Spec Ops: The Line

Spec Ops: The Line
Developer(s) Yager Development
Publisher(s) 2K Games
Distributor(s) Take-Two Interactive
Director(s) Cory Davis
François Coulon
Producer(s) Tarl Raney
Designer(s) Cory Davis
Programmer(s) Hendrik Hoenicke
André Dittrich
Artist(s) Mathias Wiese
Jason Flanagan
Writer(s) Walt Williams
Richard Pearsey
Composer(s) Elia Cmíral
Series Spec Ops
Engine Unreal Engine 3
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
OS X
Linux
Release date(s)
Genre(s) Third-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Spec Ops: The Line is a 2012 third-person shooter video game developed by the German studio Yager Development and published by 2K Games. It was released on June 26, 2012 in North America and June 29, 2012 internationally for Microsoft Windows, as well as the Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 consoles. It was later released for OS X and Linux in 2013 and 2015, respectively. It is the eleventh title, and a reboot, of the Spec Ops series, and the first entry since Spec Ops: Airborne Commando in 2002. The game is powered by Unreal Engine 3.

In the game, the player controls Captain Martin Walker, who is sent into a post-catastrophe Dubai with an elite Delta Force team on a reconnaissance mission. As the game progresses, Walker begins experiencing hallucinations and slowly realizes the horror of war. In the game, players can hide behind cover, vault over obstacles, and shoot enemies with a variety of gadgets. Sand is a key gameplay mechanic and can be manipulated to defeat enemies. Throughout the game, players are tasked to make various morally grey decisions. An online multiplayer mode, developed by Darkside Game Studios, is included with the game, allowing players to engage in both co-operative and competitive gameplay.

Yager started the game's development in 2007 taking inspiration for its setting and story framework from various media including Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now. The game was designed to be "physically opposing" causing players to question their thoughts about treating war in a video game as entertainment. The game suffered from multiple delays as the team used this period of time to refine the story and increase gameplay's pace. The game's soundtrack is a mix of licensed music and an original music composed by Elia Cmíral.

Video game critics gave Spec Ops: The Line generally positive reviews. Praise focused on its narrative and themes, while criticism was targeted particularly at the online multiplayer mode and generic third person gameplay. Spec Ops: The Line was a commercial failure and did not garner the attention publisher 2K Games hoped for, but it was awarded and nominated for several end-of-the year accolades particularly for its story. Yager declared that there would not be a sequel to the game. The game was banned in United Arab Emirates for its depiction of Dubai in a state of destruction.

Gameplay

At specific points in the game, sand can be used to kill enemies.

Spec Ops: The Line is a third-person shooter that follows Captain Martin Walker, who is on a mission to rescue the citizens of Dubai, which has been overrun by sandstorms. The player can select from four difficulty levels: Walk on the Beach, Combat Op, Suicide Mission, and FUBAR. A player only gain access to the FUBAR level after completing the game with the Suicide Mission difficulty.[1] Various new weapons and equipment become available as the game progresses, some dropped by downed enemies.[2] These include several different rifles, handguns, and machine guns. Some offer alternate firing modes, like attaching a suppressor or using a telescopic sight.[3] As well, there are grenade launchers, hand grenades,[4] and turrets.[5] However, the player can only carry two weapons at a time.[6] Supply caches can be found in different parts of the game, allowing the player to refill their ammo and grenades.[7] Whenever the player successfully shoots an enemy in the head, the game enters a slow-motion mode for a short period of time. The player can also defeat enemies at close range via melee combat. Dying enemies can be executed, which grants the player additional ammo.[8] Hiding behind cover can provide protection and prevents the player from being shot, as well as providing opportunities to blindfire or lean out to shoot enemies.[9]

While players can only play as Walker throughout the game, they can issue commands to Sergeant Lugo and Lieutenant Adams, who accompany the player for most of the game. Available commands include focusing fire on one particular target and ordering medical attention for an injured squad member. Adams can defeat enemies by using heavy gadgets or throwing grenades, while Lugo provides sniping assistance.[5] As the game is set in Dubai, sand becomes one of the game's gameplay mechanics and players can manipulate it at scripted moments in the game, such as triggering a sand avalanche to bury enemies alive.[10][11] When a grenade explodes on sand, dust clouds that can blind enemies are formed.[5] Sand sometimes opens up new paths to allow players to progress.[12] Environmental hazards like sandstorms occasionally occur, drastically reducing a player's visibility.[13]

The player needs to make moral decisions[14] at certain points during the game, including making choices that determine the fate of both soldiers and civilians. These decisions affect the relationship between Walker and his squad mates, and will cause them to react differently.[15] The game has several subtle effects as the team loses their sanity; Walker has visual and auditory hallucinations, and his executions of enemies become more violent. As well, the orders and shouts to his team become increasingly angry and ragged in contrast to his original stern command voice. His kill confirmations of enemies degrades from professional in the beginning to psychotic.[16] Similarly, loading screens initially display helpful gameplay hints for the player, but as the game progresses, the text becomes increasingly hostile towards Walker's actions, and sometimes breaks the fourth wall addressing the player directly.[17] The game features collectibles known as Intel, which are audio logs that provide additional backstory for players.[18]

