Spec Ops: The Line
The game begins in medias res with Walker, Adams, and Lugo flying in a helicopter past the skyscrapers of Dubai, shooting down several pursuing helicopters until a sudden sandstorm forms, causing one of the pursuers to spin out of control and crash into the trio. The story then jumps back to the start, with Delta traversing the storm wall to the outskirts of a mostly buried Dubai, being taunted on broadcasts by the Radioman (Jake Busey), a DJ and former journalist speaking for the 33rd. After coming across refugees being rounded up by the 33rd and engaging in a firefight, Walker elects to disobey orders and find Konrad. Receiving a broadcast of CIA agent Daniels being interrogated by the 33rd, the team chooses to interfere. Tracing the signal's origin, they find Daniels already dead and the broadcast was a trap set for fellow CIA agent, Gould. Gould helps Delta escape, but is later captured and killed while assaulting a location called the Gate. The team heads there and continues the attack. Finding it heavily guarded by the 33rd, the team employs white phosphorus to obliterate their opposition and advance further into the city. While walking through the aftermath, they realize they accidentally killed 47 civilians moved to the Gate for shelter by the 33rd. Walker blames the 33rd and vows revenge.
Game Discussion
Steam User 40
Really sad that this game isnt up for sale anymore. Its incredible
Steam User 28
It really is a great shooter, with a lot of engaging complexity at every level. Too bad it's gone because of stupid licensing, but if 2k really will refuse to take your good money then what's wrong with doing a little sailing?
Steam User 41
Too bad you cant buy this game anymore. makes you wish physical media was a thing doesn't it.
Steam User 19
Engaging story and optimised gameplay: 8/10,
Seeing Dubai get annihilated: 100/10.
Steam User 20
Incredible game and an incredible story the only thing that I can say is
Gentlemen welcome to Dubai
Steam User 21
wild that this is now practically a lost media, no shooter games today ever come close to this masterpiece at least to my knowledge, this game was so ahead of its time.
Steam User 28
Spec ops: The line is a game we will never have ever again. It is a game that shows we and Walker have too much in common with each other. It also shows how self-deception is prevalent in our lives and how we don't accept responsibility for our own actions. All while presenting horror better than any actual horror game, the horror in our own perverted self when we self-deceive ourselves.
It presents itself as a traditional 3rd person shooter but deep inside, deep inside there is something we will never see in gaming ever again. How can it be possible to insert such deep meanings and relatability (to our lives)? In a shooter game mind you.
The marvelous thing about the story is that everything is left for the player to interpret, especially the endings. That's the marvelous rare design in gaming.
Would you think that most players speak to Walker but in reality, they speak to the player. Yes, it may be an interpretation from me, but if you notice deeply, it is like talking to you personally.
There is nothing left to say for this game really. It is a game filled with details and horror that can't be outmatched.
FUBAR (hardest difficulty) shows you the true pain you're going through, and it is one of the rare examples of how the hardest setting fits with the game's atmosphere and story. An ultra-rare achievement at that.
The achievement for beating FUBAR shows a cockroach, very fitting detail for what you went through.
Of course, it has the usual unfairness of 3rd person shooters if you look at it from a gameplay perspective.
Just playing it once, might be not enough for you to understand you have so much in common with Walker. And that's fine, but take a breath and think.
What Walker did, is what we also do in our daily lives? Not in the exact or literal sense, but metaphorically. Are we the same? Are we the heroes in every problem and in the end?
"There is no difference between what is right and what is necessary."
We always have our choices, make our own choices everyday, we either "fucced it up" or accept our mistakes without hiding them. If we hide them, we become exactly like Adam and Eve, create a false image of ourselves.
Hence the main theme of the game.
See? How much you can learn from this experience? It really reminds me of the Bible, how you always learn something new when you read it and analyze what does it mean to you. Of course, it isn't the actual Bible, however you can understand my implication. Is that this game, transcends usual video gaming.
"It takes a strong man to deny what's right in front of him - and if the truth is undeniable...you create your own."
Very few games dare to go beyond the bounds and also show how we behave to others.
Just remember this
Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two conflicting ideas simultaneously.