GAMING
Critical Gamer reviews the latest games
Spec Ops: The Line games reviews
* Format: 360 (version reviewed), PS3, PC * Unleashed: Out Now * Publisher: 2K Games * Developer: Yager
* Site:
www.specopstheline.com
ly memorable. The entire game takes place in a devastated Dubai ravaged by an apocalyptic sandstorm worthy of the planet Arrakis. The game counterpoints its devastated scenery with Dubai’s in- famously flush architecture and interiors, brewing a surreal yet adroit mixture of af- fluence and death.
Let’s start with the boring stuff. Why is The Line not that great? In terms of gameplay Yager has developed a game which plays a lot like Gears Of War meets SOCOM. The player takes on the role of Captain Walker who, along with com- panions Adams and Lugo, is exploring the devastated city of Dubai in search of an evacuation party who’ve mysteriously vanished. Quickly the party comes under fire from rebels and the game’s principle mechanics are set up. Take cover, aim with one trigger, shoot with the other, throw the odd grenade. Like GOW, combat involves moving from one piece of cover to the next and slowly but surely clearing the area of bad guys. Combat can be quite challenging and Walker’s susceptibility to bullets of- ten leaves the player having to re-think their tactics. This makes the majority of encounters satisfying to complete and reaching the next checkpoint can feel like a real achievement. One of the clearest criticisms is the game’s cover system which never feels completely reliable. It’s easy to find your- self clipped out of cover without knowing it or unable to take cover even though you’ve just hammered the right button. And yet, despite the largely unremark- able gameplay, The Line is at times huge-
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Dubai is the perfect backdrop for themes which have ultimately plagued the rep- resentation of war throughout the last century; the annihilation of the moral and rational order instigated by an appar- ently morally stable society. In The Line the initial reconnaissance mission to find survivors quickly becomes an exercise in murder and chaos. Decisions made by Walker (and the player) are constantly being questioned and undermined both by your fellow teammates and by the game’s fearless depiction of their har- rowing consequences.
The overriding feeling in the set-pieces is not one of ‘fun’ but misery. There are a few moments where ‘the horror’ can become slightly ham-fisted, but even at such times the quality of the voice acting and character animation hold it together. The script and acting are excel- lent throughout and help to portray the psychological trauma our characters go through. It’s all these seeds of doubt which work to undermine the overall shooter experience which underlies the genre. However, the game is truly relentless in its insistence on shooting and action. It could possibly have helped to have more quiet moments for the player to walk around, take in the surroundings and reflect on the game’s events. The lack of these moments
means that gun fights can feel both tire- some and lacking in meaning. This dis- satisfaction with combat is especially the case when coupled with the problems of the cover system and when, for all its sur- real beauty, Dubai devolves into another room filled with another (surprisingly nu- merous) bunch of soldiers.
There are also several touches which likewise undermine the more thought- ful side of the game. One in particular is the absurd mechanic in which if you ‘execute’ an enemy – a brutal, up-close and personal kill – the game gives you more ammo; essentially rewarding you for instigating graphic violence. The mut- liplayer also slightly negates the mes- sage of the campaign. It’s decent enough and fits well into the setting, with a good class system as well as perks, bonuses, leveling and the occasional sandstorm to make combat a bit more interesting. But it’s hard to be entirely convinced of the game’s commitment to depicting the horrors of war when you’re scoring points off head shots. Overall, The Line is too tied to its generic principles. Too much of the game remains a shootout in a room filled with cover and ammo stashes. It’s still a game which should be played – but not particularly for its gameplay. As such it’s incredibly hard to rate, though at its best, Spec Ops: The Line is one of the most absorbing and fascinat- ing shooters made to date.
written by Critical Gamer’s Joe Smith
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