Multiplayer

Spec Ops: The Line features both co-operative multiplayer and competitive multiplayer mode. Set before the events of the campaign, the competitive multiplayer divides players into two different teams: The Exiles and The Damned.[19] Both teams have their respective perks. Six classes are available for players to choose: Gunner, Medic, Scavenger, Breacher, Sniper and Officer. Each have their own upgrades and advantages.[20] Environmental hazards, including sandstorms, may also occur during a multiplayer match.[21] The game modes featured in the game include:[1]

A co-operative mode was added to the game upon its launch. It supports two players and features four missions. Players are tasked to defeat waves of enemies and complete a series of objectives, similar to a horde mode. Similar to the competitive multiplayer mode, the cooperative mode also served as a prequel to the main campaign.[22]

Synopsis

Setting

Nolan North plays the story's protagonist, Captain Martin Walker.
Bruce Boxleitner plays the story's antagonist, Colonel John Konrad.

Six months prior to the game's events the worst series of sandstorms in recorded history began across Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai's politicians and wealthy elite downplayed the situation before evacuating secretly, leaving countless Emiratis and foreign migrant workers behind. Colonel John Konrad (Bruce Boxleitner), the decorated but post-traumatic stress disorder-troubled commander of the fictional "Damned 33rd" Infantry Battalion of the United States Army, was returning home with his unit from Afghanistan when the storms struck. Konrad volunteered the Damned 33rd to help relief efforts, then deserted with the entire unit when ordered to abandon the city and its refugees. As the storms intensified, a massive storm wall engulfed Dubai for miles, disrupting surveillance and communication, air travel, and all but the strongest radio broadcasts. The 33rd later returned to Dubai as an occupying force and committed atrocities against the civilian population with the intent of maintaining order. Aggrieved by this, elements of the 33rd staged a coup d’etat against Konrad and became exiles. While this was happening, the CIA black ops unit had organized the insurgents to attack both Konrad’s loyalist 33rd and the exiles. The 33rd declared martial law, and struggled to maintain order amid 80 mph winds, riots, and dwindling resources. The last communication from Dubai stated that the 33rd was attempting to lead a caravan out of the city. The caravan never arrived, and soon afterwards the UAE declared Dubai a no-man's-land. All travel to the city was barred, the 33rd was publicly disavowed for treason, and no further news left the city.

Two weeks before the beginning of the game, a looped radio signal penetrated the wall. Its message was brief: "This is Colonel John Konrad, United States Army. Attempted evacuation of Dubai ended in complete failure. Death toll: too many." The United States military decides to covertly send in a three-man Delta Force team to carry out reconnaissance. The team, consisting of Captain Martin Walker (Nolan North), Lieutenant Alphanso Adams (Christopher Reid), and Staff Sergeant John Lugo (Omid Abtahi), are told to confirm the status of Konrad and any survivors, then radio for extraction.

Plot

The game begins in medias res with Walker, Adams and Lugo aboard a helicopter piloted by Adams, flying over a half-buried Dubai. Other helicopters begin to chase them. Walker attempts to dispatch them with the helicopter's minigun, however a sudden sandstorm causes the helicopter to crash in the desert.

The story jumps back to the beginning. Walker, Adams and Lugo traverse the storm wall to the outskirts of a mostly-buried Dubai on foot. They come in contact with a group of hostile armed survivors, referred to as "insurgents", who have captured a squad of 33rd soldiers. Contradicting his orders, Walker elects to find out what has happened in the city. Throughout most of their journey, the team hears broadcasts on homemade speakers by the Radioman (Jake Busey), a former journalist turned DJ who speaks on behalf of the 33rd. Walker and the team then learn of the 33rd's and Konrad's atrocities. Despite there being clear evidence of Konrad's unacceptable behavior, Walker is inclined to trust him as he once saved his life in Kabul during a war.[23]

The team attempts to intervene peacefully when they come across refugees being rounded up by loyalist 33rd soldiers. However, the soldiers mistake them for CIA operatives and start a firefight. The team then learns that a CIA agent, Daniels (Rick Pasqualone), has been captured by the 33rd and is being interrogated. Arriving to rescue him, they discover that he is dead and that it was a trap set for Gould (Chris Cox), another CIA agent.[24] Gould is later captured and killed, but the team learns that they may get more information at a location called the Gate. Arriving at the Gate, the team uses a mortar loaded with white phosphorus to attack the 33rd, disregarding Lugo's objection.[25] The team later realizes that the 33rd were only providing shelter for civilians and the mortar accidentally killed 47 civilians. Walker vows revenge on the 33rd, claiming that they forced him to fire the phosphorus.[26]

Walker finds a small handheld radio and begins to communicate with who he believes to be none other than Konrad. Throughout the story, Konrad questions the morality of Walker's actions over the radio. Shortly afterwards, Konrad forces Walker to choose between executing an Emirati survivor or a 33rd soldier, both of whom committed serious crimes.[27] Subsequently, Delta finds CIA agent Jeff Riggs (Patrick Quinn), who is leading a raid on the Underwater Aquatic Coliseum, the city's last water supply. Learning that destroying it will cripple the 33rd's operations, the team aids Riggs. However, Riggs destroys the water trucks and reveals that he wanted to wipe out the remaining population of Dubai so that no one would learn of the 33rd's atrocities, which he feared would cause a full-scale war in the whole region. Riggs, injured and trapped after destroying the water supplies, dies.[lower-alpha 1][28]

At this point, the city's residents face the prospect of dying from dehydration within four days. To organize an evacuation, the team, which is now becoming increasingly hostile toward each other, heads to the Trans-Emirates Building to silence the Radioman and warn the city of the evacuation using the radio. The Radioman surrenders and is shot dead by Lugo.[29] To leave the building, Adams commandeers a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, and is tasked by Walker to circle around the radio tower, allowing him to destroy it in hopes of making his intentions clear to Konrad. Other helicopters give chase, leading to the helicopter sequence from the opening of the game (which Walker seems to remember), after which the helicopter crashes in the desert after a sudden sandstorm.

