[Thenoblesteed]

Spec Ops: The Line is one of those titles that usually slip through the barrier for gamers. I knew there was a title coming out of this name, but never really gave it much thought as to the likes of Max Payne 3 and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. Saying that, I thought it did look like it packed a punch, or was the punch just not worth landing?

First impressions from the title screen is very promising. An overhead look of the main attraction of the game, the setting of Dubai. An American flag flaps in the wind as you get a fantastic view of the place which doesn't just look deserted, but gives away how much detail this game has gone into showing you what this games really all about. Also, as I'm writing about the title screen, I may as well add that the flag you see before you, actually changes throughout the game. For instance, if you have been causing absolute destruction, the flag will appear worse and worse in the later stages, but you will understand more further into the review.



So we get to the story, a very original story in my opinion. You play as a Delta operator called Walker, and his small crew of Lugo and Adams. They have been sent to Dubai to look and recover survivors of a catastrophic sandstorm which has caused Dubai to become a ghost town. Sent by Walkers commander, you need to look for pedestrians who are caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and you also have the mission to search for a unit which were sent in before you, who have mysteriously lost contact, called 'The Damned 33'. Sounds like a pretty straight forward, search and rescue mission, but with a lot of consequences. 'The Damned 33' aren't who you think they are, immediately trying to screw up your plans. The reason for this? You will have to play the game yourself.

From the off, a helicopter is the first weapon you encounter. Taking down numerous other helicopters, you feel like a badass with a minigun, which gladly doesn't over heat, so the action doesn't stop until you descend down to the surface. After that, you start off pretty slow paced walking through the desert, close to the target of Dubai. With a small amount of suspense of not knowing who you're going to be up against, it quickly becomes clear that you are not wanted there. Enemies of up to eight, come from hills and behind abandoned cars and buses. Immediately, you will notice the old cover and shoot system. Seen it all before right? Yes, you have, but for some reason, this feels just as good as the Gears of War system. Peak from around the wall, or over, and you can blind shoot too, with satisfying results. Shoot an enemy in the head, they die instantly, shoot them in the leg, you will need to finish them off in the abdomen. How many times do we get games which your repeatedly shooting heads, and it takes four to five shots, frustrating isn't the word! I also loved the idea of using the environment to your advantage, as an example, three guys standing under a bus hanging by a thread off a ledge, filled with sand. So, shoot the glass of the bus, then all the golden goodness will full onto the enemies, which I admit, loved watching. Throughout the game, the enemies become more difficult, and the numbers increase. Also, Lugo and Adams aren't just there to look pretty. You will have the power to command your team mates to take down certain targets. For instance, getting shot from an annoying sniper up in the clouds? Then send Lugo to pump bullets to cover you whilst you flank him, just to finish him off with a melee attack. It works very well, the A.I can have a few hiccups, but the majority of time, it does what you ask them to do. A variety of weapons are at your disposal, from machine guns to a desert eagle, but nowhere near the extreme amount of such games as Borderlands. However, you do get achievements for using every type of weapon, but unfortunately, most of them are extremely easy and not much of a challenge. There is a small thought at the back of your mind that your repeating sequences, but the story will keep you gripped enough that you actually enjoy doing the same thing a lot, although as I have said, killing enemies is very satisfying.

The game consists of fifteen chapters, some a bit lengthy, some gone in a flash. It took me about 7 hours on hard difficulty, which is a good amount to do everything you need to before feeling an overwhelming completion.



Dubai looks stunning. The aerial views are eye grabbing from the moment you set foot on the blistering sand. A huge amount of detail have gone into the scenery, also inside buildings. A few that come to mind are the hotels, the stadium, and aquatic palace. The gore is average, blood where the bullet has hit on the body, a headshot will make the head explode, but nothing you haven't seen before. The facial expressions aren't so detailed, with no emotion showed whatsoever, which is hugely disappointing as they put so much thought into everything else.

There is an online mode, which consist of basic death match and team death match. It got boring quickly as there is nothing new to offer, it's just you, other online gamers, and guns, that's it. You have no achievements to unlock for any of the modes, so it kind of makes you think 'why am I doing this?' The whole idea of having achievements is to show off your skills against your friends, but what's the point if no one really knows there is an online mode unless you actually have the game.



I really enjoyed this game, the story was fantastic, towards the end it gave me an 'apocalypse now' feel. It's exciting, fast paced, and satisfying. The chemistry between the characters is fantastic, you really feel part of the small group that the game has to offer. Adored the environmental destruction, as it adds an element of surprise to the enemies, which also made me feel like I had to think about what I was doing, instead of mindless shooting. A good price at £30, its money well spent, anything more, it might be cutting it a bit, just because of the disappointing online modes.



Story - 5/5
Game play - 4/5
Graphics - 4/5
Multi player - 2/5

Overall - 7/10