Spec Ops: The Line – Never judge a military shooter by its cover

Spec Ops: The Line is widely regarded as an underrated gem and a perfect example of the strengths of a gripping narrative over generic gameplay mechanics. Despite looking like Gears of War in a more fantasy meets real world setting, Spec Ops has a few surprises along the way and is a tough sell. This is the kind of game that shouldn’t be spoiled and this certainly hurt its sales, but today, nearly six years after its original release, it’s very likely that you have a slight idea on what it is all about.

In case you don’t, and you have some interest in playing it, you should be warned that there are major spoilers in this review.

So, Spec Ops: The Line is set in Dubai, now a devastated, war-ravaged city, with hints of post-apocalyptic themes. If it weren’t for the real tech seen in weapons and gear, you could say that this game was set in a not so distant future. It is fantasy meets real world, and quite an accomplished feat at that, considering that the developers made so much out of a place that for some ill-informed people is just comprised of sand and skyscrapers. There is enough variety to keep you entertained, although the game funnels you down the path as it sees fit, leaving no ground for exploration whatsoever.

Spec Ops: The Line plays pretty much as Gears of War. It’s a cover-based third-person shooter where you, Captain Martin Walker, lead your Delta Force squad comprised of two other operatives, Lugo and Adams. Whenever you see some barriers, you can expect a firefight to ensue. Ammo is in somewhat short supply, so you need to be constantly switching between your two weapons and picking up whatever arsenal you can from fallen enemies.

Luckily, your teammates have some very decent AI and are usually good at picking out targets and taking care of themselves, but sometimes you must heal one of them to keep going. Despite their abilities, they aren’t strangers to some sort of mild brain damage, running blindly into enemy fire, but they still manage a lot better than most games of the ilk. One particularly interesting option is the stun command, where you can ask them to take out a specific target that was becoming too bothersome. Overall, your teammates are up to the job, but aren’t these superhumans that will take care of everything by themselves.

As for Dubai, not only this is an original setting when it comes to videogames, it’s also brilliantly portrayed for the most part. The destruction is all over the place, with buried bodies and buildings, but some locations still show some signs of the wealth and luxury that once was, making for a perfect contrast and incredible depiction of the horrors of war. The Line is a completely linear game and offers little to no interactivity with the environment, but there are a couple of things that are deemed worthy. One of them is the occasional ability to shoot a glass wall or glass ceiling with some exciting results – you can watch a mountain of sand filling the room and killing your enemies, or in the second case, see your enemy fall to his death. These moments are few and far between, but when they happen, it is quite the spectacle.

In a couple of moments, your squad and the enemies will be caught by a ravaging sandstorm and will have to keep moving and fighting while looking for a safe haven. The effect is clever and further proof of the originality of the Dubai setting. There is very little chance that you’ll feel bored with the gameplay and the level design, especially considering that the soundtrack, a mix of original and licensed rock tunes played through distorted speakers, appears in exactly the right places. As a shooter, it is a very competent, enjoyable game…

… And then the real story kicks in and your jaw is very likely to drop.

Spec Ops: The Line isn’t exactly what it seems. It is a morally ambiguous game and a clear message about the horrors of war and how it’s traumatic to make a choice, as there is no obvious right or wrong – everything has consequences. It is also a great example of good intentions gone bad, as things turn out to be much more complicate than they seem to be.

A few examples, obviously big spoilers for this game. Walker, your character, begins the mission as a confident, level-headed operative, but as he witnesses and takes active part in the horrors of war, he becomes angry, blank stare in his eyes, swearing as he gives orders to his fellow soldiers and shouting profanity as he lands a kill. Nolan North, Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series, gives a great performance as this conflicted man. As Walker is defied by some unexpected events where no choice is the correct one, he turns into a senseless killing machine in search of revenge. What started as a simple operation of looking for survivors and requesting extraction, turned into a chaotic tale of revenge where no one is safe.

Spec Ops: The Line is incredibly violent and I’m not talking about the firefights either – the gore and horror is seen in many places, as corpses of innocent victims abound, and morality goes on extended vacation. Brutality quickly ramps up and you begin to wonder if you’re a saviour or a destroyer. It just works on an emotional level, and when later in the game the loading screens start breaking the fourth wall to ask you some dubious questions, that is the final nail in this insane coffin. Suddenly, it goes dark, extremely dark. It’s violent, sure, but it doesn’t feel gratuitous.

After all these years, Spec Ops: The Line still has this unrivalled charm, this twist that I wish was present in more games. On the surface it’s just another military shooter, but the dark and surprising narrative set it apart from the crowd. This is brilliant design on top of a generic idea, and a sign that we need to keep an eye on writer Richard Pearsey, also responsible for Resident Evil 7.

Spec Ops: The Line was a commercial failure, and while it has earned a well-deserved cult status, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever get a sequel. I’m just hoping that other developers take notice and before pumping out another generic shooter, go through the trouble of hiring a good writer and flesh out a great story. With so many shooters released year after year, it’s weird that very few actually tried to be as bold and original as Spec Ops: The Line.

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