Waking after the crash, Walker experiences a hallucination of the Burj Khalifa on fire. Reuniting with Adams, Lugo is found lynched by a mob of civilians. When attempts to resuscitate him fail, Walker and Adams either scare the crowd away or kill them in retribution.[30] Walker's hallucinations became nearly constant, and Adams becomes openly distrustful of his command. Walker and Adams make their way to Burj Khalifa to confront Konrad, but Walker hallucinates Lugo as a Heavy. The two are soon surrounded by the last of Konrad's men. Walker attempts to surrender to get inside, but an enraged Adams insists on fighting to the death. Walker escapes at the last moment before falling unconscious in gunfire.[31]

Awaking, he stumbles to the entrance of the tower and meets Konrad in his penthouse. At first, Konrad appears to be the paranoid, charismatic force behind the atrocities Walker was hoping for, until Walker finds his decaying corpse on the penthouse deck.[32] It is revealed that Walker had been suffering from a dissociative disorder that allowed him to rationalize the actions he had witnessed and carried out. The real Konrad had committed suicide before their arrival in Dubai, while the Konrad that Walker had been in contact with was actually a traumatic hallucination that none of his team saw or heard. This mental projection of Konrad appears to Walker, explaining to him that he had the opportunity to stop, but pushed ahead out of a desire to be a hero.[33] To maintain his 'sanity' after the white phosphorus strike, many subsequent events in the game were distorted by Walker's mind to make Konrad look like the villain. With the truth in front of Walker, 'Konrad' tells him that he must confront the lie he has been living. Pointing a gun at Walker's head, 'Konrad' orders Walker to decide who is to blame for events in Dubai, or he will shoot.[34]

Endings

The Line has four possible endings. The player can choose to allow Konrad to shoot Walker, or to have Walker shoot himself. Both actions lead to the first ending which shows Walker's corpse next to Konrad's. Konrad's original broadcast then plays as the camera pans over the burning remnants of Dubai and the screen fades to black.

The other three endings are accessed by having Walker shoot 'Konrad,' who disappears after telling him that he can still return home. Afterwards it is shown that the remnants of the 33rd who surrendered were a figment of Walker's imagination. Walker uses Konrad's radio to request an immediate evacuation of Dubai. An epilogue after the credits shows a convoy of Army rescue Humvees locating a shellshocked Walker, who is sitting on steps near the Burj Khalifa wearing Konrad’s uniform and brandishing an AA-12. The player can either drop the weapon or open fire.

Development

Background

Following the release of several Spec Ops games in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the series was met with low sales and poor reviews, causing a halt to production of successive games. In 2003, Take-Two mentioned in their financial results that Rockstar Games was working on the franchise but in 2004 the project was canceled.[35][36] It was later revealed that Rockstar Vancouver was the developer of the canned project[37] with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme developing the soundtrack for the game.[38]

From 2005 to 2009, the series remained largely unmentioned, with the rights belonging to Take-Two Interactive. In 2006, German-based Yager Development pitched a cover-based shooter concept for publisher 2K Games who rejected the original concept which featured futuristic soldiers and did not have Dubai as a setting,[39] and offered them a chance to develop a reboot for the Spec Ops series, promising that they would have a lot of creative freedom. Development of the game began in early 2007, with most elements of the initial game intact.[40] While the game is an installment in the Spec Ops series, the team intentionally avoided using the existing elements of the franchise and chose to use new ideas.[41]

Narrative design

The developers drew inspiration from multiple media. The set-up and the game's foundation was inspired by Heart of Darkness, whose story reveals the changes a person undergoes in chaotic times.[42] The relationship between Walker and his squad mates was inspired by HBO's Generation Kill, and the post-war traumatic experience suffered by Walker was inspired by Jacob's Ladder.[43] The story of the Tower of Babel was also an inspiration for the game.[44] The story was originally set to be written by several German writers, but they were later replaced by American writers Richard Pearsey, who had worked on TimeGate Studios' Section 8,[39] and Walt Williams, who had previously worked on other 2K projects including BioShock 2 and Mafia II.[40] One of the game's core features is violence, but the team hoped that it would not be "cheesy" or excessive. This led the team to focus on creating the game's storyline to motivate players to take the actions they choose.[40] According to Williams, writing the story became uncomfortable and rough for him as time progressed due to the game's dark themes.[45]

