Spec Ops: The Line

Spec Ops: The Line

Having not played a videogame besides CoD4 and FIFA in a long time, and hearing nothing but good things about it on the GiantBomb Cast, I decided to buy the game on the cheap, as it was anything but a sales hit on release. Published by 2k Games - the same company who published Bioshock - it's a modern war shooter set in Dubai, and heavily focuses on the moral implications, and ramifications, of Western involvement without localised Middle-Eastern settings, especially those where it seems cultural differences are misinterpreted by the Western world.

Whilst the gameplay mechanics are unremarkable and oft times it feels like the game is actively punishing you within close-quarter scenarios, each weapon feels unique, the health regeneration is favourable to the player, and the simplistic nature of the shooting itself allows the gamer to take a pick-up-and-play attitude to the game, which is certainly suitable at the beginning of the game, if not later on.

As the game's story unravels, it becomes clear that all is not as it first seemed, and that the people presumed to have been in control are instead powerless, leading to some interesting in-game choices, and a very intriguing finale. The moments leading up to this end-game point were specifically mentioned by the Giantbomb crew as being pretty much the sole reason to play the game, and you can certainly understand the reasoning behind this, considering the ramifications said scenarios could have had, if they had been included in, say, a game like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto or just about any other mainstream game involving shooting. I won't spell out what happens, but it is unlike anything I've ever played in my time as a videogamer.

That said, this particular moment does not really impact on the game as an overall package. It doesn't particularly have a say on the game's quality, gameplay or actual standing as an example of a shooter, so in a sense it's almost irrelevant. It's more a talking point within the gaming spectrum, and a moral pendulum.

As a standalone game (now most likely available everywhere at budget price), Spec Ops: The Line is an unremarkable but fairly enjoyable third person shooter, complete with an intriguing storyline, and unlike others within the same genre, it at least makes the player think, which in the current climate, is saying something.

7/10