Games for PC:

Spec Ops: The Line

Click to share your rating 33 ratings (4.2/5.0 average) Thanks for your vote!
Restricted 18

Restricted 18

Restricted to persons 18 years and over.

NOTE: Graphic violence and offensive language

Unavailable
Sorry, this product is not currently available to order

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars Based on 33 Customer Ratings

5 star
(17)
4 star
(10)
3 star
(3)
2 star
(1)
1 star
(2)
Write a Review
"Fantastic story and writing elements, poor gameplay."
4 stars"

Spec Ops: The Line first appears to be another all too typical 3rd person triple A shooter, with little emphasis on narrative or characters and far too much work on making explosions look pretty. And indeed, that's exactly how this game is advertised. What I was unprepared for, however, were the mental challenges you have to overcome in this game. Taking cues from the well-known book ‘Heart of Darkness’, Spec Ops is a gripping, terrifying descent into the heart of a hellish Dubai and into the minds of the soldiers themselves, forcing you to make painstaking moral decisions and forcing you to deal with the consequences. Be warned, this game is psychologically disturbing; more than once I have physically walked away from my computer based on the outcomes of a decision I had made.
I was thoroughly impressed with Spec Op's mature writing, especially concerning the psychological effects of war and the character arcs within, even when it was causing me to get up and walk away. Perhaps not as open-ended as I would have liked, the narrative culminates in a spectacular fashion and actually made me want to drag myself back through the story to see what I could change. Dubai makes for a pleasant change of scenery, favouring sand-filled buildings instead of bomb-shelled ruins, and using the environment to your advantage is a welcome feature. Visually, it's quite stunning and is bound to put your gaming rig through the ringer, if you can forgive some facial mo-cap discrepancies. Where this game disappoints, however, is the gameplay. 3rd-person-low-wall-cover-based-shooter is a bland and overdone style at best, and shoddy gun/movement systems leave you wanting more out of the execution. The sheer lack of ammo keeps the shooting aspect lively at the least, but the ‘tactical shooter’ element, the AI, is unresponsive and just short of useless. Gameplay forgiven, Spec Ops: The Line is a fantastic, gritty and virtually-unexplored psychological take on the horrors of modern warfare in the gaming industry, and should be congratulated on its narrative and writing. Definitely not for young eyes and minds.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Description

Spec Ops: The Line's emotional narrative unfolds within the destroyed opulence of Dubai. Once a playground for the world's wealthiest elite, now Dubai has been reclaimed by Mother Nature, buried underneath the most devastating sandstorm ever recorded. Spec Ops: The Line allows gamers to play as Captain Martin Walker, leader of an elite Delta Force team ordered to infiltrate the treacherous region and bring home U.S. Army Colonel John Konrad.

Heightening the narrative to a fever-pitch are ultra-realistic operations against enemies who are unafraid of death and hell bent on destruction. Players must use a variety of combat tactics, authentic military weaponry and the environment to survive. Spec Ops: The Line offers Dynamic Sand that can be used to thwart foes. A well placed shot can cause an avalanche of sand, but sand has no loyalty and can help or hinder the mission.

Spec Ops: The Line packs a full range of single and multiplayer features complete with competitive and team-based modes, as well as the ability to rank up and customize characters from two different factions. The juxtaposition of Dubai's bold and luxurious architecture and dizzying heights against the devastation outside, as well as the deep storyline mixed with ferocious combat situations, make Spec Ops: The Line a must-play game.

Features:

  • Deep, Mature Narrative: The story of Captain Walker's rescue mission will challenge players to make tough choices between what's moral and what's necessary, as Walker's journey pushes him to his very limits.
  • Blasted Opulence: The events unfold in a stunning, haunting setting – the remains of Dubai, once one of the wealthiest cities on Earth, now stripped bare. Dubai's bold and luxurious architecture still shines through, in spite of the sandstorms threatening all that's left. Opulent interiors contrast sharply with the vertigo inducing heights and mass destruction outside of the extravagant structures.
  • Dynamic Sand: Turn the tables on foes by crushing them under a cascade of sand cast down by a strategically placed shot – but beware of oncoming sandstorms and their gale-force winds. The sweeping sands of Dubai feel almost alive, serving as a powerful but unpredictable force that will both help and hinder the mission, while opening up a variety of new interactions and tactics.
  • Brutal, In-Your-Face Action: Join forces with intelligent, resourceful squad mates in fever-pitched gun battles. Accessible combat and squad controls will get you in the fight quickly, where you'll experience the raw destructive force of your authentic weapons as well as engage in extremely physical close-quarters battles.
  • Endless Multiplayer: In addition to the single-player story mode, Spec Ops: The Line packs a full range of multiplayer features, including a never-before-seen mode with unique connections to the main story, a breadth of competitive and team-based modes, as well as the ability to rank up, personalize, and customize characters from two distinctly different factions.
Release date NZ
June 29th, 2012
Publisher
Game Platform
  • PC Games
Box Dimensions (mm)
133x191x15
UPC
5026555055611
All-time sales rank
Top 5000
Product ID
3875085

Videos

Help & options

Filed under...