Spec Ops: The Line Review (ShadowStorm)
Maybe you have already heard about Spec Ops: The Line. The game that everybody keeps bringing up when talking about hidden gems and games that didn't get the attention they deserved. The definition of "don't judge a book by its cover". A game that stands out as something truly special. A game so daring and real that it's surprising it even exists in the library of one of the big publishers, 2K. Somehow YAGER got a lot of freedom with this project. And better yet, they dared to take this opportunity to create art that will forever be remembered for a story that goes against convention. An actual anti-war game, if you can believe that.
First off, don't expect too much from the game-play. It's your very, very standard cover based third-person shooter. One gimmick it has is the usage of sand. Sometimes you can shoot windows or glass ceilings and let a big heap of sand in that buries enemies. And you can give your two squad mates simple orders but they are usually self sufficient. Other than that, the mechanics are nothing new. The game-play is serviceable.
The environment can be quite the sight. It's Dubai but it got hit by a massive sandstorm and is now swallowed up by the desert. It's a very different take on the "post apocalyptic" scenery and it's as eerie as it is beautiful.
You are greeted with a patriotic menu screen as well as the cliched team of bro-dudes. It all starts simple enough. Investigate the ruins of the city in search for answers as to what is going on. You immediately encounter bad guys and shoot them up. All in a days work.
Then, step by step, comes the part that is so lauded about this game. What starts out as something you have seen a million times takes a harsh and very real turn. Both on a meta level that directly addresses the player and with a story that confronts you with the depths humans fall to under extreme circumstances and pressure. You can witness not only the deconstruction of a genre that usually glorifies war heroism but also of a group of men faced with the nightmarish hell that is a war for survival, where decisions and responsibilities are demanded that humans are not meant to shoulder.