The game was designed to be a third-person shooter so that players can see the three characters' changes and "evolution" as it progresses, and that the perspective differentiates the game from others shooters in the market.[46] According to Williams, the game was meant to feature narrative gameplay, in which the game was to be played without any cutscene, and the entire story would be told through gameplay sequences only. However, the idea was scrapped as the team realized that having cut scenes helps players to be more emotionally connected and allowed the team to create dramatic scripted sequences.[43]

Although the lead player character, Martin Walker, was designed to be as simple as possible in order to help players to engage in the game, and relate to the character,[39][43] the team gave him some personality which was expressed through his body language and his reactions during the game's battles. It was felt that by reflecting his emotions to players, they would share them.[43] The squad was designed so that room was left for character development.[45] The transformation of the squad's mentality serves as an important plot device during the game and has a significant narrative context. The changes in the cleanliness of their clothing, and their reactions toward each other, help to illustrate the story.[46][47] According to Williams, the hope was that players would start the game with relatively low expectations, or they would consider the game another typical heroic war shooter,[39] then by seeing the transformation of the characters, would be shocked by the game's narrative and be "engulfed by the darkness".[47] To make the transformation process clear, the team found it necessary to show the characters' personality at the beginning of the game in order to create a strong contrast.[48] Gameplay is also a plot device and is tied to the game's narrative, as players can choose whether or not to execute enemies, which reflects the brutality and horror of war.[46][48]

We invite the player to encounter some of the more horrific experiences that we hear from soldiers and the stories they tell as they come home from modern conflicts. These are not happy or heroic scenarios, but we feel they are important because they cause us to question ourselves, our way of life, and our way of thinking. We feel that it's extremely important to treat these themes with care, and we use them as an emotional tool in our narrative, rather than for shock value.

—Cory Davis, the game's lead designer.[42]

According to Williams, he believed that most games on the market failed to create a correct representation of the war experience, or express the psychological changes that some combatants experience after participating in a war. He added that a war is not as straightforward and immature as it is portrayed in various shooters. As a result, the game's theme centers around the moral aspect of war. By using this theme, the team hoped to tell a story and provide an experience that feels realistic, covering the combatants' mental changes during and after a military conflict, similar to how movies in the 1970s and 1980s, such as Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now convey these messages.[43] The team had the intention to give players the opportunity to show that a shooter can also have a decent story capable of invoking emotions.[49] To achieve this, the team simplified their original story setting of having Konrad as a "megalomaniac with messianic delusions" to a setting that is more similar to Hearts of Darkness.[49]

Spec Ops: The Line features choices for players to make. According to Williams, it was the game's key concept from the beginning of the game's development. The game does not feature a morality system, but instead has "moments" and "situations" that give players some freedom. The consequences of some choices were made unclear in an attempt to make them more realistic and to encourage players to explore the other potential options, and to think about the consequences that these choices might bring. According to Williams, these choices were inspired by Fallout 3[39] and are often between: "what the character knows and what the player would maybe try and do".[43] To make choices more realistic, and to increase the impact of the story, the team put in a lot of morally grey choices and "bad or worse" decisions.[50] Williams added that absolute good choices are not practical and sometimes may not exist in real-world situations. Combat sequences forced players to make split-second decisions and accept the consequences of their choices. According to Williams, this is something that people frequently do in real-world scenarios, and they must "live with it" after their decision. Williams added that they hoped that the game's players would have different feelings after making these choices, as this would show that they had created an opportunity for players to examine their own inner emotions,[43] and that they had successfully provided different experiences for players without having a branching storyline.[49] Replay value was also considered when the development team was designing these choices.[41]

The game's moral choices do not have any connection to gameplay, as the team feared that players would view them as gameplay mechanics and disconnect them from the story.[39] The consequences of each choice were designed to be unpredictable to create tension for the player. Both approaches are applied to let players make decisions based on their own will instead of "gaming the system".[50] Williams also added that they attempted to make violence in the game "meaningful". While the game's basic premise is to have the Delta Squad rescue civilians in Dubai, the game by its nature tasks players to kill with their firearms. Therefore, the team added a lot of dialogue to justify and rationalize the characters' violent actions, creating complex plot points, drama and climaxes.[51] The team also developed banter between enemies in an attempt to humanize them.[45]

The game's theme is heroism, where being a hero may bring more harm than help.[39] During development, there was a point at the beginning of the game where players could choose to leave Dubai. This was cut from the game, as the team found it not effective enough, and it broke a player's immersion in the game.[45] According to Williams, the choice system was originally similar to Fable II, after a player makes a decision, they cannot reload the game and choose again unless they start a new game. This was later removed due to the game's structure as a shooter as the team feared that it might cause players to feel frustrated, being stuck in an endless cycle of killing and dying.[45] Williams later added that adding achievements to the game was a mistake, as it disrupts the game's narrative.[45]

One of the main goals of the narrative was to depict war in a manner unlike it is portrayed in media such as TV and books.[47] Another goal was to use the scenarios presented to cause players to raise questions about their thoughts of killing people in a video game as a form of entertainment.[42] To achieve this, the team made the hints at the game's loading screen increasingly aggressive, while the game's overall narrative was designed with the aim of being "physically opposing", so that players could project themselves into the protagonist's position, especially when making choices that involve the killing of innocents. They hoped that players would be able to feel angry at the developers who "forced" players into killing civilians in the game. The development team had a lot of debates regarding the imagery used in depicting violence towards civilians, as many considered it excessive and unnecessary.[52] However, 2K approved their vision even when the team thought they had pushed the narrative to extremes.[39]

