Spec Ops The Line
Xbox 360 Review
Yager Development
2K Games
Released: June 2012
Spec Ops The Line arrives on the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 at a time before the big holiday rush, a period where gamers are typically looking for a quality release to sink their teeth into. Well strap on your seat belt and get ready for a ride. This third-person shooter is no slouch, and is ready to heat up your gaming summer rather quickly.
Military shooters, whether they be third-person or first-person, are in plentiful supply these days in the gaming industry. We have our huge franchises such as Call of Duty and Battlefield, as well as the numerous other mainstream franchises out there in the genre. A developer really has to push the envelope of innovation to try and stand out among these huge releases.
Spec Ops The Line does a good job of doing just that, as this is a third-person shooter that relies on the basics of the genre, but expands and innovates in required areas to create an experience that feels fresh and unique.
The campaign kicks off explaning how a huge sandstorm tore apart Dubai, India. Following this massive storm, Colonel John Konrad of the U.S. Army heads in to help those in the city.
While Colonel Konrad is in Dubai, the city is abandoned, completely isolated from the rest of the world.
Three soldiers are sent in on a mission to find Colonel Konrad and any other survivors who may be left after the massive devastation.
Spec Ops The Line has a very strong story that revolves around you playing as Captain Martin Walker. Capt. Walker enters Dubai on this rescue mission, and will evolve right before your eyes as the story progresses in a way that will really draw you into the whole plot.
The rescue mission in Dubai is a nasty fight, one filled with regret and angst, but one that is completely necessary and feels rewarding throughout. The climax here is tremendous, making for a single-player campaign mode that outshines any shooter in recent memory.
The gameplay in Spec Ops The Line is largely based on the third-person mechanics that we have come to know all-too well, the cover and shoot basics we have all mastered. What the game does though is that it throws in areas of innovation to keep things interesting throughout.
The use of the Dubai environment is a huge bonus to the game, as you will have to battle through intense terrain, heat, sand, and a variety of other environmental factors that impact your vision, movement, etc.
The gameplay is fairly smooth throughout, issuing commands is fairly accurate, but there are a few instances where your character will not do exactly what you want when you are trying to duck for cover or make other very detailed maneuvers.
These do not detract from the overall game, as it is a very enjoyable third-person shooter to control, but some of the AI is definitely not perfect.
Breaking away from the single-player, Spec Ops The Line also has a multiplayer mode for the online fans out there.
The online multiplayer has you playing in you standard deathmatch game modes, as well as some more mission-based modes such as Buried mode, a variation of capture-the-flag.
The online multiplayer supports up to eight-players and is fun, but some of the maps and the overall flow of the game do not lend well to fast-paced online warfare like some other shooters do.
Still, there are plenty of unlockables for those who want to move up the online ranks and level up to earn new weapons and such.
The bread and butter of Spec Ops The Line, and what makes it worthy of the $60 price tag, is the very enjoyable single-player campaign.
How you play the game and what actions you take will impact which ending you see, and each time you play through you will begin to more fully-understand this very enjoyable and in-depth story.
You are going to have a blast playing through Spec Ops The Line. This is a very polished single-player third-person shooter. When shooters are starting to focus more on online play, this game goes against the mold. This is one of the most intriguing and enjoyable single-player campaigns seen from a shooter in quite some time, and is not one to be missed.
Spec Ops The Line is absolutely worth a summer purchase on the Xbox 360 or PS3, as this is one shooter that will give you great replay value, even if you never make it past fantastic story mode.
Final Score: 8.2 out of 10 Chatters
CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT: The winner of our Spec Ops The Line giveaway contest is Bradley Phillips of Warrenville, IL, congratulations!
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