The player will also find themselves entwined in the tragedy as they progress. This ranges from subtle touches such as a child’s toy dropped in the sand, to the brutality of mass execution. Delta squad moves through the carnage, covering their mouths – the player can decide whether or not to put the victims out of their misery.Īll around, players will discover signs of recent human tragedy and the internal conflict that is ravaging the city. The visual and audio cues reflect this, as enemies and innocents continue to writhe and scream in agony. This is a particularly brutal and painful way to deal with enemies, as the deep tissue burns and toxic smoke make for a drawn out death. For example, in a fun yet harrowing portion of the game, players are both attacked by, and resort to using white phosphor weapons – a pivotal moment in the narrative. Like the desert sand, the line is easily shifted by forces out of your control.Īs one progresses through the game, these themes are echoed in gameplay, environment and narrative. The latter, one could consider “the line” – that internal compass which guides actions, weighted against duty and honour. The central themes of that story are of literal environmental darkness the “dark”, cruel physical treatment of humans unto each other and the unfathomable internal darkness that enables humans to so easily commit acts of evil. It’s pertinent at this point to mention that the narrative of Spec Ops: The Line takes inspiration from Joseph Conrad’s book “Heart of Darkness”. Militias, civilians, the 33rd Infantry, and even the CIA all vie for control – and Delta squad is caught in the middle of it all. military personnel, if the trail of dead 33rd Infantry is anything to go by.Īs the story unfolds it becomes apparent that there is more than a simple struggle for survival taking place in Dubai – devious machinations are at play. However, it’s not long before they face off against armed bandits who don’t much like the sight of U.S. Likewise, the rest of the voice cast performs expertly with convincing, emotional delivery.ĭelta squad arrives to find the devastated Dubai being slowly reclaimed by the desert sands – seemingly void of life. The ubiquitous Nolan North voices Walker, lending a comfortable familiarity and professionalism to the voice work.

It’s more than a simple routine mission – Konrad was a founding member of Delta Force, and Walker knows him personally. The city went silent for 6 months, the 33rd presumed dead – until a weak distress signal was picked up.Įnter the player, filling the role of Martin Walker, Captain of Special Operations Force Delta Squad, sent on a scouting mission with two of his detachment to find out if Colonel Konrad is still alive. Then the sandstorms came, burying Dubai and creating a treacherous new landscape punctuated by the skeletons of skyscrapers. The Colonel made an apparently noble move and volunteered to take his division, fresh out of a tour of duty in Afghanistan, into Dubai to assist in the evacuation. Army Colonel John Konrad and the 33rd Infantry. The powerful, wealthy, and influential citizens fled the worst, but thousands were left behind. The story goes that the awe-inspiring boom-city of Dubai – a jewel of the UAE and a symbol of wealth, opulence and human endeavour – has been devastated by vicious sandstorms blowing in from the Arabian desert. However, as with the shifting of the desert sand, things aren’t as they appear in Dubai for very long, and the characters evolve and surprise you throughout the misadventure. Elements that Yager got right include protagonists with personalities you can get behind and root for, and antagonists that are suitably contemptuous. Spec Ops: The Line is built on a solid story-driven foundation, and it’s one of the more enjoyable and captivating storylines from a shooter in recent memory. For me, the game found that sweet-spot of gameplay, visual style, and narrative delivery that kept it compelling throughout, and even invites future re-plays. I was particularly impressed with the attention to detail and polish evident throughout. What sets The Line apart from the malaise of third-person shooters is its use of a relatively unexplored setting for video games, Dubai, and its engaging, visceral, mature, psychologically-charged narrative.

No longer an FPS like its predecessors, The Line is a third-person shooter with standard cover mechanics built on the Unreal 3 engine. 2K Games is at the publishing helm, with Yager Development handling single-player and co-op, and Darkside Game Studios rounding off with multiplayer. Spec Ops: The Line marks the revival of the franchise after a decade on hiatus.

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