Williams has stated that the game's events are open to interpretation.[lower-alpha 2] Many other theories and interpretations had been discussed by the development staff.[52] The game's pacing is described as "deliberate" by Davis, but he added that there are moments where the pacing slows down significantly and allows the player to learn more about the game's story through inspecting environmental objects.[44] The city of Dubai is filled with graffiti, which is used to give players information regarding the factions and the backstory. According to Yager, the graffiti was designed to give players a perspective that is different from the main game, and to help make the location more realistic.[48] The team also hoped to make players feel lost when playing the game. As a result, the team added hallucination to the game. The team hoped that by using hallucination as a plot device, they could create a snowball effect and engage players more fully in the story as they complete the game.[45] These hallucinations sometimes occur through the subtext, in which players may not realize their presence. Williams added that having subtext is important, and that the "best stories are the ones that have stuff hidden in them".[lower-alpha 3] According to Williams, the game fades to white when the game transitions from one scene to another when the latter is a hallucination created by Walker.[45]

General design

A concept art for the game. The Dubai featured in the game is ravaged by sandstorms, creating a post-apocalyptic environment.

The game is set in Dubai, which has been ravaged by sandstorms, a story set-up inspired by Davis' and Williams' personal experience with heat waves, hurricanes, and sandstorms in Louisiana and Lubbock, as well as a story about a Persian army that vanished in an Egyptian desert in a sandstorm. The two found that the chaotic forces behind sandstorms would help them to convey the message of how fragile humans are, as well as the harshness of war.[39] The team believed that the location provided them with a "fantastic" real-world environment allowing them to produce great visuals. Using Dubai as a setting allowed the game's levels to have verticality and variety.[48] The development team sent their art directors to Dubai to inspect the local environment.[48] To prevent the game from featuring the typical "dirty, grungy brown environment", the team added more colors to the game, as well as objects such as glass, marble, gold, and crystals to make the location look vivid and vibrant.

Using Dubai as a setting allowed them to incorporate sand as part of the game's key mechanics. Davis described the Dubai in the game as "a mix of fantasy and real-world environment".[53] To prevent the sand mechanics from turning gimmicky, the team introduced multiple ways for players to use sand as a weapon, such as the player's ability to trigger dust clouds by throwing grenades on sand and cause a sand avalanche by shooting weak structures and supports.[54] In addition, the team added several scripted sequences regarding sand to keep the game dynamic.[55] The occurrence of these moments were decided based on the game's production value.[44] The team also consulted Wil Makeneole for military advice.[56]

The game featured advanced artificial intelligence due to the inclusion of the game's squad command system. Adams and Lugo will assist Walker in battles and react to the battle situation accordingly even if they are not given any orders. They will also analyse the situation when instructed and decide the best approach to defeat enemies. The battle command system was designed to be accessible and easy to use, so that players would not have to spend a lot of time managing the squad.[55] Lugo and Adams may get severely injured and if both of them die, the game ends. This mechanic prompts the player to rescue them as quickly as possible, and the system is designed to create tense situations.[48] The AI for enemies is affected by various factors, including visibility and hearing.[41]

Audio

The team did research on weapon sounds by consulting several military experts. The team spent a lot of time dealing with the audio mixing, so that the resulting sounds would not interfere with the narrative. To make the game's script unique, the team added more variety to character lines during gameplay moments, and had these lines correspond to scenarios the characters were facing in the game.[55] Elia Cmíral was hired to compose the music for the game, and the soundtrack was described as "unearthly" and "rock-orientated".[55][57] To establish the character of the Radioman, the team added licensed music, including Martha and the Vandellas' "Nowhere to Run" and Mogwai's "Glasgow Mega-Snake".[58]

Multiplayer

Although Spec Ops: The Line has a strong single-player focus, it also features multiplayer components. Yager was only responsible for the game's single-player; the multiplayer was outsourced to Darkside Game Studios. The multiplayer team at 2K Games, which previously developed the multiplayer of BioShock 2, also assisted in creating multiplayer classes.[21]

The multiplayer game's tone is entirely different, the game mechanics were raped to make it happen, and it was a waste of money. No one is playing it, and I don't even feel like it's part of the overall package – it's another game rammed onto the disk like a cancerous growth, threatening to destroy the best things about the experience that the team at Yager put their heart and souls into creating.

