You're still a good person.
Spec Ops: The Line gives many the mental image of a COD or BF game with a 1/4 the budget and nearly equal parts fun and excitement. I decided to give it a try simply based on some undertones I've been hearing about the story. After around a 6 hour campaign I can say that this game isn't that bad mechanically and is a slightly better than average shooter. That sounds bleak but the story, yes the damn story is the highlight of this FPS game. It won't be winning any best sellers but it definitely will keep you wondering and is the type of story often untold.
The gameplay is a mixed bag of everything we've seen before. Cover based shooting, point aim and shoot, grenade markers, a handful of different guns and types with a few turret sequences tossed in here and there. Spec Ops: The Line is a very typical run, cover and gun FPS. While that sounds boring it is done fairly well. Character movement is fluid and feels good as well as the cover mechanics which work well enough to rarely get you into accidental trouble. The gun play is just average and the feeling or sound of the guns may leave you a little wanting. When you're unloading clip upon clip you don't really get that "holy s**t" feeling we all know and love. The only "holy s**t" sequences to be found in this game are to be had in the story.
The story is where this game shines and actually makes it worth playing. It is a constant game of cat and mouse leaving the player wanting to know or thinking that they do when they really don't. Not to mention the baddies in this game actually are rogue American soldiers and not just some faceless middle eastern. That's something you don't see every day, political correctness can go shove it and I for on welcomed this twist. I literally sighed when I saw it was taking place in the middle east yet again thinking it would be another terrorist hunt, thankfully my first thoughts were wrong. Second to the partially unique story we have the chance to make actual choices, and quite a few. I'm not talking about getting to pick the left or right tunnel to slog through. I'm talking about who to kill, who to save, commit mass murder or not commit mass murder type stuff. All the while the game nudges and pressures you to make time sensitive hard decisions. The synergy between this darker story and the decision making was fantastic and will determine how your game ends. The voice acting in The Line is also actually pretty good, it feels as though there is actual emotion at times and of course we get to hear the wonderful voice of Nolan North yet again.
The engine in The Line is middle of the pack. The character animations during gameplay look well enough to not detract from the experience but things like explosions look horrid, truly. I'm blowing up fuel tankers and it looks like a small fire cracker popped off. We've all heard of FPS games being different shades of brown throughout and The Line is guilty, granted it takes place in Dubai in a sandstorm but the brown is strong with this one. The few areas where you see some fresh, clean and colored atmosphere leave you wanting more.
Spec Ops: The Line is a solid game to play if you enjoy FPS titles, you don't need to run out and get it right away though. Honestly it would feel like a score if you waited a few months and got this $20-$30 as I wholly enjoyed my experience with it.
