatory one or two rail shooting segments thrown in for good measure. Having said that, the battles in the game can drag on a bit sometimes and unless you use cover, enemies will cut you down quickly on higher difficulty settings. Like most titles these days the game uses checkpoint saves so you have no control over where and when you can save your progress. Fortunately cut-scenes can be skipped so you can get right back into the action. Spec Ops: The Line is not a very long game but unless you play it all the way through you won't really appreciate what it has to offer. The Exiles vs Damned multi-player modes are not much to write home about but the single player story is interesting enough to make up for all the shortcomings. This game is not redefining the genre in any meaningful way but it does show that games can have a meaningful message. If anything the game will make you think about what you have done to complete it and that can only be a good thing.
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System Requirements
TAGS: Spec Ops: The Line, Dubai, Martin Walker, Adams, Lugo, The Damned 33rd, John Konrad
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