— Cory Davis on the game's multiplayer[39]

According to Davis, while 2K Games was supportive of Yager and its campaign, they insisted that the game must have multiplayer components to boost its sales. This was a decision that Yager thought would hurt the game. Davis described the project as a "waste of money", and a "low-quality Call of Duty clone".[59] The president of Darkside Game Studios, Hugh Falk, responded by calling Davis' opinion "outlying". He added that Darkside participated in the project towards the end of the game's development cycle and that they had to revamp the entire multiplayer system within tight deadlines.[60] Davis later claimed that his comments were not directed to Darkside Game Studios and that he is satisfied with their final product after a long and troubled development cycle.[61]

The game originally did not have a cooperative multiplayer mode, as the team thought that it would cause distractions when players are playing the game's tonally darker levels, and that it did not match the game's narrative".[42] However, a cooperative mode was added to the game in August 2012 as free downloadable content; it does not follow the storyline of the campaign.[62]

Release and marketing

On December 12, 2009, a ninth game in the series was announced at the Spike Video Game Awards; a trailer depicted several minutes of gameplay and showed off the setting. A subsequent press release detailed the premise, other game features, and a possible 2011 release date. An official site was soon launched, and a new trailer was released in November 2011.[63] The game was later delayed to the first or second quarter of 2016, before the fixed release date was announced. Spec Ops: The Line was released on June 26, 2012 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[64] It was released on March 13, 2014 for OS X.[65] This version of the game was developed by Digital Tribe Games.[66]

No more news about the game was made available for 18 months during the game's development cycle.[45] Davis thought the game was announced too early, which caused excitement for it to die down. The developer carried out focus tests during this period and the gameplay was found to be too slow-paced which would lower its competitiveness with other shooters such as Call of Duty. As a result, the team spent time to speed up the game's action.[39]

In addition to the game's standard edition, players could purchase a Premium Edition at a higher price. Players who pre-ordered the game at selected retailers were able to have their games upgraded to the Premium Edition at no additional cost. The Premium Edition grants players additional advantages in the multiplayer segment of the game, including experience points boost and early access to the Officer class.[64] A multiplayer beta for selected applicants on the Xbox 360 platform was held in 2010.[67] A playable demo of the game, which featured two chapters from the beginning of the campaign, was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 8, 2012.[68]

According to Williams, the game was difficult to market, as the team wanted to prevent spoiling the its story and narrative while encouraging people to buy the game. He added that the demo they had created was unrepresentative of the final game. Williams expected the game to be sold through word of mouth promotion and that it would become a cult classic.[45]

Reception

Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(PS3) 77/100[69]
(X360) 76/100[70]
(PC) 76/100[71]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid8/10[9]
EGM9/10[72]
Eurogamer8/10[73]
Game Informer7.75/10[74]
GameSpot6.5/10[75]
GamesRadar[76]
IGN8/10[77]
Joystiq[78]
Polygon8/10[79]
VideoGamer.com7/10[80]

Reviews of Spec Ops: The Line were mostly positive, with many critics praising the narrative, themes, and the provocative take on violence in video games, but noted that it failed to innovate or present a strong multiplayer component. The game was considered to be underrated by many critics.[81][82] Previews of the game,[83] and the final game was banned in United Arab Emirates for its depiction of Dubai in a state of destruction.[84]

The overall gameplay received mixed reviews. Some critics believed that the game's gameplay was enjoyable,[9] serviceable and acceptable by modern standards, but most agreed that some of the gameplay mechanics, such as the cover system, lacked polish and was flawed.[72][74][77] Some critics considered the gameplay generic due to its inclusion of typical shooter elements such as on-rail and turret segments,[75][79] and stated that such mechanics are unable to help the game differentiate itself from other shooters such as Gears of War, and give the game an identity crisis.[78][80] Some critics lamented that gameplay occasionally disconnects players from the story, creating annoyance.[73][75][78][80] Many criticized the game for not having a roll mechanic.[9][80] The artificial intelligence system was criticized for not being strong enough to make the game more gratifying,[9][80] though some critics thought that the AI system for Adams and Lugo was well-crafted and did not suffer from severe or frequent technical problems,[73][77] although they may not be able to carry out player's commands.[9][73][74] Some critics criticized the game's low replay value,[74][85] unbalanced difficulty level, and sudden difficulty spike.[77][86]

The graphics and art design of the game was praised. Brandon Justice from Electronic Gaming Monthly stated that he expected the game to look "bland" due to the its setting, but he was surprised at how much variety and color there was in the game.[72] The game's level design and vibrant colors were also praised.[77][79] Critics agreed that the game's setting, Dubai, was excellent and well-realized;[9][78] some critics praised Yager for adding different details to the game's world.[75][77] The terrain and landscape was praised for being interesting, unique,[74] and creating "fantastic set piece battles".[76][80] Some commented that the sand mechanic sometimes became gimmicky.[76][74] Many criticized the game's poor textures and the poor rendering of cutscenes.[9][77]

The game's overall narrative was praised by critics; many considered it compelling,[9] engaging, riveting,[76][74] and mature,[72] and viewed it as the standout feature of the game.[72][79] Some believed that the story had an excellent presentation with decent voice-acting, memorable characters, and atmospheric soundtracks.[72][77] Many critics thought it was a bold attempt by Yager and that the story about mistakes and consequences allowed the game's narrative to exceed its competitors in terms of quality.[79] Some critics believed that Yager should be respected for successfully creating a message through the story and delivering it to the player,[74][78] and trying to do something different.[72][76] Mitch Dyer of IGN thought that the game's narrative made violence "meaningful", and that the story was unexpectedly good and personal.[77] Some believed the story is impactful and at times shocking,[75] and that the plot would make "Modern Warfare 2's nefarious No Russian look pretty tame".[80] The game's choices were praised for being "powerful" despite not offering a branching storyline.[72] Some critics believed that these choices are provocative,[72] organic,[78] impactful,[74] upsetting,[76][74] and thematically correct though unsatisfying and sometimes hollow and binary.[73][74] The endings of the game were praised,[72] though some felt that there are some plotholes in the story. Some critics noted that emotionally Spec Ops: The Line is not a pleasant game.[79][87]

The multiplayer received mixed reviews. Justice appreciated the upgrade system, as he thought that it had successfully encouraged teamwork.[72] Dyer added that the multiplayer is unremarkable and uninspiring, despite saying that the Buried mode created a tense experience. Many critics believed that this mode is not worthwhile, and can only served as a distraction.[9][76] Arthur Gies from Polygon noted that the multiplayer component suffers from technical issues such as freezing and glitches, as well as issues with player's conduct such as cheating in matches.[79]

The controversial white phosphorus scene, which forces Walker to kill both rival combatants and civilians, was described as "troubling" by critics.

Critics have pointed out that the "mechanics" of the game — the actions available to the player, and the responses resulting from said actions — contrast pointedly with many mechanics of popular FPS games, and that the game deliberately used shooter genre clichés in order to illustrate how ludicrous they are in comparison to real warfare.[88] In particular contrast to other games of its kind, some critics believe that Spec Ops: The Line does not intend the combat to be a fun experience for the player, but rather aims to engage the player through its narrative which critiques the shooter genre for being removed from reality and providing players with an unrealistic, morally dichotomous, escapist fantasy.[89] The white phosphorus strike scene has been the subject of much scrutiny and was described as "troubling"[90] due to images such as the corpse of a mother clutching her child. In response to complaints that the massacre was unnecessary or exploitative, Williams justified the scene by saying that the plot device was intended to evoke players' anger, and that one of the game's endings is simply for the player to put the controller down and stop playing.[91]

Sales

The game debuted in No. 3 in the UK retail chart during the game's first week of release, behind Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes and The Amazing Spider-Man.[92] Spec Ops: The Line was a commercial failure, selling less than anticipated. The sales of Spec Ops: The Line, combined with Max Payne 3, was lower than the combined sales of L.A. Noire and Duke Nukem Forever.[93][lower-alpha 4] The low sales of the title contributed to Take-Two's disappointing financial results in fiscal year 2013.[94]

Accolades

Spec Ops: The Line was nominated for Best Shooter, and the White Phosphorus scene was nominated for Best Gaming Moments at the Golden Joystick Awards.[95] At the 2012 Inside Gaming Awards, the game won for Best Narrative and was nominated for Best Game Cinematography.[96][97] At IGN's Best of 2012 Awards, the game won for Best PC Story and Best PS3 Story,[98][99] and also received nominations for Best Overall Story, Best PS3 Action Game, Best Xbox 360 Shooter Game, and Best Xbox 360 Story.[100][101][102][103] It was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Story at the 16th D.I.C.E. Awards.[104]

Future

According to Yager Development, 2K never discussed the chance of developing a sequel during the game's development.[39] Timo Ullman, managing director of Yager stated that the game failed to compete with other shooters, and that market for games like Spec Ops: The Line is too small. As a result, the team would not return to the franchise.[105] Team members expressed a desire to move on and develop a game that has a much lighter tone.[94]

Notes

  1. ↑ He can be killed by Walker or left to burn to death under a pile of debris.
  2. ↑ According to Williams, his interpretation is that Walker died during the helicopter crash, as Walker experiences deja vu during the second sequence.
  3. ↑ According to Williams, one of Walker's hallucinations occurs at the beginning of the game, with a billboard showing Konrad's face.
  4. ↑ Max Payne 3 was released in May 2012. L.A. Noire and Duke Nukem Forever were released in 2011.

References

  1. 1 2 "Spec Ops: The Line" (PDF). 2K Games. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  2. ↑ Elvira Mortensen, Torill (June 5, 2015). The Dark Side of Game Play: Controversial Issues in Playful Environments. p. 181. ISBN 9781317574460.
  3. ↑ Swiader, Keith (November 22, 2011). "Spec Ops: The Line had me question my morals". Destructoid. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  4. ↑ Lane, Christopher (August 8, 2012). "Spec Ops The Line review". Wargamer.com. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Cobbett, Richard (April 13, 2012). "Blood In The Sand In Spec Ops: The Line". IGN. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  6. ↑ Robinson, Martin (February 6, 2012). "Spec Ops: The Line Preview: A Shock Shooter". Eurogamer. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  7. ↑ Beck, Adam (June 10, 2012). "E3 2012: Spec-Ops: The Line Hands-On". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  8. ↑ Dutton, Fred (February 9, 2012). "Spec Ops: The Line lets you shoot "unarmed civilians", "angry mobs"". Eurogamer. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pinsof, Allistar (June 26, 2016). "Review: Spec Ops: The Line". Destructoid. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  10. ↑ Nguyen, Thierry (May 1, 2010). "Spec Ops: The Line First Look Preview". 1UP.com. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  11. ↑ Lambrechts, Stephen (February 12, 2012). "Why You Should Pay Attention To Spec Ops: The Line". IGN. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  12. ↑ Antista, Chris (February 10, 2012). "Spec Ops: The Line preview". PC Gamer. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  13. ↑ Djordjevic, Marko (November 22, 2011). "Spec Ops: The Line – Trying Not to Be a Typical Shooter". GameSpot. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  14. ↑ Pearson, Dan (May 1, 2010). "Spec Ops: The Line: Page 2". Eurogamer. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  15. ↑ Gies, Arthur (November 22, 2011). "The dangerous game of Spec Ops: The Line". Joystiq. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  16. ↑ Howitt, Grant (October 26, 2012). "Spec Ops: The Line – This Changes Everything". The Escapist. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  17. ↑ Sicart, Miguel (September 6, 2013). Beyond Choices: The Design of Ethical Gameplay. p. 116. ISBN 0262019787.
  18. ↑ McAllister, Jeff (July 14, 2012). "Spec Ops: The Line intel locations guide". GamesRadar. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  19. ↑ Bradford, Matt (April 20, 2012). "Spec Ops: The Line multiplayer trailer starts a feud". GamesRadar. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Spec Ops: The Line multiplayer guide". GamesRadar. July 6, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  21. 1 2 Gies, Arthur (April 17, 2012). "Spec Ops: The Line: Multiplayer In A Fog Of Sand". Polygon. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  22. ↑ Cooper, Hollander (June 11, 2012). "Spec Ops: The Line co-op preview – Wars with friends". GamesRadar. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  23. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Walker: Rogue soldiers. It's clear the 33rd is no longer acting as part of the US army. Adams: So what do we do? Walker: If we're gonna sort this out, we need to find John Konrad. [...] Konrad wouldn't abandon his duty. The 33rd may be hostile, but I guarantee the Colonel isn't part of it.
  24. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Radioman: Heh, well now, Captain... This lil' trap was meant for a fox named Gould, but you ain't Gould. In fact I don't know who you are. No one does. And that's dangerous. Walker: Dangerous to who? Radioman: Everyone. You didn't actually think we'd just let you walk in here, did ya?)
  25. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Lugo: You're fucking kidding right? That's white phosphorus. Walker: Yeah, I know what it is. Lugo: You've seen what this shit does. You know we can't use it. Adams: Might not have a choice Lugo. Lugo: There's always a choice. Walker: No, there's really not.
  26. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Lugo: This is your fault, goddammit! Adams: Stop right there Lugo. Lugo: He wouldn't listen'! Adams: We didn't have a choice! Lugo: He turned us into fucking killers!
  27. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Konrad: This is Dubai. This is what I face every day. My duty is to maintain order. Without it, we would have died long ago. Walker: This is a test. Konrad: Yes, it is. The civilian on the right stole water—a capital offense. The soldier on the left was sent to apprehend him. Which he did... Killing the man's family in the process.
  28. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Riggs: The water is gone... That's all that matters. Fuck, this ain't how it's supposed to end. Look, if people find out what he did, the whole region'll declare war on us. And we'll lose. Now the world'll never know. Walker: You are insane... Riggs: S' funny. Gould said the same thing... What I did may not have been nice. But it was right.
  29. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Lugo: Like I see you boosted the transmitter, but how far's this thing really go? Radioman: To infinity and beyond... or the storm wall... same difference. Lugo: Now you are just fuck'in with me. Radioman: Oh, ye of little faith... You are live and on the air, my good man. Give it a shot. Lugo: Wow. That was easier than I expected. Thanks. (pull out a handgun and shoot the radioman)
  30. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Walker: Dammit, Lugo! Adams: You better fuckin' pray he makes it. (surrounded by angry mobs) Sir, permission to open fire! I need you to give the word! Walker, Give me the fucking word!
  31. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Adams: Fuck you! Just shoot me! I'm standin' right here! Come on! Shoot me, goddammit! Fuckin' shoot me! Konrad: This is your last chance, Walker; Surrender, or my men will cut you down. Adams: Don't you dare-(Walker drops his weapon) Well, fuck you then! I didn't come this far to surrender. Walker: It's the only way inside that tower. Adams: For fuck's sake, give it up! The mission's over. We failed! Walker: Not while I'm still breathing. Adams: Fine, then keep breathin'! (shoves Walker over the side) Run, motherfucker!
  32. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Konrad: It seems that reports of my... survival... have been greatly exaggerated. Walker: That isn't possible. Konrad: Oh I assure you, it is. Walker: How?! Konrad: Not how. Why. You were never meant to come here.
  33. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Walker: What happened here was out of my control. Konrad: Was it? None of this would've happened if you'd just stopped. But on you marched. And for what? Walker: We tried to save you. [...] This isn't my fault. Konrad: It takes a strong man to deny what's right in front of him. And if the truth is undeniable, you create your own. The truth, Walker, is that you're here because you wanted to feel like something you're not: A hero. I'm here because you can't accept what you've done. It broke you. You needed someone to blame, so you cast it on me, a dead man.
  34. ↑ Yager Development (June 26, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line. 2K Games. Konrad: : I know the truth is hard to hear, Walker, but it's time. You're all that's left, and we can't live this lie forever. (points a gun at Walker) I'm going to count to five, then I'm pulling the trigger. Walker: You're not real, this is all in my head. Konrad: Are you sure? Maybe it's in mine. One. Walker: No. Everything... all this... it was YOUR fault! Konrad: If that's what you believe, then shoot me! Two. Walker: I... I didn't mean to hurt anybody... Konrad: No one ever does, Walker. Three...
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